Recovery disaster - Long

Recovery disaster- Pics on pg 3, Final Update Pg 6

Truck is fixed - Update on bottom of page 6


What started out as a great trip to pick up my M871 flatbed trailer left me stranded on the side of the road at dark 85 miles from home.

I left home on Wed. at 0730 to reach Ft. Polk by 1300 to pick up the trailer. Aside from an occasional shower, the M818 was cruising happily along at 49-50 mph and 2000 rpm and I took my time. I had to go to three gates to find the truck entrance, since the others were restricted to 2-ton vehicles or smaller. When I got to the GL lot on time, had to wait since there was only one GL employee there, and the trailer was located at North Fort Polk. After about 1/2 hour, we went to the other yard, but couldn't find the trailer as it had been moved since I had previewed it to another storage yard. (BTW, there are probably over 100 M870 and M871 trailers that may be excessed, since the folks working there said they were not really suitable for the 900 series tractors due to the higher hitch height). The M870 is too heavy for the M818, and the M871 is probably too heavy fully loaded for the M818 to pull easily.

After about 20 min searching, we finally found it, but I saw someone had poked a hole in one of the brand new Goodyear 286 tires. The trailer has been totally reworked with new brake system, bearings, tires, wood, paint, wiring and lights. Thankfully, I only bid on the trailers with spare tires and the sideboards that you can put on the flat bed. The ruined tire was noted on the invoice by the GL rep, and I'll have to go through the damage claim process again. The worst part was I had to change the tire by myself in 90 degree heat with 70 % humidity. By the time I got the new tire in place, I had to rest a few minutes after hand starting each nut. That job just whipped my butt - those tires are HEAVY. At that point, one of the workers stopped by and said I could pull the trailer into one of their shops and he would use an impact wrench to tighten the nuts. I finally left Ft. Polk at 1600 hrs - 3 hours after arrival, and was recovering from heat exhaustion. I had a 180 mile trip ahead of me.

The trailer pulled great, but was heavy. It took longer to come up to speed, but I was still cruising on the open flat roads at about 49-50 mph and 2000 rpm. The truck was just purring along, and I was driving with a smile on my face and feeling good about making it through several small towns without destroying buildings and smashing parked cars. I was about 8 miles east of Opelousas LA (birthplace of Jim Bowie), and at about 110 miles into my return trip, the engine sounded like someone was kicking a steel drum with some cobblestones inside. I pulled over as far as I could, killed the engine and turned on the flashers.

I think I threw a rod or lost a piston, but there was no oil leak and no holes in the side of the engine. So there I am, the temperature is still in the mid-80s, it's getting dark, the fog and mosquitoes are coming out of the swamp next to the road, and I'm a couple of hours from home. Traffic on US 190 is passing by at 65 mph, and the truck is only 1 foot from the slow lane edge. Now what do I do?

I checked my GPS which can search for local food/gas and such, and find a truckstop a couple of miles back. I called them to see if they had a number for a wrecker. The several phone calls later, explaining to each what I was driving, I finally was waiting for the largest wrecker in a 50-mile radius.

When the driver arrived, we had a problem since the lift that went under the front axle couldn't fit due to the differential, and the off-center location of the spring brackets. He called his boss, who had never towed one of these trucks, and was no help. I finally convinced the driver to hook the boom cable hooks to the lift shackles, and chain the lift to the front of the bumper and around the frame. It took about an hour to figure it out. I also had to explain that we couldn't hook up to the air/hydraulic brakes on the truck, but could run an air line to the trailer. Fortunately, the M871 and M870 trailers are set up for 24v and 12v lights, and we ran the light cable to the 7-pin(?) connector. He lifted the front of the M818 about 2 feet off the ground, and we headed out in the biggest wrecker I've ever seen towing both the M818 tractor and M871 trailer, leaving hundreds of full mosquitoes to digest their meals. I also left behind $247 for the towing fee to drop the truck and trailer off at a truck stop on I49. I was headed to the wrecker yard, when the driver said I could leave it at a truck stop to avoid storage fees. I had my wife make a 4 hour round trip to pick me up, and I finally got to bed at 0200 on Thurs.

So here I sit trying to figure out what to do. I am trying to contact a diesel mechanic to see if he can work on it, or to find out if it is worth it. I'll take a camera with me for photos when I go to visit it in the truck stop. I'm sure it's getting a lot of attention while it's there.

Just to explore options, does anyone have a M818 in south LA that can tow my M818 home? It will take two trips to get both the tractor and trailer. I'll pay all your expenses, and you can take all the pictures and laugh at me the entire time.

That sucks man...

If GL did EUC's faster, I would have a truck to tow you with.

Although I am deeply sorry for your misfortune, I am grateful for the story. It helps remind me why I sold the M35 and went with a 1 ton. Whenever I get an itch for a big truck, I will return to this thread.

ouch sucks to hear that!

