Freightliner Purchased a new 2013 Freightliner Glider kit from Harrison

[Duck]

You got a T660 right? I have T66o and nothing rattle in that truck.Man I love It!

I have had Freight shakers (Appropriatly nick named) I have driven many Binders and had the cabinets swing open on me going down the road, I had my microwave and t.v. crash to the floor.Not much you can do while driving But wait for a safe place to stop and hope you stuff ain't broke.

The nicest truck I ever had assigned was a brand new Volvo 630 or 670, something like that. But it was only nicer than the T-660 due to the fact the Volvo had more interior room. The T-660 rides better and is quieter. Behind the wheel, I prefer the T-660 but when I'm parked for the night, I'd prefer the Volvo. I had a Volvo 680, the one with the bigger sleeper but the extra room wasn't enough to offset the constantly shaking dash, the fact it handled like an old worn out Freightshaker FLD, and weighed 20,300 lbs w/fuel. I really hated that 680.

 

[Rigjockey]

The nicest truck I ever had assigned was a brand new Volvo 630 or 670, something like that. But it was only nicer than the T-660 due to the fact the Volvo had more interior room. The T-660 rides better and is quieter. Behind the wheel, I prefer the T-660 but when I'm parked for the night, I'd prefer the Volvo. I had a Volvo 680, the one with the bigger sleeper but the extra room wasn't enough to offset the constantly shaking dash, the fact it handled like an old worn out Freight shaker FLD, and weighed 20,300 lbs w/fuel. I really hated that 680.

I agree almost completely. K.W. is a nice riding truck.I attribute that the six air bag system and the truck is tight. The T I have agree the cab and bunk is very small.

This is where I stray, I always thought the Volvo had a real nice ride to it.I love the placement of the controls and the foreword thought they put into way the controls operate. The bunk area is very well thought out and very roomy and comfortable.

 

[Injun]

That W9 I trained in rattled my molars loose. It was poorly maintained and its owner didn't know much about running the tandems back for a smoother ride. I went to bed once and was woken up by the bouncing six inches off the bunk every time that truck hit a line in the pavement. What a wasted night that was.

The Columbias were rattletraps. The Century wasn't much better, but it had the added benefit of blowing exhaust everywhere except where it was supposed to go.

The Volvo 670 ...well, it didn't have the room the Columbia did inside and the bunk was more narrow. I could deal with that. The ride was quiet and the A/C never gave me a lick of trouble. The dash didn't seem to be attached to any other part of the truck and you couldn't keep a cup of coffee in the cup holder.

The Cascadia rode like a dream as long as I could keep it on the road, which wasn't for extended periods of time.

The i9900 Eagle was a work truck, not designed for pure comfort. However, I ripped out the interior and put a double bed in it. I slept comfortably in that truck. But, like most Binders, it had the usual A/C problems and was miserable to live in during summer. The effect was magnified by the black paint job.

This truck rides the smoothest of all of them I have experienced, but that has a lot to do with my own added stuff and my maintenance program. I am a stickler for alignment, I know far more about the effects of tandem placement and weight balance and stay on top of tire wear. However, it is already shaping up to be a long summer. I will be getting a new condenser for the A/C before the season hits. I already have a compressor on order and am considering getting one from Peterbilt and jockeying it to work with this system. No idea why International can't seem to figure out compressors. After seeing that pic Tim took last year, of a thermometer reading 34* sticking out of his A/C vent, I might be inclined to have my entire system replaced with parts from Peterbilt. There has to be a way to keep the A/C working....everybody else has figured that out. How 'bout ya', International?

 

[Duck]

The Volvo 670 ... The dash didn't seem to be attached to any other part of the truck and you couldn't keep a cup of coffee in the cup holder.

I never had that problem with a 670. But the 680's I've driven, the dash wiggles non-stop. The cup-holders are useless. Our 670's had the air-ride steer axles. But the 680's didn't.

