While most of us have seen dump trucks used to haul gravel and other construction materials, what you may not be aware of is that dump trucks are used in many other capacities, and sometimes, those capacities warrant a rotator on the truck bed.
Some companies sell rotating truck beds specifically for special jobs. Hulcher Professional Services, Inc., for example, sells dump trucks with rotating beds to railroads because it is easier to turn the truck bed and dump materials than turn the truck this way and that for just the perfect angle. The rotator can turn 180 degrees, which provides the driver with many options for dumping.
Some rotating dump trucks are even capable of going off-road, if equipped with hi-rail gear. They can travel to remote locations and dump sites, whether they’re hauling things for lumber companies, mining groups, or construction projects. Tartaglia Railroad Services offers custom built rotating dump trucks for their clients, as well as maintenance, such as alignment, inspections, and oil changes.
It’s worth getting to know the big names in the business if you’re looking to join the market, especially if you’re in an area where railroads are the main business. Names like Tartaglia, Hulcher, Danella, V&H, Deere, and ACW Railway Company are all worth checking out at least to get an idea of what you’re looking for, what it needs to do, and which place is the closest or offers the best package deal.
Of course, you may not be a working professional who needs to upgrade to a rotary dump truck, you may just happen to be a hobbyist or enthusiast, or someone looking to purchase a dump truck and refinish it to your own specifications without the need to haul railroad materials. You can find vehicles and information on the rotating dump truck types online at places like Ebay, Amazon, and manufacturers’ websites. If you want to try one out before purchasing, there are companies such as the above mentioned Danella that provide rentals.
Rotary dump trucks usually come with a diesel engine, engine brake as well as air brakes, a tandem axle, and manual transmission. The GVWR varies, but the type sold and/or rented by Danella typically falls between 56,000 and 66,000. The fuel tank typically holds around 100 gallons.
When looking at the various types of rotary dump trucks, you will want to pay attention to the specialties and equipment that comes with each model, whether you’re wanting something that can haul long-distance or short, through mountains or around cities, or just to show off at the local truck show.
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the classic Dodge “Charger”, and what better way to celebrate than with an engine upgrade to turn the Charger into a Super Charger? A company by the name of Mopar has released a crate engine called the “Hellephant” 426 Hemi, capable of producing 1,000hp and 950lb-ft torque, a truly supercharged engine that was made to bring your pre-1976 vehicles up quite a few levels. Imagine your old Charger roaring to life and taking to the streets with more power than it ever dreamed of, its deep purr announcing its presence as it takes off into the night.
Specs include an engine capacity of 6,980cc (or 426ci), bore specs at 4.125in, and stroke of 4 inches.The engine is mounted on an all aluminum block and has a high-efficiency rotor. The entire unit has been improved upon since its last iteration, and the nickname “Hellephant” itself refers back to Mopar’s older 426 engine, which received the nickname “Elephant” because of its size. The Hellephant is the next step in a generation of powerful, supercharged engines.
Mopar is set to offer the crate engine kit (assembled) ready to be installed by any experienced mechanic as a plug-and-play. The kit also comes with extras such as a front sump oil pan, a flywheel, a fuel injector, coil packs, a waterpump, and a supercharger with a throttle body. With a little inspiration taken from the Dodge Challenger Demon and the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye in the form of valves, locks, and retainers, the Hellephant is prepped for anything, able to surpass expectations and win over new fans. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is said, and the Hellephant pays homage to these vehicles by incorporating some of their best features into its own design, a lesson that might be put to good use elsewhere as well.
The Hellephant Super Charger concept offered by Mopar does change some things around when it comes to the Dodge Charger body, most notably the length of the wheelbase and exterior details such as LED units for brake lights and headlights, fiberglass bumpers, and a custom exhaust system. The finished product is a muscle car with curves that fit somewhere between nostalgia and futurism. Although many colors would suit such a vehicle, the classic black showcased in Head Designer at Mopar Joe Dehner’s YouTube video about the concept is so beautiful and so bold that it overshadows any other choice.
If you’re interested in restoring or building a vehicle that was around prior to 1976 and you’re looking for a way to make it stand out, you may want to consider looking into purchasing one of Mopar’s new Hellephants. They’re relatively easy for a mechanic to install, they’re high efficiency, and they’re supercharged. They’re like steroids for muscle cars.
You can read more about the Dodge Hellephant 426 Hemi at Mopar’s website, and you can find videos on YouTube or photos on sites like Car Scoops as well. Even if you aren’t in the market for one (yet), you may want to keep your eyes on the Hellephant and Mopar. The future is here, and it’s supercharged.
