Dodge semi tractor

[Ray Torresdal]

Yesterday I met a Dodge pickup with a flatbed pulling a semi trailer north on Hwy 52 in NE Iowa! I'm sure he was delivering a new "Jet" tandem axle hopper bottom grain trailer. I don't know the length on the trailer, it was short and meant for a single axle tractor. It was quite a sight. I'm sure the Ford and Chevy fans looked twice - I sure did. Never underestimate . . .



Ray

 

[Extreme1]

A Kodak moment!

 

[Lurch]

If you spend alot of time on the interstate you see quite a bit of this. Several models of aluminum semi trailers only weigh 12-18k empty. Another thing that surprised me is how many Rams I've seen pulling container trailers, the ones they use on flatbed railcars, tractor trailers and ship cargo holds. Most of these look like their terribly overloaded but out there none the less. Strangely, I never see Fords or Chebys subjected to this sort of punishment.



Lurch

 

[Andy Perreault]

What about the trailer air brakes?

I'd like to know what kind of air compressors they use. Are they belt driven add-ons under the hood, or are they installing the "real" engine driven compressors that come on non-Dodge 5. 9's? I know our trucks have the vacuum pump located where the air compressor would go. I just wonder if it's possible to replace the vacuum pump with the compressor, or would the steering shaft be in the way (I'm not sure how bulky the compressor is). I remember driving a mid-80's Ford 6. 9 liter diesel company van, it had a belt-driven vacuum pump. I figure one of those could be installed on our trucks, with a little tricky bracket and belt work, to replace the existing vacuum pump.

Andy