Longest you've run you truck with out shutting down?

[JasonCzerak]

So, who's got the longest "uptime"?

I've managed 54 hours and 2000 miles once.

Truck was about a year old. Friend of a friend was in a bind to pick up a 62 impla 200 miles west of denver or so. So from Minneapolis cold winter night we took off team drove down there. Stopped in Iowa for a few hours to gamble, I let the truck idle cuz it as 20 degrees out.

Went we got down to Denver we picked up a u-haul trailer then then over to the mountain roads. Picked up said car and started on our way back. . Snowed on the down hill run back. (boy did the michilens suck, good think it was down hill, seriously!). Went from 40's to snow to rain to dry and 20 in a matter for a few 100 miles and a few hours.

In the end, 54 hours later I pull into my driveway, hit the timer and was kinda shocked. There prolly was 12 hours of idle tme between between things. good chuck was stop and go though the snow.

 

[steved]

35 hours, 2300 miles... non stop from PA to NM... I stupidly drove it straight through.

 

[mhenon]

This isn't exactly what you were asking Jason but when I bought my PU in Aug '02 we left home with 3500 miles on it. Hooked up our trailer and headed south. Almost made it to Guatamala before heading back north. We hit every state from Idaho to California. . Texas to Minnesota and all over Mexico. Pulled into our drive 6 months later with 18,000 miles on the odometer. There were many 12-15 hour days where the engine was never shut down. Nice way to break it in too!

Mike

 

[DWeiler]

Not a Cummins,but i"v let my company 2001 Ford 7. 3 idle for a few days at -30/-40C. A few months back the dealer tech ran a scan on the engine and it had around 3800+ idle hours according to him + the 250,000 miles on the clock now---still original turbo/injectors/glowplugs. When it get below -20 (my workdays can be 12+ hours) i never shut down during the day---6 days a week---i need a little heat in the cab when its that cold:-laf:-laf:-laf. DW

 

[WDixon27]

mine went two 12 hour days from loserana to virginia and two more on the way back only getting shut down when we stopped for the night at the halfway point in chattanooga, while dragging a car trailer in the summer during stops for food fuel and leaks it idled as the egts were higher then i wanted wait for to shut it down

 

[WStephens]

When I drive cross country I have only run as far as one tank will get me before shuting down. But most of the time I cant wait that long before I need to stop and get out of the truck.

 

[cArNiVaLwOrKeR]

In my truck, I cant hang with the seat for more than 3 hrs what are you guys sitting on, an air Mattress?

 

[MMeier]

On my Oklahoma turns, I usually go 38-48 hours for the round trip, right at 2300 miles. Usually 18 hours each way if I go straight through. Then a few years back... for those that remember... 1800 miles in 25 hours, Nv. to Ms. Man, WTF was I thinking!!!!

 

[CSnyder]

When I was hotshotting several years ago I was running alot of local stuff (within 250 miles of home each day) and it was colder than a witches you know what I let my truck run for 8 days straight using a Hi Idler. It sure was nice to get into a nice warm truck on - 35 windchill days!

 

[JasonCzerak]

when I worked on the road the truck driver some times got to the next ciy with in a few hours, but had a week to chill. Fuel was on the company, and he got hi-prediem. so he lived in his truck for the most part and pocketed the extra tax-free cash. thing never came off low-idle for weeks at a time some times.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

35 hours, 2300 miles... non stop from PA to NM... I stupidly drove it straight through.

Wow that's more than I've done

I've done some marathon trips but nothing like that. In Feb. 2006 I drove to Indiana & back to pick up a 1940 Buick I bought off eBay. Got there in less than 48 hours (stopped for the night), was 2070 miles one way. Was making good time coming home & didn't shut down until I blew a fuel line in BFE Nebraska. But I'm thankful that was the worst thing 'cause crossing the US in Feb with a trailer is gambling with the weather.

Longest chunk in one day was when I got up & left Tri-Cities at 3am and drove to San Bernardino CA, arriving at 3pm. Stopped for breakfast in Boise, dinner in Las Vegas.

 

[steved]

Wow that's more than I've done

I've actually did it three times... but I have since wised up. I was about 6 years younger... didn't stop to think what might have happened if I had fallen asleep.



I will never do a straight-through like that again... 18 hours is my limit nowadays.

 

[Jason Griebel]

My best was only 13 hours stopped for fuel and pitstops. Just kept on running better.

 

[JGrefenstette]

ive drove my truck for 6 hours streight with out stoping or getting out. i got an old 1st gen with the bucket seats, and let me tell ya, my butt felt just as good when i got out after six hours, as it did when i first climbed into her. when im on long hauls, i rarely will shut it down for fuel stops, just let it idle on through the fillup... because if i come in right off the interstate from doing 70+ for a few hours streight, im not just concerned about the egt's dropping, but also the colant temps and the the engine internals being too hot... id rather it just keep bathing it self in cool oil than let it sit still and roast while i pump the fuel in her.

 

[Skydiver]

In 2003 I drove 19 hours from Auburn Alabama to Kansas city Kansas. After 17 hours wife had real tears in her eyes. She said, "I just want to get out of this truck". Was going to a TDR meet at TPCdrafting's home in Cheyenne Wyoming.

 

[steved]

In my truck, I cant hang with the seat for more than 3 hrs what are you guys sitting on, an air Mattress?

Before I had the auxilary tank, I drove a max of 1/2 tank of fuel (between 300 and 350 miles) at a stint... only stopping for fuel. Now that I have the aux tank, I will drive 500, 600... up to 800 miles with only a rest stop to drain the radiator, and then back to it. Fuel stops only take me between 10 and 20 minutes (sometimes slightly longer depending on how low I run the aux tank).



Its all about creature comforts... if you have things to make the drive enjoyable, then it goes faster. Plus, if you enjoy driving, seeing different country... it is enjoyable.



I typically average 60 mph on my trips... I have the cruise set at 65mph. That averages to not many stops.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Steve I try to minimize stops and time when stopped so I don't feel I need to burn up the pavement to make good time.

I do enjoy watching the scenery go by, some times it does get long and monotonous but I do like getting out on the open road. Always something interesting to see, even in Nebraska :-laf
I like having the CB on to listen to the chatter or engage in some of the conversation.

 

[MEby]

In my truck, I cant hang with the seat for more than 3 hrs what are you guys sitting on, an air Mattress?

I think its called "Iron Butt".



I ran 1750 miles from MI to Montana last fall in 24 hours. :-laf Stopped for about 20 hours turned around and came back; another 1750 miles.

 

[Kennywould]

35 hours, 2300 miles... non stop from PA to NM... I stupidly drove it straight through.

That makes two of us I did from Pittsburgh to Gallup NM 43 Hours I hit a detour where a tanker had wrecked in a construction zone!

 

[jmblocker]

Hope I'm not getting off the subject by asking this? "But here goes", With our CTD's can we stop and filler-up with fuel,leaving it running and not cause it to throw some sort of "Code" by taking the fuel cap off with the engine running??