How many of you have wanted to go motorhoming in a luxury RV, and then just push a button and have your car come out the side? Even if this level of luxury motorhome hadn’t occurred to you before, now you know what some people are using to enjoy both big RV comfort and small car economy. This luxury RV is not a one-off trick vehicle but is a real production vehicle.
It’s a car-swallower RV, a type of motorhome that has been produces for around 20 years now on a significant scale. One of the first and best-known that created a minor sensation in 2008 was the German-made Volkner Mobile Performance Bus. It not only carried cars but had so many luxury features it was widely called a “Palace on Wheels.” But the trend did not end with Volkner. “Volkner began building the motorized garage into its high end Performance models in late 2006 and has now built motorhomes capable of swallowing whole Porsche 911s, Jaguar XK8 Cabriolets, BMW 6 Series Cabriolets, Maserati Quattroportes and Mercedes Sports cars,” writes GizMag at the time (which later became New Atlas).
Some observers at the time said that was almost too tame a description for the German-made Volkner Mobile Performance Bus. Here’s the interior – Click the photo to expand.
What makes this RV such a luxury machine?
—Bathrooms with massage showers equipped with several programs.
—Under-floor heating that covered even the shower floor (so no showers with cold feet…pun intended). Heated towel racks as well.
—Kitchens had real tiles, dishwaters, a large fridge-freezer, and microwaves.
—Living rooms had Bose-Dolby home Entertainment Surround Systems and a widescreen TV concealed in an entertainment cabinet when not in use.
—A computerized “Brain” pilot central computer that was said to be the result of 20 years of technology. It allowed full and automatic control of various systems including heating, energy sources such as gas and other functions.
—In addition to the extra space for the auto, Volkner Mobil had what were called “Wall Out” spaces. These increased the size of living spaces by up to 20 percent. Not exactly a new idea, but Volkner’s version was said to be stronger mechanically, among other advantages.
—A variety of décor choices.
—Seats with pneumatic cushioning.
—Storage was also not neglected. There was an 800-gallon freshwater tank, and a 158-ballon wastewater storage area.
New trucks are always fun. I guess UPS thinks so too. They have these new units, and how would you describe them? Cute? These are part of UPS’s newest fleet – a test fleet of 35 electric vehicle trucks for their deliveries.
Of course, they run on batteries (and kind of look like batteries). They can go around 150 miles on a charge, and like other EVs, there are no emissions.
This fleet is to test out in two major cities in Europe, and none are yet set for North American streets. But here are some interesting features: a wrap-around windshield to give drivers a wider view of the road and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (these programs try to reduce driver fatigue).
By the way, in addition to this little fleet, UPS already has over 300 EVs and 700 hybrid vehicles in the States and Europe.
How about a 2020 Prevost Motorhome? While these machines are the top of the line in luxury RV living, one thing’s for sure and that’s that the price tags aren’t for the faint of heart! People keep buying them steadily though, so they must be worth the value.
This one is one of the 2020’s: A Marathon H3-45er. Mostly we just wanted to take a look at the angles of the new one and the new interior, so below is a gallery for that, but let’s look at a few specifications for the motorhome as well:
So what do you get for your 2.27 million with a 2020 Prevost diesel pusher?
Besides the reliability and performance of their regular hardware, the 2020s also come with:
- Under Floor Heating System (Salon, Galley & Bath)
- Fisher & Paykel Refrigerator with built-in bottle storage above
- Girard Nova Awning Package
- Apple TV System Installation with Crestron Digital Media HDMI Input Card
- 49″ 4K LED TV in Underbelly Entertainment Center
- Deluxe Decor Package for the Interior
- Adjustable Reclining Bed for TV Viewing and Pathway when Slide is in
- Air-Powered Glass Pocket Shower Door
- EXPEL Front Protective Shield
- Leather Options
Drivin 9 to 5 in an RV motorhome? How about a luxury motorhome like Dolly Parton’s? Her classic tour bus was featured on Dolly Pardon Tour TV, and on her bus happens to be where a lot of her biggest hits were written, and I guess we can expect the same of her new Luxury RV upgrade.
The original Dolly tour bus is a 1994 Prevost Motorhome and cost the singer $750,000. It’s called “The Gypsy Waggon” and its said that Dolly prefers her luxury motorhome RVs to staying in a hotel.
