# Oshkosh snow plow truck w/action photos



## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

I have been doing the snow plowing for our township in southern Mn. for 27 years. I have 25 miles of roads with some very hilly areas going down into the river valley. I used a 1960 FWD with hopper box, 12 ft. wing and one way and V-plow for nearly 20 of those years. Five years ago I had a chance to bid on a county owned 1972 Oshkosh P-2025 with GVW of 42,000 lbs. I has a hyd. hopper box, 12 wing and one way plow with Wausau setups. The plow runs on snow wheels, with Hustin quick hitch and hyd. tilt on the plow to put down pressure on for clearing the hills off. Engine is a Cat 1673C forerunner to the 3306, with a 5x4 tranny. Cab has 2 air ride seats, and 2 heaters and will cook you out. For a V-plow I rigged one from a Austin Western motor grader and should work great, hope I don't ever have to use it. Tires are 445 R 22.5 20 ply Michlins. It has 90,000 miles on it and runs great and should last me my plowing years.

Took some photos last week of benching off at one of my trouble areas, those Oshkosh's work great for that job. Hope you enjoy the photos.


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## Camden (Mar 10, 2007)

Looks great! Where in MN are you located?


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## Tommy10plows (Jan 1, 2001)

Beautiful set up, and beautiful country too.

Since you are the only guy out up there, can you tell us some of your close call stories, and maybe what you keep on board for emergencies, such as back up parts, supplies, blankets, etc. in case you get stuck or break down? The things that make you self relient when you are all alone in the middle of the night.

Regards,

Tom


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

Camden;690622 said:


> Looks great! Where in MN are you located?


Just east of Le Sueur, which is between Mankato and Minnepolis.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

benching are you talking about the shelf you make with wing? we useto have thes when iwas a kid. very deep snow in the 70s. we use to ride sleds on it lol


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

Tommy10plows;690709 said:


> Beautiful set up, and beautiful country too.
> 
> Since you are the only guy out up there, can you tell us some of your close call stories, and maybe what you keep on board for emergencies, such as back up parts, supplies, blankets, etc. in case you get stuck or break down? The things that make you self relient when you are all alone in the middle of the night.
> 
> ...


Cell phone! But besides that the usual tools, spare plow wheels, bearings, shovel, chain, a few bags of salt, one complete set of chains...........in rare occasions when I can't get up the hills because of ice, you need to chain up all the tires because of the "door Miller" set up in the differential on the P series trucks, you don't want just the front or the back spinning......not really sure of how it works, but that is what the county told me. The doormiller is a limited slip device inside the transfer case I believe, so the truck is always locked up going straight down the road, but when you turn you feel and hear a jumping noise which the limited slip device slipping so you can turn easier. My only backup crew is my wife and maybe a neighbor who might be home.

One thing that I don't do is go out during the storm, I wait till the snow or the wind quits as per orders by the town board, so when I do go out the conditions are pretty calm. And besides the farms are fairly close together and really no fear of freezing to death if something would break down.

The only bad story I have is the Halloween blizzard of '93, when we had 25 in. of snow in a 24 hr. period. The ground was not frozen yet as it started out as rain early on Oct. 31st. then later that day it turned over to wet snow, and during the night the temp feel to 0 (F) and 40 mph NW winds and more snow, this time the snow was dry and blew like crazy. For the first snow of the season it was a brute. Deep snow and drifts all over, and I had to put the V-plow on the old FWD before I left the yard. You can imagine the ground being wet and muddy underneath and then the plow face 0 degrees, it stuck on right away. Mud and gravel baked on before long, and nothing scoured off the plow, so you had to power your way through everything..........I hope to never see a storm like that again.


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

IPLOWSNO;690831 said:


> benching are you talking about the shelf you make with wing? we useto have thes when iwas a kid. very deep snow in the 70s. we use to ride sleds on it lol


Yup, that is what a bench is, the flat area that is left by the wing being straight out from the truck several feet in the air. I to can remember riding those "benches" with the old sleds of the 70's. Those wings have 3 levers in the cab for running the wing. When it comes to the deep snow, the rear braces can be raised up almost the top of the cab, so you can bench off pretty high. But you will need a full load of ballast in the rear of the truck to hold you in place otherwise it will push your backend around.


