How much truck do I need?

[jca57jd]

I'm thinking of buying me a tandem to pull my cat 953b. What would you recommend on power train for this load? Just looking to save money on transport. I do have some moderately steep slopes to go up and down some but no longer than a 1/4 mile long. What kind of horsepower and trany do I need to have as a minimum?

I own a international single axle (33gvw) now with a 230 hp dt466, 6 speed manual and I find myself dropping down to 4th gear maxing out at 35 mph when I go up some of these hills; when I'm pulling my bobcat and tractor (total load including the truck 40,000).

I know that I'm going to slow down on hills pulling this kind of weight no matter what, however I just want to be able to maintain a decent speed and not look back in the rear view mirror to find a line about 1/2 mile long.

I saw a nice Peterbilt that I like. I think it's got a cat 3126 with 300hp.
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/3764860936.html

Thanks for your future inputs!

 

[Vigilant]

I would go with a little more than that. I have been out of trucking for a while, but I would be looking for something along the lines of the old L10 or M11 Cummins, or the Cat 3306 and C10 sized engines, with an 8LL or a 13.

 

[CM1995]

That's a nice looking little Pete for $17K. I agree with Vigilant that the 3126 is more on par with the 466 power wise and you probably won't get what you are looking for out of that engine.

The guy that moves my equipment has a T800 tandem dump with a C12 and 8LL. It handles my 953C well on a tag behind it.

 

[Vigilant]

That's a nice looking little Pete for $17K. I agree with Vigilant that the 3126 is more on par with the 466 power wise and you probably won't get what you are looking for out of that engine.

The guy that moves my equipment has a T800 tandem dump with a C12 and 8LL. It handles my 953C well on a tag behind it.

The C12 is a workhorse, no doubt.

 

[denver m farms]

We have a kenworth tri axle dump with a 300hp 3306 cat and a 8ll and no jake, we gross 80 to 85k sometime's we also pull a 943 and a 35k excavator with it and we have big hills around here, it's slow but we get by. The pete in the ad looks great and i would say it will work fine. But if you were able to have anything you want a 400hp to 450hp with a jake is very nice. Do you know if that is a crown bed on the pete?

 

[Oxbow]

I suspect that you may be able to find a nice truck with bigger power for about the same money as a lesser powered truck, although that Pete seems to be a darn good value. I just don't think you will regret having more power, but may well regret being underpowered.

Having said that, I work in the mountains, so my perspective is likely skewed somewhat.

 

[Shenandoah]

Having said that, I work in the mountains, so my perspective is likely skewed somewhat.

I'll second that emotion. Living on the Virginia/West Virginia border EVERYTHING west of me requires driving through the mountains. There's nothing like a 10% grade that lasts all afternoon to make you wish you had a few more ponies. Same with the brakes.

 

[CM1995]

Do you know if that is a crown bed on the pete?

It looks like an OX Body.

 

[JBGASH]

I wuld stay away from the 3126 engine. I have one in a service truck and it is not a powerhouse but rather a dog. They are very problematic with high pressure oil leaks and other injection issues.

 

[stumpjumper83]

I don't really care for a 3126 myself, and also having a 250 hp ford 7.8 in a ford f-800, your going to want more motor than that, and tandems, and a jake. I would lean on a min of 350 hp, 400 preferred. Tranny wise an 8LL minimum, and more is better.

For what its worth, I tried hauling a 30k pound excavator with my ford, while it pulled it, it topped out at 50 mph on the flat. now my truck weight is 14.5, another 9 for the trailer so I was 53.5.

Get something that your not going to regret in a year.

 

[Oxbow]

I'll second that emotion. Living on the Virginia/West Virginia border EVERYTHING west of me requires driving through the mountains. There's nothing like a 10% grade that lasts all afternoon to make you wish you had a few more ponies. Same with the brakes.

Yes, the braking HP around here saves as much time as pulling horsepower, and while considered obsolete, I really like having the Brakesaver (retarder) along with Jakes!

Back to the subject at hand, it has always seemed better to me to have just a touch more than you need rather than less.

 

[Oxbow]

I'll second that emotion. Living on the Virginia/West Virginia border EVERYTHING west of me requires driving through the mountains. There's nothing like a 10% grade that lasts all afternoon to make you wish you had a few more ponies. Same with the brakes.

Yes, the braking HP around here saves as much time as pulling horsepower, and while considered obsolete, I really like having the Brakesaver (retarder) along with Jakes!

Back to the subject at hand, it has always seemed better to me to have just a touch more than you need rather than less.

 

[denver m farms]

It looks like an OX Body.

Yep I think your right, I have 2 ox beds about like it, but at first I thought it was different.

 

[Willis Bushogin]

stay away from a 3126
3306 with 8LL is OK, but not great on the hills
Big cam cummins 400 8LL or 13 speed are stronger older engines
are you looking a dump truck?
if you are, a friend had a 92/93 Freightliner tandem with a M11, its yellow, search Freightliner in Charlotte

 

[Birken Vogt]

If he is making 35 mph with a 466, then I would not think that a 14 liter engine is at all called for. Might as well stay with something smaller and cheaper.

 

[Oxbow]

If he is making 35 mph with a 466, then I would not think that a 14 liter engine is at all called for. Might as well stay with something smaller and cheaper.

I am not so sure it would be much cheaper if buying used.

 

[Randy88]

Several things come to mind reading this thread, first is hp alone isn't the only factor in anything, you need torque, and gear ratios to back it up along with gearing in the transmission. I wouldn't take that series cat's for a gift, but I'm partial to cummins myself, to each his own, I would also want a 13 speed and a lower gear ratio to back it up, depending on how much your planning on spending, I'd look for an older cummins, age depends on preference, but I like the 855 series and 14 liter, which are similar in size, and a jake to back it up.

Now that said, I'd never worry about who's behind me let alone how many, I tend to concentrate on doing my job, and doing it safely, stopping is far more of a concern than getting up to speed, but I live in the hills and with the size of loads I carry, I've got far more to worry about than who or how many are behind me, that's what passing and slow lanes are for, besides, in my area if your not doing at least 30 mph over the speed limit, you'd have just as many behind you as if your doing half the speed limit. Just my two cents.