Our truck was a Knight Transportation 1998 Class 8 Volvo VNL 610, 350-400 HP Cummins M11 + power. Rockwell 10 speed transmission. It can carry 225 gallons diesel fuel capacity, has three batteries, 445,000 miles when purchased from Bennett’s Trucks in Salt Lake City. We got it on April 14, 2002. These OTR trucks are retired around half a million miles. Cost around $25K to $50K depend of the condition, mileage and model year. The web site Truckpaper.com list many class 8 truck for sale.

The advantage using the Class 8 truck as a 5th wheel puller; are mentioned in many members in the Escapees HDT forum. For us, it is the value and safety of these truck can provide. It will out last all other class of truck for RV use. Our truck actually weight more than our trailer, thus provide tremendous control towing and stopping situation. At this time of writing, the truck weight 22K pounds and the trailer weight 20K pounds. It is a great weight ratio between the two on the interstate.

We build our truck bed in 2003 Christmas with the help of our friend Todd Brandon in 144 hours. Cost $2K of metal and another $3K of tools. Padraic get to learn how to work with metal and automotive finish. The bed build is only the 1st phase. The next phase is to complete the storage / RV section behind the sleeper cab. We are planning to start the 2nd phase in the summer of 2005. We are glad to have the 2nd phase delay to 2005 due to inexperience of RV full timing. We often don’t really know what we need until we started our life on wheel in 2004.

We have driven 6000 plus miles since we got on the road, our mileage is 9 miles per gallon. Beside two oil changes, new antifreeze and all new tires; the heater water leak fixed by Padraic are the only expense we have in the last 3 years of ownership. Although there are other nice to have items like new seats, carpet and cabinets.