Anybody consider a semi for a tow vehicle?

Look at the hdt forum. This isn't new, using hdt's is old news.

Something I forgot to mention was the 28 foot turning radius of my longer than usual MDT wheelbase of 215" as comared to my previous Crew Cab Chev Duramax long box with a wheelbase of only 187" being a full 32 feet.

I was putting my larger Mobile Suites into smaller sites than I could get my old Cedar Creek/pick-up combo .

Don't automatically discount a manual transmission out of fear. I ordered my class six with an Eaton/Fuller ten speed and mitigated my learning curve with a Gearmaster readout on the dash. after a few months of towing with that set up, I rarely looked at the readout panel.

With all the available power,it's not like you're going to routinely use all of those gears anyway. Once you're rolling set the cruise and forget about that stick.

Look into the cab of any big rig and ask yourself the query: "if that guy can gear jam, why wouldn't I be able to"?

Buying a good used Volvo is very easy as they have gained popularity to the extent fleets have gravitated towards them for their comfort and over-all performance. Searching for a single axle is not the priority issue as removing an axle and positioning the remaining one as per your needs and practicality are completely doable.

Having it singled or not is your choice but you can perform that after purchase by any one of many competent shops located all over the U.S.

Ride quality is not even debatable as the seats/cabs are so much better designed for over the road 24/7 driving.

Class 6 and under trucks just do not on average, make available the same ride characteristics as the class 7 & 8's. the minimum air bag rating I could get for my rears was 15,000lb bags and even with mods I did myself of machining the tops of the bags for larger air lines and the addition of a 7 gal ping tank increasing my volumetric capacity of the system in the rear, it still rode rough even loaded to it's travel weight of 17,600lbs with Tools/Harley/200gals of fuel on board.

It only gave a "reasonable" ride when the trailer's pin weight of over 4500lbs was on the truck.

Class 8's ride better, even while bob-tail, right out of the yard..

Attending the HDT rally and talking with some of those boys along with their well known willingness to "climb on in and let's go for a ride" engage you will be the point of no return.

Now let's hear some of the pluses about registering the sleeper equipped truck as an RV itself; thereby avoiding a whole other bunch of MTO/DOT aggro and costs presented by the class 6's and below. That's a whole other option open to you, should you investigate further.

Think Jack's Volvo might be for sale still. If so, it will be on Escapees classified.
OP, take a look there for nice used HDT's that are already singled, set up and registered as an RV. Quite a few of them have Smart Car lifts too :C
Also check rvonline.com

here is a bunch

Also owners comments on U tube as well,I will link them if you can't find them.

Nutinelse2do wrote:
If you are truly interested in an HDT, the 2014 Rally is next week in Hutchinson, KS. A nice HDT can be had, singled out, and custom designed, for much less than a newer truck.

That is a great idea for the OP.

As for the 'much less', I think you'll find that as the price goes down, the looks and comforts do too. Full automatics can be found in Volvo tractors, which are the crème de la crème. It's doubful you'll pay bottom dollar for a newer, clean, automatic, singled, conversion truck. Those kind are in demand, and it might take a while to find one. Now, the older, ugly, stick shifts, which are still quite capable, are the real bargains. You can spend $30,000, or $100,000. Really depends on what you want.

As mentioned above, check out the Heavy Duty Truck forum on Escapees. No need to be an Escapees member to participate.

We have been towing with a Class 8 Volvo since 2004 and have no intention of ever using anything else. The truck is quieter and smoother riding than our old Dodge Ram. Ours has triple air: suspension, cab, and seats.

Add capability and good milage (8.5 to 9.5 w/18k fiver & smart car) to the comfort and it is an unbeatable combination. Ours had 600k when we bought it, now over 700k. Carrying 300 gallons of diesel let's you shop for fuel based on price and not stopping for fuel every few hours is a real timesaver.

Ours has an Eaton Super 10 trans. A 10 speed manual that is super easy to operate, five gear shifts, five button shifts. I only touch the clutch when stopping or starting, otherwise I float shift by matching RPM to road speed. In 10th gear 90% of the time anyway. One interesting advantage is in the traffic jams (that we all try to avoid) where you can keep gearing down and creeping along without touching the clutch or the brake. I have been in stop and go traffic for over an hour without ever touching the clutch.

Initial cost is a LOT less than a new PU, maintenance and repairs are available anywhere, 24/7 at reasonable prices, most of these trucks have a "million mile" rated engine, built to pull 40K. We will never wear it out pulling 20k.

With the tight wheel cut of the Volvo I have been able to get the fiver into spaces I would never attempt with a long wheelbase truck. Other than height, the foot print of the Volvo is no larger that a dually PU.

Give a HDT some serious thought.

If you are truly interested in an HDT, the 2014 Rally is next week in Hutchinson, KS. They have classes galore and will be able to answer any question you have.

Careful, you will probably end up purchasing one!

A nice HDT can be had, singled out, and custom designed, for much less than a newer truck.

The only reason we haven't gone the HDT route is because we are not sure if we will continue with the fifth wheel, or go back to a DP.

As others have suggested, check out the HDT Forum on Escapees, and pay particular attention to posts by Jack Mayer, who is the HDT master.

Good Luck

Check out Mountain Master, here in Phoenix. http://www.mountainmaster.net/ They offer a 300 h.p. Cummins, a 330 h.p. Cummins and a 450 h.p. Detroit, all with an Eaton 6-speed auto. M2 Freightliners, F650, 550 and Dodge 5500 conversions, though I'd bet they'll build you most anything you want. Right now, they have a 2010 M2 Extended cab with the 300 Cummins, with 61k miles, for sale.

Lyle

I seen 2 of them in Moab last month