Some guys used to prop the dash up with a 2x4 somehow. I tried it and the 2x4 kept falling out. I was going to try cutting one 1/4" longer and then using a shorter one with a small floor jack to lift on the dash so I could fit the taller 2x4 in there but I never got around to it.

Them damn freakin' 680 bodies are all steel and they're so heavy that even when they're brand new, the body roll is excessive, it's like driving an old worn out FLD with worn out shocks and cab suspension. I have no idea why they would make a truck that heavy too. Them Swedes must not know we have weight limits here. 20,300 lbs full of fuel. I was looking at the exhaust stack bracket on the one I had. I understand that bracket has to be beefy so the pipe doesn't wiggle, but it looked like this thing could have been used to lift the entire rig off the ground with a crane.

 

[blackw900]

I agree almost completely. K.W. is a nice riding truck.I attribute that the six air bag system....

How DO they configure that 6 bag system?


Let's see....Two on the left, four on the right?

Three on the front, three on the back?

Two on the front, two on the rear and two in the glove compartment?

Enquiring minds want to know....:neener:

This is where I stray, I always thought the Volvo had a real nice ride to it.I love the placement of the controls and the foreword thought they put into way the controls operate. The bunk area is very well thought out and very roomy and comfortable.

A friend of mine that had a Volvo went for a ride with me one day a year or so ago and while we were riding along he said..."This is the smoothest riding truck I've ever been in, WTF? I thought my Volvo was supposed to be a good riding truck!"

After seeing that pic Tim took last year, of a thermometer reading 34* sticking out of his A/C vent, I might be inclined to have my entire system replaced with parts from Peterbilt. There has to be a way to keep the A/C working....everybody else has figured that out. How 'bout ya', International?

I have an idea....Unbolt the marker lights and back a PACCAR truck under them and then bolt them back down.

Some guys used to prop the dash up with a 2x4 somehow. I tried it and the 2x4 kept falling out. I was going to try cutting one 1/4" longer and then using a shorter one with a small floor jack to lift on the dash so I could fit the taller 2x4 in there but I never got around to it.

Wow!

That makes me wanna rush right out and order a Volvo.

 

[Duck]

I have an idea....Unbolt the marker lights and back a PACCAR truck under them and then bolt them back down.

Not all PACCAR products are decent trucks. I can say from personal experience that the Peterbilt model 386 is nothing but a pile of used Freightshaker parts slapped together by a bunch of enslaved mental patients imported from Guatemala. The night & day differences between a Pete 386 and a KW T-660 of the same year are so extreme it's hard to believe they're essentially made by the same company. Peterbilt/PACCAR really f'ed up with that one. Some engineers need to get fired, and I mean literally fired, ... with a circus cannon.

Wow!

That makes me wanna rush right out and order a Volvo.

And these were brand new trucks I was talking about. They're like that from the factory. They use probably 200 lbs of steel to make the bracket that holds the exhaust stack in place, but they apparently decided to attach the dash to the firewall with rubber bands and duct tape.

 

[blackw900]

Not all PACCAR products are decent trucks. I can say from personal experience that the Peterbilt model 386 is nothing but a pile of used Freightshaker parts slapped together by a bunch of enslaved mental patients imported from Guatemala. The night & day differences between a Pete 386 and a KW T-660 of the same year are so extreme it's hard to believe they're essentially made by the same company. Peterbilt/PACCAR really f'ed up with that one. Some engineers need to get fired, and I mean literally fired, ... with a circus cannon.

I'm really no fan of Peterbilt trucks. The 379, 389's are OK and are in my opinion head and shoulders better than anything offered by Junkliner, Vulva and the 13 letter shltspreader....But as far as PACCAR trucks are concerned I think the W900, T600, T660 are better trucks overall than anything Peterbilt has to offer.

The T2000, T700 and 387 are fleet JUNK in my opinion.

Before anyone freaks out and goes crazy because I said something negative about the "Red Oval" trucks....This is just MY opinion!

