Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[xtremek]

Finally get a face to match the name. Glad things went smooth. Sounds like you're still on the steep end of the learning curve, but moving up it fast.

 

[Strouty]

Ugli mug!

This shows the size disparity a bit better, in reality it is no different than hauling a trailer, but it sure seems like it is different when you first get started.

 

[rmack898]

Mission complete. Nice job.

 

[Strouty]

Last night I slept well, that job ticked off the to do list was a pretty big stress relief.

MPG update, got 7.3 on the way down, went through Vermont and it was pretty hilly. 5.5 on the way back, pretty much all highway. I figure I was around 60k gross weight, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less.

Shuffling trailers now, couldn’t get to the deck over that I need to haul Clark and the Mitsu on.

The Tru-Hitch is awesome, disconnects like a trailer without any issues.

 

[Strouty]

Apparently I am not paying attention to the time today, I still have to get over to the tower so I can measure some bolts and cut some coax. I also need some tools and supplies, but I may wait until tomorrow to gather that, supposed to be raining and I would rather hit the tower on a nice day.

 

[Strouty]

Trailers shuffled

 

[xtremek]

So when you get the air cylinder for the 5th wheel, it should be a pretty easy thing to hitch/unhitch? Looks like it just paid for itself in 2 trips.

 

[rvieceli]

Strouty quick question on the towing. Does the towed vehicle have the front tires on the pavement or are they raised up off the road by the hitch? Thanks
Ron

 

[Strouty]

Ron, the tires are off the ground, the truck is turned into a fifth wheel trailer, so it pivots very nicely, except when the steering wheel has play in the truck being towed, then the hole thing goes off at an angle. I feel that there has to be a better way to keep the wheels locked, going to discuss my ideas with he owner of the Tru-Hitch company and see if there are any flaws in it.

So when you get the air cylinder for the 5th wheel, it should be a pretty easy thing to hitch/unhitch? Looks like it just paid for itself in 2 trips.

After unhitching things today, it is clear that I can't use the air ram ever, the way this hitch is laid out, the air ram gets hit and dented when the fifth wheel tilts too far back, the Tru Hitch tilts all the time while loading and unloading and I think it will just be wasted money. I am going to look at different sliding fifth wheels and will probably have to buy a new one, but I feel that spending over $400 on the air ram will be a waste and the thing will be destroyed very quickly. It is a definite design flaw that should have never happened, but most trucks never se that kind of movement, so it probably is pretty rare to have similar damage.

 

[impala4speed]

That's an awesome pic Strouty; great work.

 

[xtremek]

Still it sounds like the Tru-Hitch was/is worth the little bit of heart burn

 

[Strouty]

Thanks Impala!

X, it is definitely worth it, once I have used it more, things will be easier and I will be more comfortable with it. Lots of things to understand and remember all at once, so it is a bit stressful, going to make up a checklist as suggested, and notes on other procedures too. It should be all figured out in a year or two!

 

[Strouty]

I am over at the tower now, trying to get things prepped, cut the two hybrid fiber cables, there is going to be some serious scrap here.



Yes that is copper, lots of it.

 

[XJSuperman]

It'll be a hot fire to burn all that insulation off before scrapping it.

 

[Strouty]

I have an insulation cutter, will make short work of it.

On the tower, slowly climbing, got my little bandsaw, extra batteries, my rigging rope and pulley, and what feels like a ton of safety gear.

 

[Strouty]

Still going, the location of the ladder makes it a bit of a squeeze for a big guy. It doesn’t help that I ha the rope and the bucket bag too.






I am not actually climbing that slow, I am measuring bolt sizes as I go, so we know what sockets and wrenches are needed.

 

[xtremek]

So there are 3 towers at this site and you're dropping one of them? How tall is this one? Do you guys own all three?

 

[Strouty]

We now own all three, they are all 180’ tall. This one was the one owned by a huge publicly traded company that I beat the pants off. They paid us to take ownership of the tower and I have to take it down due to my approvals from the town for the other tower. Long story, but discussed back a few pages in this thread.



Got the rigging done, now I am headed down to see what I can cut free for cabling.

 

[crocket468]

Strouty, just ran across this and don't know the details on the tower site but if you have any heliax your pulling off the towers you may want to reach out to any amateur radio clubs in the area before scraping it. May be able to get better than scrap prices if they need it for a repeater site. Just an idea for ya.

 

[Strouty]

Problem is manpower, you need multiple people to take the coax down so it is reusable, cutting it up for scrap is easy to do without a crew. I have sold some before and it is worth it, just not this time.

 

[crocket468]

Problem is manpower, you need multiple people to take the coax down so it is reusable, cutting it up for scrap is easy to do without a crew. I have sold some before and it is worth it, just not this time.

Been there, understand 100%. If I was closer I'd be happy to give you a hand. Hate to see good hardline go to waste.

 

[Strouty]

I am pretty sure this stuff is one of the stupid types that requires a fancy crimp tool, eupin or something? Anyways timing is off for sure. Generally I save stuff that comes down when I know how old it is, I know connectors are still available and reasonably priced, otherwise it isn’t worth the time. I do keep connectors, those are easy to store and can be worth money later on when they don’t make them anymore.

