The Owner of This 4-Million-Mile Kenworth Made Some Smart Mods Along the Way

The Drive

6 days ago

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Truck owner and operator Alan Kitzhaber has a 1995 Kenworth T600 with more than four million miles on it. Of course, it wasn't always easy. Kitzhaber has regularly repaired his truck over its 30-year life and made a host of modifications, not only to keep it running but also to prevent previous problems from recurring. It's been a labor of love, all things considered.
'Diligent maintenance goes a long way to keep that truck going,' Kitzhaber told Overdrive Magazine in this recent video. But Kitzhaber has done far more than the routine, preventative maintenance. Wherever the truck struggled or failed, he came up with a fix. For instance, the Wisconsin winters Kitzhaber often faces can gel up even the most thoroughly treated diesel fuel. That's why he installed an Arctic Fox fuel heater, which not only helps his truck start every time but also increases the life of the engine.
That engine in question is a Caterpillar 3406E engine with 550 horsepower. And while it's 30 years old, it has been serviced and 'overhauled' three times by Caterpillar. Still, it's the original power unit, and it has 4.1 million miles on it.
While the engine itself is mostly unmodified, he's done a lot to make its life easier. For example, he upgraded from the standard 13-speed manual transmission to one with two overdrives, thus keeping the engine more relaxed while cruising at higher speeds. He also went from a dual-drive axle to a single-drive axle, making the rearmost axle a tag. That not only shaved 1,200 pounds from the entire rig, but it also reduced drivetrain loss, resulting in less strain on the engine and improved fuel economy. The Airdog filter helps to remove air from the fuel, too. Alan Kitzhaber with his truck. Overdrive Magazine via YouTube
One of the biggest improvements Kitzhaber made was the tire pressure monitoring system, which consists of special air sensor valve stem caps that send tire pressure info to a single control unit in the cabin.
'I can't tell you the number of times that has really paid off,' Kitzhaber told Caterpillar. 'You're able to pull over to the side of the road and get it fixed before you have a catastrophic failure.'
The most visible modification is the massive front bumper guard, which has saved his truck from four deer strikes so far. Four prevented deer strikes means Kitzhaber didn't have to pay to replace four hoods, radiators, or anything else that would have broken from hitting a deer at speed. Also, he didn't have to worry about the downtime, either.
Kitzhaber never intended to make a 30-year commitment to a truck, or even make a career out of driving one. But some time ago, while in between jobs, he saw an ad that said 'Drive a truck. See the country.' He thought he'd do that for a few years; however, 33 years and more than four million miles later, Kitzhaber is still behind the wheel of a truck, and seemingly neither wants to give up on each other.
Whenever someone takes a Honda or Toyota to one million miles, the car company usually gives the owner a brand-new car. What's Kenworth gonna do, buy Kitzhaber a house? I kid, I kid.
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