# I'm doing it



## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

After limping home from a haul a couple weeks ago with the 1 ton ( front wheel bearing, bleeding engine oil out of the turbo lube return line) ,the urgency level for a hauling rig upgrade increased significantly. I had been studying, comparing and watching for months. Pre emission, low mileage, single axles didn't stick around long. One popped up in the land of OZ ,and after a short conversation with the dealer......."I'm doing it".
Our gooseneck was pretty beat up also. Another phone call......"I'm doing it".

3 hour flight to Kansas on Sunday. Picked up truck and drove 700 miles east to Kentucky on Monday. Picked up the gooseneck and then drove 933 miles home Tuesday. Observed a lot of sad crops, a few good looking areas . "There's no place like home."

2006 4400 international, 466 with a 10 speed fuller. 40 foot gooseneck, sliding ratchets/straps, 2-12k axles, 17" rims with 16 ply tires, 25.9 k gvw. 
Made the maiden trip today. Air ride seat for this old guys carcass was awesome.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Sweet looking outfit!!!! Congratulations.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

Nice looking rig, what is the 466 rated at?


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

This one is 285 hp.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Someday I'm doing the same thing. Just don't have the ability right now. 
What one ton was your previous truck? 
How much do the bales on the trailer weigh?

It's funny you're truck has bleeding turbo line (not funny, but ironic/funny).....so does mine (2008 F-550)


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

That is a really nice set up. Good for you on pulling the trigger and updating.


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

2008 dodge 3500. Traveling in Wisconsin winter time , roads are really good. They measure salt on the road in inches. Destroys vehicles. In the U.P. road salt is spread by teaspoon. Hence we drive on a luge course till I hit the border.
That load was for a 27 bale order.....just shy of 10 ton. I have to adjust my loading. Where I used to load heavy on the rear end of the gooseneck to lighten the load on truck, now I'll have to load heavy on the truck axle.


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## MT hayer (Mar 1, 2014)

Very nice setup! Enough engine to tug it around, and enough brakes to stop it. The in between trucks are hard to find with the right gears and such. Pickups are always overloaded and seems funny to drive a tandem 400 horse truck around, but you can buy them cheaper.

Did you put minimizer fenders on it or build a flatbed? I could send you a couple pics of ours that we built.


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

Fenders are ordered.


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

Very nice! Enjoy.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

How is the turning radius compared to your pickup?
have you hauled enough loads to be able to say you wouldn't go back to a pickup sized truck?


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

Put 8,000 miles on it so far. Probably 50 loads give or take. Turning wise , equal or better than the 1 ton. Having control of the load ,versus the load controlling the truck is huge. We still use the 1 ton/ 32 foot gooseneck. Yesterday it made a trip with a load of rounds, to an Amish customer. Typical driveway........narrow with a 20° grade, ice covered. Single axle tractor wouldn't stand a chance.

Footnote: Got my first OOS on the run. First time stopped in 11 years and 800 plus runs. State patrol was looking for a victim. Of course a turn signal on the trailer decided to puke. Everything else passed with flying colors. No ticket, but tails me to a gas station, no service , and then said " it stays here till its fixed." NICE. 10 degrees, negative teens windchill. A young lady working there said , " my dads the town police chief, he'd get you to the place that'll fix you up." Jackpot!!! He then escorts me to the local Clauss / Fendt dealership, and 45 minutes later, and some $$ , I'm legal again. Just another day for an " old hay hauler."

Real happy with the 4400/ Gator gooseneck.........and all the lights work.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

For winter hay deliveries get a set of chains for that single axle tractor. A friend of mine just borrowed a set I had for my road tractor i dont use any more unless our yard is pure ice. He delivers with a single axle straight truck flat bed with a hoist. He went today to a customer chained up at the end of the driveway and delivered no problem, he said last time the guy had to pull him with his 4 wheel drive pickup with weight and just barely made it. The chains are just singles with the extra grip bars for the outside duals.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Uphayman said:


> Put 8,000 miles on it so far. Probably 50 loads give or take. Turning wise , equal or better than the 1 ton. Having control of the load ,versus the load controlling the truck is huge. We still use the 1 ton/ 32 foot gooseneck. Yesterday it made a trip with a load of rounds, to an Amish customer. Typical driveway........narrow with a 20° grade, ice covered. Single axle tractor wouldn't stand a chance.
> 
> Footnote: Got my first OOS on the run. First time stopped in 11 years and 800 plus runs. State patrol was looking for a victim. Of course a turn signal on the trailer decided to puke. Everything else passed with flying colors. No ticket, but tails me to a gas station, no service , and then said " it stays here till its fixed." NICE. 10 degrees, negative teens windchill. A young lady working there said , " my dads the town police chief, he'd get you to the place that'll fix you up." Jackpot!!! He then escorts me to the local Clauss / Fendt dealership, and 45 minutes later, and some $$ , I'm legal again. Just another day for an " old hay hauler."
> 
> Real happy with the 4400/ Gator gooseneck.........and all the lights work.


Good to hear on the day cab.Turning radius and traction would be my biggest concerns with truck itself. 
the story you just shared really hits home from back in my driving days. Being put out of service for minor issues and the fines my old boss was charged...I don't know how he made any money. 
Cops around here pretty much ignore guys with small trucks and live off the big rigs. Even the big rig drivers I talk to at the mushroom hay plant talk about how easy I have it running an F-550 as opposed to a big cab with the cops.


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

I wish the cops were more like we had back 25, 30 years ago. Nowadays most of them seem to have a big chip on their shoulder, a head big enough that they can hardly fit through the door, and little pecker syndrome. Shameful. Nothing but revenue collectors anymore I guess...


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Is that your everyday run of the mill 5th wheel tractor hitch? Or something different? Did you order the trailer with a "ball" instead of a coupler? Or did you remove couple and install the ball on the trailer?

looks like you have (17) 3x4 bales on board? Maybe 1000 lbs each? ~17,000lbs of payload? 
or is it higher than that?


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

Standard fifth wheel. Put a king pin in the gooseneck. Still have the standard ball hitch also. That was load number 1...... 27 3x3x8. Probably at 20,000. Have run 11 plus ton, but am more comfortable with 9-10. It is an adjustment getting in and out of driveways. I see some nice step decks in the 40' lengths with ramps. If your budget allows, about $30 k plus FET12% , ouch. Beyond my budget.

https://www.jetcompany.com/trailers/drop-deck-trailers/inventory/


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Wow those Jet Step decks are sick...


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