Driving the truck
General Information
The truck is built on a 2001 Freightliner
commercial
chassis,
with a diesel engine and a separate diesel generator. It weighs
more
than 17,000 pounds (16,740 lbs empty). It is 12 feet high, and 10
feet wide at the mirrors. It has an automatic transmission. As
with
any heavy duty vehicle, it does not stop, corner, or accelerate like a
car. Allow extra space and time to stop or perform any kind of
maneuver,
do not tailgate. Use the side mirrors to observe what is going on
beside you and behind you. Be aware that you may have a blind
spot
in the mirrors for vehicles next to the truck. Unlike many large
vehicles, the front wheels can turn very sharply, making the vehicle
more
manouverable, but also increasing the opportunity for the rear of the
truck
to swing in the opposite direction and hit something. The long
rear
overhang also increases the swing of the rear of the truck while making
sharp turns.
Transmission and Mountain Driving
The transmission is similar to an automobile
automatic transmission.
PB is the parking brake, R is reverse, N is Neutral, D is drive.
D3 and D1 keep the transmission in a lower gear for going down steep
hills,
such as are found in the mountains. If the vehicle is
accelerating
downhill, or if you see a sign warning of a steep downgrade, slow down
and downshift from D to D3, or from D3 to D1. It is always better
and safer to start down a steep hill in a lower gear and then shift up
later, than to start in a higher gear and have to use the brakes hard
and
downshift. On steep mountain roads, the truck will
accelerate down the hill even in D1, and then shift to second gear
around 20 mph. The engine braking is somewhat limited; If
you have to use the brakes quite a bit, pull over and stop every few
minutes to check the brakes and to let them cool down.
When parking the unit, stop the unit, set the
transmission
in PB, and then apply the parking brake by pulling on the yellow
handle.
The parking brake can only be applied or taken off when the engine is
running.
Starting the truck engine
Turn the ignition key to "On", wait for the
lights
on the dash above the key to go out, and then turn the key to
"start".
This could take a little time in cold weather to heat the glow
plugs.
After starting the engine, you should have oil pressure in 15
seconds;
if not, shut down the engine and report the problem
|
View of dashboard from right side
showing generator control
Left side of dash showing light controls & CD
player
|
Checking the oil and tire pressure
The recommended tire
pressure
is 80 psi cold. The engine and transmission oil can be checked
with
long dipticks located at the front of the engine compartment. The
engine dipstick is on the left side, under the yellow oil filler.
The transmission dipstick is on the right side, with a brown
handle. These are awkward to use, and it is not necessary to
check the dipsticks during single day type events.
With dual rear wheels, one tire can be flat without
it being obvious from visual inspection. The old trucker tip is
to "thump" both tires with a stick or bar or whatever is handy.
If the tires make about the same sound, then the tires are probably
OK. If one tire makes a "dead" sound, then it is probably flat.
The engine compartment hood can be opened with a
hard
pull to the hood release on the dashboard. There is a secondary
catch
on the right side of the hood to open the hood.
Fueling the vehicle
The unit uses Diesel fuel. The tank filler is on
the
left side. The tank holds about 54 gallons of diesel. The
truck motor and the generator draw fuel out of the
same tank. For safety, before filling the tank, turn off the
propane,
be sure the pilot lights are out, turn off the generator, and turn off
the truck engine. The low fuel light will start to blink after
burning
only about 20 gallons from the tank, when the gauge reads about 1/4
tank, so the truck should run a long way after the tank reads empty.
Gauges on dash
The voltmeter should normally read about 14 volts when
the
engine is running. The oil pressure when hot should be around 10
psi at idle, and 30 psi at highway speeds. The engine temperature
when warm should be 180 to 200 degrees F. Check the gauges
periodically
when driving.
Miscelaneous
The unit has two horns. The normal horn is
operated
by pushing on the center of the steering wheel. The silver button
on the left side of the dash plays a tune.
The heater is controlled by three black knobs on the
lower
left of the dash. One knob rotates to control the fan, the other
two pull out for heat or defrost. The air conditioner has a
toggle
switch on the left side of the dash, and then controls on the air
conditioner
unit in the center of the dash.
Seating, doors, and the cab
The truck has seating for two people, the driver and
one
other person. Do not carry additional passengers. The
right seat tilts forward for ease of access, with a release lever near
the floor.
The truck has a right front door for normal
use.
The kitchen has a rear door with an automatic step. The left
front
door is for emergency exit only, and cannot be opened from the outside.
To prevent the entry of insects, and to keep the cab
free
of grease, keep the doors closed, including the back door, the door
between
the kitchen and the cab, and the right front door.
Vehicle Accessories
Vehicle accessories, such as jumper cables and emergency
triangular markers, are found in the outside compartment under the
driver side window.
|
|
Towing and Maintenance
The vehicle should only be towed with the rear wheels
in
the air, or after the driveshaft is disconnected, to avoid transmission
damage. If the unit needs to be towed with the parking
brake
on, perhaps because the engine will not start to permit the parking
brake
to be released, it will need to be towed with the rear wheels off the
ground.
Repairs to the "truck" part of the vehicle (rather
than
the kitchen part of the vehicle) should be made at Transwest Trucks,
the
Denver Freightliner dealer, 7626 Brighton Rd, near I-76 and highway 85,
where we have an account.
Vehicle engine oil changes should be made every 6000
miles,
every 6 months, or every 500 hours, whichever comes first.
The generator oil should be changed every 250 hours or every 6 months,
whichever comes first.
Return to table of contents
RAF 5/31/08