Hi all,
While on the road, I occasionally see a tractor with a fairly long sleeper cab. I've mostly seen them on Schneider and United van lines trucks. Are those cabs an optional factory length or is it aftermarket? While browing the truck manuf. webpages, I haven't seen sleepers that long as an option...heck, I don't even know how long they are, but they stick out big time to me as being longer than any other sleeper cab I've seen.

Ryan

Well if they are that big, then they are NOT schneider trucks. If they are orange, then they are pulling for reliable or the bedbugger company (can't think of its name).

Yes they are aftermarket sleepers, mucho dinero...

Perhaps, Allied?

Something to remember when looking at trucks with those big sleepers is that they are only applicable to a few types of trucking. Car haulers, and moving vans are the primary ones that can make use of them due to the extra weight and the loss of maneuverability the bigger sleeper adds to the truck. I have a friend that runs an extended sleeper on his truck pulling an enclosed car hauilng trailer. His empty weight with no cars on board is close to 50,000 pounds. He rarely has a situation where he needs to maneuver and back into a dock, merely parking somewhere where they have room behind the trailer for the tailgate to come down. He stays out for long perieds of time, since his schedule is often based on the customers and meeting up with them.

For guys in that situation, the downsides to weight and length issues can be dealt with. For most trucks, pulling 44k in a van, or having to back up to a dock, those sleepers simply are not a very workable solution. And if you plan to buy one, then you are looking at a minimum of about 60,000 on top of the cost of the truck itself. They can ccost more, depending on how they are laid out and what goodies are added in.

As far as I know, the largest factory sleeper that can be had is the Kenworth 86" Studio. If you're referring to the massive rolling apartments that you see from time to time on the road, that would likely be an ICT or Double Eagle sleeper. You can get those as big as 140"!! Top that off with the APU, shower, toilet, apartment type kitchen, and other stuff, and you can forget about ever hauling 44,000 in the box again. Also, these sleepers tend to be on extremely long wheelbase trucks, like 300" and longer. I have seen them as long as 320". Forget about fitting into a regular truck stop parking stall, or being able to maneuver into a dock.

I had a Freightliner FL112 with a custom 16'(192") studio sleeper. I only had a single drive axle but have seen em longer with twin screw axles. This truck was called a toterhome (RV) but mine was NOT meant for over 45000 GVW. The tractor alone weighed in at 22,600 lbs. I was an awsome truck with all the amenities of home, but was VERY difficult to park. Bumper to bumper it was 32' long as opposed to 26' for a freightliner Columbia with 70" sleeper.

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I seen one pulling a flatbad once that probably had one of those on it before. This thing was of such length that you could put a 26' van body on it and make it a straight truck if you wanted to.

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Z-Lady's devoted hubby.

Allied is correct, went out on the road and saw another truck and it was allied. Confused em with schneider.

I wasnt thinking about buying one, lol don't even have a CDL yet, but I just see them once in a blue moon and just 'wow' every time I see one.

Never thought about turning radius on those guys. Uffda.

Ok so it seems that stretching the frame out would allow you to haul less weight...but with these long tractors...what can you haul? Some said cars and moving homes....

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A lot of those rolling apartments pull MT trailers, for trailer transport companies. So, in that case it doesn't matter that they weigh 50k empty.

I have seen these trucks also pulling drops, in which case they have been leased to Landstar.