Worried about your delicate CUV’s ability to tow a little sixteen foot one-axle trailer? Time to step up and get a rig that will safely haul that thing, or a truckload of them. Like this classic Peterbilt 281, the very embodiment of the “West Coast” truck during its long reign starting in 1954.
When I first saw one in Baltimore as a kid, my jaw dropped. I had no idea these existed, since they almost never found their way east of the Rockies. On my first hitchhike out west, they were everywhere; reminders of an era when trucks were built regionally. Imagine that? Most often, they had a big Cummins diesel six under the hood, and a big plume of black exhaust trailing from the stack as it worked a giant load of old-growth redwood logs up a grade. I ran into this one at a campground two weeks ago, hooked up to a dinky little trailer. That left me with mixed feelings.
I love this rig. Looks like it’s been worked over with lo-profile rubber and some modern touches. Very cool.
Peterbilts are everywhere now, but they were an unusual sight in Western Canada until the late ’70s. As you say, regional manufacturers were the rule back then. We had Hayes, Western Star, Kenworth, Pacific and Freightliner all building trucks right here in BC so that’s what you saw most of. All gone now sadly. I don’t think Peterbilts are even built on the west coast anymore.
This old girl probably had a 220 Cummins in it when new, I wonder what’s in it now?
My impression of the Peterbilt 281 is forever affected by the movie Duel. Every time I see one I think it’s coming to get me.
Duel used to be on TNT almost weekly……. alas I don’t think I”ve seen it on TV in over a decade and a half!
THis old girl is a real beaut! There’s no shame in putting in a shift at work, albeit a very lite shift. But one quesiton: wouldn’t the owner get better mileage from a F150 or a Silverado?
He wouldn’t get the attention!
Kind of makes you wonder what’s in the trailer.
I never knew Peterbilts existed until a neighbor kid got a model kit of one. After he got his, I had to get one too. A really cool truck that looked like a truck should look. A different model, but still a Peterbilt.
Cool truck youd never notice the caravan on the back even on the steepest climb.
Somehow I think this epitomizes the word – overkill.
Not overkill if the trailer is full of gold bars, for instance.. 🙂
a peculiarly american version of overkill. build it once, build it right, damn the cost. incomprehensible in the present global disposable culture. i really wish there was more of this.
I discovered the name Peterbilt when I first saw Smokey and the Bandit in 1977 when I was 11. Big Enos Burdett (?) tells Burt Reynolds “Now these Peterbilts are worth …” In the years since, I’ve seen newer ones around occasionally. And yes, the movie Duel made quite an impression.
In the Pete owner’s defense, the logical explanation is that this is a show truck and he is pulling his trailer to the truck museum in Brooks for an event.
If this loads I think it shows a trend forming. From Dark Roasted Blend pictures