My 1979 GMC 7000 453T DD at work

[Peanutbutter]

A few pics hopefully in order. I bought this truck as a former Beakins moving van cab and chassis. I found a real long truck bed, put hinges and twin cylinder hoist on it, left room for the Hiab knuckle boom crane behind the cab and it was done. Second pic just came over Red Mountain Pass and stopped in Ouray Colo. Forth pic transporting machine to Powerhorn ski area, the first two pics in the yard. More to follow.

[rambler]

wow.. would love to ride in those snowcats..or what ever they are called...

[Peanutbutter]

a few more, pics 1 and 2 are at the top of Wolf Creek Pass, 3 is in the yard and 4 is at Keystone ski area close to Denver.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Never mind the snowcats, I want to see a picture of the 4-53 Detroit!!

(only half kidding)

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

that could be a problem Bill, been going through 2 big boxs of 35s and I'm beginng to think I didn't take any with the hood open and thats not like me but I'm still looking because I knew you were going to ask. Best truck I ever owned, wish I could get it back. Oddly enough the man I sold it to shorted it way up and made a wrecker out of it, kind of broke my heart. More pics to come.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Didn't realize that you don't have it anymore. My uncle bought brand new truck similar to it. He was buying 2-Tons with Gas Engines and one day I heard this sweet familiar sound from one of them. He bought a brand new '78 GMC with a 4-53 Detroit and a 5 and 2. It had about a 20 Ft Box body on it. I thought that maybe someday it would be my truck, but I ended up with a truck that I really more preferred. That's when I found the '67 GMC 7500 with a 6V-53. Not quite exactly what I wanted, but pretty close to it.

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

mine had a 5 and 2 plus a jake brake, this was the most fun truck to drive. It had no trouble climbing the passes, you could really play a tune with that 5 and 2. Hey Bill, good news, the wife found some insurance we could afford for the 69 pete and 65 C80 tractor so the pete and hyster lowboy should be on the road maybe next week.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Sounds good. Keep us posted.

[Peanutbutter]

more pics, this was one of the more colorful jobs we've done, resupply a cross country ski hut at Ouray up above Camp Bird mine, way above Camp Bird mine, nice road for a jeep but we did live through it.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Interesting place.

I never did comment on the long overhang that the truck bed had. That must have made it a little more difficult to drive in certain places. That is where experience needs to take place. Many inexperienced drivers out there would not even think of it, but a person could wipe out the whole side of another vehicle, building or what ever would in the way if one were to take a hard turn next to the obstacle.

I always had a hard time understanding some rental trucks. They would have warnings posted everywhere, but never mentioned tail swing.

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

It looks long but it you look around I think there is alot of box trucks out there that are just as long. The truck I got the bed off of to begin with was about as long, my truck being a bekins moving van was about as long as they get, actually I never had any issues with tail swing. I've always been in the mirriors as much as the road in front of me, just gota keep your eye on the ball, that was a fun and easy truck to drive. I've got an 1982 GMC 7000 american coleman 4x4 with a frame that is fairly long that I'm mounting another Hiab 550 crane on right now. Not hauling snowcats any more but need it for a yard truck with the crane.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

I agree, there are a lot of trucks out there with long overhangs. I also watch them barely making it at times. Which is why I also mentioned rental trucks. I've even seen school buses barely making it, almost side-swiping cars they are next to in traffic. It's the hard left or right turn that will do it and I'm betting those inexperienced drivers don't even realize what's happening. I guess they finally will if they hit something though.

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

I find it ironic that I have to have class A CDL to use my 3/4 ton pickup and 3 axle trailer but if you are a fireman or drive a rental truck you don't need a CDL at all. Kids on school buses don't need seat belts but I get a ticket if I don't. Colorado used to have helmet law for bikes but was repealed for being unconstitutional, go figure.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Yeah, I would rent 20 Ft 2-Ton Box Trucks now and then back in the '70's for moving furniture, equip, etc and I would show them my Chaffuer's License. That's what they were called back then before the CDL's came out and they would tell me that they weren't necessary. Most had a straight 5-Speed, but one day I got an International 1600 or 1700 that had a 5 and 2.

Never mind the Manual Trans, I could just picture some week-ender who never sat behind anything bigger than a station wagon, trying to figure out what to do with the 2-Speed.

Speaking about overhangs and tail swing, we used to haul Roof Trusses upside down on our flatbeds. By upside-down, I mean that we would load them with the peak of the roof downward. We would rest one side on the headboard and the other end would be out in mid air with chains wrapped around them. Our normal trusses were about 24 or 28 Ft Long, but one day I had to deliver a special order. These were 38 Ft long. I would have to do some math, but the eave part of the trusses were probably about 13 or 14 Ft high and it was probably overhanging the end of the 20 Ft Flatbed about another 10 or 12 Ft.

Our trucks also dumped and in most cases we had to dump the trusses. The idea would be to get it on the ground still sitting on one edge of the upside-down roof side. Good 'ol fun days.

Bill

[C10 - C90 Bill]

I really wish we had better cameras back in the old days. Digital's weren't even heard of back then. We never even had anything fancy, just a Kodak called an Instamatic that, of course, you sent out to be developed.

I never took my camera to work, like I wish I did. I would stop by the house with the '62 6500 once in a great while and one day did get to take a couple of pictures, which are buried somewhere.

Just before I left the company, I took the '71 9500 by the house, only to find the camera was out of film...

Would have liked to get some pictures of some of the loads we would haul, like the trusses that I mentioned.

We would also carry some crazy regular loads as well. One day I hauled in a small tractor trailer load of lumber with my '71 9500 with the 20 Ft Flatbed.

Wouldn't mind have a truck like that back today.

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

Yep, we started out with instamatics when we got married,looking back on some of those prints we still have they are really bad. Got a lot of hind site on cars and trucks I should have kept and photos I should have taken. I'm afraid to sell anything any more, out of 6 or 7 nice SS cars the only car I have left is my 70 chevelle SS,cowl induction hood, 454 and M22 trans, still got the factory shadow grey paint and black vinyl top. Alot of it is showing through to the red primer. Not a speck of rust but is still ready for restoration.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

The Chevelle SS sounds pretty nice. I'm a big fan of M-22 Muncie's. I've had 2 M-21's, but always seemed to miss out on a 22. They sure sound sweet.

Bill

[Peanutbutter]

I've had 6 or 8 20s and 21s but only the one M22, my chevelle is set up for either a 400 turbo or the 22. In the past I've had to pull the 22 out in favor of the 400 because I was a little to aggresive in my driving habits, it really is fun to drive. Car hasn't seen the light of day for 3 or 4 years, may drag it out mid week.