2000 Western Star - need advice

I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of purchasing my first truck, a 2006 KW T2000 that was already leased on with my company. The company allows the truck to continue under lease with the seller, with all revenue assigned to me. While I was able to seamlessly get into an owner operator revenue stream, the truck has been nothing but problems.

For one thing, it's plastic. I run oil field roads. Both doors can't shut properly (I posted a thread earlier showing the notorious problems with cracking T2000 doors). I did replace the bumper with a stainless steel bumper, but that just got mangled by the mother of all potholes hidden under a muddy pond on a dirt county road.

The biggest money sink is the god-###### Cummins ISX with EGR. I would be money ahead to have simply dropped a remanned Detroit in it.

I will have this truck paid off before the end of the month. Now I have a choice. I need a truck that can withstand lease road abuse. When I picked up my truck from my mechanic last week I talked to him about what I am looking for. He walked with me to the back lot and showed me a 2000 Western Star he has that has been sitting for two years without running the engine.

He would sell the truck to me for $25K and take my truck in trade (no price established on the KW). For $25K he would drop in an 18 speed and put full separate locking differentials on each axle, and give me a six month power train warranty. I told him I want both tanks drained, cleaned, and filled with new diesel before cranking up the engine. I checked pricing on that year Western Star and it $25K seems fair.

It will take a couple of months for him to get the WS ready, working it into a side schedule in his shop, once I decide to pull the trigger. I would like feedback and comments from folks that run off road.

One specific question I have is whether the engine qualifies for running paper logs. A fleet owning friend of mine said the "E" model CAT of that year has an ECM and will require e-logs.

Here's the specs:

VIN 2WKPDDCJ3YK960956
ENGINE CAT 3406E
TRANS RTLO 18913A
FT AXLE E1200I
RR AXLE DS404
MODEL 4964FX (2000)
MFR DATE 3/1999

 

I'm having a HECK of a time trying to post pictures. File size too large.

 

I forgot to mention he will move the battery box from the area I would want to install a side box with a step on the driver's side. I will need to install a three door headache rack, step side boxes on both sides, and Minimizer full fenders at my expense.

 

I GIVE UP on posting more pics. An hour wasted trying to shrink file sizes.

One thing is if I pull the trigger, I will have a couple of months to take a weekend here or there and strip out the interior and add insulation and get it ready to "move in". While the condo style of the T2000 was nice, in terms of being able to stand up from the driver's seat to get to the bunk, the WS setup is alright with me. The bed is wider. Without the top bunk it is roomier, and there's plenty of storage above the bed.

Having had the blessing of driving oil field specced trucks on "drive away" (while my truck was in the shop), I concur that WS seems to be a truck that more than a few oil field companies use and therefore it should be a durable choice. I would welcome being able to drive hours on end in a broadside wind from the passengers side without the screaming banshees from Hades in my driver's side door from the inability to shut it.

The few times I have had the privilege to drive an 18 speed I have loved it, especially when having separate lockers on each axle. Great for plowing up curving, slimy, muddy lease roads. In my T2000, with a 13 speed and only a power divider I have calculated the cost of calling for a bulldozer to pull me out versus not trying to make delivery more than a few times. I've always made delivery, but it's been on the edge more times than I want to count.