question(s) for the Mechanics

It doesn't bother me to be on the back burner, I told them there's no rush. They are trying to find a regulator - the old one was not salvageable, and they have a price on the marker lights, just trying to find them cheaper ($57 a pop). I'll get a pic of the 5th wheel this weekend for you. It's blocked do it won't slide, and rusted into place there. Not sure where they blocked it to prevent pivoting, but more than likely it's rusted as well.

Also, found out the rail is 54" long.


Edit: I'm not doing the work for a couple of reasons.
1) know hardly anything about it to fix it
2) driving someone else's truck through the week
2.5) wife and kids would not be happy if I spent the weekend fixing the truck

 

Finding working door parts could be hard. 30 years has gone by since they’ve made new ones. Someones gotta have parts somewhere but if they are not listing or advertising it you will never know. I have not seen any good White parts for anything let alone a coe in truck salvage yards down here in decades. This was huge White Motor country in the 60’s-80’s. The South in general really loved them. The oilfield, fuel, and chemical companies loved them. Today you’d never know it. They are all gone. Not even sitting in yards. Just a memory or a hobbiest collector toy truck.
Grab up whatever parts you can find and shelve them for your future.

 

Some conventional parts are interchangeable. I found a truck boneyard about am hour from me, with some older Volvo's. Ran the VIN and found the doors would fit, but then a bit of rust was found, and the handle was gone, so they couldn't test the regulator. So just need to find another.

 

Just looking at them I believe the cab is the same as the Road Boss conventional cab. Possibly even later models. That would broaden your used parts availabilty greatly.

 

Will have to check into that, my thanks

 

I do believe they are the same as the Road Boss. I think the dashes are the same too. Bumpers and grilles should be too. There arn’t any left down here tho. Even the 500 or so that both Yellow and Roadway ran out of their San Antonio terminals vanished. There was what seemed like a 100
or so companies out of Houston that ran them. Then 100 more others that ran Macks. All vanished.

 

When you go to a boneyard,
always stick a multi tool, a screwdriver w/interchangable tips, two 6"adjustables,
and most importantly, a big vice-grip in your pocket
The vice-grip could have turned that regulator - and you would have it home today; if it was good.

I take an over the shoulder laptop bag additionally with 2 hex key sets, metric/fractional,
big channel lock pliers, 1/4" drive Milwaukee battery ratchet, and deep metric/fractional sockets w/2 extensions. Hacksaw. Big dikes. Yes--- and all that is only about 10-15 pounds. Fits most any need.
Anything more extensive, or bigger, is a walk back to the truck.

 

And always take a camera. Phones now. You may need pics of how something is installed,what it looks like, part numbers, factory decals/labels, or whatever. Beside’s there is alway’s something cool to photograph in a boneyard.

 

Update:
The 5th wheel will pivot now, but won't slide. It's fused into place. So, I did find a local gig, home daily, 1,000-1,400 miles a week, with mostly light loads (30K or less) that has an occasional heavier load (40k+) that goes about 20 miles.

was debating on running it with my 5th wheel for a month or so as is until i can find one that has a 54" rail

found some LED marker lights that can be used in my torpedo shells for about $15 each instead of $57 each

 

Depending on what type and brand of fifthwheel you have you may be able to find the slider assembly at a salvage parts yard and reuse your plate. Save $$. Drilling the holes in the frame rails for the slider is gonna be a good labor cost to you.