1996 GMC 5-speed

[Barry Donovan]

floods and plague and unnecessary death

---

same old biblical stuff for maine..
but the whole world is getting some.
Yay!

dad called me said he just went by 12 car pile up, a rig in the ditch, and some people pulling a body out of a pickup.
of course that does not make the local news. it has a 10 dead minimum I guess.


my neighbor is parked in the lake i moved my truck from.
my photo skills lately are dull..but it is about 6 inches.

anyway, flew down the road, wanted the free annual ice cold and clean truck wash.
raining heavy, huge splashes up and over the cab and 30 feet sideways...trucking right along, never have been this confident at this time of year. the overlap of frost heaves, arctic, rain ice and snow.

a glance in my rear view mirror, and a young puppies truck, 2008 or so (very new to me) goes sailing by.. I kindly move over deeper into a rut splashing a river out off the road for anything smaller to appreciate anonymously passing through it later on.

my age is catching up to me.
telling anyone I was doing 70 in this 30 years ago would be...damn that is a nice truck., its got some nice weight to it.
I am still impressed right now in fact.

it was this weather here, flu season the norm...
we almost packed backup and went back to massachussetts...our very first winter in 1987.
a most peculiar outcome. I have been homeless here, starving..enlisted just for the joy of war time, still easier than here.. worked to death imminent disabled, and am the last survivor ..in the same place that nearly broke our minds and bodies from day one 33 years ago.

it is to boast about if I could, but too grateful instead.
thanking something almighty above us for the lottery without money like win every morning I wake up.

national emergency?
nah.

I am currently (have been for quite some time) googling around for potential new addresses...much south of here.
a 12 hour ride has me in virginia anyway.
this masochist playground and my tales can remain silent as i meander to a better place.

I hope this old truck is the transportation that does it.
just rolled the odometer to 380k miles the other day.

the most shameful thing about getting old... realizing your own odds.

[Deaf Bob]

Rut riding brother! Tail gate? Move into rut and spray away.

[DanStokes]

I LOVE living here! An occasional hurricane but nothing major.....

Dan

[Barry Donovan]

Rut riding brother! Tail gate? Move into rut and spray away.

yep, it was the only way.

DIY a/c still alive!

---

I am posting as the air conditioning chore was significant to me.
I decided to tackle this 2 pound 13 ounces of fluid shaker myself a few years ago

I had doubts it would even work even after the new pump.
A/C condensor looks like a deer bent it, and never leaked. old petrified connections, very very hardened...
this place and its 24 below to 130F pavement just like everyone else int he summer. I would have to cut stuff out and start over.. don't even bother trying to unbolt them.

anyway.. decided to kick it on, and assumed it wasn't working. the pump got so very quiet starting last summer...I wouldnot know if it was on anyway.
I popped the hood and sure enough it was on.
this time of year it will kick off to thermal before over pressure, and ice cold air climbed through the vents.

very proud to tackle this.
I did do something very precise last fill..last April or so.
I let no chance for any leak between cans on the full pull.

that may be all it took to get a nice seal.

the r134 got through the shrinker winter and started on its own.. just like a new factory setup.

moving on..
I have been looking at a camper setup with 5th wheel, as they are strangely cheap here local. Might be lack of movement on rougher roads.. they only have a up and down, no side to side twist without squishy suspension. my half ton is good for that..

will see how things go in coming weeks.
for less than 500..may have a camper on 5th wheel..on my progressive hellwig helpers and frame welds.

all else is good. May just take it into inspection without new hangers one more time..

[Barry Donovan]

high miles and a plague

---

my truck is not the plague..believe it or not.

I ramble on sometimes..its long winter.

it got though another one. so tempting to go for extras like wheels that shred bearings and break axles and frames and shocks

but no.

I'll mosy on to 400k i think.. as factory.


there is a start and stall..in between full warm and cold.
the only time I remember encountering this in previous vehicles was vapor canister related and strange material in a run of fuel line. I have lost count how easy that mistake is to do. so much crap claiming modern fuel injection.. for some decades now.


so with tank removed this summer, I am finishing off my 12000 pound half ton frame and will add some more metal in to the place I think the iffy material of line is...
while still allowing the tank drop with lines connected.
other than that.. truck does not need much. I may go for the exacting LMC inner floor pan, just for design.. I'd much rather make my own 10000 times stronger, but hey.

hope all is well for everyone.

my music tastes are still wandering.

this one is a love song with words inspired by some famous persian poet

I hear a cartoon horse beat and some french.
easy to hum along to.