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## IPLOWSNO (Oct 11, 2008)

when i was a kid i plowed with a walter sno fightr. it was miller brewery so i plyed with all the plows lol.

we had a parkin lot we didnt touch all year and one day i drove the walter in there, wing down i was pushin a mtn of snow. till she pushed no more about 4' deep. i learned that you cant back those up in deep snow lol


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## Steve'sZr2 (Dec 12, 2008)

i want your job. lol.

Can you try and get some videos up? that would be awesome.


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

Dear God, that truck really weighs 42000 pounds?

That's fantastic. How did OshKosh make them so heavy?


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

ProSeasons;691552 said:


> Dear God, that truck really weighs 42000 pounds?
> 
> That's fantastic. How did OshKosh make them so heavy?


The truck weighs in around 30,000 lbs empty, the 42,000 lbs is the gross weight with a load on it. The front drive axle is a 42,000 pound axle and the rear is the same. Both the front and rear have the same stack of springs about 12 in. tall rack of springs.


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

Steve'sZr2;690981 said:


> i want your job. lol.
> 
> Can you try and get some videos up? that would be awesome.


Yes, it would be great to get a video, it is a little hard to round up someone to ride along to take a video. Someday it might happen.


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## snow tender (Nov 30, 2008)

I plowed with a watlers for almost 10 years Made it through the March bizzard of 93 I have yet to plow with another vehicle with as much power and traction!!!


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## ProSeasons (Nov 30, 2000)

Dave Preuhs;691727 said:


> The truck weighs in around 30,000 lbs empty, the 42,000 lbs is the gross weight with a load on it. The front drive axle is a 42,000 pound axle and the rear is the same. Both the front and rear have the same stack of springs about 12 in. tall rack of springs.


That is friggin' awesome! My W-900 tractor weighs only 21000 pounds. That rig would make mine pee down it's leg!:crying:


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

*Oshkosh plow truck video*

Was out this morning, Jan. 13, 2009. -20 F and not a nice day, although it looks nice. Had the son in law along and took this video. It was so cold the hose on the diesel barrel broke like a pretzel, put fuel in with out the nozzle.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

Now thats what I need for driveways

Nice... A well designed machine doing what it was made for.


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## airportplower (Dec 23, 2008)

thats awesome


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

There is something like that for sale around here. No plows, just the truck. Huge & awesome are the only two words to describe it.

You should get some 66" terra tires for it and run the monster truck circut during the summer.


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## JohnK0CQW (Aug 31, 2011)

If you need any tec support on your Oshkosh etc. Please let me know have work on them for 30 years.

John


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

very nice!


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## Stan (Nov 28, 2003)

That looks alot like my FWD


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## Glenn Lawn Care (Sep 28, 2009)

Beast!!!!!


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## Stan (Nov 28, 2003)

Glenn Lawn Care;1303004 said:


> Beast!!!!!


The selling point was windshield wipers on both doors lol.


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

*Oshkosh snow plowing in southern Mn*

I took this vid while plowing earlier this month on one of my river bottom roads just east of Henderson, Mn. You can't see much as I had to keep an eye on the road. The vid is not dial up friendly.

I'll have 31 years doing the township contract snow plowing this April and I'm hanging it up. But I am keeping the Oskhosh as I don't know how fast the new guy will get around and my driveway is 1.25 miles long. It's been fun.


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## Fisher II (Sep 13, 2004)

nice truck! I was waiting for gazelles,and zebras to leap across the snow banks with the animal kingdom music


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## Eronningen (Dec 20, 2008)

Did you lose the bid or decide to just be done. Nice pictures


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## Dave Preuhs (Dec 26, 2008)

Eronningen;1552801 said:


> Did you lose the bid or decide to just be done. Nice pictures


I am 65 and it is getting time let some younger guy take over. The only back up I had while out plowing was my wife at home. I just told the town board I was retiring from the job, so at the annual bid night, 3 other guys bid on the job, so will see how they do this winter. It was a fun run, so I just watch the flakes fall now. I keep the old Oshkosh parked in the heated shop and keep it ready in case the new guy don't get in here in a timely manner.


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## WIPensFan (Jan 31, 2009)

Dave Preuhs;1677071 said:


> I am 65 and it is getting time let some younger guy take over. The only back up I had while out plowing was my wife at home. I just told the town board I was retiring from the job, so at the annual bid night, 3 other guys bid on the job, so will see how they do this winter. It was a fun run, so I just watch the flakes fall now. I keep the old Oshkosh parked in the heated shop and keep it ready in case the new guy don't get in here in a timely manner.


Good for you Dave, enjoy the time off. Thumbs Up


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