# Carey, I Thought Of You Today...



## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

I'm posting here because I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them...

I took the OB to the dealer this AM for the fridge recall work, and when I got there and pulled up by the shop, one of the techs came out and asked me if I was delivering a new unit!

Made me chuckle, though. I guess I wasn't as obviously clueless as I thought - it's the first time I've taken the OB anywhere by myself, other than around the block yesterday on a practice run!

I think it's the white Dodge Ram I'm pulling with...

Lynne


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Wow! Big Honking Truck or not, that was a nice compliment









It hasn't happened to me yet, cause I haven't had the need or the nerve to haul our Roo anywhere by myself, except on the open highway


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

skippershe said:


> Wow! Big Honking Truck or not, that was a nice compliment
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Your roooooo is a good chunk longer than the 26RS, can't blame you for sticking to the straight roads! Need is the key thing - if you had to, you'd be able to.

It was probably because I pulled up right next to the shop - he didn't know that I'd already seen another tech down below who sent me up there.







I still thought it was pretty cool, though.

And, more good news - ya gotta love great neighbors! Our neighbor has a harley hauler and a big honkin boat, and just got the F250 V10 Harley edition to pull them with, so I know he knows how to drive in reverse... So, since John is going to be forever late getting home and I didn't want to have to deal with cars coming down the street as I was trying to back in, I asked him to help me get the OB back into the driveway.

We're directly across the street from a cul-de-sac and if we pull in there it's a pretty straight shot uphill into the driveway. I figured if I got all hung up, Gus could back it in for me, so it didn't hurt to try... He watched to make sure I wasn't going to hit anything, but stayed where I could see him in the mirrors and just let me figure it out myself. So, hooray, it's now backed in, and off the truck, and ready to pack for the next trip! Whee!

This is all good practice for this weekend; the kids and I are heading to the CG on Friday and John will be arriving later, so I'll be on my own for setup. Now I KNOW I can do everything I need to do to get into a back-in site, if for some reason they don't give me the pull-thru I asked for... I wasn't actually worried about it but didn't want to have to figure it out on the fly at the CG. I'm usually the ground guide, so I'm used to thinking how to back it from behind it, not in front of it...


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

lol.... Reason is prolly 25% of all transporters use the exact same truck you have.. There is a guy here with that exact truck, same color and year.. It has 574,000 miles last time I seen him.. 2 weeks ago.

547,000 in 3 years... Yes he is single.. lol No wifey would put up with that.

He just replaced the original injectors a month ago. Amazing... He has it all modded up and gets 28mpg average empty. Said he will never get rid of that truck.

Most dealers are anxious to get trailers.. The rig you have can confuse em easy!

Left my house in Colorado at 4pm yesterday... Just pulled into Elkhart tonight...

Will see where I'm goin next in the morn.. I'd like to do a noreaster, but never can pass up a west coast trip.

Carey

ps if you get good at towing you'd fit right in... There are lots of ladies doing this anymore...


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> lol.... Reason is prolly 25% of all transporters use the exact same truck you have.. There is a guy here with that exact truck, same color and year.. It has 574,000 miles last time I seen him.. 2 weeks ago.
> 
> 547,000 in 3 years... Yes he is single.. lol No wifey would put up with that.
> 
> ...


I think I'd really enjoy the transport job, but with three kids at home, it's not something I'd be able to do for a while.

The BHT isn't a dually, thought most transporters used those?

That's crazy miles on that guy's truck! We've got only about 20K on ours, so it's nice to know we should be able to run it for a good long time.

Have a great trip - holler if you get over toward the DC area, the weather is getting nice and comfortable.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

If you dont have a CDL liscence, having a dually does no good. The max weight you can tow commercially is about 15000lbs GVWR, but weigh around 12,000lbs physically. They take the GVWR of the truck and the GVWR of the trailer, add them together and then those two may not go over 26,000lbs. Without a CDL they take the gross weight rating of the 2 vehicles. With a CDL they use actual weight..

So they just use a single tire 1 ton. Some even use single tire 3/4 tons. Some use a dually for stability and piece of mind. Many use single tires to make em more money.. But us guys with CDL's cant tow the heavy ones with a single tire, because we go over tire ratings, so we have to use duallies..

The bigger units weigh a real 15000lbs, but they have GVWR's up to around 20,000lbs.

My truck weighs 10,000 empty, so I can pull a trailer weighing a real 16,000lbs. So I'm able to pull all but the biggest trailers.

