Our New Truck.

Yes we brought home a new Truck This week. Only 25 years old and still pulling like crazy. Ran up on a 1989 Ford F800 7.8 Diesel motor 10 Speed Road Ranger Tran's. 60" Standup sleeper that will be stripped and redone with seating along with a bed. 24.5 Alcoa Wheels. 10ft Hauler bed along with chrome 6" Stacks. Motor only has 10,000 miles on it. so motor is good for a long time. Strong and pulls like crazy not super fast at 72 MPH but does it fast. Thinking about putting 10th gear back up against the dash thus having an overdrive 10 Speed.

Figure with the $4000. I have in it. Put around $12,000 to $20,000 in it. Have a nice old hauler truck, that I can say I had the pleasure of turning into a nice truck. Will be giving it a paint job to match the camper. But after a few hours with a can of colorback the paint on it will do for a year or so.
When we picked it up.

After a few hours of rubbing the paint with colorback.


Will be taking the big Fuel tank off the back next week. Got it in with the deal and it has a new pump on it. So we can use to fuel the tractors with.

Looking forward to working on this old truck and turning it into something nice I hope. That or I have went over the deep end and lost my mind.
Pete

Please move this to the Tow Rig section. Just seen I made the post in the wrong section.
Pete

Thanks for moving this .

You may want to install an air ride hitch or air pin box. That big rear axle could be pretty hard on the trailer frame. It could be a fun project as long as it doesn't become a money pit. It won't have the power, ride or fuel economy of some of the newer trucks, but it looks cool.

Have fun!

Looks pretty dang cool to me!


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You can sit something on the bed and it will not move now. Truck has air ride over the back axles. Not bags on the axle, but bags under the back section of each frame. Thus the back of the bed is on air. Its unreal how good this truck rides. Stuff that moves you in my 2500HD this one you don't even feel.
Our thoughts is even if I spend $20,000. on it, were still good. Now I know up front will never get what I sink into the truck out of when I sell it. But going into it knowing this, its not an issue. Just looking at a great Puller and something that is different than the rest.
As for power its around 300 HP / 800 FPT and with the gearing it has will pull with anything 3500 or below. MPG is not bad even with a load the other Guy shows on paper he was getting 10.7 MPG loaded. As he ran it as a hot shot for 7 months until his driver was killed. Don't know if I believe that average, but don't think he would have paid fuel taxes on that if it were not true.
jasson007 I agree with you its cool.

I think it's awesome, I'd drive it just like it sits.

Now that is one fine find LOL Sure looks nice for an older truck.

Great start there. The good thing about your find, is that they are easier to work on. The components are heavier, last longer, and are not necessarily more expensive. Nothing makes me angrier than to go to Ford and pay big bucks for a little plastic part. My dream has always been to put a F350 8' box on a single axle B61 Mack, with an E6 engine.

JanAndBill said:

Great start there. The good thing about your find, is that they are easier to work on. The components are heavier, last longer, and are not necessarily more expensive. Nothing makes me angrier than to go to Ford and pay big bucks for a little plastic part. My dream has always been to put a F350 8' box on a single axle B61 Mack, with an E6 engine.

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I agree, nothing on this truck electronic. If it starts it will run until the fuel tanks are dry. Even have to kill it with a cutoff pull not the key. Old School all the way, Told my wife today its new name was Rat Rod Express!!

Justafordguy I'm with you will be running it like it is for a while. Will rework the sleeper but for that new steer tires last it will need before they dry rot or run way out of date. Back tires will be regrooved and run for a long time.

wildwolfproducts said:

You can sit something on the bed and it will not move now. Truck has air ride over the back axles. Not bags on the axle, but bags under the back section of each frame. Thus the back of the bed is on air. Its unreal how good this truck rides. Stuff that moves you in my 2500HD this one you don't even feel.Our thoughts is even if I spend $20,000. on it, were still good. Now I know up front will never get what I sink into the truck out of when I sell it. But going into it knowing this, its not an issue. Just looking at a great Puller and something that is different than the rest.As for power its around 300 HP / 800 FPT and with the gearing it has will pull with anything 3500 or below. MPG is not bad even with a load the other Guy shows on paper he was getting 10.7 MPG loaded. As he ran it as a hot shot for 7 months until his driver was killed. Don't know if I believe hat average, but don't think he would have paid fuel taxes on that if it were not true.jasson007 I agree with you its cool. View attachment 24808

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Can't tell from the pictures what size tires it has. If you're on tall rubber, you could go to low profile tires, which will help the fuel mileage and the top end. Not a big fan on regrooving tires that you're running on a truck. You're better off going with new tires and taking a credit for your casings. Used to be a $100 credit for a casing that would cap. If you regroove it you'll probably loose the cap credit.

