At work Friday I was roped into "helping" our other mechanic get a trailer and bobcat for a customer. We had our 16' or 18' 14K trailer and an 863 Bobcat. Brought the trailer over and had the guy back his 1 ton Chev up to it. He gets out, I lower it down on the ball. The other mech starts to drive the bobcat onto the trailer. Bang!! The tongue comes off the ball, find out the locking mechanism is screwed. Intall a new tongue, 2nd mechanic that I was helping goes home?? Get the trailer hooked back up to the truck, load the bobcat, guy stands there watching as I have to tie down his load, hook up his trailer?? I'm thinking I really don't want to be responsible for his load, mainly cause I don't know what kind of driver he is.

Anyhow, after it's all hooked up guy says something about 8.1L, fairly proud of the fact. I smiled and said yeah, I could tell. Then he says, "I don't care what it is, Powerstroke, Cummins, I'll always get them on the hills". Then he said, "but it sure likes gas". Exactly what I was thinking. So I told him I have a Cummins and my gross weight coming back from Georgia was just shy of 18,000#'s and it did great up Mt. Eagle mountain and got somewhere between 16 and 17 miles per gallon to boot. Then I told him unloaded I can get up to 23mpg!! He did'nt seem to say to much after that. I thought it was funny though. He said he owned a 20 something foot fiver or maybe 30 something, can't recall that part.

People come to rent these trailers in their Fords and Chevy's and have no adapters for their big 7 way connector. Then they ask, do you have an adapters? I won't loan you one if that's what you mean? Told one of the guys on the counter we needed to stock them on the shelf to sell to rental customers. Can't rent one with the trailer cause they'll never come back, so it's best to sell them one. So he left, no trailer brakes and a good size bobcat and trailer in tow. Told him I sure would not like towing that with no lights and brakes, that's a good load.

 

Years ago a guy was at the pump next to me at a gas station in Montana. He asked me if my truck had a Hemi in it. I said no, it's a Cummins Diesel. Then he said, "those are ok, I'll bet that Hemi is a pretty expensive option, huh?" I just laughed and walked away...

 

Yesterday some guy with a Big Horn Ram 1500 (no Hemi) told me I really had my Hemi turned up...

Yes, he did.

 

I liked my Hemi ok in my 1500, pretty peppy. You could feel a load behind it but it wasn't bad, I over loaded it too many times and bought my 2500!

I also like the 8.1 but they hold their value too much for a used gasser IMO... But it's hard to beat a chevy big block when looking gas.

 

I've come to the conclusion most people don't know jack about cars/trucks, they just buy whatever looks cool. And since they spent 10's of thousands of dollars its obvious the best thing you could possibly buy.

 

The best thing I like is when someone says "yeah i got a mustang and its fast" and im like is it a 6 cylinder or 8 and there like i dk but its fast. Come to find out its a 6 and god knows a v8 is faster lol or women who go buy new cars and i guess in some instances men and you ask them what kind of motor it has and there clueless. I mean in my opinion the cummins diesel is a pretty big option power wise and money wise or any engine option for that matter how could you not know the difference

 

In 1997 a friend of mine bought a brand new F350 crew-cab 4x4. I asked it was a turbo diesel (I didn't know what a Power Stroke was, even though it said it on the fender). He didn't know what he bought! He opened the hood, and there was a turbo on the motor. It shocked him! hahaha

 

In that case if it were mine it would be pretty awesome

 

Ok, mistaking a Cummins for a Hemi?? Wow, some real car/truck enthusiasts there huh?

I had a hard time keeping my mouth shut when he was going on about how nothing could touch him....."especially on the hills" his exact words, Cummins, Powerstroke, did not matter. I'm thinking he said he was pulling a 32 footer, for some reason that rings a bell.

It was a customer and I really don't strike up many conversations, just get the job done and go back to my work, but he brought up the 8.1 thing and how great it was, and it maybe.....but not with gas at 3.09/gallon. So that's why I brought up the fuel mileage, figured that would put an end to that conversation, worked out pretty well too!!!

 

The classic moment is when the Chevy/Ford guys tell you their diesel is more powerful because its a V8.

 

I have people ask me all the time if my 2000 360 V8 has a Hemi in it. I got tired of explaining that the Hemi didnt come out until 03 in the new body style and now just say no and walk away.

I love when people are bragging about whatever vehicle they have you tell them that your little 6 cylinder will drag them all over the place. A lot of people dont know the Cummins is a 6 cylinder.

 

Yeah, I tell the hippies at work when they comment on my "big gas hog truck" that I "downgraded to a 6 cyl diesel to help mother earth".

 

I tell people that I have a turbo in my truck. They say yeah ok, can we hear it run? I have stacks s they always want to here the truck run. So I start it and there eyes get wide when they hear the turbo winding up. They then ask me what the "whistle" was and I tell them it is a turbo. Then I tell them it is stock and can't wait to get a better one for more whistle. They shake there head and walk away talking how I have a turbo diesel and how it sounds like a semi. Neat to listen to them and the stories that come from them.

Jon

 

more whistle? Are you a Bubb Rubb fan?

 

HUH?? Who's he?

Jon