2018 Great Dane Dry Van is finally paid off!

[Mike]

has the wife made decided if she's going for her cdl

She is still planning on it. Might do it this Summer, last kid still has to get her drivers license before she can have the time to do it.

 

[Mike]

Well, the truck got jealous over all the attention the trailer was getting, so the APU water pump decided to crap out on me on Tuesday.

Jumped in the truck to go a mile down the road to pick up a load on Tuesday. All was good on the truck as of Monday.

As I went to pull forward from my parking spot, the low coolant light came on. Assumed it was a sensor acting stupid. Got out and checked, sure enough the coolant was a low. Topped it off, looked around and didn't see any leaks. Gut told me something was wrong, but couldn't see any problem.

Drove down the street to the shipper, peeked under the engine again, and all looked good. Walked on around, glanced back to look underneath the entire truck, and there appeared a coolant leak dripping out from the APU case.

Called and canceled my load, which I hate doing, drove back to the yard and proceeded to take apart the APU case with what little tools I had wit me. Radiator was dry, under the radiator was dry, hoses were dry.

Water Pump? Not so dry.

It's 3:00 pm at this point, called Thermo King to get price and availability on a water pump, as well as upper and lower hoses. Check on labor cost for all of this, and quickly decided to go to Joplin to get the parts before they closed.

Just the pump, not including replacing hoses or any other work that might pop up while in the shop was 2.6 hours. They were going to have to let me know what additional labor it would be for the hoses, LOL.

Case was already taken apart (10 minute job, tops). From there, it took me 15-20 minutes to get the pulley loose, remove the belt, cut the hoses off, and remove the pump. spent 30 minutes or so reinstalling it, taking my time to get the hoses exactly like I wanted, some additional cleanup other OCD stuff.

Between dropping the trailer off to be inspected, to cleaning out the trailer once I got it back to be ready to load (inside got really nasty on last load), then a water pump fiasco, that quickly turned into 1 full week with the equipment down. Time adds up fast, LOL.

 

[Mike]

Look into epoxy for the crack filler. They make products just for wood. It's like JB Weld or marine epoxy except it's brown to (sorta) match the wood.


These bolt holes, are they bolts you can remove, or are they carriage bolts or rivets?

If you can remove the bolts (one at a time) I'd pull them out, blow out any debris and inject clear silicone into the holes with a caulk gun, and reinsert the bolts immediately, spin the bolts in the holes to distribute the silicone, then crank 'em tight and wipe off the excess that squeezes out. And you're gonna wanta get underneath & wipe off excess on the bottom too.

I'm going to get a good epoxy type crack filler to fix the damaged spots.

an entire reconditioning kit costs near $800.00. I don't think I'm going to spend that.

As for the bolts, I don't think I want to tackle trying to remove all of them, especially with the corrosion/rust they have dealt with underneath, and many being bent/damaged from dumbass forklift drivers inside the trailer.

Talked to a guy who parks at the same place I park. He had the same minor water/moisture situation as me, and he simply applied Thompson's Water Seal on the floor. It's been a few months, he says it has worked great. Much cheaper to buy a 2-3 gallons of that and apply it to the floor than the other if it will actually work.

 

[Duck]

She is still planning on it. Might do it this Summer, last kid still has to get her drivers license before she can have the time to do it.

Has your middle one beat up any more boys lately?

 

[Duck]

I'm going to get a good epoxy type crack filler to fix the damaged spots.

an entire reconditioning kit costs near $800.00. I don't think I'm going to spend that.

As for the bolts, I don't think I want to tackle trying to remove all of them, especially with the corrosion/rust they have dealt with underneath, and many being bent/damaged from dumbass forklift drivers inside the trailer.

Talked to a guy who parks at the same place I park. He had the same minor water/moisture situation as me, and he simply applied Thompson's Water Seal on the floor. It's been a few months, he says it has worked great. Much cheaper to buy a 2-3 gallons of that and apply it to the floor than the other if it will actually work.

I don't think Thompsons will hold up to forklift drivers setting pallets on the floor and sliding them back.

Actually I don't know of anything that'll stand up to that.

Was there anything in the spec sheet for the trailer that says what species of wood was used?


One thing to consider is you don't want the floor to have a smooth sanded, slick surface like the floor in a gym. You need there to be friction between the floor and whatever is on it, or the freight can end up on your catwalk if you have to hit the brakes hard.

 

[Uncle Birchy]

I am a fixin to make my last mortgage payment this afternoon and that will make us completely debt free it is also our anniversary, so great day all around!!!

Finally, one less monthly payment to deal with for a while. Wife called and told me the good news this morning.

Bought the trailer, zero down, brand new back in September 2017 when I decided to get my own operating authority.

Would have been paid off a couple months ago, but we skipped a couple payments back in 2020.

Call the "Dave Ramsey" Show..

This is way better than the "Studio Callers" turned over a Buisness and Dave Ramsey saying don't just sit on you're @$$ neither..

Let's Get a real "Debt Free" Scream for our "Homeboys" @Mike & @gearjammer too

 

[Uncle Birchy]

Okay best I could find..

Cindy & Chuck make the "Debt Free" SCREAM on The Ramsey show..

 

[Electric Chicken]

Well, the truck got jealous over all the attention the trailer was getting, so the APU water pump decided to crap out on me on Tuesday.

Jumped in the truck to go a mile down the road to pick up a load on Tuesday. All was good on the truck as of Monday.

As I went to pull forward from my parking spot, the low coolant light came on. Assumed it was a sensor acting stupid. Got out and checked, sure enough the coolant was a low. Topped it off, looked around and didn't see any leaks. Gut told me something was wrong, but couldn't see any problem.

Drove down the street to the shipper, peeked under the engine again, and all looked good. Walked on around, glanced back to look underneath the entire truck, and there appeared a coolant leak dripping out from the APU case.

Called and canceled my load, which I hate doing, drove back to the yard and proceeded to take apart the APU case with what little tools I had wit me. Radiator was dry, under the radiator was dry, hoses were dry.

Water Pump? Not so dry.

It's 3:00 pm at this point, called Thermo King to get price and availability on a water pump, as well as upper and lower hoses. Check on labor cost for all of this, and quickly decided to go to Joplin to get the parts before they closed.

Just the pump, not including replacing hoses or any other work that might pop up while in the shop was 2.6 hours. They were going to have to let me know what additional labor it would be for the hoses, LOL.

Case was already taken apart (10 minute job, tops). From there, it took me 15-20 minutes to get the pulley loose, remove the belt, cut the hoses off, and remove the pump. spent 30 minutes or so reinstalling it, taking my time to get the hoses exactly like I wanted, some additional cleanup other OCD stuff.

Between dropping the trailer off to be inspected, to cleaning out the trailer once I got it back to be ready to load (inside got really nasty on last load), then a water pump fiasco, that quickly turned into 1 full week with the equipment down. Time adds up fast, LOL.

I was down at Bridgewater and a few of us from the company happened up at the same time out of sheer coincidence. We hopped out of our trucks and had a little confab.

The general consensus was "it's always something" after Steve pulled up and said he literally JUST blew his radiator and had only gotten it out of the shop that morning for other repairs.

I used to get irritated at a week of downtime but after hearing horror stories of months at a time, I consider myself lucky over the past couple years.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I don't think Thompsons will hold up to forklift drivers setting pallets on the floor and sliding them back.

Actually I don't know of anything that'll stand up to that.

Was there anything in the spec sheet for the trailer that says what species of wood was used?


One thing to consider is you don't want the floor to have a smooth sanded, slick surface like the floor in a gym. You need there to be friction between the floor and whatever is on it, or the freight can end up on your catwalk if you have to hit the brakes hard.

On open decks I see a lot of them use teak.

I've seen containers advertised as having bamboo floors.

Not sure about dry vans though.

All the containers I've pulled had slick floors. Not quite like a basketball court but definitely not rough.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Call the "Dave Ramsey" Show..

This is way better than the "Studio Callers" turned over a Buisness and Dave Ramsey saying don't just sit on you're @$$ neither..

Let's Get a real "Debt Free" Scream for our "Homeboys" @Mike & @gearjammer too

I used to listen to Ramsey a lot. Eventually it got repetitive and boring though. It's the same message over and over and the same caller situations over and over.

Blows my mind that he got rich doing this.

 

[Duck]

On open decks I see a lot of them use teak.

I've seen containers advertised as having bamboo floors.

Not sure about dry vans though.

I think I recall some of the "channel 19" guys who used to be here, talking about white oak but that was for cribbage, dunnage, I forget what they call the 4x4 and 6x6 timbers they used as skids.

All the containers I've pulled had slick floors. Not quite like a basketball court but definitely not rough.

"Smooth" is a relative term.

A trailer floor surface I would call "smooth", would be considered "terrible" if it was a bowling alley lane or a basketball court.

I guess I meant "smooth for it's purpose".



Whenever there's a disaster like a tornado destroys a whole town in the Midwest or there's a hurricane in the gulf states, FEMA and charities send all kinds of stuff like pallets full of food and bottled water, they stash all that stuff in the local school gyms and cafeterias.

I wouldn't want to be on the maintenance staff at a school after the wood gym floor was used in that way and you've got like two days to fix it before the kids come back.

Can you imagine being surrounded by 80 kindergarteners asking questions when you're trying to operate power tools?

 

[Uncle Birchy]

I used to listen to Ramsey a lot. Eventually it got repetitive and boring though. It's the same message over and over and the same caller situations over and over.

Blows my mind that he got rich doing this.

Welp when I was "Over The Road" the Music got way "Boring" so I tuned over the AM DIAL became a "Talk Radio" Junkie .