WOW - whata truck . Can't wait to see it at the TN/KY rally.

JanAndBill said:

Can't tell from the pictures what size tires it has. If you're on tall rubber, you could go to low profile tires, which will help the fuel mileage and the top end. Not a big fan on regrooving tires that you're running on a truck. You're better off going with new tires and taking a credit for your casings. Used to be a $100 credit for a casing that would cap. If you regroove it you'll probably loose the cap credit.

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I'm lost here? go smaller on tires will help MPG? Not sure how that will work, When I will be turning more RPM's to get the same speed? Tire's are not regrooved yet, Not sure where that come from? Now I did put I could re-grove the back tires. But right now there around 75%. And thinking they will have to be replaced because of old age before they wear out.
Buddy of mine runs 200+ OTR trucks and 350 trailers. They regroove all there tires, and still gets the casings recapped when needed. These tires are made to Regrove, plenty of rubber there for this. You only cut a small amount out. And they last way longer then new tires. Not many regrooved tires fail.

It does have 24.5's on it, they were added to lower the RPM's. Now when I swap out the rear chunk for a 3.70's I may trade down to 22.5 LP's but then again the 24.5's run better and last longer then the LP's ever did for us running OTR.

Nabo not sure I will have it ready for the trip in Sept. Hope I do, but still searching for a 5th wheel hitch. But may just mount the standard hitch and run it for a while. Will be adding a pair of new Steer tires, Hitch, changing out the gearing on the rear end. a few issues with wiring were redoing. But hope its ready before then.
Plus a Big Muffler the drone sound and loud exhaust would kill me before I get to 840 around Memphis Tn.

Did get a Pic of both the Rat Rod Express and the Key Largo together. There like the Odd couple. LOL

Truck is just backed under the kingpin. Don't have the hitch on it yet but was getting an ideal if the camper would set level when the 5th wheel is mounted. And all looks good as the hitch will be mounted all the way back, so we will not have to cut the sides of the bed down. As I like the looks of the bed as it is now. But will be adding a Big Dormer box back there to store the 8 gallon fish cooker and the Big Smoker.

Looking good. Following your truck thread on RV.net. It will be really nice when you have it done and painted to match.

Oh my - the LM looks little behind the purple people eater.

Jim its going to be a long slow process, but enjoying each day doing something to it. I'm sure it will take a year or more to get it 85% and then a year more to get the last 15%. As all the inside that I can do will be Eastern Red Cedar, still have about 800 BF on my trailer. So going to make it special.
Nabo It does make it look smaller. I had the 2500HD parked right beside it last sunday. Wish I had taken a pic with them like that, as it was unreal.
With these pics together, you can sure see the difference in size.

I'm not sure I'd even change the color of the truck. Looks to me like it matches the stripes in the graphics real well. I wouldn't change a thing on that part. Looks good together.

Tool958 said:

I'm not sure I'd even change the color of the truck. Looks to me like it matches the stripes in the graphics real well. I wouldn't change a thing on that part. Looks good together.

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Thanks it does look close to the Chocolate color on the camper. Some spots have no paint on the bed sides. Rock Dings or something not sure. I'm one of those that like the old look also. But figure next year it will be painted to match the camper.
Still have to get a muffler on it, App on my phone shows the DB's when pulling is 83 DB's so right around what the old trucks I used to run were at. But will be way quieter when I'm done with it. New Steer tires $1000. But should not ever have to buy new ones. LOL Not a fast truck but should pull the camper loaded like its not there. Top speed is around 70 MPH and motor is screaming at 2700 RPMS. Figure most times it will be ran around 55 or 60 MPH. And will regear it after running it for a while and finding out what RPM's the motor likes to run at.

Pete