OTR Trucks

[Timber]

Swift still uses them in their car carriers, If you ever lived in a truck you would never want a cab over. The conventional is beautiful inside like campers. The front seats swivel around into the bunk and open up the space. We run all 72 inch condo sleepers, the drivers love them

 

[RobertN]

I know there are, or used to be, length restrictions. My neighbor ran a KW Cabover because of that. He lost that truck in a wreck; a car hit him in the rain. Since then, he replaced that truck with a KW conventional.

Someone mentioned tilting a cabover. All the fire engines in our district are cab overs. With the cab big enough for seating 5, it makes it interesting to tilt durin daily's, weeklies, and monthlies...

My favorite truck is the '74 KW used in "Movin On". There was a thread about that a couple months ago; someone in New Jersey has the only known remaining truck from the show, in original paint.

I know there are some truckers on here, maybe someone can answer my curiosities...

I've been a fan of trucks and trucking since I was a kid. I was a big time carpet trucker and built my share of plastic model kits of the big rigs. Back then I knew the difference between a cabover and a conventional, but didn't know the pros/cons of either.

 

[milkman]

My favorite truck is the '74 KW used in "Movin On". There was a thread about that a couple months ago; someone in New Jersey has the only known remaining truck from the show, in original paint.

My favorite TV truck was the GMC with the screaming Detroit on the old "Cannonball" show.

 

[Taylortractornut]

The cab overs are all but gone still a few companies use them as back ps. They had the overall lenght restrictions and manueverability issues. All that had sleepers were integrated sleepers. Not like the old crakcer box GMs.
Theres an International that I rode in when I has a kid that has almost 2 million miles on it and has had 3 owners still goins strong. As for engine service they had hand pums and cylinders to tilt the cabs. they did have to have a cab latch/lock on back. Dads friend had to brake hard on an off ramp. the cab tilted over and he was staring at the stripes and laying halfway ontop of the windshield. In that position the cant be shifted or steered because of the universal joints involved.
Also anothr downfall was the hight climbing in an out of one, we have DM macks they are conventionals but the cab sits almost over the axle and the drivers side is flush with the left hand axle. It make climbing in and out every rolloff load less than fun.

 

[Ductape]

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[Ductape]

I see a lot of current, conventional trucks with the front axle set back pretty far. I assume that's for manueverability but doesn't that make the ride as bad as the old cabovers?

Its more for weight distribution. Setting the front axle back puts more weight on it. Running the the front axle as heavy as is allowed, allows you to transfer more weight onto the drive axle(s). Running your front axle well under its legal capacity "wastes" your load capacity.

Now federal law dictates trailer length only (though states regulate overall length still). As stated, this killed the cabover.... as they were designed to meet length requirements. Driving a truck like this was unthinkable in the past.

 

[Ductape]

One for RobertN !


I think for me...... trucks is a worse addiction than tractors.

 

[RobertN]

One for RobertN !


I think for me...... trucks is a worse addiction than tractors.

Oh Ya! I've been looking at Ebay; there are some DVD's available of the show, as well as the movie that proceeded it.

The KW from "Smokey and the Bandit" was very similar.

 

[Ductape]

A couple pics i found from a recent show.

 

[Ductape]

Couple more.......