Oshkosh...gold plated grease nipples?

G'day,
Spotted this Oshkosh for sale on truckhub

www.truckhub.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?...D=2988312&TabID=3443

A 1972 model for a mere $38,500, it must have gold plated grease nipples...and lots of 'em!

It did remind of the Oshkosh trucks that came to NZ in 1978. I was a young bloke working for the NZ Mack importers and we assembled about 12 Oshkosh for Freightways who had purchased them 'cheap' from the OZ Oshkosh dealer, who I think had gone bust ( I do stand to be corrected on that one).

These arrived semi knocked down and I'm pretty sure some arrived without engines because we sourced some 270hp Cats 'cheap' from the local Leader dealer who I also think had run into financial difficulties.

We also got some new 8V71's rated at 318hp, so about half these Oshkosh had Cats and the others Jimmy's, all had RTO913's and Rockwell-Hendrickson backends.

They weren't pretty but they were cheap and liked by the drivers.

My job at MTD (Motor Truck Distributors) was to run around town finding parts to replace missing 'bits'.

I also made sure it was my job to move the trucks around the yard and in and out of the workshop.

Here are some before and after pics.

The before pics are 'factory fresh' cab & chassis and the after are how they looked on the road. (I've borrowed them from a book).

The bonneted truck (Oshkosh F series) actually had a 12 speed Mack 'box with a 2 speed joey, so 24 cogs to play with.

This cab over (Oshkosh E series) is 8V71 powered, the semi trailer is interesting because it was called a self steer. The 3 axles were on a separate chassis with a ball race turntable connecting it to the trailer chassis and used rods from the first axle to the trailer chassis to keep it tracking straight...mostly.

If anybody knows more about this story or Oshkosh in OZ it would be great to hear it.

See ya, Bruce

Before


After


Before


After

G'day Bruce,

Thanks for the post - you learn something new every day... The Kiwi COE Oshkoshes are a rare breed indeed - I only ever saw these in pics, I doubt they sold more than a few - I hope one (at least) got preserved in NZ.

If I'm allowed a question, was there any connection between yours and South African ones (see pic below linked from Hank's) - I never quite figured whether the SA ones were produced there or fully imported from the US - are the Kiwi Oshkoshes SA spec or even ones exported from there?

I got a similar "parallel universe" with the Contractors I posted on below, hehe. British Leyland was well known for creating a cocktail of parts and models, I wonder whather Oshkosh did the same?

Cheers,

T

...and a diamond-encrusted dash...

There was a cabover Osh getting about in Perth as late as 2006. I almost drove into the Swan River when I saw it. Used to trip over bonnetted girls on occasion over there while travelling around the wheatbelt.

G'day,

Tatra, the New Zealand Oshkosh fleet originally came from Australia. I seem to remember they had been imported into OZ and sat unassembled in crates for some years, then the Kiwi's got 'em cheap...they could easily be from the same batch as the one for sale on truckhub!

I don't know if any survived, there were a couple on the road until 2000 at least. The cabs were a bit prone to rust, so that wouldn't help.

About the South African Oshkosh I know little but because of the political situation and trade embargoes they had to build most things themselves. Although the South African Oshkosh looks pretty much standard I'm wondering if they were imported direct from the US, are ex military, or maybe got there via Israel?

Hi Andy, yeah I reckon the diamonds would do it. Do you reckon for that price they'll put some FREE air into the front offside steer tyre?

Have to stump up the dough first, Bruce.

Despite our cynicism etc, hope she does find a new home.

Unfortunately out of my price range and I agree...be a waste for it not to find a nice retirement gig.

Hi Bruce

I was driving for Freightways at the time the Oshkoshes arrived and occasionally drove the cabovers. They were a great truck to drive, very comfortable with an excellent driving position, but were pretty noisy as there was almost no soundproofing inside. One of them was still in regular use until very recently on the Hamilton-Auckland run although I haven't seen it for a few months.

The bonnetted one is still used regularly on heavy haulage and is owned by Tranzcarr (Dave Carr, one of the owners of Tranzcarr is ex-Freightways).

Any chance one of you guys have detailed pics or those steering trailers ??? I've seen pics of them but could never work out exactly how they work.

G'day Vic, Werkhorse and all

I'm not 100% sure about those trailers and always wondered how they stayed on a straight line myself.

I think some used a cable system and others a short A frame with ball joints at all three points. 2 points were attached to the front of the steering chassis and a single point on the actual semi chassis. This gave a degree of 'turn' to reduce cut in on corners.

These trailers would have been very heavy I would say. After the self steer semi's the next innovation was a 3 axle 40 footer with a close tandem set and then a spaced self steering rear axle, they used a 'ceschi' brand camber steer axle, which I don't think were that successful either.

Have you seen the latest trend in NZ? Twin steer tandem drive prime movers towing 4 axle semi's for 44 tonnes gross weight?

Thanks Vic for your Oshkosh comments. I do remember they actually had a good rap from those who drove them and I reckon Freightways made a few $$$ from them over the years.

I've got some Freightways Mack pics from my days at MTD and will get them posted one day soon.

I am ex Auckland myself (Waimauku)...was just there a couple of weeks ago and made sure I got my copy of Truck & Driver, great mag that!

About the South African Oshkosh I know little but because of the political situation and trade embargoes they had to build most things themselves. Although the South African Oshkosh looks pretty much standard I'm wondering if they were imported direct from the US, are ex military, or maybe got there via Israel?

G'day Bruce,

The SA Oshkoshes were certainly not ours - for one thing, one headache the Poms did not leave us with was RHD and, more to the point, there was no Oshkosh import into Israel until the late 1990 (and only in respect of the military 8X8s). We had an equivalent, what I suppose the Aussies would call the most flinstoniest of all the flinstones, the DM800:



The one pictured is a civilian model, but the military ones have just now been pensioned off and in fact after a fresh lick of paint and a tipper body fitted, many do find their way to Africa, but further up near the equator:



All ready to go on the boat to Nigeria, no doubt set to work for another 20 years...

Cheers

T

PS: Thanks as ever to srulik500 and his pic collection ( rides.webshots.com/album/511562147aeECMB )