Where to buy glider kits, engine, etc.

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by VisionLogistics, Jul 15, 2012.

  1. e500gvr

    e500gvr Light Load Member

    125
    32
    Aug 21, 2006
    Bloomington,MN
    0
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Cowpie1

    Cowpie1 Road Train Member

    5,569
    4,646
    Nov 25, 2008
    Kellogg, IA
    0
    The couple of deals I thought I had worked out, didn't. Harrison took the truck in trade.
     
  4. heavyhaulerss

    heavyhaulerss Road Train Member

    3,723
    2,038
    Dec 23, 2009
    AL/TN BORDER
    0
    MY neighbor bought a coronado glider from Fitz. has owned it less than 2 months. he said on a pull with a load the check engine light would come on. it took 3 weeks to get appoint at a nashville TN. dealer. the light does not come on anymore, but his m.p.g. went from 7.4 to 6.1 he called & told the shop they have to do something to get his m.p.g. back. they told him they cannot put the old program back in, they have to think of something else to do. I would of thought fitz would of worked these bugs out of the system. I am just wondering if they put a low nox program in. but I am still surprised the engine light would come on at all being new. it is a real nice BIG truck. the looks are impressive. but new often has that affect.
     
  5. Zevede777

    Zevede777 Bobtail Member

    9
    7
    Jul 5, 2012
    Illinois
    0
    We bought 2 Gliders from Fitz and have not been satisfied with results. Fuel mileage has been 6.17 for one of them and 6.25 for the other. We have had nothing but problems. Fan hubs ,injector, Bolts coming out of truck, Apu problems, poor fuel mileage,air leaks, and all this on 2 trucks in 3 months. They installed the apu in the back box and you cant even check the oil. Was told these were 3/4 block motors Remanufactured from Freightliner and was not true. They were rebuilt at the Freightliner dealer in Knoxville. They call it Remanufactured but they are not the same.

    Was completely sold on there program. Would not buy these again. If you want one go buy a donner from a auction or one that your local dealer is going to wholesale and have it done at your local shop. Have it come from the factory with a engine ready to go and put reman Tran and Rear end in. This will save you 20,000 from the price of Fitz.
     
    The Challenger Thanks this.
  6. Cowpie1

    Cowpie1 Road Train Member

    5,569
    4,646
    Nov 25, 2008
    Kellogg, IA
    0
    I pulled into Omaha Truck Center (Freightliner) to get a repair (carrier bearing bit the dust, that is no dealer fault, just poor quality control at maker), and I talked with them about folks that have bought Fitz trucks. Not a rosy picture. They have encountered many problems that people have had with their Fitz trucks.

    I did find out, that OTC is doing gliders also. I might have taken a look at them when I was spec'ing out mine and got them in a bidding war against the dealer I went with. Oh well, I have a good ride. But I am hearing more and more stories all the time about trucks from Fitz. Would make me skiddish about buying from them. One can only hope these stories are few and far between and I just happen to have heard an unfair share.

    Mine is still into solid mid to high 7 mpg territory. Just ran an oil sample today and the engine is settling in real nice. One of the best oil samples I have seen in a long time. Iron 4, lead <2, Tin <2, copper 2, chromium 4, Aluminum 3, Soot .3, no water, fuel, glycol, TBN at 7.7 and viscosity at 14.4. Running Delo in it. No leaks and very low oil consumption.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2012
  7. Gunz444

    Gunz444 Light Load Member

    241
    161
    Aug 20, 2011
    Florida
    0
    Cowpie, first off I gotta say "man you da **** You did it and it is impressive to see someone push through a project like this. I wouldn't spend too much time wondering about anything you did spec'ing your ride. I appreciate the help you gave me and a glider is still in my future. I just cant find a better way to get what I want in my next truck.

    I totally agree with the comments about the Fitz crew. They are full of it! Scammers in my book based on the quantity and severity of the lying they throw down when you walk in the door. Good luck to them, they will need it. I just cant wait to read that the feds went after them and they could NOT produce a salvage title for each of those trucks they built.

    I have one question for someone selling a truck right off the ground as if it was a new truck? Where are all the "doner" trucks" Where are all the "doner truck titles" If you own a Fits truck and the parts mysteriously came from some other truck, then be worried! Someone will have to pay the excise on all the trucks they have been building all this time and the question is WHO will that be??

    Their claim to be in the good graces of FL is also total horse sh i t !! They are NOT in the good graces of ANY FL dealer in the country. This I know.

    Theyare a truck manufacturer that is getting away with a huge scam and if you want to know when the Feds have had enough of the glider scamming, then just follow what happens to Fitz. They have their supposed "friends" at FL in a bad spot. They order large "bulk" orders of plain Jane Coronado's which you can have in any variety or option package you may desire, just so long as it is what they order. The FL dealers hate the fact that a NON dealer is competing with them building gliders. I predict the fact that they ARE NOT a legitimate dealer will be a fact used against hem in the near future. As far as i can tell they are a manufacturer of vehicles plain and simple and I believe this is the position the Feds will be taking against them sooner than later.

    Henry Ford would be darn proud of them !! He told people "you can have it in any color you want so long as it is BLACK"

    The Fitz crowd is the same way.

    Sooner than later their little world is coming down hard and fast. Mark my words. The dealers hate that they are breaking the law that they so openly try to hide behind and FL loves to sell them old model units from the plant in Mexico. Sooner or later something has to give. If you want a glider, get it FROM A LEGITIMATE DEALER !!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 21, 2012
  8. Cowpie1

    Cowpie1 Road Train Member

    5,569
    4,646
    Nov 25, 2008
    Kellogg, IA
    0
    Well, I'll take the unit from Mexico any day and on sunday! Mine was done in N.C. and those guys couldn't figure their way out of a 55 gallon drum. Dealer waited until the unit delivered and then made the comment that if they are going to have a problem with a unit, it will most likely be on one done in N.C. They hardly ever have a problem with units that come from Mexico. The dealer typically has to invest an extra 6 man hours on average to get a N.C. built unit ready for the customer. I am not sure you can specify where a truck is built, but I would try and have a glider built in Mexico for those that want one. Those UAW hacks in N.C. really cost me an extra 1.5 weeks in getting truck ready. For one, Dealer had to hand build custom brackets for the roof fairing because plant failed to install 3 of them and FL had no idea when they could ship any to dealer. The roof fairing did not arrive with truck. I asked where it was. