Does anybody else watch the Deadliest Catch on Discovery? I like that show.

 

Yes. Wasn't the new season supposed to be starting tonight?

Jason

 

They must of all washed overboard...

Even more off topic. See y'all when I get back from a week in Hana, HI

 

expletive, TBone, expletive... As I sit here watching the snow fall and the thermometer dipping into the low 20's.
Al Gore really hit it on the head with that global warming thing, huh?

Have a good trip.

Jason

 

My favorite is ICE ROAD TRUCKERS on The History Channel. I like the idea of trying to beat Mother Nature with a machine, I guess there is an element of that to DEADLIEST CATCH too.
I can't figure out why the truckers don't prepare their rigs better for the conditions up there. As much money as they make in those three months or so you'd think they would spend a month or two in the off-season really getting those rigs ready for the COLD!
Maybe some of you guys that live up that way can explain to me why they don't at least have some kind of auxilary cab heaters or some fancy brake/airline driers.
My other favorite is AX MEN. It's a "local" show for me so that probably plays into it but I LOVE that show.

 

I'm sure they do. But even at 0 deg F, the air dryers and compressors will freeze up and quit pumping air. Plus, if there were no breakdowns and no drama, the show would be boring watching them drive across the ice...


I've been watching that too. It is really hyped up from what really goes on in the woods. I get the Loggers World paper. They didn't speak too highly of it because of the amped up danger factor and the renegade mentality portrayed in the show, which I tend to agree with. Like them comparing production of the different companies. It is nice to finally see some good publicity given to the PNW logging industry though.

Where did you say you were from D/Cummins? Wasn't it Albany or near there?

Jason

 

Yeah,
My shop's in Albany but I live in Lebanon.
I have yet to see a TV show that is supposed to be "reality" that really was, you don't think all those fights they have on AMERICAN CHOPPER are real do you? LOL
I think it's kinda funny that they compare the production of an established, muti-million dollar logging outfit that uses helicopters to string skylines to a guy using a worn-out "cat". But as you say it's entertaining.
I saw an interview with John Wayne one time where a firearms knowledgeable audience member asked him how they get so many shots out of their revolvers when they really should only have five or six. He replied in his distinctive way "well.. if we shot 5, reloaded six...shot them, reloaded six more it'd be kinda' boring don't you think." Point taken.

OH, by the way what's the "cowbell" sighn-off mean? Maybe I'm an idiot but I've been trying to figure it out. Something to do with ranching?

 

I enjoyed Ice Road Truckers and after the time I spent driving, I can say that there is no fool proof way to be prepared for temperatures that low.

Trucks break down.
Trucks break down even more at 30 or 40 below zero.

As for Axe Men, I watched one show where they were harvesting a blow down area.
I don't think you could possibly film that and show how dangerous it really is.
Way back when I was dumb and stupid I worked on a timber crew.
I have lost more friends to timber accidents than any other one cause of death.
I still see people getting hurt cutting trees clearing job sites, last one was about a year ago.

 

Ok, I remember you mentioning both towns now. I understand what you mean with American Chopper. I started watching it before it became popular, but I got tired of all the yelling and the BS. I guess with Ax Men, I had hoped that it would be a bit more "reality." I still enjoy the show. I'm proud to have been a part of the NW logging business.

The "more cowbell" comes from a Saturday Night Live sketch with Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. Christopher Walken plays a fictitious producer and Will Ferrell plays the cowbell in the band Blue Oyster Cult. They are recording the song "Don't Fear the Reaper". Google "More Cowbell" and you can find a video clip of the sketch.

Jason

 

That has to be my favorite show. Did you see them drop that old crewcab ford into the bering sea. That truck was junk but I kinda hated seeing it go down. Ice road truckers is a great one to, wonder if they will make a second season.

 

That was pretty rude to do to somebody. Thats not saying that I wouldn't consider a little picking at one another wrong.

 

RCrawler,
Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me! I tried to word it so you wouldn't take offense to the question, didn't wan't it to sound like I was saying it was stupid. I hate it when I don't understand something or can't figure it out!

