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Bringing My MV Home

KN6KXR

Well-known member
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551
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Location
Felton, CA
Greetings from Nebraska! Lost a wet tank air line and hung it up at 0300. Got 5 little winks, made friends, made repairs, back on the road! There's more to the story I'll post when I get home. Shooting for 500 a day in one of these is a chore! Did just over that between 1300 and 0100 yesterday. Got going at 1100 today let's home there's a more relaxed day today. Voltage divider, inverter, USB stuff working great. Onwards!
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
225
551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Just kept going yesterday. Slept in the cab at a truck stop again. So cold it killed my cel phone and I had to use the ether start. 1316 miles in two days!!! I feel pretty beat at this point. Late start and roadside repairs in there. The reward is less than 250 miles today. Going to treat myself to a hotel and honestly I need a shower. Truck is great don't think I could do it in an empty 5 ton but the wrecker just keeps rolling!
 

simp5782

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Just leave the truck running if you are in it.

Worst thing you can do on any recovery is turn the truck off unless you are at a sheltered place, make it home, or an emergency that requires it.

Only takes a crapped out battery starter, pcb, switch to leave you stranded

My trucks run for 2 or more weeks without shutting off hot or cold outside
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
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551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Yep. Lesson learned. I was pretty worried about the batteries. Another thing about cold weather: tire pressure. Every morning I do my checks and this morning set all tires at 90 per spec but it was stupid cold. Got 50 Mike's down the road and checked hot they were at 110. So I let them back down to 90. I know the right answer is between but 110 seemed excessive? Thoughts on this?

So I made Ogden and am on the hunt for a hotel now. Did 3608 miles in about 50 hours. Time to clean up, relax, get a sit down meal. If they have wifi maybe I'll bust out the laptop but also maybe I'll just sleep.....

New hard top tomorrow I hope it's ready. With any luck I'll get a couple hundred miles down. Headed towards lost wages. "Behold, like an Ass I go forth into the desert!"
 

simp5782

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Nothing more than 75. Wheel faces are rated at 80psi rubber o rings in the wheels crack easy at high pressure when cold. Doesn't take but a little bit of moisture to freeze and blow one.
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
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551
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Location
Felton, CA
Whoa! Ok. Old spec was 80, then the TM changed to 90. So old spec was better? Sounds like 75 dead cold cold cold. Probably hit 85 maybe 90 hot rule of thumb is 10 percent cold to hot. Going to try this first thing tomorrow and keep careful eye on the tires. Hey maybe it'll ride better too!
 

Tow4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Orlando, FL
Just leave the truck running if you are in it.

Worst thing you can do on any recovery is turn the truck off unless you are at a sheltered place, make it home, or an emergency that requires it.

Only takes a crapped out battery starter, pcb, switch to leave you stranded

My trucks run for 2 or more weeks without shutting off hot or cold outside
Plus 2. I start the truck in the morning and it runs until I stop for the night. It was two days home with my M929. I started it exactly two times to get home. The third time I went to start it after getting home, the starter had crapped out. It would have sucked to try and find or repair a starter in the middle of BFE.
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
225
551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Ha my mileage count was off stupid fat fingers and cel phones. I'm a full keyboard kinda guy. Text to speech still not there yet.

It was 1,518 miles start to pit stop in about 50 hours. One roadside repair. Lots and lots of stops and brief walk around to stretch.

Mileage is between 6 and 6.5 as expected. Fuel valve works great and is minty fresh looking. Operates real smooth and I observed the overflow back to the tank in each one after shifting. After burning off a couple of tanks on the right I refilled it with fresh and have been exclusively running on the left tank. Went 330 miles between fills and put 50.76 gallons in I think that's about as far as I'm going to push that. At the stops I visually check levels (the strainers have been removed and the truck came with new stainless strainers but I haven't installed them). Fuel gauge bounces in motion and seems vague at a standstill. I don't trust it one bit.

Going to pick up some injector cleaner tomorrow. Seems a bit smokier than I got it when at idle sometimes and off the bottom. If there is a time to get a good burn then this is it. I'm carrying spare fuel filters just in case.

The exhaust tip was off when I got the truck and the muffler sounds a bit shot. I have a brand new muffler that came with the truck but will wait until home. It's working: don't mess with it! A few hundred miles after leaving I think whatever rotten remnants of muffler that were there gave up. So now I can hear a bit better when I'm on/off throttle through my ear muffs!

Besides the small, expected stuff, this has been a great purchase. I've been looking for a little while and when a real minty, well cared for, inside stored sample came up: I jumped on it. Didn't haggle. Glad I did.

