Kenworth 8x8 XM1074 PLS

[merlin1945]

Kenworth T800 PLS truck

Does your T800PLS have a removable roof. As I recall, there were plans to have the roof and windshield to be field removable for air transortability. I don't know if any of the test trucks had this feature? Is anything obvious? i.e. Bolts instead of rivets. I'm wondering if your truck was on of the two prototypes or one of the 10 test vehicles? My friend still at Kenworth was going to see if any SN info was available.

 

[merlin1945]

Foden 8X8 for British Army W/ multilift PLS

I thought you might be interested in the following pics since the T800 PLS has created such interest. I was Plant Manager with Foden Trucks in the UK. Foden built many 8X8 PLS trucks. Foden was purchased in 1990 by Paccar and the marque was terminated in 2006. Foden was around for 150 years. Paccar also bought Leyland Trucks and DAF and build both in the UK.Hope you enjoy these pics!

 

[wellesleyhighway]

Thanks to all for the input on these trucks...got a local machine shop to "spray weld and recut the studs for our KW (which is in fact a Canadian C-520) Anyway we are up and running and awaiting snow. Also here are pics from a M923 We got from the State Surplus. This unit was an Air Force piece from Granby CT. We worked the frame about 4' longer, came off the Allison with a hot shift style PTO and installed a 71' crane. Again, I apologize for the orange paint, but, when in Rome....

 

[No.2Diesel]

Excellent!

 

[merlin1945]

More info on Kenworth PLS Trucks

This is add'l info regarding the Kenworth PLS trucks discussed by Wellesleyhighway and M1075. Hope you find the info interesting. The Orange Wellesleyhighway is one of (55) C500 6x6’s built at the Ste Therese Plant (KW Montreal) in 1986 for the Army’s (TACOM) DROPS evaluation program. These trucks were equipped with Multilift (Finland) Load Handling Systems installed at Ste Therese. The evaluation order included ~225 Flat Racks built by the Commercial Products Division in Renton and 55 Wagon Steer trailers built by Knight in Langley, BC. The GCW was 180,000 Lbs. TACOM’s specs for the full production PLS Contract were based from this evaluation program.

In 1989 KW built (10) T884 8x8’s with Tridem Rear Suspension, front and rear steering/drive axles to compete for the Military PLS production contract. We used GKN Planetary axles, Cummins 444 engine, Eaton CEEMAT transmission with 2:1 torque converter and a Cushman transfer case. The suspension height was 16 In and it would climb a 2 FT high step at 180,000 Lbs gross load. The T884 had quick disconnect removable roof, windshield and doors to facilitate transport on a C130 cargo plane. We used an Ampliroll (French) Load Handling System with a folding load hook (also to fit on the C130) on these trucks. A 50 caliber machine gun turret and hatch was incorporated into the roof over the passenger seat. Two of the trucks on this order had a 30 In longer wheelbase to accommodate a folding hydraulic crane with outriggers mounted right behind the cab for self loading.

One truck and trailer was sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for a 46,000 mile durability and -60° F cold chamber test. This is the truck that was rolled and rebuilt with a new cab to complete the tests. Another truck and trailer was sent to the Army’s proving grounds at Yuma, Arizona for another 46,000 mile durability test. One truck set went to Vicksberg, Mississippi for Swamp Testing then on to Fort Carson. Eight trucks and trailers with flat racks were part of an ( week field exercise in Fort Carson, CO.

During Desert Strom in 1991 we saw a picture of one of the T884’s sitting by some road in Kuwait or Iraq partially burned out. These trucks were easy to spot due to a transverse bulge in the hood to accommodate a 13 In diameter Engine Mounted Air Cleaner. They also had a tall 16” air suspension with super single tires and planetary hub reduction axles with CTIS (Central tire inflation system).

In late 1990 PACCAR sold the Flat Rack design to Russel Brothers Ltd in Owen Sound, Ont after RBL had been aquired by RTI Leyland Marsh who, I understand, currently supplies Flat Racks to the British Army.

 

[M1075]

Merlin- Thanks for your insight! Can you look at the truck and trailer pics in the first post on page 1 and tell me which ones these are?

 

[merlin1945]

This truck and trailer would have been the T884 mentioned as the second group of 10 PLS trucks built. If your truck does not have removable roof or machine gun hatch as mentioned, I assume it would be one of two prototypes built prior to the 10 test units.

 

[wellesleyhighway]

Merlin,
This is why the site is so useful....Thanks. When we got the truck from the Army Soldiers System Command in Natick Mass they mentioned it was tested at Natick for simulated air drops from a testing crane they had there. Everything mentioned on this thread ringss true for the units mentioned from the C520 to T884's. Hopefully ours wasn't the rollover. As far as TCody wanting the Multilift, I still haven't heard back from the vendor who did the frame work if it is still at his yard. Thanks to you, M1075 and Armyman30 years plus and all the others for the info posted here. Happy Holidays

Wellesley Highway
M49A2C now serving as Anti Icing spray truck
M923 now serving as Utility Crane Truck
M1074? now serving as Snow fighter/Salter

 

[M1075]

This truck and trailer would have been the T884 mentioned as the second group of 10 PLS trucks built. If your truck does not have removable roof or machine gun hatch as mentioned, I assume it would be one of two prototypes built prior to the 10 test units.

Can you look at these pics and tell me if these have the removable roof? The last 2 pics show a gun hatch but the first 2 do not. They all look to have the large hump in the hood and the material handling crane.

