Normally you strike me as a rational, and relatively sane person, especially for a truck driver Racer, but in this case I am afraid you have left me shaking my head. We all know you would give up all that room and comfort, not to mention better visibility, just for a single day in a truck that was basically designed in 1957 and has barely changed, outwardly at least, to this very day!
As a former wrench on these fine pieces of equipment, which one is easier to work on, in your opinion?
The only thing I ever disliked about working on the Volvo trucks was changing fuel filters on the ones with Volvo engines. They are on the left side of the engine, about the middle, just above the front axle, and very hard to get to.
Most everything else is about the same. And the Volvo's are pretty well built, and don't need as much repair type work. The maintenance items are just about the same. Under the skin they are all the same. Whatever axles, engine and tranny you spec out, and whatever frame setup you want.
All of the newer trucks suffer from the same ills. Too much plastic, used in an effort to reduce weight is the biggest problem.
Like I said, if PACCAR would pull their heads out of their asses and come up with something better than that abortion they call the T2000 (and the Pete 387, or the new T700 and the Pete 587) that are supposed to compete head to head with the Volvo, I would be delighted to come back home.
The first truck I ever rode in was a Pete cabover that one of my uncles had. And I have ridden in and driven just about every kind of truck made since the early '60's. Trucks used to be distinguished by the fact that they were just that. Trucks. Noisy. Uncomfortable. Hard to steer. No air conditioning. Ergonomics was a word that was not in the engineer's vocabulary.
Today's trucks have come a long way toward comfort, style and economy.
But as you mention, some have changed very little since they were conceived 50 years ago.
All I want is what I have in this ugly green toad.
A table to eat at.
A comfortable and quiet place to sit and watch the world go by from, and to be able to listen to the stereo without having to crank up the volume to 10 to drown out the road noise.
That's not so much to ask.
Is it?