And these were brand new trucks I was talking about. They're like that from the factory. They use probably 200 lbs of steel to make the bracket that holds the exhaust stack in place, but they apparently decided to attach the dash to the firewall with rubber bands and duct tape.

Volvos are horrible trucks....Period! They always have been.

 

[Duck]

Volvos are horrible trucks....Period! They always have been.

Nah. Not if you're a company driver. Every 670 I've driven has been a nice truck. They've all been Cummins-powered though. My company did make the mistake of ordering 20 of them with the Volvo or Mercedes engine, ... and from what I've been told about them, they were the most pathetic excuse for a motor ever. No power, 5 MPG if you're lucky (when the Cummins trucks were averaging 6.7) and the jakes were useless.

From an O/O perspective though, I'd have to agree with you though. You can either go with the crappy Volvo engines or deal with all kinds of expensive electrical problems because they were only somewhat sorta half-ass compatible with the Cummins ECM. The Cummins computers were always having conflicts with the truck computer. My company eventually phased out the Volvos and bought a bunch of piece of **** Pete 386's, the drivers complained too much so they're about 90% KW T-660's now. Everybody likes the T-660's except for a handful of old geezers who don't want to give up their Volvos, so they bought 20 Volvo 680's to pacify those guys, and every one of those old timers got fed up with being overweight all the time and the dashboards shaking all the time, so those Volvos ended up going to whoever would take them.

 

[blackw900]

The fact that they're fairly nice to drive as a company driver does not negate the fact that they are horrible trucks....It's just that as a company driver the horrible thing about them don't really bother you.

If I owned one....I would probably have and "insurance fire" if the truck didn't burn down on its own before I could light the torch.

 

[Duck]

The fact that they're fairly nice to drive as a company driver does not negate the fact that they are horrible trucks....It's just that as a company driver the horrible thing about them don't really bother you.

If I owned one....I would probably have and "insurance fire" if the truck didn't burn down on its own before I could light the torch.

The problems with a pre-2007 Volvo are NOTHING compared to the problems with ALL trucks built after 2007 though. Those fudge-packing tree-hugger systems add like 10 grand to the price of the truck, and cause nothing but problems and kill your fuel economy. And it doesn't matter what kind of truck they're on. They're ALL garbage if they have a DPF filter or even worse, the 2010 & newer junk that have the DPF filters and that SCR system on top of it that requires that you fill this little tank on the side of the truck with some kind of synthetic urine every couple of fill-ups.

 

[Tim]

That W9 I ran with rattled my morals loose.

So your blaming that on BW9's truck?

After seeing that pic Tim took last year, of a thermometer reading 34* sticking out of his A/C vent, I might be inclined to have my entire system replaced with parts from Peterbilt. There has to be a way to keep the A/C working....everybody else has figured that out. How 'bout ya', International?

It aint all to do with it just being a PACCAR product.

 

[That guy]

They use probably 200 lbs of steel to make the bracket that holds the exhaust stack in place, but they apparently decided to attach the dash to the firewall with rubber bands and duct tape.

Funny chit!

Nah. Not if you're a company driver.

Now this I agree with. If you don't have to pay for it, maintain it or take the ass kicking when you sell it. Your opinion changes dramatically!

 

[That guy]

It aint all to do with it just being a PACCAR product.
To achieve this
View attachment 16031

Ha, the only way my A/C will blow that cold is if it's 30* outside!!! And I've spent over $6000 on it since it was new. EVERY part has been replaced at least once and some twice. 3 compressors, 5 expansion valves, all the hoses (some twice) dryers, condenser, evaporator......same junk ass Climatech parts Pete uses. Have considered knocking the back window out and putting a home unit in!!
View attachment 16031

 

[Duck]

Ha, the only way my A/C will blow that cold is if it's 30* outside!!! And I've spent over $6000 on it since it was new. EVERY part has been replaced at least once and some twice. 3 compressors, 5 expansion valves, all the hoses (some twice) dryers, condenser, evaporator......same junk ass Climatech parts Pete uses. Have considered knocking the back window out and putting a home unit in!!

