extended wheelbases...what's the point?

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4172583]Ah Chinatown, you are one of the good ones. I saw yard spotters that would laugh at these guys, and charge them $50 dollars.[/QUOTE]Yep, I've crossed paths with some of those lowlife classless jerks.

 

Those are toys, not work trucks.

 

I would absolutely looooooooooooooove to have that mini T600 with the blower sticking thru the hood for hotshots or a travel trailer. I'd work it.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4172572]Hi spyder, I never said my 260 was stretched, but even that was tough at times(especially with manual steering) I knew several guys that had stretched frames, and would never go near a scale, and most of their work was drop and hook. And some of the guys that did go to tight spots(grocery warehouses and such), the receiver would make them drop their trailer, as the tractor stuck out into the lane of traffic, and nobody could get around them.[/QUOTE]

Not trying to get into a protracted debate here. Just saying your statement about they never cross a scale of go to tight spots is inaccurate. Lots of big houses out here crossing scales every day. As for tight spots, ive. been to many places I didn't think a single axle day cab would fit, but with patience you can get any truck in them. Besides, not to many expensive trucks are hitting docks. Box freight just don't pay enough to afford the nice toys.

 

Set that lil Pete up to roll coal and one could get all the lot lizards for free lol

 

It's off topic but I just want point something out about that that link with the fiberglass body kits. Guys have been doing this same thing for decades. But they took a real cab and good and cut it down to fit. There is a guy at the exit for route 50 on 275 in Indiana, (first exit as you come out of ky) that had made several Pete's and kws fit a Chevy frame. That guy did amazing work. And it wasn't formed in a mold. But done by hand. In my opinion that's much much much more impressive than buying a molded fiberglass kit. My father started one with an 80s kw. I've been toting it around since he passed away. Keep saying one day I'm gonna finish her. Cab and hood is mounted. Just need to finish the interior.

 

Anybody can drive a 300" WB truck down the road, but I can think of holes at at least a dozen grocery warehouses off the top of my head they are not backing into, and countless spots at various truck stops late at night (even with a 48 foot spread trailer). I suppose they must "look cool" to somebody.

Back in the 70's and long before air ride, it was common knowledge that more inches in the wheelbase equated to a better ride, the more, the better. But as set-backs came along, improved suspension systems, air ride, etc. these gave extra long wheel base trucks a run for their money in terms of ride and maneuverability ... the costs/benefit analysis gave the extra long WB trucks the heave-ho except in isolated cases such as dedicated turns where maneuverability/dock access was never a concern.

 

I don't think most of them would be caught dead in those grocery warehouses you speak of.

 

Pulling spread axle reefers its actually pretty normal to see them at grocery warehouses. I think they look good and the ride is much better, if it works for them and makes them $ why not? Although sucks having to wait for them to pull up 10 times to get in the hole.

 

No different then some mega fleet, 24 hour CDL rookie taking 20 shots at it to back straight up with a short truck.