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dilligasatall t1_jcg3qln wrote

She's Purdy! You don't get to see many cab-overs roaming the roads anymore.

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KeepOnTrippinOn t1_jcgb2i0 wrote

It's funny because in the UK pretty much all trucks are this style, I love the peterbilt style classic trucks you have over there😎

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Teanut t1_jcgg2n3 wrote

As I recall it's because of how maximum length (truck+trailer) is measured in both countries. Also that in Europe the shorter turning radius of a cabover is really useful.

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FireryDawn t1_jch5vzd wrote

And ferries - when the tractor counts for length, the 1-2m hoods cut into cost

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vim_for_life t1_jcihggl wrote

That's why they were so prevalent here in the states, but they updated the laws to exclude the tractor. Which is why you occasionally see some trucks with HUGE sleepers.

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Fromanderson t1_jcmqkmb wrote

Moving the engine out front makes the trucks a lot more comfortable. The interior is more roomy. They are quieter. It’s easier to access the sleeper and with the cab mounted lower there is a lot less sway.

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vim_for_life t1_jcmsk83 wrote

True, but cargo capacity trumped driver comfort. (My grandfather drove a COE OTR for 30 years). If the choice was a 53' trailer and a cab over, or a 48' trailer and a conventional cab, a company is going to choose the cabover every day. For my grandfather that was the difference between hauling 1 piece of equipment or two. (He drove for Case)

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imnos t1_jci776x wrote

You'd think that would be useful in any location..

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zap_p25 t1_jcglg3s wrote

We just call them conventionals as everyone builds them (even Volvo here in the US).

Bit of history, until 1976 the US had a maximum combination length restriction of 65 feet. For a standard 53 foot long van, that only gives you 12 feet of tractor. While you may be able to pull that off with SWB day cab in a conventional config...long haul drivers want sleepers and as long of a wheel base as they can get. 1976, fuel crisis and just about anything that could be done to lessen fuel consumption was done (national speed limit of 55 mph instituted, calls for manufacturers to build more fuel efficient vehicles, etc) and conventional trucks are typically more aerodynamic thus slightly more fuel efficient so the easy solution...extend the combo length limit to 75 feet. When you can haul a standard 53' van...have a long wheel base and a decent sleeper with a conventional tractor...why dick with cabovers?

It's truly a case of they've become rare because Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, GM, Ford, etc stopped making them simply because due to the lift of length restrictions, they simply weren't selling. Granted, you can still by a cab over Mack and Freightliner today...just not for tractor use (Class B application) though you could probably take an Autocar ACX as a 6x4 tandem drive chassis and add a 5th wheel to it. The cab profile would be lower to the ground compared to a traditional White-Freightliner cabover but the cab is relatively unchanged (in fact, the severe duty Autocar trucks have only updated the cab from the 1960's White-Freight cab in the last 10 years or so).

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EicherDiesel t1_jch3hl2 wrote

That's quite a bit more, over here (Germany) a semi still tops out at 16.5m or 51ft while a truck+trailer combo can be a good bit longer at 18.75m or 61.5ft. No individual part of that combo must be longer than 12m/ 39ft though. There are some experiments with a semi plus another extra trailer that can be much longer but those are the general restrictions.
From personal experience driving such a ~18.5m truck+trailer combo already massively sucks if you're driving on twisty single lane roads or through old villages so even as I really like their looks i don't think we'll ever change laws to bring back standard cab semis.

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zap_p25 t1_jckvkf1 wrote

So North America...our roads are typically straighter, many cities and communities are specifically built around automobiles and gradients are much more strictly managed (one of the reason most long haul truck sit around 500 hp, more power simply isn't needed for the majority of our loads).

Now you do see tandems in use here in the US but they are 28.5 feet long each. Canada allows what are called B-trains where they haul tandem 53 footers. Australia on the other hand has what are called road trains...which can be three to five full length vans.

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Ask_Me_What_Im_Up_to t1_jcgkhzb wrote

According to a former lorry, now taxi-driver I spoke to in the US, the normal yank style is significantly safer for the driver in cases of a traffic accident!

Mind you, he did also tell me about carrying a gun and waving it about at people who annoyed him whilst driving, so perhaps not the best source of info. Hahaha.

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MyEvilTwinSkippy t1_jcgvkqx wrote

It seemed like they all just vanished one day. Then, a few years ago, I was working a site in Texas and there they all were...crossing back and forth into Mexico.

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giftedguineapig t1_jcgmh3f wrote

This is a great truck. I own a shipping company and in order to get into ports we have to upgrade our trucks every couple years. We have a 2000 freightliner that we use as a hostler that I hope never dies.

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capt_carl t1_jcgj6zo wrote

For real! I love the riveted gleam of a Peterbilt, but cabovers just have something about them that I love.

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Slimy_Shart_Socket t1_jchzh5g wrote

Banned in California for emissions reasons, but those reasons are now redundant.

Originally it was the poor aerodynamics which caused slightly less fuel economy. However in Europe all they use is Cab overs due to length restrictions in cities and highways. As a result they have adapted the cab over design and improved emissions/fuel economy to the point that they match USA trucks.

