Rev's Ride 1

[Jack_Berry]

general fyi

talked to a landstar driver who had a 15' ac with a 5 ft sleeper. he got 180k miles on his first set of tires with the multiple position rotation. he also gets 12 [email protected] it might have been late4dinner. wasn't.

 

[dhalltoyo]

It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife at Expo 2008.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of the Aerocell.

 

[LDB]

David, did you ever find out what changing to aluminum wheels would do for weight reduction? I've heard that because it's unsprung weight it makes a larger difference than the same amount in sprung weight. One of the more technical guys probably knows what that means. All I know is the wheels look good and in theory should cut some weight too. Also, what size are the tires?

 

[Jack_Berry]

david, thanks for the tour and your time. hope we didn't leave any sticky handprints all over that very clean truck. gracie has her mind made up on making it in this business and moving up to the aerocell. its a beaut.

 

[dhalltoyo]

Leo,

I never got a reply from Alcoa about the rims.

A few drivers have told me that the weight of the both rims are essentially the same.

The tires are: LT 225/75R/16D.


Jack and Gracie,

I never use chemicals on the dash. I wipe it down with one wet microfober cloth and then dry it with another microfiber cloth. If you use any type of cleaner/protectorant, it leaves a reflective sheen that bounces the sunlight right into your face and eyes.

Today's dashboards are made with materials that have an uneven surface "crushed look" to disperse the intensity of bright sunlight. Even the owner's manual suggests a mild detergent cleanser and water to rinse. Chemicals are also going to shorten the life of the material covering the dash.

If you are going to drive team, contact me before you order the Aerocell. I have some advice that may help you with your choices.

 

[dhalltoyo]

I had the fine folks at Espar of Michigan install a heater for me.

As soon as I get the photos they will be posted.

Ray and his team really did a nice a job of routing the wiring.

His shop is quite adequate to handle all types of trucks.

 

[DannyD]

Great thread here. Searched "Aerocell" & found it. So a little over a year later, how's your truck holding up? What have ya found ya like & what are some of the things ya might have changed up if ya were to do it over again?

 

[chefdennis]

Danny, i believe that the truck was sold not all that long after the original thread and the Rev is in the process of building a new updated version as this is being typied...

i am sure he will stop in and be able to answer your questions though.....

 

[dhalltoyo]

Danny,

Truck is performing well. The new owner has had it in service for just over a year. That truck will be two years old in May.

The new owner has made a couple of nice modifications. One being making the bunk flip against the bulkhead so as to provide room for a chair and a fold down desk top. Another was adding a 12 gallon RV fuel tank with outside filler to fuel his generator.

Different? Oh yes.

 

[skyraider]

I gotta b careful,,,or I will get cargomaxx fever,,what a nice unit,,,yep Im jealous,,,mercy,,, hope u enjoy it to the maxx,lol

 

[dhalltoyo]

Looked at the Cargo Maxx.

Nice workmanship. The body is very aerodynamic.

But I stayed with Aerocell for two important reasons.

Look at the GVWR for the Cargo Maxx:

GVWR Options

Single Rear Wheel 10,750 lbs (80" width)
Dual Rear Wheel 12,300 lbs
Dual Rear Wheel 14,200 lbs

GVWR puts you into the scale and log category.

Second, the price is way too high. I'll spend $5,000-6000 less.

PS. No more dual rear wheels for me.

 

[DannyD]

Ya, if we're gonna be over 10K & have to log, might as well not just barely go over it.

From what I've seen that would be the perfect vehicle. The price might be prohibitive as I'm sure there aren't a lot of used ones. I have been searching though. Found a few, but so far all were over the 10K limit.

 

[Jack_Berry]

why no more dual rears, david?

 

[dhalltoyo]

On a dually chassis, the cargo box weight offered no advantage in regards to the amount you can LEGALLY carry.

Moreover, a single rear wheel is more cost effective: tire replacements, tire rotations and fuel economy.