 

[Uncle Birchy]

I think I recall some of the "channel 19" guys who used to be here, talking about white oak but that was for cribbage, dunnage, I forget what they call the 4x4 and 6x6 timbers they used as skids.


"Smooth" is a relative term.

A trailer floor surface I would call "smooth", would be considered "terrible" if it was a bowling alley lane or a basketball court.

I guess I meant "smooth for it's purpose".



Whenever there's a disaster like a tornado destroys a whole town in the Midwest or there's a hurricane in the gulf states, FEMA and charities send all kinds of stuff like pallets full of food and bottled water, they stash all that stuff in the local school gyms and cafeterias.

I wouldn't want to be on the maintenance staff at a school after the wood gym floor was used in that way and you've got like two days to fix it before the kids come back.

Can you imagine being surrounded by 80 kindergarteners asking questions when you're trying to operate power tools?

Your the guy once who drove an old 1980s Ford 2 Menards..

Remember that chick with a few kids thought ya just being a "Wise Guy" offered the kids candy..

Then ya came back here & posted about that lady gave ya the "Evil Eyes"..

I cannot quit find the "post" although @Duck ya remember that one..

I Laughed so bad I "Puked" in the truck

 

[Duck]

Your the guy once who drove an old 1980s Ford 2 Menards..

Remember that chick with a few kids thought ya just being a "Wise Guy" offered the kids candy..

Then ya came back here & posted about that lady gave ya the "Evil Eyes"..

I cannot quit find the "post" although @Duck ya remember that one..

I Laughed so bad I "Puked" in the truck

OK but what's that got to do with anything?

 

[Uncle Birchy]

OK but what's that got to do with anything?

It should 2 site I'm such an "Old-Timer" no making "Socks"..

And don't guzzle 4 packs of "Natty Ice" in your "Sleeper Bunk" at a Truckstop..

Oh don't post a "Photograph" neither..

Site Could be "Sued"

 

[Duck]

And don't guzzle 4 packs of "Natty Ice" in your "Sleeper Bunk" at a Truckstop..

Is that what you're doing right now?

 

[Uncle Birchy]

Is that what you're doing right now?

Today I'm home sitting in my Lazy-Boy..

Got sick of crap on TV Set..

I shut that of slamming another 4-pack..

But I ain't "Isolation" neither..

This "Internet" thingy I always "complained" about..

Where else thy entire UNIVERSE does a "Failure" a BUM like me get a "Voice"

 

[Uncle Birchy]

Today I'm home sitting in my Lazy-Boy..

Got sick of crap on TV Set..

I shut that of slamming another 4-pack..

But I ain't "Isolation" neither..

This "Internet" thingy I always "complained" about..

Where else thy entire UNIVERSE does a "Failure" a BUM like me get a "Voice"

What I failed 2 mention long "Lonely" nights..

Since Kristina told me off .

When ya get "Older" ya can't just "magically" meet another woman on "Smoke Break" at a Job..

Heck 3/4/5 Carriers ago "Wendy" the Dispatcher...

Shed talk really nice & sweet all us guys..

I did Enough "Drop & Hook" thru yard actually met WENDY too.


She was on "Smoke Break" and I turned in the BOLS paperwork "Old School" way..

Anyways I stood out back with Wendy I lit a Smoke started talking 2 her while they figured out my "Pay"..

She almost smacked me across the jaw..

Ring on Finger she had 3 kids too..

I was "Accusations" of Sexual Harassment..

Look I told the Boss why she out there on "Smoke Break" so "SWEET & FRIENDLY"..

She's a "DISPATCHER " & that's HER JOB..

WE ain't supposed be on a "Layover" ask out for dinner & drinking..

I never ever asked a lady I met at "Work" out ever again

 

[Duck]

What I failed 2 mention long "Lonely" nights..

Since Kristina told me off .

When ya get "Older" ya can't just "magically" meet another woman on "Smoke Break" at a Job..

Heck 3/4/5 Carriers ago "Wendy" the Dispatcher...

Shed talk really nice & sweet all us guys..

I did Enough "Drop & Hook" thru yard actually met WENDY too.


She was on "Smoke Break" and I turned in the BOLS paperwork "Old School" way..

Anyways I stood out back with Wendy I lit a Smoke started talking 2 her while they figured out my "Pay"..

She almost smacked me across the jaw..

Ring on Finger she had 3 kids too..

I was "Accusations" of Sexual Harassment..

Look I told the Boss why she out there on "Smoke Break" so "SWEET & FRIENDLY"..

She's a "DISPATCHER " & that's HER JOB..

WE ain't supposed be on a "Layover" ask out for dinner & drinking..

I never ever asked a lady I met at "Work" out ever again

What exactly did you say to her?

 

[Rigjockey]

What exactly did you say to her?

I like to eat Wendy's.
I am only guessing.