MOC: Heavy Duty Tow Truck Jamie Davis Heavy Rescue Rotator from Highwa

[timtosino]

After 60056 was released last year I made it a point that I would one day build the flagship truck from my favorite TV show "Highway Thru Hell" which focuses on the dangers of a driving in the winter on highway about 3 hours from where I live. (The show is on Discovery in Canada, Weather Network in the USA or National Geographic in other countries). This truck is a lot larger than 60056 as it is a Tri-Axel Tow truck with 3 wheels in the back vs 2 in the set. Includes sleeper cab, work light mast, two winch lines, rotating boom arm.

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The Rotator or HR-150 is the flagship of Jamie Davis Heavy Rescue's fleet. Unlike the other trucks in the fleet the boom arm is on a pedestal which rotates around and can lift entire truck wrecks, a great advantage to have recovering wrecks in the twists and turns of the Coquihalla Highway or the narrow Fraser Canyon. Dispatching the Rotator isn't taken lightly, it costs over $400 in

fuel to get this truck to the top of the Coq' from Hope.

Edited November 13, 2014 by timtosino

[lightningtiger]

I've done a rotator as well a few months back, yours is a cool copy of the one from the show....planning to adding to fleet ?

Brick On 'timtosino' !

[timtosino]

I've done a rotator as well a few months back, yours is a cool copy of the one from the show....planning to adding to fleet ?

Brick On 'timtosino' !

Yes in fact I just put in a bricklink order for more parts to build Adam's Kenworth Truck and the Rescue Truck. Thanks the kind comments. Do you have a picture of your rotator somewhere?

[lightningtiger]

I look forward to seeing more of your fleet......here's links to my rotator......http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Lightningtiger/Breakdown/rotator_1.jpg and http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Lightningtiger/Breakdown/rotator_2.jpg.

[LEGO Guy Bri]

Nice build timtosino, it looks great. Been wanting to add one to my collection. I really like the way you built yours

[LegoSjaak]

This show is also on Nat Geo in Holland, so i immediately recognized the truck!! Nicely done!

[scottwb2010]

Great job you've done re-creating Jamie's pride and joy, timtosino! When 60056 came out, I wondered how easy it would be to MOD it into the "Rotator" from Highway Thru Hell but you've led the way. Do you have a photo of both Wrecker Trucks side by side to compare the? Anyway I look forward to seeing your other creations from this TV show which is now showing series 2 here in the UK,

[eurotrash]

Good looking vehicle, and I really like the front end, but at 6-wide it somehow seems a bit squished. How easy do you think it would be to make a 7-wide version?

[Htrag]

I love rotators! I might need to check out this show. Good work!

[timtosino]

Great job you've done re-creating Jamie's pride and joy, timtosino! When 60056 came out, I wondered how easy it would be to MOD it into the "Rotator" from Highway Thru Hell but you've led the way. Do you have a photo of both Wrecker Trucks side by side to compare the? Anyway I look forward to seeing your other creations from this TV show which is now showing series 2 here in the UK,

This is the best photo I could find of the rotator. I forgot to mention I plan to do a Ministry of Transport (Highways) Plow as well.

Good looking vehicle, and I really like the front end, but at 6-wide it somehow seems a bit squished. How easy do you think it would be to make a 7-wide version?

I had originally started with 7 wide based on ER0L's version however it wasn't looking how I wanted it. So I took apart my 60056 and started from there. I may try to do 7 wide later.

[lightningtiger]

You know 'timtosino' both our designs are missing something......hydraulic stabilizer legs.

I can't wait to see your snow plow......next years GV set might give you the parts to make the plow section.

Brick On 'timtosino' !

[timtosino]

You know 'timtosino' both our designs are missing something......hydraulic stabilizer legs.

I can't wait to see your snow plow......next years GV set might give you the parts to make the plow section.

Brick On 'timtosino' !

I think I have enough space to put a stabilizer in front of the first rear axle, but not on the rear. The plows they use here aren't Unimog Style, mostly the same style cab as the wrecker, but I'm sure I'll get some ideas from that set on how to build the part that actually pushes the snow :)

[lightningtiger]

Ah, yes not Unimog but heavy pick ups or dump trucks with a plow on the front correct ?

[ER0L]

Like already said on Flickr this looks really great, and there are quite a few nice ideas in it. I'd just put some tiles on top of the crane to hide the studs and to make it look more massive.

However, I agree with eurotrash that this would work nicely as a 7-wide vehicle, too, especially when regarding the photo. Now it's a typical City model, it could even be sold as a set (and I'd surely buy it) - with all the advantages and disadvantages of a "City scale" truck. By enlarging it you'd probably get something closer to the original thing. At least I don't see any technical issues - if you don't like the hood of my version, you could think of something similar to the semi tractor I'm working at.