This is very confusing, i know... We also have to have over width permits for most states. Many Rv's have awnings on both sides, which makes em 9 feet wide.

The DOT classifies an RV in transit as an empty commercial vehicle.. If its over 102 inches wide its over width..

The DOT does not allow a person to sleep in a commercial vehicle unless it has a DOT approved sleeper. So even though an RV has a queen/king bed, its illegal to sleep in one because the sleeping area is not approved by the DOT..

They enforce all these laws at each port of entry in each state.

So to be honest pulling trailers is just a big game of cat and mouse with the DOT.. If one doesnt have commercial hauling experience, they end up being fined over and over because they either self incriminate or log there time off wrong.. Or log incorrectly.

When approched by these guys one has to be careful what is said.. I have had one single word cost me 3-400 bucks in fines.. If you cover your butt, they rarely can fine you. But when telling the exact truth, you get fined 100's of dollars..

This all comes down to where you sleep.. I sleep in my truck, which is illegal, so I have to have proof, or have a good story where I sleep.

Like I said a big game.. Hauling RV's falls into the gray area of law of the DOT in the US. They have no laws concerning us eaxactly, so they try to use semi trucking laws and some of those cant be applied because of our light weight..

Its a real mess!

Still very fun, and beat semi trucking.

Still dont know where Im going till this afternoon... Its pretty slow this week... With all the bad news out there I understand..

Carey


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## jcat67 (Aug 8, 2008)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> If you dont have a CDL liscence, having a dually does no good. The max weight you can tow commercially is about 15000lbs GVWR, but weigh around 12,000lbs physically. They take the GVWR of the truck and the GVWR of the trailer, add them together and then those two may not go over 26,000lbs. Without a CDL they take the gross weight rating of the 2 vehicles. With a CDL they use actual weight..
> 
> So they just use a single tire 1 ton. Some even use single tire 3/4 tons. Some use a dually for stability and piece of mind. Many use single tires to make em more money.. But us guys with CDL's cant tow the heavy ones with a single tire, because we go over tire ratings, so we have to use duallies..
> 
> ...


What is your range? Adjacent states or all over. Just curious.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Range? Dont understand. But if your talking about being busy or where I go, I love the long trips. I love running way up near Alaska the most. Today we have had 10 trailers come in.. I'm about number 8 on the list of about 12. They should be getting in another batch later this afternoon. So' if I pass on this bunch, I'm gambling on the next batch.. Or can wait till the morn and be No.1 on the list.. By getting a 2000 mile run today, I can deliver that on Friday. But tomorrow I lose 700 miles to still deliver on Friday, have to pick a 12=1400 miler.

This is the slowest week Ive seen here.. We have been getting 25-30 a day all summer. and that was down from around 50-75 a day in peak season.. January to June. 
This time of year it normally gets slower, but this year is the worst seen to date for this yard. Our company laid off all the slackers, so that has helped.

As far as where I go, I'm not picky, but love running the pacific northwest , BC and Alberta.. Those are my faves.

So right now its a gamble to take what you get or wait on that perfect run.. More fun and games.

Carey


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## jcat67 (Aug 8, 2008)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> Range? Dont understand. But if your talking about being busy or where I go, I love the long trips. I love running way up near Alaska the most. Today we have had 10 trailers come in.. I'm about number 8 on the list of about 12. They should be getting in another batch later this afternoon. So' if I pass on this bunch, I'm gambling on the next batch.. Or can wait till the morn and be No.1 on the list.. By getting a 2000 mile run today, I can deliver that on Friday. But tomorrow I lose 700 miles to still deliver on Friday, have to pick a 12=1400 miler.
> 
> This is the slowest week Ive seen here.. We have been getting 25-30 a day all summer. and that was down from around 50-75 a day in peak season.. January to June.
> This time of year it normally gets slower, but this year is the worst seen to date for this yard. Our company laid off all the slackers, so that has helped.
> ...


You got it. I was just curious how far your trips took you, but it seems like it could be almost anywhere. I'm surprised you have time...or desire to pull your own when you aren't pulling someone elses.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Ive been in all 48 states as a truck driver, but this job has took me to prolly 35 states and the 3 westrn provs of canada in 6 months. Dont keep track anymore, as they all kinda blend together, lol I know I have to turn around when I hit the west coast.. I'm bummed lots of times, cause I was just getting into the trip, then run out of land.

