I’ve found and shared numerous little cars with big trailers; it’s became a CC meme of sorts. But now I’ve found the polar opposite: a big semi truck hauling a very small fifth wheel trailer.
And what’s a bit doubly curious is that I found this parked on a quiet road in an undeveloped industrial area where unhoused folks park their old RVs and trailers to live in. And that’s what I assume to be the case here, but the Volvo semi truck is a bit baffling. Are these that cheap if old enough?
An unemployed truck driver? No such thing; there’s a dire shortage of truck drivers. Maybe just retired.
Looks like for a single axle day cab you can get down near 4-5k for one with a lot of miles. Odd combo in general. Typically it’s a giant 5th wheel and a really well equipped truck, this has neither.
We’re looking at the last truck designed at the drawing boards of the great White Motor Company.
The air dam improves fuel mileage, no doubt.
A variation on the Volvo Globetrotter theme.
Looks legit. Has a 2021 IFTA sticker on the cowl. Perhaps just moving the trailer to more permanent spot?
That’s what I thought. Very common to see old tractor units being used to move RVs.
Maybe the trucker is working for the county, removing the squatters?
I’ve seen some local auction results with ridiculously cheap prices for tractors like that, two or three thousand dollars. You’d think the maintenance costs would be pretty high, but if your oil change interval is 25k miles and you do less than a thousand per year….
Kind of a cute rig, really. And it gives off a “don’t mess with me” vibe that’s probably handy for someone in that situation.
Well, it’s not a sleeper, but now it is! I’ll bet, if I had to bet, that someone bet he couldn’t make it into a sleeper. He won the bet.
This truck is over qualified. It has to have been made post 1992 when this White Truck which had evolved into a White GMC was then branded as a Volvo. The truck was designed in America and was made, most likely, in Virginia. Cool drive!
I’ve seen old tractors repurposed as RV haulers before but this is quite the odd couple. Normally it’s a smaller tractor and very large RV. I guess it was just moving the trailer rather than a permanent setup.
I hope he has trailer brakes installed, don’t want that getting the best of you on the downhills.
THe tractor unit has an exhaust or jake brake designed for much more weight than that little caravan
My apologies, attempts at dry humor do not always translate in text.
It’s always a good idea to build in a good measure of extra capacity when towing a trailer.
When towing, there’s no such thing as “too much truck.”
So true. Often you see the proportions of this truck and trailer reversed. The visual on that is much worse!
I noticed a couple of guys here who seem to have more than a passing knowledge with White trucks. I’m researching the old flathead i6 engines they used up until about 1955. Any comments, specs, or info on these is appreciated, my email is billmccoskey@aol.com
Perfect towing vehicle most people use puddle jumper pickups for towing here usually pulling more that they can cope with however I got overtaken on the Bombay hill recently by a 460hp CF DAF single screw pulling a 30 foot caravan the guy was just loafing up the hill with his caravan in tow something light like a caravan isnt going to tax a tractor unit that will happily gross 44 tonne with trailers in tow
I would go with a private rig hauling his RV. If it was a commercial truck it would have the fleet U.S.DOT numbers on the door and the Company info. My first guess is it probably belonged to a fairly large fleet pulling doubles. The aluminum plate on the side of the cab right behind the hood is where all the decals that are needed are put. Easier to scrape off the old and install the new. May or may not have an engine brake. Need someone to tilt the hood and investigate. That cab was used under lots of different name plated.. Autocar used that cab too. Pretty decent truck, I worked at a Volvo, White/GMC, Autocar, GMC dealer for about four years.
Apparently I was one of “those” who had too much camper for the vehicle. I researched a lot and thought our 2007 Jeep Commander w/5.7 Hemi & factory tow package (rated to tow 7200#) would be able to handle a 4600# travel trailer with an anti-sway hitch, and it did…until it didn’t. The camper just started to sway (I’ll never understand exactly why) and the Jeep and I just could not pull out of it, the camper tipping on its side and pushing us into the ditch. Luckily, we were fine & the Jeep drivable, so we made it home…but the camper was a total loss. After the fact, lots of people told me the Commander was just too small. Live and learn, I guess…however, after that experience, my trailer towing days are over.