What’s inside? a living area for her, two showers, a large kitchen, a makeup station, and a special closet for her performing getup. It also has bunk beds for when her family comes to stay with her on the RV.
Now the motorhome has over 600k miles on it, and its no longer used by the star, but sits parked at Dollywood for visitors to see themselves.
Here are some of the photos of the inside. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have used a wide-angle lens as is more common when photographing vehicle interiors.
As for the new motorhome she bought, its a 2010 Prevost RV that cost her around $2.7 million, and has all the things the newest luxury RVs have, including greater length, more slide outs, and newer amenities.
This is a 54 Coachline bus, a classic by any standard for RVing and motorhoming, and in nice shape considering it’s 60 plus years old. This one is actually being used as an Air BNB rental unit for around $110 per night.
It sleeps 2 with its one bedroom, 1 bed, and a half bath, but I think the draw here is the experience of the vintage bus itself combined with the natural scenery. It’s set in the Pacific Rainforest and overlooks the ocean:
“Hiking ? Our coachline bus is located in a Provincial Park and the hiking trails are endless .
“The island is famous for kayaking and hiking. We are located at the foot of Mount Galiano , close to the trail head to the summit, a 60 min. hike to a spectacular view. From the Coachline you can hike to the Top of the World, Eagles Nest, Active Pass Beach , Bluff Park ,nice to The Wild One. Several trails lead to secluded spots of great beauty. Very private with scenic ocean view and beach 10 minutes on foot.”
It’s available to check out on Air BNB.
Jeep fans get ready, the new 2020 Jeep Gladiator is everywhere, and we’re getting a lot of info about the new off road vehicle.
Some of the key things to know about the new 2020 Jeep: It has real towing power: 7650 pounds of it, and can haul up to 1600 pounds.
It also has a truck bed with a 3 position tailgate, and you can get a roll up tonneau cover for it, with a 115 volt outlet – these are to make outdoor adventures more convenient.
It comes in black, grey, red and blue.
And maybe the most standout feature: this is a “midsize truck,” not a scrambler, and Jeep is calling it the “most capable off road midsize truck ever.” It has the famous Jeep 4×4 capability for high and low ranges, heavy duty 44 axles on front and back, lockable wide track axles, electronic disconnecting front sway bar, 33 inch AT tires, and a camera for obstacle navigation.
Flexible Wheels means no more Curbing Them
Who invented the wheel? It’s an old question, right? Well, at least we can see who’s making improvements to it.
A lot of vehicle improvements sound nice but I could really do without them, but when it comes to tires, I appreciate any improvement you can make. But how is it possible for a wheel to be flexible? After all, you want it to be firm, full of air or other filling material.
The way these flexible tires work is based on “flexible rubber flanges” mounted to the wheel body. The flanges are soft and absorb impacts to the tire. For example, when a tire bumps into a curb, these flanges should flex and the tire will bend a bit to accommodate the unusual object (curb).
According to Michelin, the makers of these tires: “The patented new technology, developed by Michelin and Maxion Wheels for the passenger car wheel market, incorporates two flexible rubber flanges mounted on a special wheel body to create a flexible wheel that improves the ride and comfort and also absorbs impacts from potholes and curbs. The new wheel is compatible with all tires on the market and comprises an alloy rim – which is narrower than normal, two rubber flanges and an optional cosmetic insert to protect the alloy wheel.”
What is the best light pickup?
Most people I know that have purchased a pickup have done so for one reason: they needed to haul stuff around. My family owned a pickup for several years and we got it because we needed a covered bed to carry around our instruments and luggage while we traveled. Some truck enthusiasts are brand-conscious, others care about the engine type, and others are more interested in hauling and towing capacity, which makes it difficult to be completely objective when comparing vehicles. However, if you’re looking for an all-around best performer in the light duty pickup truck arena, you can’t get any better than the Ford F-150.
The Ford F-150 comes with 385 hp, a V8 engine, and has a payload capacity of 3,300 pounds. While it isn’t as rugged as some other trucks, it is definitely the one you want if you’re looking for a truck that will perform at high levels in every instance. Of course, if you’re environmentally conscious and want your transportation to echo that value, you can take a look at the Ford F-150 EcoBoost, which comes with a turbocharged V6 engine, an even greater towing capacity than the original, and though it has less payload capacity, it evens out with more fuel economy and more torque.
It should be noted that to reach the pinnacle of performance, the options that should be chosen prior to purchasing a Ford F-150 are two-wheel drive, a long bed, and a regular cab.
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