Either way, you need this to get it working properly. Anyhow nice work, looking forward to more vehicles from you!

[timtosino]

Like already said on Flickr this looks really great, and there are quite a few nice ideas in it. I'd just put some tiles on top of the crane to hide the studs and to make it look more massive.

However, I agree with eurotrash that this would work nicely as a 7-wide vehicle, too, especially when regarding the photo. Now it's a typical City model, it could even be sold as a set (and I'd surely buy it) - with all the advantages and disadvantages of a "City scale" truck. By enlarging it you'd probably get something closer to the original thing. At least I don't see any technical issues - if you don't like the hood of my version, you could think of something similar to the semi tractor I'm working at.

Either way, you need this to get it working properly. Anyhow nice work, looking forward to more vehicles from you!

Thanks again for your comments here. Like I said above I was trying to at first make it 7 wide like yours but wasn't happy with what I had come up with. Would you be willing to share some pictures of how yours is built either here or on flickr? I have my buses as 7 wide but building this is a bit more of a challenge for me.

[ER0L]

Would you be willing to share some pictures of how yours is built either here or on flickr? I have my buses as 7 wide but building this is a bit more of a challenge for me.

Sure, no problem. But there's no secret behind it. The complete front section of those long-nose trucks (5w hood plus mudguard section with headlights) is 7w, the cab is 6w, the section below the cab is SNOT via brackets with a variable width like in the original sets. You may just add some layers to get it wider ("keep the cab, widen the base"). All you have to do then is to connect the cab with the front section via some jumpers to get the halfstud offset. And that's it.

[timtosino]

Sure, no problem. But there's no secret behind it. The complete front section of those long-nose trucks (5w hood plus mudguard section with headlights) is 7w, the cab is 6w, the section below the cab is SNOT via brackets with a variable width like in the original sets. You may just add some layers to get it wider ("keep the cab, widen the base"). All you have to do then is to connect the cab with the front section via some jumpers to get the halfstud offset. And that's it.

Thanks for the tips, I will build a second truck with 7 wide in mind, I agree at this point it does look small and needs to be beefed up, as even the yellow tractor seems to dwarf it.But maybe I was going about things in the wrong order as I was building from the grill and backward, but if you could take a couple interior pics of the build I'd be grateful

Edited November 17, 2014 by timtosino

[TMJ28]

I like this a lot, the cab is very well built and it matches the real life model very well. I would be interesting to see how the Rescue would come out if you did it!

[ER0L]

There you go:

Guess it speaks for itself. Within the small "frame" there are two jumpers to connect the front section with the cab.

[eiker86]

Love the truck and love the show =)

[timtosino]

There you go:

Guess it speaks for itself. Within the small "frame" there are two jumpers to connect the front section with the cab.

Thanks for the tips! I was trying to use the plates to change the direction on top of the jumpers but there's no point in that and it just makes it flimsier.

Love the truck and love the show =)

There seems to be a big following in Scandinavian Countries!

[ER0L]

Shouldn't be flimsy if everything is fixed well. Of course "City vehicles for grown-ups" in general aren't supposed to be as (over) stable as regular City vehicles designed for children's needs. They just get their job done.

Here's a pic of the inner workings of the 60056 Custom Wrecker asked for in another forum which might be helpful here, too:

Guess the small Technic linear actuator will prove to be quite useful for City purposes.

[timtosino]

Shouldn't be flimsy if everything is fixed well. Of course "City vehicles for grown-ups" in general aren't supposed to be as (over) stable as regular City vehicles designed for children's needs. They just get their job done.

Here's a pic of the inner workings of the 60056 Custom Wrecker asked for in another forum which might be helpful here, too:

Guess the small Technic linear actuator will prove to be quite useful for City purposes.

Thanks again, I'm not sure I can use that piece for the rotator since most have two lifts that are linked on the exterior of the boom. I will definitely use it for the smaller trucks though.

[ER0L]

I'm not sure I can use that piece for the rotator since most have two lifts that are linked on the exterior of the boom.

What I'm thinking of for another project is to combine a more or less hidden linear actuator (whose lifting capacities are extremely strong) in the center with two dummy lifts (with these cylinders) on the exterior which probably won't cause any friction issues. But that's just an idea, I haven't tried it yet.

[efferman]

would this be a proper solution for you?

The outriggers can be pressed to the ground with the crossaxle on this picture

lxf

Edited November 24, 2014 by efferman