Community Forums

99-Am.Star · 08-06-2013, 10:24 AM

of you fine folks here in the MD truck thread. I am now looking at a larger/heavier 5er. Getting to the top edge of my currant 3500 LBZ Chevy,
so I'm getting interested as to the price of the medium duty IH, Peter Built, Volvo?, KW, ect. Is there any negotiating room from what a dealer say's is list price?
I am early on in the process, and have never tried to buy a larger vehicle.
I also would like to buy new as opposed to a used fleet vehicle.
Thanks for any help you may be able to pass on to a MD newbe.

Bigg-limo · 08-14-2013, 11:05 PM

A new Sportchassis M106 is gonna run you around $160k, maybe even more. If you don't wanna spend that much, you can easily find a good used one for $50-$60k less, that's a couple of years old,....plus they're usually well taken care of too. That would be the route that I would take, if it were me. Depending on your situation, if you wanted to spend less than that, you could even go the HDT route. It just all depends on your situation, like I said.

Bob86ZZ4 · 08-15-2013, 09:58 PM

You might want to consider attending the www.hdtrally.com this coming October in Hutchinson, Kansas. I've gone the last three years. It's a great rally. Lots of people that are very knowledgeable about mdt's and hdt's. Several have had both types of trucks and could talk for long periods of time about them for you. And it's just a darn good bunch of cool campers and people. I don't have a 5ver but if I did I think I would use an HDT to pull it. Check it out.

99-Am.Star · 08-16-2013, 08:50 AM

Thanks for the reply. May be some thing to look into.

Bigg-limo · 08-16-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob86ZZ4

You might want to consider attending the www.hdtrally.com this coming October in Hutchinson, Kansas. I've gone the last three years. It's a great rally. Lots of people that are very knowledgeable about mdt's and hdt's. Several have had both types of trucks and could talk for long periods of time about them for you. And it's just a darn good bunch of cool campers and people. I don't have a 5ver but if I did I think I would use an HDT to pull it. Check it out.

When I retire, that'll be the first Fall event that's gonna get checked off. Have always wanted to go, but work would never let me.

bstark · 09-25-2013, 06:07 PM

I'll offer my two cents:

We ordered a new '05' 38' Mobile Suites and in anticipation of that we ordered and had built the truck shown in profile pic.

I spec'd the truck myself and wanted to maintain the trucks max torque rating of 950Ft/Lbs and bumbed into the problem of the Allison auto of the time being limited to 860Ft/Lbs and the fully synchro'd six speeds and the non-synchro'd seven speeds also requiring a derating of the engine.

I ended up going with a full ten speed and a rearset of 3:08 gears to compensate for the tiny 19.5" wheels and tires of a LoPro.

I arguably had one of the best MDT rigs for delivering economical cruising on the flats (1260 RPM at 65) and plenty of ratios to choose from while engaged in any hill climbing. A longer slight gradient increase would simply mean I would float shift it back and forth between 10th and 9th. no biggie with only a 400RPM step.

The truck itself weighed 17,600 with full tanks, tools, genny, and Harley Ultra aboard. Trailer adding another 18K mean't the little bugger earned it's keep.

Were I to do it over? I'd forget anyhting with the initial M at it's front and go right to the HDT conversion in an Autoshifter, I-Shift or even an Ultra-shift and confine my choices to a Volvo or later model International for cab amenities.

The thing to remember now is with the pre-emission versus Urea tank trucks. If buying one equipped with the tank be sure to discuss with a competent service rep the possibility of ECM setting re-gen cycle according to the lighter service duty the truck will be performing towing only a portion of it's designed ratings.

Think of the options you will have available for providing storage bins, carrying deck for an ATV, Motorcycle, even a car, while saving a chunk of money on a used class 8 with the ability to title the thing as an RV in it's own right, thereby avoiding in many areas the need for CDL or weight related plating.

rollondown · 09-29-2013, 08:12 PM

You sir, Bstark, are not helping me at all...
I recently converted a Dodge truck to what is now a 4500, brakes, axles, engine and tranny performance upgrades etc. If I had know how easy it is to step up to a HDT, It would have saved a ton of money.

Fulltiming with an '09 CarriHeavy 36Max1...