Big sleeper - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

BGatot · **^ Top** #1 03.08.2008

I was just looking at some big aftermarket sleepers on trucks. With showers, kitchen, etc. Man, those were nice! Almost like an RV. How common are these? I don't recall ever seeing any of them on the road. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention to it in the past. Looks like the ultimate thing to get for a trucker who live their lives on the road nearly all the time. Especially those running teams. Anyone here runs one of these? Or dream of owning one someday... The companies claim they might even save money in the long run. If you can cook that is! (if you don't, even living in your own house/apartment you'd eat out all the time!

)

Burky · **^ Top** #2 03.08.2008

Unless you are a high end car hauler or a furniture hauler, the excessie weight of the big sleepers puts them out of practicality for most owners. They add a large amount of weight and length to a truck, which makes it very hard to maneuver around the typical loading docks, or haul a normal weight load. While they may be nice, they are very expensive, and have only limited appeal if you aren't in one of the areas where they work out well. A decent one starts in the 60k range and also has to be paid for at some point!

Truckerjo · **^ Top** #3 03.08.2008

As Burky said weight is a big issue. Furniture people usually never pull more then 35,000 so they are usually the ones who have them.. They are extremely expensive, usually cost more then the truck itself.. There is a place where i live that builds them..
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alot-to-learn · **^ Top** #4 03.08.2008

I saw one up close in an atlas van line warehouse I paced off 13 paces (about 3 feet each) from the back of the drives to the front bumper. it was a W-9 K-worth like mine but loads more living area.

I paced off my tractor the same way it was 9 paces.

the truck blonged to a O/O who also had his 2 sons along for the ride, if they all had CDLs (I didn't ask) that truck never would never sit because of lack of hours.

Muleskinner · **^ Top** #5 03.10.2008

You put a Hillbilly Hilton on an already heavy spec'd largecar then about the only thing you can legally haul is sailboat fuel without a box to put it in.I always thought they looked kinda gaudy myself.And how many truck stop showers and meals would it take to add up to between $40,000 and $100,000 + ?They would be nice to pull your show truck around with tho if you won the lottery.

BGatot · **^ Top** #6 03.10.2008

Hillbilly Hilton!

Yeah, I wonder how you'd back up that thing in confined space anyway, they seem to be much longer than normal tractor.

GrumpyDad · **^ Top** #7 03.11.2008

They are nice and you can do alot more with them than you think. It's your own space that you don't have to share with anyone and with layovers sometimes being extensive it becomes very comfortable so your not hangin around the truckstops spending money needlessly, so it pays for itself alot quicker than you might imagine. It also comes in very,very handy if you travel as husband and wife, so your not crawling all over one another which tends to lead to unnecessary conflict. You as a driver have enough to deal with without having problems with your partner. The pic is not mine but other than color it could pass for it. I'm not very computer savvy or I would put my own in there.

Muleskinner · **^ Top** #8 03.11.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

They are nice and you can do alot more with them than you think. It's your own space that you don't have to share with anyone and with layovers sometimes being extensive it becomes very comfortable so your not hangin around the truckstops spending money needlessly, so it pays for itself alot quicker than you might imagine. It also comes in very,very handy if you travel as husband and wife, so your not crawling all over one another which tends to lead to unnecessary conflict. You as a driver have enough to deal with without having problems with your partner. The pic is not mine but other than color it could pass for it. I'm not very computer savvy or I would put my own in there.

I agree with you on everything you said with the exception of overcoming the cost sooner than you think.If you take 55,000.00 for an average NEW conversion(with that being a VERY low estimate for some conversions) ,divide it by 50.00 for your average roach motel nightly expense you could spend 1100 nights in a motel.Thats if you needed to spend every night in a motel which with any kind of sleeper,why would you.Take away the money the average driver would lose because of the weight of the truck and I can't see you ever really overcoming it.Buy the time you buy groceries and cook for one or two people you save a bit but there again not enough to overcome the cost.

MedicineMan · **^ Top** #9 03.11.2008

I know this is neither here or there but remind me to never let you book my hotel for me. pretty much $100 anywhere I stay.
But you also have to take into account the guys with those slepers live in those trucks and usually are in parts of the industry where they sit ALLOT. and those sleepers are often swaped from one truck to the next. etc. There is allot of double eagles running around out there that are over 20 years old

Muleskinner · **^ Top** #10 03.11.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

I know this is neither here or there but remind me to never let you book my hotel for me. pretty much $100 anywhere I stay.
But you also have to take into account the guys with those slepers live in those trucks and usually are in parts of the industry where they sit ALLOT. and those sleepers are often swaped from one truck to the next. etc. There is allot of double eagles running around out there that are over 20 years old

I never figured you for a high maintenance person Med....$ 100.00 a night just so you don't have to spend the night in a sleeper?Not I.If you'll notice in my post I did take all of that into account and I said a NEW conversion.I 'm talking about the other 95% of the drivers out there that it wouldn't pay to pack your bumping shack around with you.

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