Kennel Home
Alberta, Canada

Our Dogs

Our Iditarods 

 Karen's Diary

What's New

Mark & Karen
Ramstead
- About Us


North Wapiti Siberian Husky Kennels
Yukon Quest 2006 - Tales from the Trail

December 12, 2005

 
The Truck Story

As a tradesman I've learned over the years that you use the right tool for  the right job. To most people a truck is just a truck, but to a musher,  especially a musher who travels to Minnesota for a month a year and to  Alaska for three months a year a truck is more than a truck. I spend a lot  of time looking at other dog trucks. I will see one and think "Why would a guy do that" or see another one and think "That's a good Idea, I'll have to try that". There is no such thing as the perfect dog truck, everyone has their own personal needs and their own set of circumstances that might make their truck a little different than the next guys.

Here's what we decided that our truck had to have. It had to be bigger, the old truck was a 250, the new one is a 450 (that's twice the payload). It had to be a diesel with a large fuel capacity. It had to be a dually to handle the extra overhang, And it had to be a crew cab to handle the extra people that appear at the races. So this is what we got: 

1.jpg (442579 bytes)
The new truck - bare bones

Its a Ford F450 dually diesel crew cab with a 200" wheel base and an extra fuel tank.

Once the truck showed up, it wasn't good for much. Without wheel wells and mud flaps I'm not even sure if it was legal to be on the road. So the first thing that needed to be done was a to have a deck built so the dog boxes had something to sit on.

2.JPG (719845 bytes)
Step 1 - Add the deck

Once the deck was on I had the truck undercoated, then added running boards, a bull bar, moose lights and had the windows tinted. (insert picture 3)

3.JPG (715902 bytes)
Step 2 - Add running boards, a bull bar, moose lights & tint windows

Now it was time for the boxes. The truck didn't quit fit in Rogers shop, so some of the work needed to be done outside.

With the body of the Dog boxes done Roger moved the truck outside so he could begin the detailed work on his trademark "maple leaf doors".

7.JPG (450582 bytes) 8.JPG (481703 bytes)
Roger works on the maple leaf doors

After a over a year from the time the truck was ordered it was finally ready for its first trip.

9.JPG (505992 bytes)
Ready for the maiden voyage
10.JPG (527742 bytes)
...until next year's changes...

There are several other things that I would like to do the truck, but they will have to wait until next year. And I'm sure that once this racing season is over that there will be some changes.

Later,

Mark

Karen's Diary - Yukon Quest 2006 Edition


Click on the paws above to follow the team back to our main page...