• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

How often do you drive your 5 ton?

G

Goliath P. Jones

Member
98
92
18
Location
Salem, Or
Like the title says, how often do you drive your 5 ton? Just curious as I have the urge everyday to fire mine up and take it for a drive. Lol, if I need to go to lowes, or to the local gun store, grocery store, just for a drive down the road. Granted I don't actually drive it to all these places, but I want to. Why? Just because I could I guess. So it got me wondering how often are other people getting to drive theirs? I know the guys with construction businesses or heavy equipment business probably use theirs more.
 
Ajax MD

Ajax MD

Well-known member
1,571
1,420
113
Location
Mayo, MD
I drive mine a few times per month to keep things lubricated and batteries charged.

I live in a heavily suburban area with oblivious drivers so when I venture out, I need to be extremely vigilant. About a mile from home, I had a driver in a nearly new Jeep Grand Cherokee veer over the center line and side swipe me. He sheared off his mirror and and side trim. The explosion of glass and plastic was impressive. I pulled over but the driver just kept going and never returned. That's the kind of stupidity I'm dealing with.

I've run my truck in a couple of parades and I use it to haul tons of pellet fuel to the house for winter heating. I'd drive it more often if the spaces were a little more open where I live.
 
G

Goliath P. Jones

Member
98
92
18
Location
Salem, Or
Ajax MD said:
I drive mine a few times per month to keep things lubricated and batteries charged.

I live in a heavily suburban area with oblivious drivers so when I venture out, I need to be extremely vigilant. About a mile from home, I had a driver in a nearly new Jeep Grand Cherokee veer over the center line and side swipe me. He sheared off his mirror and and side trim. The explosion of glass and plastic was impressive. I pulled over but the driver just kept going and never returned. That's the kind of stupidity I'm dealing with.

I've run my truck in a couple of parades and I use it to haul tons of pellet fuel to the house for winter heating. I'd drive it more often if the spaces were a little more open where I live.
Click to expand...
I fire mine up and move it up and down my gravel road almost daily just to keep it ready to go with the fluids and batteries. That's insane that a driver side swiped you and kept going. Lol. But I definitely understand what you mean about operating in confined traffic areas with oblivious people. When I drove it down the highway last time I was almost amazed at how many people would cut me off, swerve in and out of traffic in front of me, slam their brakes on to make an exit with no warning or blinkers. Enter from the on ramp at break neck speeds just to return to a crawl totally unaware that I was right there. How do they not see, care or respect a 22k pound giant. I tell my sons all the time, I'm not sure mentally where people are when they are driving, but certainly its not behind the wheel of their cars.
 
G

Goliath P. Jones

Member
98
92
18
Location
Salem, Or
Ajax MD said:
The other thing is, if the truck is started, the truck must be driven and spend time at normal operating temperature. No long idles without some driving.
I don't "short cycle" my trucks.
Click to expand...
That's good information to know, I will be sure knowing that to take it out for a drive longer than just my gravel road to keep it up to par. Also the guy that I purchased it from said to be sure to keep it under 2100 rpm to avoid damaging the engine. Is that accurate? I am assuming if it's correct its to avoid from floating the valves.
 
G

GopherHill

Well-known member
455
1,174
93
Location
Thomaston, TX
Goliath P. Jones said:
I fire mine up and move it up and down my gravel road almost daily just to keep it ready to go with the fluids and batteries. That's insane that a driver side swiped you and kept going. Lol. But I definitely understand what you mean about operating in confined traffic areas with oblivious people. When I drove it down the highway last time I was almost amazed at how many people would cut me off, swerve in and out of traffic in front of me, slam their brakes on to make an exit with no warning or blinkers. Enter from the on ramp at break neck speeds just to return to a crawl totally unaware that I was right there. How do they not see, care or respect a 22k pound giant. I tell my sons all the time, I'm not sure mentally where people are when they are driving, but certainly its not behind the wheel of their cars.
Click to expand...
How does the air horn affect them?
 
BEASTMASTER

BEASTMASTER

Active member
898
140
43
Location
Burgaw, N.C.
i drive mine every wed and sat to go up to the lottery store and get my useless powerball tickets . then i always run into someone that wants to chat about the truck , or take a pic with their kid in the truck. it's the social thing to do , right ?
 
G

Goliath P. Jones

Member
98
92
18
Location
Salem, Or
BEASTMASTER said:
i drive mine every wed and sat to go up to the lottery store and get my useless powerball tickets . then i always run into someone that wants to chat about the truck , or take a pic with their kid in the truck. it's the social thing to do , right ?
Click to expand...
Hopefully the kids are the next generation of military vehicle collectors, it's how they come to appreciate them. Definitely the social thing to do.
 
Ajax MD

Ajax MD

Well-known member
1,571
1,420
113
Location
Mayo, MD
Goliath P. Jones said:
That's good information to know, I will be sure knowing that to take it out for a drive longer than just my gravel road to keep it up to par. Also the guy that I purchased it from said to be sure to keep it under 2100 rpm to avoid damaging the engine. Is that accurate? I am assuming if it's correct its to avoid from floating the valves.
Click to expand...
Sorry, it's not clear to me which truck you have. If you're referring to the Cummins NCH250, yes I think the absolute redline for these is 2200 rpm. I don't know exactly what happens when you overspin these engines, I only know that It's Very Bad.

A knowledgeable member here stated that the optimum RPM range to avoid lugging or overspeeding the engine is between 1600 and 2000 RPM, if I recall. Lugging the engine is just as bad as overspeeding it.
 
G

Goliath P. Jones

Member
98
92
18
Location
Salem, Or
Ajax MD said:
Sorry, it's not clear to me which truck you have. If you're referring to the Cummins NCH250, yes I think the absolute redline for these is 2200 rpm. I don't know exactly what happens when you overspin these engines, I only know that It's Very Bad.

A knowledgeable member here stated that the optimum RPM range to avoid lugging or overspeeding the engine is between 1600 and 2000 RPM, if I recall. Lugging the engine is just as bad as overspeeding it.
Click to expand...
Mine is the nhc250 engine. I'll definitely have to be sure to keep it under the redline and not lug it either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
108,262members
163,589threads
2,301,880posts
692online users
Top
✖
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks