Commercial Trucking 2021 (Jan-Dec)

Campaigns & Group Builds Finished Campaigns Archive
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Carrying on from the discussions on the old AutoModeler forum, a quick recap of the pending Commercial Trucking Group Build lined up for 2021.

Group Build duration will be 12 months, January 1 to December 31 (inclusive), 2021.

Operational Overview
The trucking industry is the backbone of the transportation world. If you got it, a truck brought it! This Group Build is to honor the men & women of the trucking industry from all over the world.

The Rules and Regs
Civilian use only (repurposed military vehicles allowed)
Trucks may be OOB, highly modified, tricked out, or whatever suits your fancy.
Minimum payload capacity (US Class 3 - US Class 8, or Australian, British, or European equivalents) - no small pick-ups or SUVs (Class 1 - Class 2b)
Rigid or articulated (Trailers & loads are encouraged, but not required)
Earthmoving, agricultural and construction machinery allowed.
All model manufacturers & after market manufacturers are allowed.
Previously started kits allowed, get them finished!
Dioramas are allowed, but not required
Multiple entries are allowed, and. in fact, encouraged!
Learn from each other, encourage each other, and enjoy the Group Build!

Just in case we work out a way to award ribbons -

BigRig03
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BigRigs21 Banner

Let’s start posting up some photos of our kits and 1:1 references for inspiration, we are only just over 2 months away from kicking this one into gear and hitting the highway!

Cheers, D

EDIT - OK, here’s a list of folks who have expressed interest going right back to May 2020 when we started the lead-up discussions, rolled into a state-of-play list.

AussieReg (Damian) - Australian Western Star with 48’ Reefer - Italeri 1/24 kits
jimb (Jim) - Chevy Bison (Rigid Stakebed Conversion) - AMT 1/25 kit
Dixon66 (David) - Ford F-350 (Dually conversion)
Stickframe (Nick) - Peterbilt 378 (6x6 conversion)
ahandykindaguy (Dave)
cosimodo (Michael)
165thspc (Michael)
tank_1812 (Ryan) - Volvo VN 780
rv1963 (Robert)
GaryKato (Gary)
tinbanger (Richard) - Construction Bulldozer Caterpillar D8H - AMT 1/25 kit
harv (Randy) - 1926 Mack Bulldog Tank Truck
The_Snowman (Gavin)
noddy927 (Peter)
Szmann (Gabriel)
GrubbyFingers (Graeme) - Volvo F12
2CAVTrooper (Jeff) - Peterbilt (day cab conversion)
kosprueone - (KSO) - Peterbilt (day cab conversion) with auto transporter
accessdenied (Roger) - 1923 Soviet Tractor - scratchbuild 1/24 scale

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These are the kits I will be building.

AWS001
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48R001
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Cheers, D

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I still think that this is the kit that I will go with.

image

I have had it collecting dust in the stash for a few years so…why not use it for a campaign. :slight_smile:

Thank you for bringing this over to the new forums Damian.

Randy :slight_smile:

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It will certainly be great to see that one built up Randy, I’ve often checked it out at swap meets and LHS visits, but not yet dragged it home with me.

How are you liking the new forums? Any bugs or issues to note?

Cheers, D

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How are you liking the new forums? Any bugs or issues to note?

Well, still 50/50 on them. No bugs or issues with them. I’m so used to the old forums from all of these years that the change will take some getting used to. But I’m getting a little more comfortable finding my way around on them. Kind of odd maybe but just changing the background color from white to the dark color made a difference for me. Anyway, if these new forums are what we are going to use then so be it. There are obviously things I will miss about the old pages but that’s okay too.

Thanks,
Randy :slight_smile:

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I see ex-military are allowed. I was going to try and do an Bedford 4x4 converted to to an African safari truck. But I have no idea about the class and weight requirements.

cheers
Michael

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Better sure I will be attempting to build the Italeri Volvo VN-780 with CTM VN 023 pe set.

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Sounds good Michael. We decided that the minimum cut-off for this Group Build would be equivalent to US Class 3 from the following list:
I’m not sure how these Classes transfer to the EU or Australia, but here is a pretty good list of US Truck classes (all weights are GVWR):
Class 1: Light Truck, 0-6000lbs, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado
Class 2a: Light Truck, 6001-8500lbs, Ford F150, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Class 2b: Light/Medium Truck, 8501-10000lbs, Ford F250, Chevrolet Silverado 2500
Class 3: Medium Truck 10001-14000lbs, Ford F350, Chevrolet Silverado 3500
Class 4: Medium Truck, 14001-16000lbs, Ford F450, Chevrolet Silverado 4500
Class 5: Medium Truck, 16001-19500lbs, Ford F550, Peterbilt 325, Chevrolet Silverado 5500
Class 6: Medium Truck, 19501-26000lbs, Ford F650, Chevrolet Kodiak 6500, International Durastar, Peterbilt 330
Class 7: Heavy Truck, 26001-33000lbs, Ford F750, Peterbilt 337, Kenworth T470, GMC C7500
Class 8: Heavy Truck, 33001lbs & up, Kenworth W900, Peterbilt 359, International ProStar

You should be able to check the capacity of your proposed vehicle and compare it with the list.

Cheers, D

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I will most likely be doing the Meng F-350 as a hotshot trucker.

A hotshot trucker is a pickup truck used to transport RV trailers, cargo that doesn’t require a large truck, auto hauler trailers, etc.

The F-350 will be converted to a dually rear axle, wider bed sides and a fifth wheel in the bed. Tires, wheels, bed sides and hitch are all from Scenes Unlimited (waiting for the hitch to arrive, the rest is here). Pics coming of the items soon.

Just completed a 3000+ mile drive from the US Northeast to the Southeast and back over the last week. I saw many of these along the drive and most had either just basic lettering with the required DOT info or simple signage on the front doors.

I saw some cool old school semi rigs that I was unfortunately unable to get pictures of while driving. A Ford Louisville tandem with round headlights like I just finished, a Mack R cab for sale at a roadside used truck dealer, several Mack R and U cab dump trucks, a surprising number of old COE semis (especially in Florida and Georgia). The Transtar Trucking Company has a blue International Transtar day cab that it restored and has the words “Ole Skool” on the back of the cab. I really wish I could have gotten a picture of that one but the wife was asleep and I didn’t want to wake her to get pictures as I passed it while traveling the same direction. You could tell it was not repowered with a modern turbo diesel, no whine at all, just old school low pitched grunt.

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I will be building the AMT Chevrolet Bison.

But I will be going for this look (yes, I know this is a Mack R600):

The “plan” is to use the GW Trucks 108" BBC hood and swap out the 8V71 for a 6V92T, and use the stake bed from the AMT Ford C600 kit. We’ll see how all that goes.

Jim

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Here are the Scenes Unlimited parts that will be used to convert to the Dually.

The tires and wheels look very nice.

IMG_0007
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IMG_0009
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The bed sides are designed to directly replace the kit parts, right down to internal attachment points.

IMG_0010
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Looking forward to building this.

If things go well, my second build will be the AMT Kenworth W925 as the Movin’ On truck that my dad originally built in the 80s and was lost before his death.

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If things go well, my second build will be the AMT Kenworth W925 as the Movin’ On truck

I used to love watching that show when I was a kid.

Randy :slight_smile:

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The AMT Kenworth W925 kit needs a lot of modifications if you want to do the truck from the show. You might be better of kit-bashing the AMT W900 & the Revell of Germany W900 kits. Then you’ll need a Cummins VT903.

Jim

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Some really nice looking kit there Dave, it’s going to be great watching that come together!

My father was an interstate truck driver for quite a few years (lost him Sept 2017), we used to watch Movin’ On together a lot. I’m looking forward to that build as well. I’m always on the lookout for the AMT kit.

Cheers, D

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Jim, the build will be as close a copy of what my dad had built as opposed to an attempt to accurately recreate one of the ones that were used on the show. It’ll be out of the box with Testors Gloss Green as the main color and modeltruckin.decals. I want to recreate as close as possible to what was lost.

I may in the future do the Revell with the AMT short hood and a resin VT903 at some point in the future.

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Sorry to hear that D. We lost my dad Aug 2018.

Dave

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I think the AMT kit is closer to the “In Tandem” pilot episode truck. That truck might have only had one stack though. I can’t remember. Looking forward to your build. Always a sucker for Kenworths!

Jim

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From what I recall reading, In Tandem had a single stack and a 36" sleeper.

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Hello gents,

I’m thinking of another Peterbilt - a 365 or 367 6x6. I haven’t decided what will go in the bed just yet - oil field truck? drill rig of some kind? Not sure just yet…I’ll start with a 378, but will scratch the hood, chassis and so on.

Jim as your a KW fan, I thought about one of those heavy duty, twin steer, Kenworth oil field monsters, you know, the one with two radiators (that is a truck!) but as Clint Eastwood wisely noted, “a man’s got to know it limitations” lol - and I don’t think I could pull one of those off just yet!
Cheers gents -

Nick

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I don’t think i could pull of one of those C500 oilfield rigs either. Heck, sometimes I feel like I can barely get a kit together OOB without major disasters happening. Although, those seem to be getting fewer & fewer (except on my 1949 Mercury Club Coupe :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:)

Jim