[Barry Donovan]

outrunning a plague

---

I keep a dash cam, realized the roads have never been this empty.
i'll add this to my jounalism folder

on a holiday too.

happy easter.

I am not driving fast its a time lapse.

3 hrs 41 minutes for 170 miles...taking my time.

I did stop for an hour.. that means my average speed was....
well, good enough


truck still needs nothing, drives awesome.

looking forward to some may chores. I can do exhaust repair (I smashed an ice pile with tail pipe, but still together)
and thrash some new hangers in the back..

close to 381k miles after this trip.
excellent on fluids, everything works.

[Dan Barlow]

My lifted 94 has 326000 on it . 35s . They'll keep going , they just take a whole lot me hubs / bearings .

[Barry Donovan]

My lifted 94 has 326000 on it . 35s . They'll keep going , they just take a whole lot me hubs / bearings .

yep. that is why I opted to stay on load range E.. very highway looking. in fact they are called "road venture".. just all season.
my locale loves the big treads, but.. I don't stay in the play pen.


my ebay patience at it again.


got this for 15 bucks.
going to get another one eventually.

I also swapped out an IAC for giggles, that wa sonly 6 bucks.
the ECM learning curve is painfully slow.. but getting there.


here is a pic of my old one.
it was very sloppy.

my error was around 10 below and in between full warm and cold. this IAC would snap to life to allow an idle.

don't need snapping.
looking forward to welding.

this is the summer that knocks it into tonnage unknown...with confidence.
it is already keeping tires to no wear at all. my intuition of what to make stronger in stages has paid off very nicely.

the only thing left for this old truck is the old floating ball steering.. and I grew up with that design anyway.
sporty enough on the 12 foot wheelbase anyway.

[Barry Donovan]

truck camper

---

elusive thing to find..
within 500 miles of my address is clear to new york city.

that is a lot of people in 500 miles of my town


no worthwhile truck campers on facebook.
maine craigslist? there is none at all advertised.
they are either so popular no one sells or I am in a lone quest for doing something so rare no one has one.


so, the one that is in my neighborhood is looking tempting.
I am setup for this reward.. I should say the old half ton is.
Chatting in the chevy group, more than one said it was nothing to slap one of them in the back

I am looking at a 1988, slide in camper.. 1500-2000 pounds
with my list of chores on the back end.. I can agree, this would be easy going.

that time i moved all my neighbors stuff in one packing.. I'd swear that old 305 just gets bigger to weight like a dump truck.
we laughed at the thought of over 1 ton in the back that day. a whole aprtment carefully stacked up over the height of the cab


stay tuned...


and this is my photo for today.. some snow on May 9

[Barry Donovan]

welded camper

---

I found this local in facebook


I found someone who called these "stubbys"

good nickname.

This would compliment a welded half ton

the reese ball has more degrees of articulation. you could 2 wheel in a side wind and watch it thrash back there.
go offraod a bit deeper.

comes with slider bed mount and ball etc.
my only daydream, is changing to 6 lug hub for wheels that are on my truck. one spare can go to 6 places.

maybe home made air ride on the trailer, long travel.

I cannot find the old video where the goal was to baja one of these campers. the fifth wheel (ball version) went the furthest,...but all the bodies and framing of campers are weak. I loved the thought of it and the effort.
the video was also single axle like in this photo.

[DanStokes]

So is it now yours?

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Good find.. From what I understand you have a goose neck.. (ball) if it was mini truck type then they call them 5th wheel.. I may be in error tho..

[Barry Donovan]

did not get the camper, just browsing.

I am still finishing steel details..and then found an nv4500 truck, 3/4 ton..big frame and axles with SBC bellhousing all by factory.

Now that deal there, I am trying to work something out.
I may have another truck.

my dad was interested, as he want a plow. Might make a deal with him cut cost of purchase by splitting it or something.


the plasma cutter I got last fall finished my chore I started with ease...
I converted the old crusty hangers finally to being all bolted..in through the new welded steel.
this is ready to be more than half ton as is.. I have new hangers ready install with much less work. My only worry left now is friction welded old hangers.
at the mileage this truck has, it seems very likely.
as you might guess I bashed the hell out of the old ones, and they did not fail

will find out how easy they swap in coming days and weeks

[Barry Donovan]

erl change

---

last one was october or november
now at 381, 235 miles
went to o'reillys orono maine.
they were paving the driveway.
I didn't come out of the woods to find a do not enter ribbon surrounding their parking lot.
I stepped over and walked my way to the front door, pebbles sticking to my 400F degree sandals of hot fresh pavement.

got my 10w30 mobil1 and some body repair stuff. Fantastic filler, some sanding stuff and some cheap paint.

filter was stuck at the base.. but the billet can be taken apart. I went with the other option of taking apart. 90F in the air.. the pavement was roasting.
no filter wrench.
I'll get it next round, it will be cooler.

magnet and filter looked good. thinking of the last 7 months, it was a low of -26.5 and todays high of 92.5
cruise set to 90 on the pandemic highway more than once.
a round trip to saco from my woods.

A neighbor came by, as I was working at the chores.
he is 18 or so.He thought I did not drive the truck much and I laughed.
I can't remember being 18 all that much.. but encountering a vehicle older than me still on the main road with no complaints was non-existent.
I do remember that much.

these trucks are amazing to me.

did some quick body work.. i am terrible at it. I'll stick to welding steel.

targetted the bed today. did some hammering on the cab corner..still doing well after 5 years. I bought the truck with this one repaired already.
just needing its first round my way.


passenger side is all done. it needs body mans eyeball.. I am simply terrible with finales.


both sides on the rockers are all done.. those are stainless steel welded custom.
checked cab mounts etc, it is a tough old truck. Still full gauge . the back end was the lightning monster on this one.

my high end camera does not seem right.. not sure what to do with it.
looks better I guess..with the blur. my camera has beer goggles.


another summer coming through.
the cold a/c needs nothing this year.

[Barry Donovan]

There is nothing you keep, there is only your reflection

---

heard that in this song.

I encountered a bear the other day. Howland road, lagrange
about 100 feet from the truck.
I simply walked past the gate of the logging trail
I was expecting to sit in the broken paved area that loaded trucks to the gills decades ago.
they must have needed the hard ground to gain the 60 tons on wheels.

I like that spot for the sun..its warmer than its surroundings.
I guess bears do too.

I ran like hell, because it appeared stupored, tongue hanging..hairs raised as it looked right at me with human looking brown eyes.
around 200#..as big as they get here.

the eyes gets me the most.

my eyes are the same color.



I figured later it was drunk from winter, being 90 degrees 2 weeks after snow does not change the longer scale of time.
like the globs of fur i saw rudely sticking to a coyote today that crossed the highway in a walk, much like the bear did when I paused from my a panic run away to listen.
must be on fire under the stubborn coat

It is tough to be an animal here.
it is tough to be human.
I went by hoping to see a closer look of the coyote on the dash cam.. but my junk isn't good enough.

the overdrive has a double howl today with a hint of rear diff.. the layer of lube its only survival.
my hand on the shifter tells me the heat is going to get some more cold before the real summer.
unsettled, a wavelength that comes through.



this happens to the mechanically inclined after a couple or 3 decades or more
the machines become the tattle tale of future..
if it idles as slow as a heart beat that is.
the high strung rabbits and chipmunks would chase each other around to death first...like the little dog that barks at nothing.

you know, if you are the king of your domain, there is not so much noise.

the windshield took 3 tries to clean off november slime now slammed with bug guts of May.

but i could see clearly in the air conditioning ..staying cool.

I am still looking for another gmt400.. big rails and nv4500 trans on the SBC
I missed out again on the local one.

on a different note. I got my #3 value meal at the fast food in orono.
a cherished cheeseburger, with onion rings and cheese and fries...large sprite.
I went to turn to my parking spot in the family dollar area, shade under the trees on the edge of the lot.
There was a small group of young black friends in their cars. they seemed happy... a simple meeting spot.
it is a college town.

I am grateful maine is a safe place.. I am only miles into the woods, not an eternity.
miles away from diversity that does not need to suffer...wth every color our nation has, on the edge of the old school path that took a long time to make this place.