THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE - DFO gets a truck and hops on Schneider's IC Choice Program

Nope, don't see many of those spec'd how I want.

Just got back from looking at the other W900 today. I liked what I saw overall, ran good, but there was a repair that had been made to a crack in the frame up front kinda near the rear spring hangar for the front axle. The guy told me that the repair was done by the small shop that the truck is for sale at, which I really doubt is specialized in frame repair. I saw some slag on the front spring and when I bent down to look at it that is when he mentioned it to me. The slag that I was able to brush off with my finger also indicates that the repair was done recently, so either it cracked recently, or it was repaired and then cracked again.

I know nothing about frame repair but it makes me nervous. I imagine getting the rail replaced would be a very costly job. Think I'll pass on this one too... ####.

 

This is something I've really considered Dipschitt, and I still may look into it should I not find a truck I am satisfied with before my lease on this truck ends. I have gone back and fourth about this a lot.

As with everything in this business it comes down to $$$$.

At the end of the lease I owe $54,000 on it.

I am not interested in re-leasing for another year. I want to have the title in my name or with the bank, so that no company could tell me what I can and can not do with my truck. Do you know how disappointing it would be to get within a few months of completing that lease, only to have some stupid screw-up that would lead SFI to say "driver bring that truck back up to Green Bay, you're done"? Oh man, I can't even imagine.

So SFI is out of the option.

Now, if I stretched absolutely EVERYTHING I had (including the loan I have now), maybe borrowed a little bit from some family, I could probably purchase that truck outright from SFI come September. But, it is out of warranty. I would have ZERO left over for any emergency breakdowns. That move is just too risky for me!

If I don't find something come November, I will talk with SFI and see if they would be willing to negotiate with me. I have absolutely no idea if they do or not, but it would be worth a shot.

Another big thing for me is I really want a truck that I can work on easily myself. Honestly the engine in my truck isn't too bad compared to some modern engines, but it is finicky. And expensive and time consuming if I have to take it to a shop to get stuff looked at for stuff that is just beyond what I can do with my level of experience and available tools.

I looked at a W900 today with a S60 Detroit and a 15 speed. There was so much room I could lay on top of the valve cover of the engine and snake myself down on top of the transmission. It wasn't a bad truck, honestly out of a lot of the ones I have seen it was in the best mechanical shape. It needed a bumper and the fairings were damaged. But I have never in my life beein in a truck that has been smoked in so much. I got nauseous and had to step out of the truck after sitting in there for a few minutes, it was literally _that_ bad.

So after being a little disappointed about that, I came home and got a message from the guy that had the original N14 W900 I looked at weeks ago. He told me to call him in the morning. The guy who bout that W900 I was interested in was supposed to pick it up on Tuesday, so either that guy never showed up to get the truck, or he has another one that I might be interested in. I think he probably got another truck, I saw he got one off Craigslist that I was looking at too, a 379 with an N14 and a 15spd. I don't like the 15 speed but whatever, I could change that in the future if I wanted.

SO, that's all to say... one last truck to look at tomorrow, then I'm hitting the road for a while.