Trailboss,

While I can only offer moral support, please know I'm glad your safe.

The trucks OK for the moment and lets pray the SS gods smile on you and send an OD angel.

Keep us posted and good luck

Man oh Man !

Maybe call Tim & the wrecker.

Well, at least I know where Murphy went after he left me on the side of the road in Lumberton, NC on Sep 28. Sounds like exactly the same symptoms - cruising along at several hundred RPM's under max, followed by all sorts of noise in the engine and loss of power (and in my case, complete loss of oil pressure). All in about five seconds!

UPDATE - Finally caught up with the local good ol' boy diesel mechanic, who has a real good reputation. We're going to pay our respects on Monday morning to see what can be done. He says he is familiar with the M818 and the Cummins NHC 250, so that's a good sign. I'll probably have to shell out another $150 or so to tow it to his place. I think I'll wait for his prognosis to decide to repair or keep it for a parts truck.

I guess if it wasn't for an adventure like this every now and then for comparison, we wouldn't know when we have it good, and life would get kinda boring after awhile.

I just drove back from NC through Lumberton on 10/5

SCSG-G4 said:

Well, at least I know where Murphy went after he left me on the side of the road in Lumberton, NC on Sep 28. Sounds like exactly the same symptoms - cruising along at several hundred RPM's under max, followed by all sorts of noise in the engine and loss of power (and in my case, complete loss of oil pressure). All in about five seconds!

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I guess Murphy jumped in the back of my truck as I drove through!!!

Sorry about your troubles trailboss.
Been there...done that...got the tee shirt as Uglyranger says.

I guess I would just ask...since you were already on the "hook" of the heavy wrecker...why not tow the rig home? 70 miles ain't that far. I would think going back and forth and my time would easily be worth the extra tow bill?

Just asking

Hope it works out to be something not to awful in the end. It always worries me driving the trucks know that something could go amiss, but as you say, it's part of the adventure in away. I ran the M814 out to Columbus today to pickup some items at GL. Everything went fine this time, but you never know.

Hopefully you stopped before you did any major damage.
Good luck to you.

I thought my misfortune at Ft Polk would have paved the way for good luck for other SS members to come . . . I was pulling onto the Alexandria Hwy from the North Fort Entrance, and a car rear-ended my Ranger pickup going 55 mph. $800 of wrecker bills later I was home with a smashed truck. Noone was hurt.

That 871 trailer of yours is getting kinda really expensive. I have a tan one to pick up at Red River, I hope the 400 Cummins in my "new" M915 does not have a bad day too . . .

One day you will laugh about all this. Not right now.

Could have been worse.

Hot fall day a couple years ago. For my Fire Dept have a nice low mil sweet running M911 HET pulling a M747 Tank transporter trailer. 5mi down the road the 8V92TA goes TU while in construction zone on I-80 East of Omaha. LONNNNG combination on the back of a wrecker approx 10mi to 1st rest stop. And my father in law was driving the M911.

AF required I tow the rig off DRMO Offutt to local truck shop (Frtliner as I recall) who "inspected" the M911. Any idea how much the truck shop stood behind their inspection?

Few days later tow to Des Moines (about 100mi). Turns out fuel tanks were nearly full of mogas, engine needs an in frame. As IDOT would not allow wrecker to tow tractor with trailer attached 1st had to park/abandon the trailer at nearest DOT shop.

Lucky the M911 has big winches that have value.

I blame the witch at DRMO Offutt for the Mogas. She got back a me.

papabear said:

Sorry about your troubles trailboss.
I guess I would just ask...since you were already on the "hook" of the heavy wrecker...why not tow the rig home? 70 miles ain't that far. I would think going back and forth and my time would easily be worth the extra tow bill?
Just asking

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That was a consideration, but the driver had another job waiting. At $150/hr, and the low speed we were traveling, I figure it would take about 3-4 hours home, and another 2 for him to return would cost about $800. They demanded cash on the barrel, and I only had $280 with me.

For that much, I might be 1/3 to 1/2 way to getting it repaired. I may still do that if I end up keeping it for parts.

If you get in a real bind, I can go get the trailer with my dolly, but I'm not comfortable towing the truck.

what a mess. Hope the engine is not ruined.

that stinks. I hope the big nhc isn't dead. anything can be fixed it's just a matter of how much $ you have. at worst case your looking at an inframe rebuild. best case you have a broken rod that somehow didn't damage anything else.

let us know how you come out.

Why can't these adventures happen where I'm at. I'm just dying to Recover something. Help out a fellow member.....Oh well. It'l happen. Seriously, glad you made it home Trailboss.

Doug , Nex time give me a call I did not realize you were going to polk this week I would of followed you there like we did last time.Sorry to hear about the truck. Hope its not to bad.