About 900 miles to go for family Thanksgiving!
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,116
9,346
113
Location
Mason, TN
Ha my mileage count was off stupid fat fingers and cel phones. I'm a full keyboard kinda guy. Text to speech still not there yet.

It was 1,518 miles start to pit stop in about 50 hours. One roadside repair. Lots and lots of stops and brief walk around to stretch.

Mileage is between 6 and 6.5 as expected. Fuel valve works great and is minty fresh looking. Operates real smooth and I observed the overflow back to the tank in each one after shifting. After burning off a couple of tanks on the right I refilled it with fresh and have been exclusively running on the left tank. Went 330 miles between fills and put 50.76 gallons in I think that's about as far as I'm going to push that. At the stops I visually check levels (the strainers have been removed and the truck came with new stainless strainers but I haven't installed them). Fuel gauge bounces in motion and seems vague at a standstill. I don't trust it one bit.

Going to pick up some injector cleaner tomorrow. Seems a bit smokier than I got it when at idle sometimes and off the bottom. If there is a time to get a good burn then this is it. I'm carrying spare fuel filters just in case.

The exhaust tip was off when I got the truck and the muffler sounds a bit shot. I have a brand new muffler that came with the truck but will wait until home. It's working: don't mess with it! A few hundred miles after leaving I think whatever rotten remnants of muffler that were there gave up. So now I can hear a bit better when I'm on/off throttle through my ear muffs!

Besides the small, expected stuff, this has been a great purchase. I've been looking for a little while and when a real minty, well cared for, inside stored sample came up: I jumped on it. Didn't haggle. Glad I did.

About 900 miles to go for family Thanksgiving!
Better put the hammer down. You need to be down to 1100mi in under 14hrs
 

simp5782

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Location
Mason, TN
Plus 2. I start the truck in the morning and it runs until I stop for the night. It was two days home with my M929. I started it exactly two times to get home. The third time I went to start it after getting home, the starter had crapped out. It would have sucked to try and find or repair a starter in the middle of BFE.
Yeah I don't even shut off my good trucks once they are running unless I have to. Even with modern starts etc

They burn 6 to 8 gal of fuel running at 1200rpms for 11hrs so they don't wet stack. Leave em running
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
225
551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Hey if you need anything I am 20 miles up the 58 from Mojave in Tehachapi . Got an extra bunk so you can warm up and charge your phone.

Randy
Thanks Randy!

Pretty sure I'll be rolling through there but not sure about time available or when. Depends on what's up with my hard top tomorrow, how long it'll take to install, how much drive time I get. I'm running from Ogden to Atascadero and Vegas is halfway. Keeping it loose....

If you go to the SS rally in the Mojave next year maybe catch up with you there. Gotta have a wrecker to be period correct, right?

-Jim
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,116
9,346
113
Location
Mason, TN
Thanks Randy!

Pretty sure I'll be rolling through there but not sure about time available or when. Depends on what's up with my hard top tomorrow, how long it'll take to install, how much drive time I get. I'm running from Ogden to Atascadero and Vegas is halfway. Keeping it loose....

If you go to the SS rally in the Mojave next year maybe catch up with you there. Gotta have a wrecker to be period correct, right?

-Jim
@silverstate55 is in cedar city if you have any issues going to Vegas.
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
225
551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Whew! Just thought I'd post an update real quick before taking some sleep. Started in Ogden got my hard top looks great. Got out of there about noon. Stopped about 30 miles shy of Barstow. 280 miles to Atascadero for family turkey day. From there on I'm on home ground. Truck is running great I picked a winner. Thanks for all the support I'll post a summary later.
 

kendelrio

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Alexandria, La
Whew! Just thought I'd post an update real quick before taking some sleep. Started in Ogden got my hard top looks great. Got out of there about noon. Stopped about 30 miles shy of Barstow. 280 miles to Atascadero for family turkey day. From there on I'm on home ground. Truck is running great I picked a winner. Thanks for all the support I'll post a summary later.
Awesome bud! Glad you're in the home stretch... we expect to see LOTS of pics!!!
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
225
551
93
Location
Felton, CA
Alright! Made it to Atascadero for family turkey day. Now for a couple days rest and getting the nieces and nephews to play with the crane. Only 150 miles to home and after 2370 miles in 5 days I think I'll be fine.

Quick question for those who operate wreckers: I played with for the first time today and could do everything but rotate. I must be missing something simple. It got dark and I put it away but any insight appreciated.

PS Im still typing on a phone don't think I'll ever get the hang of it
 
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