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Sloth_rockets OP t1_jciah15 wrote

The K100 was Kenworths most aerodynamic truck until the T600 debuted in 1985.

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scottb84 t1_jcg6u5q wrote

I'll have to keep this in mind next time I'm buying a semi.

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twinpac t1_jcg7p79 wrote

Pro-tip: always read the Amazon reviews before making a big semi purchase.

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Linun t1_jch4jff wrote

Keep an eye out for those fake reviews!

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BillyTheBigKid t1_jcho5oc wrote

Is that like layaway? Is that something you need to be pre-approved for?

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Epena501 t1_jcg6atm wrote

Dad had a forest green one. Loved taking rides with him as a kid.

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Rocktonix t1_jcg84lh wrote

Summers spent riding along in the sleeper were the best.

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Epena501 t1_jcgo9yl wrote

One thing that vividly has been ingrained in my core memory was the feeling of the outdoors heat coming in as we drove down the open road. Also remember the vivid smells of gas, oil, and overall trucking life without a a major care in the world given that I was a kid just rolling around with pops.

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windshakes t1_jch35l4 wrote

I know just what you mean. The smell of an old-school diesel's exhaust is nostalgic for me. I remember hiding out in the sleeper when we went through the scales or somewhere to unload. All the trucker chatter on 18 and seeing my dad scramble to turn the volume down when the talk went inappropriate (about every 37 seconds or so). The smell of the pages in the carbon-copy logbook. Counting down milemarkers. Breaking out the giant road atlas to look at maps. The air ride chairs. All the junk Truckstops sold.

What a time.

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Epena501 t1_jch60o3 wrote

Duuuuuuuude carbon-copy logbooks!!!!! I remember looking at it and my dad complaining about having to keep it up to date manually. Lol

I never understood those lines and always thought he was doing futuristic calculations

Edit: also remember helping him clean out the trailer with a broom and running around the aluminum grooved floor thinking the whole inside was HUGE

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Rocktonix t1_jchb8zw wrote

My dad was a mover so we’d strip down packing boxes after unloading for a move so they could be reused.

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Rocktonix t1_jchaspv wrote

My dad used to let me fill in his logbook, had a tiny red clear plastic ruler to graph out stop and driving times

Watching for quick peaks of the Statue of Liberty between high rises. Still the only time I’ve seen it beyond from a plane window.

Driving to the beach for a few hours in a rig when he had loads in FL

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Epena501 t1_jcicn9i wrote

When he would lift the cab to work the engine under it. It was a real life freaking transformer in my kid brain.

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Rocktonix t1_jcigrds wrote

I’m glad you commented. It’s been a nostalgia trip all day

I played at Disney world the summer after I finished college. My dad searched for loads to Florida so he could come watch. Was getting ready for work and a fellow performer told me there was a rig idling all night next to their cabin. Walked over and saw my dad, full 18 wheels parked in our tiny cabin community

He drove the whole thing through the park gates the next morning to watch me perform. The image of him standing in liberty square, full denim and flannel in an Orlando August afternoon with a disposable Kodak camera my mom sent with him will forever be burned in my mind.

He’s gone 8 years this past November and was the hardest working person I’ve known.

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zap_p25 t1_jcggfbg wrote

Better question, how many miles on the rig? What's the driveline?

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Sloth_rockets OP t1_jcgjugl wrote

1.6 million on original power train. Cummins N14 with Rockwell transmission. Consistently gets 8mpg on IFTA tax reporting.

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No-Coast-Punk t1_jch5sz8 wrote

What sort of overhauls have the engine and gearbox been through?

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H2Joee t1_jcjqnen wrote

So if I were just loosely guess at fuel costs over that 1.6 mil land just put the number at 3$ a gallon which we know is low for today that puts you at 600k spent in diesel. Realistically probably closer to 800-900k with todays prices.

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Doesacathaveapenis t1_jcgo0em wrote

Legitimate question: When it was new, did the doors still feel like a piece of cardboard hitting a mushy latch when you close them?

Love everything else about the K100s. Happy truckin from Australia 👍

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derpmcturd t1_jchfsa8 wrote

Very nice photo! Got a couple of questions for you out of curiosity if you have a minute:

  • What's the MPG you get on that thing? Are there any tricks to getting good MPG?

  • Does it have a bed in it? I'm not really familiar with this type of stuff so I honestly have no idea. If yes, what size bed?

  • What type of maintenance is needed on this and how often per year?

  • What's the average lifespan of this? Or, the typical lifespan?

Thanks so much!

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Sloth_rockets OP t1_jchj0g8 wrote

I get 8mpg on average now. Super single tires with slow and smooth driving are key. It has a tiny 3' wide bed right behind the seats. Maintenance is mostly oil changes @ 20K miles. This truck is made to be over hauled repeatedly, it could go as long as parts are available. Not disposable like the current models.

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zeepbar t1_jcjzcuf wrote

That ISO on that back is light. Not sure if that's a normal haul for ya.