BIG R,
I must have the same mentality as people who take in foster children (obviously they're doing something IMPORTANT though) because when I saw that old CrewCab go down I about cried. I've got a thing for CrewCabs and the '70s Fords are TOUGH!
I thought the funniest part was when the pranksters said they'd have to get an airplane or helicopter to top that one.
THEY ARE DOING A SECOND SEASON, I think it starts this summer sometime.

Dave S.
I'm absolutely positive your right about break down and the low temperatures amplifying them but wouldn't insulating the air drier and lines better help a lot. Maybe even duct some heat their way. I know it would be a lot of work but it might be worth it. I don't know, I'm not a truck driver, I've worked on them but it was all welding/fabrication and electrical components (starters/alternators) I could drive one enough to move it out of my way and that's IT.
One thing I really can't understand is why they don't run a diesel (catalytic?) heater like I've seen on off-road RVs. Some even have a system that sips diesel out of the tank and heats the engine coolant and cycles it. This could be a LIFE SAVER! If you got stuck out in the weather/white out. You could heat your heater core and you engine to refire it when necessary/if possible and run the diesel heater to stay alive, seems like a no-brainer to me.

Catfish,
Off Topic but GREAT thread if you ask me!

 

I was watching when they were loading it but I haven't seen the set up yet. Figured they were going to be tying it on to a line. Poor truck was pretty well done. About the only thing worth saving was the crew cab doors.

I like Ice Road Truckers as well. That Hugh (the one that owns the 3 or 4 trucks) really torques me. There are times I want to reach through the TV and throttle that guy because he is such an A$$. You have a fleet of trucks that are probably getting worn to where they shouldn't even be on the highway without some work. And he has them in those conditions on a haul like that?
I don't think he has heard of preventative maintenance. The one guy drove for most of the season without a heater and the suspension air valve had so much garbage in it from the worn out air system, it wouldn't even work.
And I have been around logging and construction equipment and trucks for the majority of my life. I have never, ever seen a battery box just fall off. Hugh blamed the driver for the battery box, that he was driving it too hard. No, I don't think so. It was probably cracking out before they even left his shop and it was never noticed.
He acted like they were being babies about the trucks. Well, an owner operator can learn to ignore a lot of things, minor and major, on his own truck because fixing it is money out of his pocket.
Breakdowns are inevitable, even with newer trucks. But a lot of them could be found in the shop.

I pulled for TJ, the guy that had all the kids, and the heavy haul driver (sweet Peterbilt!!)

Jason

 

You could rig a lot of stuff that would help, but there are so many air valves and lines in places that would be impossible to protect all of them.

If you have everything protected, then switch trailers, now your protected trailer lines are somewhere else.

Also, payload is what you want, the more empty weight your truck has, the less pay load you can haul.

My Freightliner and a 48 foot reefer weighed 34000 pounds in round numbers empty and full of fuel.
So if I could get the weight just right, I could haul 46000 pounds payload.
34000 on the trailer wheels, 34000 on the tractor drive wheels and up to 20000 on the steer axle.

Ideal was 34K on the trailer, 34K on the drivers and 12K on the steer axle with an 80K gross.
Getting the weight perfect usually never happened with swinging meat, you had to go with how they loaded it.

With a flatbed, you make your best guess where you want to sit that 45,000 pound chunk of steel to get the weight right, but it is only a guess.
Usually by the time you get to where you can weigh the axles, you have no way to move the load.

If the trailer has a slider under it, you can move weight from the trailer wheels to the tractor or the reverse.
And the fifth wheel slider on the tractor can move weight from the rear axles to the steer axle or the reverse.

So if your guess was right, you can get the load right on axle weight.
But if you guessed wrong, well I can't say what you are then here.

 

Watched bits and pieces of a few episodes of deadliest catch, but lacked the attention span to stick with it. Didn't help that I was the only one even remotely interested in the show, sounds like I might have been missing out.

I tried watching american copper a couple of times but just didn't get into it. I enjoyed the episode when they were making the bike for the lincoln Mark LT (rebadged F150) and went to the factory for the grand tour. I was in stitches laughing so hard, don't remember a single thing about the bike though.

Dirty jobs is the one I can watch, Mike Rowe cracks me up.