E'Nuff Truck

MACK C-85 · 02-07-2011, 09:07 AM

There's an old hunter's adage: "Know your Quarry....Use Enough Gun".

To adapt that to our RV world........."Know your coach...":

"Use Enough Truck......."

I've mentioned my brother-in-law's rig before on here. I finally got a chance to grab some pictures of it while we were camping with him and his family this past weekend (That's our Sunnie in the background in the picture of the back of his truck). Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the rig hitched up, with the golf cart riding side saddle on the truck between the cab and trailer!!!

He has a membership at the private Wilderness Presidential Resorts in Spotsylvania, VA and we went as thier guests. These are normally full service (W/E/S) sites in the summer, however the water was turned off for the winter. We were about 100 yards from a working bathhouse and they did have water available at the dump station, so we were able to flush the tanks out.

Lot's of civil war history in the area, in fact about 50' beyond the woodline behind the trailers is the Chancellorsville Battlefield National Park. Right across from the campground is where Stonewall Jackson was fatally shot.

Yes, this was a very early trip, and not to rub it in on those who are snowbound, but we were trying to get out with them now, as my brother-in-law works as a maintenance supervisor at a nuclear power plant and they are starting thier annual shutdown and he will be working 7 days a week, 12-14 hours days, for the next 6-8 weeks!!

Mack

**Sunline Fan** · 02-07-2011, 10:27 AM

No snow! We're blanketed with about a foot and a half right now!

MACK C-85 · 02-07-2011, 12:02 PM

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No snow! We're blanketed with about a foot and a half right now!

Yeah Jon, What a difference a year makes!! This was us last year, the first week of February. Two storms about 4 days apart over 50" total. These pictures were after the first storm dropped 29" in our front yard!

When we planned this trip on New Years, we left it open in case that happened again, but we got lucky. Temps in the 40's during the day, around 30 at night. Rain held off until we after we got there and set up on Friday. Rained pretty hard over night, then drizzle all day Saturday, very windy for a short while Sat. night, then absolutely beautiful on Sunday.

Mack

Gene · 02-07-2011, 01:29 PM

He doesn't have to worry about the "weight police" from rv.net with that rig.

Bobo · 02-07-2011, 05:19 PM

Mack,

What brand is the chassis and who did the body work ? Sport Chassis ?

Bobo

MACK C-85 · 02-08-2011, 08:31 AM

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What brand is the chassis and who did the body work ? Sport Chassis ?

The chassis is a Volvo. It has a Volvo diesel (16L), semi-auto transmission (i.e. it has a clutch, but it shifts itself) He sounds like the world's best gear jammer, but all he's doing is pushing a button.

I'm not sure who did the body. I beleive it was some where in Texas. I sent him a text to find out, as soon as I hear back I'll post that info.

The sleeper has seats and a small kitchenette in it. They travel very comfortablely with two adults, three teenagers, an older Lab, and a Bloodhound puppy!!!

**Sunline Fan** · 02-09-2011, 10:36 AM

That's a very nice blue in the Cedar Creek...is that a factory color? I can't say I've seen one like it before.

**JohnB** · 02-09-2011, 07:01 PM

Wow Mack. Now that is quite the rig!!! Oddly enough with that big engine he most likely gets better fuel mileage then some of us with big gassers. Like me... I have buddy pulling his big 5er with a coverted semi tractor. Just his has dual rear axles too.... The thing is doing a low idle purr pulling a RV. No strain what so ever.

Thanks for sharing.

John

MACK C-85 · 02-10-2011, 08:46 AM

Quote:

That's a very nice blue in the Cedar Creek...is that a factory color? I can't say I've seen one like it before.

Yes, it is a factory color. It is a very nice looking color scheme on his trailer. He originally had a F350, when he bought the Volvo he coordinated the truck with the trailer colors. Oh, and his golf car is the same color, too!!

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Oddly enough with that big engine he most likely gets better fuel mileage then some of us with big gassers.

John: Saturday afternoon he took it to a place he described as a "Jiffy Lube" for big rigs and had it serviced. Oil changed (55 qts.), filters changed (3 oil, 3 fuel), lubed, etc. I asked him what the cost was, $209. Then I asked him how often he had to service, 25K or as he usually does it, once a year!!! So, not only does he do well on fuel costs, he beats me up on the service costs, too. I get the oil changed in my truck every 4-5K, so that works out to about 5-6 times a year and it costs about $80. Doesn't take a mathmatician to figure out who comes out ahead on that deal!!!

MACK C-85 · 02-14-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

I'm not sure who did the body. I beleive it was some where in Texas. I sent him a text to find out, as soon as I hear back I'll post that info.

The body was custom built by a fab shop in Kilgore, Tx. to my brother-in-laws' basic design. He had found them through contacts with other Volvo owners. They had a lot of experience building these bodies on Volvo chassis. He sent them his ideas and they put together some CAD drawings. They traded drawings back and forth a couple times, and you see the end product.

Mack

MACK C-85 · 05-29-2012, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the rig hitched up, with the golf cart riding side saddle on the truck between the cab and trailer!!!

We were camping together again this weekend and I got a shot of the whole rig:

Note the golf cart riding side saddle behind the cab!!!:

Yes, I know it looks tight, but there is enough room to turn.

Mack

and a P.S. for Jon......there are a lot of Sunlines on permanent sites in Wilderness Presidential Resorts!! I didn't count them, but I would say more than a dozen, unfortunately some of them are in bad shape!! There is one that has been there so long you would have to cut down some 8" -10" diameter trees that have grown in since it was put there.

**Sunline Fan** · 05-29-2012, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACK C-85

and a P.S. for Jon......there are a lot of Sunlines on permanent sites in Wilderness Presidential Resorts!! I didn't count them, but I would say more than a dozen, unfortunately some of them are in bad shape!! There is one that has been there so long you would have to cut down some 8" -10" diameter trees that have grown in since it was put there.

Wow! I'd love to see pics of that campground. I remember seeing an '83 ~33' for sale a number of years ago set up in a campground in Spotsylvania, so that must have been it. I remember trees close to it, but I don't recall whether the trailer was for sale with the site or not.

MACK C-85 · 05-30-2012, 07:54 AM

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Wow! I'd love to see pics of that campground.

It was a little too busy with the holiday weekend to stop and take pictures, but I thought about getting you some shots of the Sunlines. We will be going back down the last two weekends in June, hopefully it won't be so busy and I will try to get some pictures then.

A lot of the lots in the resort are owned outright and a quite a few of these have been allowed to fall into disrepair. The management is working to clean these sites up. Most of the Sunlines are showing their age, but are in pretty good shape compared to some others.

Mack

MACK C-85 · 06-05-2012, 04:54 PM

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Quote:
That's a very nice blue in the Cedar Creek...is that a factory color? I can't say I've seen one like it before.
Yes, it is a factory color. It is a very nice looking color scheme on his trailer. He originally had a F350, when he bought the Volvo he coordinated the truck with the trailer colors. Oh, and his golf car is the same color, too!!

My bad, the trailer was custom painted with Ford Indigo Blue to match his original F350 TV.

Volvo and Golf Car were then painted to match the trailer.