Well this year has been tough for personal camping.. We bought our Roo in late 06 and camped alot that fall and lots last year.. Then I lost my perfect local truck driving job of 10 years. Got laid off, we lost our contract..

I new by spring I had to go back to living on the road, because our local economy was going bad and cement was dead.. I hauled dry cement powder.. I've been a truck driver and a auto body painter my whole life... Body shops have gotten terribly slow too since less people are driving, so fewer wrecks.

I met my wife of 17 years as an over the road truck driver who only got home about 3-4 days a month.. So both the wife and I have dealt with being gone and how it destroys relationships.. We knew it would be a new challenge for us..

I didnt want to go back to getting home 3 days a month so the wife and I decided on doing this. In 6 months I have taken a month off all together so this is much better.

I look at pulling RV's as a job just like pulling a semi trailer...

I'm locked out of new RV's.. The mfr's have seals on the doors, so pulling one doesnt mean much as far as like a vacation.

So this year I went camping for about 4-5 days in July and one night last week... Bad year for camping..

I leave this rattle trap diesel at home and love pulling my Roo with my hemi 1/2 ton dodge.. Love that cushy truck! Just love driving that truck empty too, what a hot rod!

So by not have to drive this big heavy dually, and getting into a different truck, It feels all new. As long as I dont have to listen to a diesel it makes it feel like a vacation.. lol

September is a great month for dirtbiking and camping in Colorado... Bummed out I'm missing out.

I will prolly do this a long time but am planning on taking a few months off a year next year after I get some bills paid off.

There is my life story, lol

Carey


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

jcat67,

Carey posted the trials and tribulations of his first few trips here on the forum - you can read it here (very interesting reading it is, too!):

http://www.outbackers.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21132

Carey,

Thanks for the info - I remembered your comments about the dot and whatnot, and playing wordgames with the staties at the borders. I didn't realize that transporters don't have to have CDL - I would have thought that if you were a commercial transporter, that would require the CDL.

Hope you get some camping in before the weather gets icky - and that you get a good trip today!

Lynne


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Thanks Lynne.. Sorry I kinda got off subject.. I'm kinda bad for that.. I start typing and my fingers get out of control, lol

I'll let ya all know where I go.. This late in the week, I wont be back on outbackers till I get the trailer off my back. I'll be jammin out miles.

Carey


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## Tyvekcat (Aug 28, 2007)

'Transporter' that was a pretty good movie


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## jcat67 (Aug 8, 2008)

Lynne in MD said:


> jcat67,
> 
> Carey posted the trials and tribulations of his first few trips here on the forum - you can read it here (very interesting reading it is, too!):
> 
> ...


Thanks Lynne,

Always interesting to read about everyone. It feels like you know folks you've never met....but would like to.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

They have a bunch coming in the morn, so I decided to wait.. The dispather said several Canada's and several southwest/west including Colorado.. Today they were all southeast and Texas.. Hoping to get one to Seattle area.. I'd like to spend some of the weekend with my daughter and grand daughter..

Carey


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Sorry Lynne I didnt get back with ya..

Got one to Durango, Co.. 34 foot big horn 5er.

Sitting at 8200 feet tonight. South Fork, Co. Im right at the east side of Wolf Creek Pass. Almost hit a huge elk at sun down crossing La Veta pass tonight... Missed him by a foot. His belly was as tall as my hood... He would have come right thru my windshield if I had hit him... I thanked God on that one...

Bet it goes into the 20's tonight... I am fishing out my goose down comforter... That keeps me pretty warm.

Have about 100 miles to go to get this big boy off my back... Decided to not run over wolf creek till morn.. I hit 3 elk on this pass last fall and done 24k damage to my semi... Kinda gun-shy now... Its much safer with a lil sunshine..

Carey


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

Thanks for the update - and good for you to get one that will take you more-or-less back home ~

The elk sound gorgeous. Not good for the truck







, but great to look at.

Safe Travels!


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

The elk was awesome..Had a Huge rack... He was smart.. The young ones are more stupid and stubborn... No matter what they are crossing the road... The old ones have some patience it seems.

Im sittin at home.. I already got a dispatch, 36 foot Forest River Cardinal 5er to Rialto, California for the next one.. So I will leave this weekend and head for Indy and grab that one monday.. Will be back at home next weekend.. Prolly be home next friday..

Wish I could have gotten ya a pic of that elk... Majestic is a good word for him!

Carey


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