Yes, I might miss a wider load from time to time, but the fuel savings will more than offset those rare occasions.

And yes, the Cargo Maxx is over priced. Moreover, any 2009's will have the wrong differential; hence, reduced fuel economy. If you can make money running a van that gets 13MPG...I salute you.

We are already seeing fuel prices creep back toward $3.00/gal. I believe it will require a unit to get 20+MPG to be profitable in the very near future.

Ahhh...what do I know. Probably just CB chatter. (wink, wink)

 

[Jack_Berry]

after paying 2.699 and 2.749 and 2.849 in and around ky and penn. we got to ny and found 2.85 was the std 87 oct and in a town south of rochester valero 87 oct was 2.95. fuel here in corfu is 2.899 with the 92 oct the same price as the diesel.

20 mpg may be the break even point but you have to have the hours available to run that slow. we recently averaged 54mph for 1077 miles and ended up 30 min late. weather was part of the issue. the c'nsee didn't care at all. it wasn't an 0800 deliv for them. just for the third party.

 

[dhalltoyo]

If I have to run faster than 60mph to make the delivery time, I will pass on the load.

GPS is a great tool for calculating the distance and arrival time. If there isn't enough time to run at 60mph or less, I will pass on the load.

Fuel economy is only one aspect guiding my decision. The most important factor is the wear and tear on the truck.

I can't begin to tell you of the number of drivers who have had repetitive transmission failures. These folks continually take overweight loads and run at 80mph.

 

[60MPH]

after paying 2.699 and 2.749 and 2.849 in and around ky and penn. We got to ny and found 2.85 was the std 87 oct and in a town south of rochester valero 87 oct was 2.95. Fuel here in corfu is 2.899 with the 92 oct the same price as the diesel.

20 mpg may be the break even point but you have to have the hours available to run that slow. We recently averaged 54mph for 1077 miles and ended up 30 min late. Weather was part of the issue. The c'nsee didn't care at all. It wasn't an 0800 deliv for them. Just for the third party.

jack if y'all avg was 54mph and you were late then the load offer was calculated wrong most companies use 45-50mph as a avg. It is crazy to expect any thing more than that to many problems can happen on the road that you do not have control over. Be safe out there

 

[tractorman70]

Re: Rev's Ride 5

NOTE THE RUBBER CUSHIONS AT THE ENDS OF THE SLATS

INSTALLED INDOOR/OUTDOOR CARPET THAT HAS A RUBBER BACKING UNDER BUNK AREA AND SEALED WITH SILICONE. REASON? THE CARPET COVERS THE CARGO TYPE FLOORING AND IT TENDS TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT WITH THE WEATHER; THEREFORE, IT ALLOWS DUST TO WORK THROUGH THE SMALL GAPS. THANKS TO DRAGONRIDER FOR THAT HINT.

ANOTHER IKEA PRODUCT. THESE ARE SHOE CABINETS. THEY COME IN PACKAGES OF THREE. I HAVE 4 ACROSS THE TOP AND TWO UNDER THAT ROW. THEY ARE DESIGNED TO INTERLOCK BOTH SIDE-TO-SIDE AND TOP-TO-BOTTOM. I ROLL UP MY CLOTHES, TOWEL, JACKET, ETC. AND USE THEM AS CLOTHING CABINETS. THEY PULL OPEN FROM THE TOP AND RST AT AN ANGLE WHEN OPEN.

Great looking rig, if I may ask how did you attach the ends of the bed to the sides of the van? Is there a inner wall of sorts to the body?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Dakota]

bump to top

 

[purgoose10]

Great looking ride. Keep us informed on it's progress and if it gets you more freight. Also, how is it powered? Gas? Mpg so forth and so forth.
How deep is the sleeper and how much room does it leave for freight. Can you still get the bulk of the freight on top or ahead of the rear wheels for weight control?
Really a great job putting that together.