Put truck in shop

[EB]

I decided to take a day off and put my truck in the shop for ball joints. We put it up on a lift last week and checked the front end out. The only thing it will need is upper and lower ball joints on both sides, everything else is still tight. While it is in I told them to go ahead and flush the cooling system and put a new thermostat on it. Everything else is working fine. Needless to say we are busy in the Eagleford Shale area of the oil patch. I was ready for a day off anyway.

 

[EB]

Replaced the upper and lower ball joints, the shop said they weren't really all that bad considering the mileage, 430k. That is the first time I've replaced them. I also had the cooling system flushed and replaced the front brake pads, second time I have done them. Everything is working like it should, hopefully the truck has a lot of miles left in it.

 

[RVTRKN]

Its nice to hear from you, EB! How many miles are on that C&C now? Its good to know I have another 20 years with my C&C seeing how I only put about 15K miles a year now. My intention was around 100K a year, then the bottom fell out of the RV industry, and the residential HVAC business slowed cause no-one has extra dollars now, thanks to Obama! I'm now putting those kinda of miles on my company's GMC Van, now that I had to go back to work for my old company. Even then it was a hard winter, due to an average 24hr work week, mainly for the same reasons I had to go back to work for some one else. With oil prices high and and short on supply, you have a really good opportunity to put a million miles on that C&C. You were one of the first members to give the 6. 7 and its exhaust restriction a try, thanks for pioneering the way!

 

[HBarlow]

EB,

That's a pretty impressive record your truck is setting for durability!

Also interesting news about the Eagleford Shale operation. I was not aware of it until I read your post and googled it. I've been hearing a lot about the oil patch around Midland and Odessa and their demand for warm bodies to fill unfilled jobs. Perhaps the demand around Midland-Odessa I've been hearing about is part of the Eagle Ford region. A couple of men I know have left other jobs to go to work in the oil patch because of it.

 

[EB]

I actually had a weekend off, but got back at it hot and heavy Mon. I'm loaded with a pump skid right now and will deliver it tomorrow in Beaumont. This morning I picked up two sets of pipe racks and a catwalk from a work over and delivered them back to the rig company's yard, then went and picked up what is called "fall off" from a compressor and delivered it to the compressor yard. Later, I picked up this pump skid. This is a typical day for me. RVTRKN, I'm over 431,000 miles now and will put at least another 450 miles on it tomorrow. Harvy, the Eagleford Shale area is going as hot and heavy as the Midland Odessa area. There are wells here that are producing over 3000 bbls a day, the average is probably around 1000 bbls. That doesn't count the gas they produce. Lot of people getting rich. You wouldn't believe what a motel room cost around here. Odessa, $200 min, Diley, Cotulla area $250 a night. There are people putting in camper lots everyplace. I hear they are getting $4-500 a month to park a camper, that doesn't count utilities. When I go to Odessa I stay in Sonora, about 2 hrs away, but about $125 a night cheaper.
The truck is holding up very well. I sure hope it will last until I decide to call it quits. Really don't want to buy another one. Another 2 or 3 years and that will probably be it. The truck will probably have around 650- 700,000 miles on it by then. Hope it makes it.

 

[HBarlow]

EB,

How does the performance, durability, and expected service life of this truck compare to your previous Rams? You didn't put 650-700k miles on your previous ones did you?

Yeah, I'm extremely proud of the way the Texas economy is performing, in spite of the kenyan's efforts to suppress it. I heard of one oil company in Odessa that bought raw land and built an RV park with utilities just to provide a place for their hands to live and work in the area. I know several guys who have been working at other jobs in Lubbock for many years who have left to work in the oil patch.

 

[EB]

Other than the problems I had right at first, probably because the emissions systems was so new and nobody really knew how to work on them, this truck has been pretty much bulletproof. (Hope I didn't just jinx it) My other two Dodges, a 95 went 416k, and the 03 went 345k. I know for a fact the 95 went over 710k, I saw it on the odometer about 4 yrs ago. The 03 was still running a few years ago, don't know how many miles though.

There are several motel scattered around that have been leased by different service company's. There is one in Ozona and another in Pleasanton. The one in Pleasanton was leased completely before it was built I heard by Halliburton. It for sure booming here, anyone that wants a job around here can get one.

 

[HBarlow]

If I wasn't so old and so accustomed to all the free time of retirement I'd consider buying a flatbed gooseneck and looking for a hauling company who would hire me. I've gotten too lazy and unwilling to work anymore.