I can relate,I use to hate to see december come

Dec of '02 my oldest boy got killed,dec '03 my mother died,dec '04 my best friend died

 

Ray, I don't know what to say, that's hard to take. God bless

 

Brad, sorry to hear about your cousin.

How about 30mph down a dirt road with it so far sideways that you have to look out the drivers side window to see what is front of you. I scared the crap out of my brother that day and was lucky it didnt roll.

 

My trucks are the only vehicles I haven't done a 4-wheel drift in.... 66 Mustang, 97 Outback, 91 Integra, and rented cars too... my 88 dually... no way, not enough space, but once I get the balljoints done in Nyx....

 

I just saw this over in the SD forum. home_page_full_pull_towing

Its a kit that lets the ESOF guys have 2 low. They want $150 for it!!!

 

I can use 2wd low anytime i want...lol Silly ESOF Guys!

 

If you have ESOF and you want 2Low just get the warn selectable hubs they are similar in price and they work just as good if not better.

 

I only say that about 50mph because I did it coming back from snowboarding on accident. Mt baker is a one way deal, everyone goes up the mountain in the morning, and everyone comes down at 4pm. One big line of cars up, and one big line back down. It's not a through road, just dead ends at the lodge. Coming back everyone was going too fast, and well, sideways we went....scary as heck....

 

Anyone here ever done state contracting? Namely snow removal contracting.
I'm thinking about investing in a truck once I have my CDL. State pays up to about 200$ an hour for a truck.

Specs are:
12' blade minimum
33k GVWR minimum
5 yard spreader minimum
Must pass DOT inspection before you start work

There's 2 winters between now and then, but I like to plan ahead. FAR ahead.

I've been finding 95-2000 model year trucks with the proper size plows plus wing plows and sanders for 30-35k.

The state has about 3 or 4 hundred trucks on contract, but they want 5 to 6 hundred so I'd have work. Only thing is that they want you AT the garage ready to go within 2 hours of them saying they want you there or there is a penalty.

 

That does sound really hair raising.

 

I worked for a small town plowing with my f250...it was nice they called me out when 2 inches of snow hit the ground and I was out til the storm ended...sometimes 24 hours with only 2 hours actually working...as long as you dont mind being tied up locally for the winter...go for it! you might consider having a back up truck...they might penalize you for lost time for a breakdown also.

 

I don't mind being tied up in-state and I like working at night so it seems to be the perfect setup.

I plan on taking whatever truck I get and totally redoing the mechanicals. I'll have the pumps on the plow and sander hydralic systems remanufactured, replace the trans, replace alternator, replace fuel pump, replace waterpump, replace all hoses, change all filters, change all fluids. Add lots of nice blinkey amber lights. Replace the air drier and redo all the air hose stuff and replace the compressor and check the tanks for any leaks. Check/replace the brakes.

Basically anything that could break will get replaced. I'm thinking it'll be 5-8k after initial purchase price to do all this stuff. Plus I can put the stuff I took off that still works onto a shelf for a spare. That being said dad has an old clunker that barely runs that I could take out if I absolutely had to. Although getting a non-performance penalty might be easier than getting that thing out there and having it break and having to get a tow.

So far most trucks I've found are equipped with tailgate spreaders which I don't approve of. With tailgate spreaders you have to raise the bed for it to operate.

I can see myself out on the road for 12 hours straight forgetting to lower the body for the upcoming overpass and smacking it good. I'd rather take a truck and build it so that it's got just a sander and nothing else on it and put a plow on the front than have that happen. I'd really like to have a tandem with a built-in spreader that discharges on the drivers side right between the cab and front tandem. That way I can use the end dump to empty out my material at the end of the day so I don't get charged for it. Much faster than sitting there with a sander going trying to empty out.
Plus when it's not snowing I can hire it out and get decent $ for it.

 

Thank you guys for all the kind words.Made the day go by better.

Ray sorry to here that,thoughts go out to you and your family.

 

Damn I don't like how quiet it is in the O/t.

 

Yea. It's eerily quiet in here right now.