 

[jack stand]

I can see how you must have been a little concerned hooking up to that sterling, especially being somewhat "green" with your hitch. Glad that you didn't have any drama coming home, and that's a big crane. What's that going on?

 

[mybigwarwagon]

It'll be a hot fire to burn all that insulation off before scrapping it.

IN most states that is very illegal. Many yards will not take if if it is burned without a statement from a fire department that it came from something that burned down.

 

[Strouty]

The new Crane is going on OMO, the one sitting on the back of it now is Dad’s and he and I don’t see eye to eye on it, so he is going to keep it. I can’t wait to set things up with the new boom, it will reach 48’ and pick about a ton out there.

As for the burning, that is about as good as dumping the used oil in the sewer drains. I am not an environmentalist, but I do not like to burn anything like that.

 

[steaks&anvils]

Great to see your projects coming together!

I don't have a frame of reference for things "truck". So I have had to envision how you are going to use the equipment you buy. Seeing the equipment in real time use is wonderful. It makes really puts everyday things in perspective.

Perk's new tow hitch is cool.

Now, when I see trucks with a boom, I compare it to yours. I am starting to see the uses for your equipment.

FYI, your tower pictures are cool. Even if I do get that queasy fear of heights feeling when you do the boot shots.

 

[harley jim]

It gives me vertigo just thinking about it. I tried to climb a tower once. I got up about 70 feet and could no longer pick my foot up. It was a 100 ft rohn with a police repeater on it. I had to call for backup.

Sent from my SM-A102U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[TwoBytes]

Love the pics from up the tower!

When do we get to see drone pics?

 

[Strouty]

Today I was trying to get things done before it gets dark, tomorrow it is supposed to rain, so maybe Wednesday I will be able to mess with the drone a bit. I really wanted to be ready for Thursday, (may end up getting canceled due to wind), but I am not sure if I will be ready or not. We have a secondary date for the crane on Tuesday the 20th, I am actually hopping for that as it will give me a bit more time to get my $hit together. At least I got the rope rigged that will make things a bit easier to get the tools and safety ropes up the tower. I have to get all the coax cut free at the flanges of the tower as well as the copper ground wire on each leg, then it would be nice to remove some of the old coax brackets that are in the way of climbing the ladder (at least they make it tougher for me). I also need to dismantle the ice bridges at the base of the tower and clear out some of the fence posts to make more room. I really wanted to get the generator out of there, to ensure it doesn't get damaged in any way. If the job gets rescheduled for Tuesday, I will probably get even more done, but right now that would be great considering there is really only one good day left before the crane arrives.

 

[cbacres]

The famous boot in the picture!!!

Nice views there Strouty.

I’d love to be part of taking one of those apart once, but I’d only be good to you 20’ up at the most.

What size crane?

 

[Strouty]

Big....

 

[smalltown]

Strouty a novice question here. Why does it matter if the towed truck steering wheel turns? l was imagining the front end is lifted high enough that the front tires are of the ground. Unless the tires are sitting on some sort of rail as you tow the truck ?

 

[kent_323is]

I had this same question, so I went and looked on the Tru-Hitch website for instructions when hooking up and towing trucks, and it doesn't say anything about having to secure the steering wheel. Looks like the front wheels of the towed truck need to be snugged up to the wheel stops. Once the Tru-hitch is raised, the front wheels of the towed truck shouldn't be contacting the ground.
Here's the website link to the instructions that I read through for reference:
http://www.truhitch.com/howdoestruhitchwork.html

 

[Strouty]

If the wheel isn’t totally tight, things can shift dramatically, but that was not the issue here. I had not run the chains under a brace and that is why it had shifted. I screwed up. Getting better each time though.



Those chains would go under the bars that are contacting the front tires, I went over them. In theory the tires could have hopped up over the bars and caused an issue, in reality the front bumper was also against the stops on the vertical part of the hitch, so it had no where to go.

 

[Strouty]

This is exactly why I have to have the procedure and a checklist setup. The instructions that they have are pretty straightforward, so this was my fault.

 

[xtremek]

No bones broken, no blood shed, no paint swapped, and the mission was completed. Sounds like success. It may not have been pretty, but a win is still a win.

 

[Bighead38]

I saw a semi today that had the same hitch as you. Was all lettered up for a local tow company. Made for a nice compact tow truck compared to the normal size.

 

[Kev442]

Glad the brakes on the towed truck worked correctly. I have seen at least three sets of deep dark black stripes on the interstate lately where the trailer brakes lost air and locked up.

 

[mybigwarwagon]

I saw a semi today that had the same hitch as you. Was all lettered up for a local tow company. Made for a nice compact tow truck compared to the normal size.

There are a couple of companies around me that use them. As long as it isn't an off road recovery they seem to work pretty slick.

 

[Strouty]

Actually these hitches shine for off-road recovery. The military uses them extensively and they don’t do much on road activities.