Medium Duty, or Full size semi

Emissions started in MY 2007 for heavy duty.

 

Dpf started to ‘07, urea was added in ‘10. These are U.S. standards, i would assume Canada was the same

 

Yep. Same here as up here. EGR came in around 2003 or 2004 I think.

 

DO you know about this thread?

2001 fl80 Freightliner for a welding rig?

I would look over at that Forum for ideas.

However I have been selling trucks that are no longer in my fleet, one truck I just sold this morning was a 1999 Mack with a pete sleeper, the new owner will be using that for a welding rig to use out in the oil fields. The truck needs a new hood and a bunch of other maintenance items but it had a box on it which the previous owner took off, so it is a 280 inch WB.

I don't have any more like that but they are around. The age won't matter for you, I would not get anything with any emissions on it and seeing you are on paper up there, you won't need to worry about ELD and that other crap we deal with. Like the link has in it, the guy used an FL-70 which can have a GVW of 32000 lbs and can haul a fifth wheel behind it without an issue. There are FL-120s which is basically a tractor made for city freight. These are cheap and easy to find.

Not trying to talk you out of your choices you listed, but ...

 

Weight-wise a single axle would work, but single axle especially air ride are notoriously terrible for getting stuck even on gravel.

You can probably get a single axle that both Wheels lock but a tandem axle with all four wheels locking would be the best option.

I have seen some construction sites that look like the only thing you could get in there with is a bulldozer. If you are going to go into random construction sites not knowing what condition they are in you need a truck that can handle that in my opinion if that's what you're doing.

Either all four wheels locking or Hendrickson is really best. Or Hendrickson or rubber block that all four wheels lock but like I said earlier that Hendrickson and especially that rubber block suspension will beat the heck out of you going down the road.

 

After seeing the responses here, and the clarifications as to what is wanted by the OP, I second the idea of finding a used expediter tractor with a large sleeper, then ripping off part of all of the cargo box and fabricating platform for tools and welder. Some expediter trucks already have heavy pintle hitches. You may not need a fifth wheel hitch at all unless you already have a significant investment in an expensive gooseneck. Installing a 5th wheel on a chassis that never has had one might be tricky though, considering that drilling or cutting into a truck frame is usually not a good idea.

 

If the cost of adding a sleeper is too much, you could find a standard tractor with a sleeper and swap the air ride for a Hendrickson.

I would imagine a set of late model air ride is probably somewhere around the value of a late model Hendrickson. If you could do the work yourself, it might not cost you very much.

That is, if you are concerned about being able to get into very muddy bad places.