New 03's spotted!!

[stick]

Stopped for fuel in Oklahoma City yesterday about 8p. m. at the Flying J, and there set a new 1 ton 4x4 single cab and a 3/4 ton 4 door. Both trucks were the test vehicles, the 1 ton had the trailer with the cement block and the wind screen, and the 3/4 ton had the trailer with a Duramax on back(what a sight).

The trucks had left Denver that morning, and were on their way south, toward Houston and then on to Miami Fla. So keep your eyes open.

The guys that were driving were very nice, and we talked for quite awhile. They let me look at everything and answered all my questions (what a job to have). They said their is 12 trucks on the road being tested, and you don't want to know what they do with them when the testing is done!:--)

I looked the 1 ton over pretty well, and it's really nice. The interior is sharp, and the white faced gages stand out nice. It was a five speed, and the 3/4 ton was an auto.

 

[paesan]

Do they take them apart to see what parts have absorbed the most fitugue and what parts were barely worn out?



Also why in the hell are the towing a duramax? Shouldn't they tow a Power Stroke, junk yards are full of them

 

[Chris N5CWM]

Houston!?

Are they doing a "Power Tour" type show stopping

in key cities, or are they just putting on test

miles? I'm just north of Houston and I'd love

to see one of these.



-Chris

 

[JRG]

Did you catch which auto the were using? Would like to know if the new 48 is getting good R&D.



JRG

 

[corn]

I was driving on I-65 south in Indiana today about 7:30am, 30 miles north of Louisville, KY. I saw 2 similar trucks. 1 was a 1 ton, silver, 4x4, reg cab, and the other was a 3x4 ton, silver, 4x4, 4 door, lwb. They were both pulling trailers that had a large wind screen and a big concrete block aprox. 3'x3'x6', they were running about 70mph. The trailers were plated in Indiana, I wonder if these were cummins test mules??? How do i apply for that test driving job? The trucks look great, I'll take the 3/4 ton, 4x4, 4door, lwb.

 

[stick]

I didn't ask about the auto, because I wouldn't have one if they gave it to me!

This is not any kind of show, it's just road test. The cabs were full of computers and test gages.



Stick

 

[Chris N5CWM]

Oh well, thanks for the info, Stick!

 

[TxDieselKid]

Did you ask if they could "hook up" their computer to your Dodge?



Andrew

 

[stick]

I want'ed to hook my butt up to the seat and Go



Stick

 

[Dkevdog]

Originally posted by JRG

Did you catch which auto the were using? Would like to know if the new 48 is getting good R&D.



JRG

The two that were in Silverton, CO in April had the 48 RE in them. They said they have been trying to get something from Allison but Chevy won't let that happen for at least 5 more years.



Kev

 

[KCJackson]

Who needs Allison? I'll bet the Daimler side of the corporation already has a strong working relationship with ZF, who make damn good heavy duty automatics, including a 16-speed automated unit for class 8 rigs. That automated unit (the AS-Tronic) is intense... like an experienced pro driver, it only uses the gears that the vehicle actually needs - it will almost never go through all 16 ratios up or down. For example, an empty, unhooked semi-tractor might only use gears 3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 16 to get to speed on an interstate. NJ Transit is testing the 10-speed motorcoach version in one of their new MCI coaches. If ZF can whip up a 7- or 8-speed version to handle the 305/555 with torque to spare, it might even convert a few "manual" guys and gals.

 

[nickleinonen]

zf also makes some pretty ok manuals. . now, if they were to make a 7 or 8 spd automatic, they could probably make the same in a manual that would work well.

 

[jwilliams3]

corn,

I noticed this was your first post to TDR, Welcome!



Are you from Indiana?

We have a pretty tight nit group here in Indiana of TDR members!



--Justin

 

[MDKram]

On July 27 I saw a bright red 2003, 1 ton (4 door, 4 rear tires, 4WD) diesel driving in Edmonton, Canada. It shocked me and I had to look 3 times. The truck had an American plate on it so maybe they were just on a beer run!?!

 

[Casey Balvert]

Spotted near Windsor, Ontario

While driving on a rural road a couple of weeks ago, I spotted a black regular cab dually. The exhaust pipe gave it away as a diesel. The back fenders and tailgate had those concealment covers on them so I could not get a good look at it. It was early in the morning and I was in my EMS command car. I really wanted to hear the puppy run. I was tempted to knock on the guys door and ask him to move the truck for me because there was a body under it. But I wasn't too sure how much of a sense of humor the guy had at that time of morning and I really need this job to pay for my new truck so I just kept on going. Normally I have a camera with me but not that day. Oh well. Next time.



Casey