Attach one of these things to the back of the cab. Might have to slide your 5th wheel back just a tad though.

View attachment 16032
View attachment 16032

 

[blackw900]

Ha, the only way my A/C will blow that cold is if it's 30* outside!!! And I've spent over $6000 on it since it was new. EVERY part has been replaced at least once and some twice. 3 compressors, 5 expansion valves, all the hoses (some twice) dryers, condenser, evaporator......same junk ass Climatech parts Pete uses. Have considered knocking the back window out and putting a home unit in!!

Mine blow cold enough to be uncomfortably cold up to about 90 degrees and then above that it keeps the cab and sleeper very comfortable.
I know for a fact that Tims A/C blows that cold in the middle of summer in Laredo, TX.

 

[Injun]

So your blaming that on BW9's truck?:headscratch:

I actually had to go back and make sure my dyslexia didn't get the better of me.

And no, can't blame the BW9 truck. I was corrupted long before I met him. Fortunately, he was just as corrupted and I saw in him a kindred soul. Much like I saw in you and, thus, my insistence you two meet.

And the truckin world has not been the same since.

 

[nhbuckvt]

Hey....I sure want to see this truck when you get it..

 

[Copperhead]

Love all these pros and cons being expressed about various brands of trucks. But it purely academic to the original idea behind this thread. Mack, Volvo, KW, and International do not offer any kind of glider truck, so how they ride or feel doesn't mean anything. Pete only offers the 389 as a glider, but only when they feel like it. Freightliner is the only real option. And even then, only the Columbia, Coronado, and M2. Daimler has also put out Western Star gliders, but they are keeping a reign on them like Pete is with the 389.

I guess I could have the most comfortable, quiet truck made. But then that would defeat the whole purpose of getting a glider.... avoiding all the headaches with emissions junk, and avoiding the 12% Federal Excise Tax on new equipment. The $40,000 initial savings of a glider compared to a comparably spec'd new truck with all the emissions junk, and the lower lifetime operation cost is more than ample compensation for a "rattle" that may crop up and it not being the classiest ride on the road. For those that only drive someone else's stuff, I guess only the way the interior is laid out and how fun it is to drive is the only issues. When someone is paying the bills, has to turn the wrenches once in a while, and has to deal with the cost of component replacement and downtime, then a rattle the truck makes going down the road becomes secondary as to the profitability of the equipment. And what one has experienced thru the years makes some difference. Every truck on the road today... regardless of brand... is light years ahead of trucks in days gone by when it comes to comfort. To me, a truck is a tool to get a job done in the most efficient way. I am not expecting a truck to be a high class sports car. I live in it, yes. But only during the week. Weekends and holidays are at home. I don't go to truck shows, so I don't care that the glider is not a "real truck" in someone's estimation. In this business climate, it is a good financial choice.

 

[freedhardwoods]

What one has experienced thru the years makes some difference. Every truck on the road today... regardless of brand... is light years ahead of trucks in days gone by when it comes to comfort. To me, a truck is a tool to get a job done in the most efficient way. I am not expecting a truck to be a high class sports car. I live in it, yes. But only during the week. Weekends and holidays are at home. I don't go to truck shows, so I don't care that the glider is not a "real truck" in someone's estimation. In this business climate, it is a good financial choice.

New drivers today are spoiled rotten. I can't begin to count how many times I've heard someone calling a brand new truck "junk". When I started driving in the '70s, I would have loved to "upgrade" to one of todays used trucks with a million and a half miles on it.

As far as I'm concerned, buying a glider is the smart choice for a company of 1 or 10,000. If it isn't quite as nice and comfortable as some other brand or model, TOUGH; Grow a pair and quit whining.

 

[Injun]

In this business climate, it is a good financial choice.

This.

:hail: