So, I spent about 13 or so hours in the brick, plowing lots, driveways, and avoiding suicidal deer in the middle of the night that for some reason head right out in front of my truck while I'm driving around. The plow would make deer burgers out of them, I'm sure, but I really don't want to find out.


So, I'm into the plowing thing for about 10 minutes, and I'm backing up, and I stop to look at some dude parked in front of the building I'm plowing. He's an employee, and either he's back stealing from the place, or he's a good Samaritan delivering goods to some needy family in a bad area of town. Either way, I completely forgot about him, cause I smelled something BURNING !

I turn the truck off, and my plow motor is running. Pull the controller off in the cab, and it's still running. pop the hood, and I gots me a FIRE just about going on. Smoke billowing out of the fenderwell. My Plow solenoid is stuck ON !

Well, dumb monkey never put a fuse in there preventing overload, and luckily I was able to pull the battery cable off and stop the plow from turning my truck into a towable junkpile up to Ollie in VT.

Note to self: new solenoid every couple years, and put fuses in there to prevent forest fires.


No idea what that guy was stealing, because I head back home as fast as possible. Luckily there was no damage, other than the solenoid.

Some township guys should be shot. They blasted this guys property (which I have to clear the walkways), and nearly ripped out the telephone service box just behind it. They plowed the snow into his property nearly 6 feet. A foot to the left, and that phone box was toast.

Idiots. I had to hand shovel through that mess at the corner, as the snow blower was too short.

The pile of snow in the middle of the lot is covering a 1.5' deep hole that I will not drive through ever again. Until it's fixed, which most likely will never happen, they live with a pile of snow covering a hole deep enough to swallow a small car..

 

 

 

T-man,
I have a pair of these mounted under the hood near the battery for a quick disconnect incase of any electrical short circuit,



It will easily sever any of my primary cables to prevent a fire,
My system has over 4000 amps combined.

I also carry an assortment split bolts for an emergency cable repair

 

NJTman, I ran a plow('81 Ford LNT9000, 350NTC, 10 speed RoadRanger, tandem axle) that was leased to PennDOT years ago for a the company I worked for out of college. We ran into situations like the one you discussed and the road supervisor in charge told us that anything between the fog line and the telephone poles was not our concern (ie: mailboxes, signs, vehicles, etc.) I never intentionally tried to hit anything, but sometimes it can't be avoided when dealing with the white blanket of death.

But like you said, some folks are idiots and couldn't blow their nose if their brain was made out of dynamite.

 

I've been plow jockeying for more than a decade, and I don't drive up onto peoples lawns to get the snow off the road. You, I , and most jockeys know this rule of thumb. Some, however, do not. If he wiped out that tel com junction, and they could trace it back,to the guy, he's get fired, or put on trash duty. That junction box is critical to local phones, internet, etc, and repair is crazy expensive.. A auto accident happened not far from my house, wiping one out. The crew was there, a week replacing it ( milking it a bit , I'm sure ).

Anyway, I had fun, otherwise, and that's what it's all about...

 

Used it like a truck

 

Well I swapped the newish VR back in today and now it runs at 20 volts! The only diff is that the old one I could make work by wiggling the plug but this one is solid dead.

So I guess I'll throw another VR at it and see if that makes a difference.

Edwin

 

This would be great if I had an extra $259.99 laying around.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...0239_200360239

 

 

At our rental property in Ridgecrest we have several of them growing in the back yard. They're to big for the living room. About 80 feet high I think.

 

During the snow event we just lived through, I was out in the Brick clearing my customers lots and driveways. Stopped home, and wife says.... The trees are all breaking from the snow. She wasn't joking. The long needle pine trees didn't like the heavy , wet snow.

Lots of downed trees all over the place. We got lucky, actually, with minimal damage.

 

I went and got a warranty replacement VR and installed it today. The voltage sits at 14.5 to 14.7 with no spikes. We'll see how long it lasts. If it starts jumping around I guess I can look into the alternator. Maybe it has a short.

The previous VR had a lifetime warranty so I got the same brand again.

Edwin

 

The black crew cab had the front clip removed and the radiator drained last night, to get it ready for the motor pulling party on Monday.
While it is out it will get a few fresh gaskets, a HVLP lift pump and the oil pan will get replaced.

Poncho also got driven into the shop so it is warm and dry for the injection pump pull and reseal, tappet cover gasket, HVLP lift pump install and front axle refresh with new Spicer U-joints. I have a full line up of king pins, wheel bearings, seals ETC on the shelf in case anything looks bad while we are there, that looks like Tuesdays and maybe some of Wednesdays job.

Todays job is a little more prep work on the black crew cab followed by organizing the shop and cleaning it up for the start of my Staycation called, Wrench Week on Monday.

 

You know there is something wrong with us when we take our vacations and spend them working on our trucks.

I'm just as guilty though. I've spent at least one week of my two weeks vacation every year working on my truck. This summer won't be any different either as mine will be getting the roof rust repaired.