 

[merlin1945]

I have more info regarding the the KW T884 and specifically the removable roof feature. All of these trucks have the removable top. The split in front is below the windshields. The windshields and mirrors stay with the roof cap. Shear pins and diamond guide pins are incorporated into the cab door frames’ A and B pillars. I recall (4) studs and nuts ~ 10mm in the B pillars and back wall below the rear window and (4) over-center latches on the A pillars and at the bottom of the windshield frame. The doors had coach style hinges so they would lift off. There was a time limitation on preparation for loading and securing into the cargo planes with two men – I think it was 10 min’s. The two trucks on the left appear to have the 50 cal gun turret option.
The truck with the blue hood appears to be the longer wheelbase model with the hydraulic crane option mounted behind the cab. The green truck at the top left may also have the crane option but it’s hard to tell from this view. The blue truck also appears to have the hydraulic recovery winch option mounted to the RH frame rail just behind the cab with the cable running through sheaves along the frame with fairleads mounted to the front bumper and on the outside of the RH frame rail at the rear so it could retrieve forward or backward.

 

[M1075]

Yes, the blue hooded truck does have both the crane and winch option. The green and tan hooded trucks have the gun turret option and crane, but not winch. Your knowledge and information is greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[merlin1945]

Thanks for the reply. However, I must give the credit to a friend of mine that worked in the Military Department at Kenworth while I was at the Division Headquarters. You really got a great truck!

 

[JohnR]

It's interesting to see that there are some of the KW PLS vehicles still around. Are any still in use in the Canadian Army?

I was manager of the Kenworth Military Dept. when we bid on & won the PLS testing contract. But, as you know, we decided not to bid on the roughly $2 billion production contract - Kenworth didn't need the hastle of that at the time.

I was looking for information that I might still have, but can't find anything yet.

But here's one picture of our prototype / test truck.


John

 

[M1075]

It's interesting to see that there are some of the KW PLS vehicles still around. Are any still in use in the Canadian Army?

I was manager of the Kenworth Military Dept. when we bid on & won the PLS testing contract. But, as you know, we decided not to bid on the roughly $2 billion production contract - Kenworth didn't need the hastle of that at the time.

I was looking for information that I might still have, but can't find anything yet.

But here's one picture of our prototype / test truck.


John

John, thanks for the picture! Can you tell us more about that truck and where it fits in with the other trucks shown earlier in the thread? I noticed this one doesn't have the material handling crane, central tire inflation system, or air cleaner under the hood. Was this 1 of 2 built initially? I have heard there was 8 more built after that. Is that correct?

 

[merlin1945]

I have info that hopefully will help with your earlier questions re: Kenworth PLS

M1075, The following is the best info that I can obtain from old friends who worked in KW's Military Dept. on the T884 PLS program. Your questions are shown in white and their answers are in Yellow.

You replied earlier that two of the trucks on this order had a 30 In longer wheelbase to accommodate a folding hydraulic crane with outriggers mounted right behind the cab for self loading. You indicated there were 2 prototypes built and then 10 more for the proposal.


There was one prototype built as a demonstrator for the US Army. It was built with a T800 cab and painted CARC green and later burgundy. It had an Eaton CEEMAT 9 speed transmission with a top speed in excess of 75 MPH behind a Cummins NTC 444 and of course the GKN axles.

Just prior to that truck being hand built, the Army bought and tested 15 T884 trucks for performance evaluation at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds…. C500’s with Cummins 400’s, Allison HT 750 DRD’s and Rockwell axles (6 X6’s). One truck was rolled on a downhill outside sloping turn, Kenworth replaced the cab and it was running within 48 hours. Some of the 15 trucks ended up in Iraq and the trucks were seen on national news clips! Not sure how many trucks went to Iraq and how many, if any came home!

I had a KW guy tell me today that there were 8 built. Any chance the 10 qty you mention includes the 2 prototypes?

The VIN numbers of my 2 trucks are consecutive, although there are 1 or 2 letters different in the middle. Both appear to have the long wheelbase and crane option. Should I assume, then, that I will have the only 2 crane models of the 8 or 10 built?


All test and evaluation trucks originally had the Multi Lift PLS systems on them.


Why would the mid characters be different?

Of In the 17 digit VIN one place contains the check digit. That accounts for the difference in the VIN’s

Can you decode the VINs if I get them to you?


Someone from Kenworth Applications Engineering Dept. should be able to identify the VIN for you and you to decode, but there is not much there except for plant location, build year and engine. .(425-828-5000)


Do you know which VINs were tested where?

Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD and Ft. Hood, TX.


The build sheets indicate "53 MPH in direct", but the tranny should have overdrive, right? Any idea on top speed?


If the transmission was the HT 750 DRD then the top speed is limited to about 59 MPH if they go into the governor at say 2200 RPM’s…….

The CTIS control box in the cab looks similar to the ones you see on M939A2 series 5 tons. Do you know if these are the same?


Yes they should be…. It is the Eaton CTIS system used also by the US Forrest Service today.

Hope this helped!

Dave

 

[quickfarms]

Nice truck

 

[Dietmar Bastian]

Hello together,

One of these trucks is now in service for Heavy Haulage at Daco-Group in Middleamerica.
It seems, that this truck is one of the longer-wheelbase-version. The pictures are from FB of Daco-Group.

With best regards

Dietmar

 

[M1075]

Wow, great pics! I think the wheelbase is the same, these things are long! Probably 25' behind the cab.