Fall Series 2024: Kimble CNG Battle/ Heil REL

(Long description, but I think you'll find it worth the read)

Here we have a combo I have been after for nearly 4 years, but haven't have any luck coming across until recently. Kimble actually first got CCC (still CCC back then) rear loaders in 2021, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the first one coming the other way on the highway. They actually came in about a year before they started getting Battle/ CCC Curottos. They run probably 85 percent Curotto for resi, so I made countless attempts searching where I knew they ran rear loads, but it almost always ended up being a Freightliner/ McNeilus or a Premier. They have, I'm guessing, around 20 or so of these (combo'd both CNG/ Diesel and branded CCC/ Battle) between all of their shops, but I've had ABSOLUTELY ZERO luck finding one when I've been able to film. It's worth nothing that Battle's manufacturing plant is right here in New Philadelphia Ohio, about a 5 minute drive from Kimble's headquarters.

I got a lead that one was running Yard Waste out in Avon Lake, and although it is quite the drive, I decided to make it one day a few weeks back. Apparently Avon Lake is the honey hole for some of their good stuff, because a few years back that is where I finally found one of their Peterbilt/ E-Z Pack Curottos after looking for about two years. Oddly enough, this video was shot about 5 minutes walking distance from where I filmed the Peterbilt, right across across the main road. I actually got lucky on this video as I had a VERY hard time finding the truck. I kept finding yard waste that needed serviced, but no truck. Or I kept ending up on empty cans that were serviced by the other YW truck that you will see in a later video. I spent about 2 hours trying to track it down and was just about to call it off because even if I found it I would be out of daylight, but I had a hunch to check one area one more time and I found it right as I turned in there.

Interestingly enough, in 16 years of filming trucks (man that's hard to believe, shout-out to everyone who has been a viewer since the beginning!) this is my first video of a dedicated yard waste route. There aren't many communities in Northeast Ohio with dedicated yard waste programs, and in the ones that have them, it is usually so spread out that it would take forever to film. Kimble and Avon Lake are actually in the early stages of rolling out yard waste carts on a voluntary basis, and they are starting to pop up quite a bit. I am thinking that is why this was ran one man rear load, as he was just chasing paper bags here and a personal can marked there, but if I had to guess when yard waste comes back on in the Spring this will provably be a Curotto just like the other side of town. I have to say, the trash color cart body with the recycle color lid (you'll notice it's a little brighter, Kimble has started using the same color recycle carts as GFL) looks really sharp. ‪@buckeyestatesolidwaste‬ has a video of a Curotto doing YW with older carts with the darker/ deeper bright green lid if that is of interest to anyone.

As far as the truck, it's a simple/ standard truck, but definitely gets the job done. Can't go wront with a Heil 5000 body. The Battle LET might not have a ton of bells and whistles, but it honestly has a good setup for driver comfort and performance without being overly flashy. This is the first one I've seen with the DSNY style door instead of the suicide style flip door, so that was neat to get to check out. I'm still not sure how I feel about the right hand drive only from a personal standpoint... It seems to be working well for them and the drivers I've talked to have come around to them, but they all say the first time they took them on the highway was like the first time behind the wheel all over again. Overall, it seems to be a solid way to reduce costs and potential mechanical needs while still producing a quality vehicle. One thing that stood out to be on this truck was the strobes... I'm not sure why, but they way they stayed in constant sync right-left with what felt like the slightest big of a delay I'm thinking it's because I'm so used to seeing the pattern alternate between right-left and an X pattern?

A big thanks to my buddy John for the lead on this, this video never would have happened without the info! Also a big thanks to the driver for letting me showcase his rig after looking for one for so long!

Comments Appreciated!!! Would love to hear what you guys think of this combo!

***Random note- I would really like to film one of the old Classic Mack LE/ Powertrak Rear Loaders they run out of Cambridge and maybe still Dover as well as the shorter Single Axle Curottos they run out of Dover, so if anyone with any ties to Kimble has any knowledge of where they run- a heads up would be GREATLY appreciated!