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derpmcturd t1_jck0s00 wrote

wait 8mpg? I always knew they had bad gas mileage but 8 is lower than I had ever thought it could be! Don't the old H2 Hummers get like 11mpg? This means if you're on the highway, you'd have to refuel every 30 minutes or something? Doesn't that get frustrating? It feels that like would drive me crazy after a while.

Additionally, what did that truck cost you when it was new? Also, what would it cost to buy, as-is in its current condition, today? And finally, what's the typical cost of a similarly spec'd new truck and do people usually finance one or buy it outright?

Thanks so much!

0

natty_patty t1_jck7zls wrote

Besides rail, Trucks are some of the most efficient methods we have to move stuff. In the us, a semi can be loaded to 80,000lbs while the hummer is only rated to tow 6,600lbs. Semi trucks typically have 150 to 300 gallons of diesel capacity meaning at 8mpg you could go up to 2,400 miles on one tank.

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dantendoink t1_jck8m88 wrote

I bet the hummer would get worse mpg than the truck of they were both towing the same amount.

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Sloth_rockets OP t1_jckio39 wrote

8mpg is pretty good for a semi truck. I have 240 gallons of fuel capacity. I didn't buy it new, I was 10 years old. I think it was about $50,000 new in 1993. New trucks are $150,000+ most people finance that amount. There's no getting a similar spec truck anymore.

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Gordopolis t1_jcgev40 wrote

Eastern Washington?

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umpfke t1_jchnd2l wrote

Is that the Terminator 2 truck model?

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Sloth_rockets OP t1_jchnsdm wrote

I believe that was a Freightliner. I think Optimus prime was this truck once.

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GuiM4uVe t1_jciitzq wrote

Beautiful rig. And what a spot to take a picture. My favourite sightseeing corner when I drove to Page.

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Badroach t1_jcj2x2m wrote

Hauling PolyIso roofing insulation?

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Euphoria_STFU t1_jck9cnh wrote

I was about to ask what mods are you using because I thought this was a post on the truck simulator subreddit lmao. Beautiful rig!!!

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zippyzoodles t1_jcgyscg wrote

Love those cab-overs. Nice truck.

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EinElchsaft t1_jch2v9w wrote

Or until a crackhead pulls out in front of you lol.

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Travis_T_OJustice t1_jchhz9f wrote

I bought a 2018 409 this year. Built like a fuckin tank.

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diyturds t1_jcj0qmh wrote

Love these rigs. Always wanted to ride one as a kid

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scarabic t1_jcj6pvg wrote

I was reading Little House on the Prairie to my kid and we got to the chapter where one of their horses births a colt. I thought “wow, and in our age we just run cars until they stop working and then have to buy another - what a shit deal.”

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Dischucker t1_jcni7xu wrote

Man get that thing off the road. It's a hazard to the rest of us

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ambient_whooshing t1_jcg9o8u wrote

So we are celebrating that industrial diesel engines can run for 30 years 16hrs/day? That's the expectation and anything else would be a disappointment.

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RetreadRoadRocket t1_jcgb102 wrote

>That's the expectation and anything else would be a disappointment.

Maybe to somebody who doesn't know jack shit about the trucking industry. https://www.truckinginfo.com/151205/all-you-need-to-know-about-b-numbers

16 hours a day for 30 years at an average speed of 55mph is over 9.6 million miles, the engine would have to be overhauled multiple times to do that.

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ambient_whooshing t1_jcgg2z1 wrote

So what's been replaced in 9milliom miles?

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RetreadRoadRocket t1_jch4d0g wrote

Pretty much everything in the driveline that is a friction surface and/or isn't a heavy casting or made from steel would not last for that many miles, most of it would require replacement multiple times. Things like Bearings, seals, rings, cylinder sleeves and water, oil, injector, and fuel pumps, etc.... none of that stuff will last that long.

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ambient_whooshing t1_jchcwqh wrote

Exactly. Not at all BIFL. Has OP's rig run that long? Okay, sure. Is it a truck of Theseus? Yes. People can downvote the above responses but that's the point. The block was even likely retooled to some degree.

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RetreadRoadRocket t1_jche9gg wrote

It's still BIFL because normal maintenance doesn't count and it is not a ship of Theseus because it will still have a multitude of its original components.

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ambient_whooshing t1_jchj0cg wrote

I disagree but whatever

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RetreadRoadRocket t1_jchuy72 wrote

Disagree? With what? That you have to clean, maintain, and sometimes repair items to make them last? It's no different than cleaning and waterproofing your boots or patching a pair of jeans.

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Fryceratops t1_jcgbv83 wrote

This sub is filled with non-mechanical things that we would expect to last years. Ffs someone put up their weed grinder

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ambient_whooshing t1_jcgg6q9 wrote

Weed grinders fail faster than most anything. Ffs

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Fryceratops t1_jcgxf8k wrote

I cannot count the amount of stainless steel grinders I have seen destroyed /s

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Kall_Me_Kapkan t1_jclltqe wrote

I e had this one called "kannistor" for 10 years at least, daily use

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ambient_whooshing t1_jcgy0w9 wrote

I cannot count on one hand how many times I can use a grinder without needing to clean it with iso.

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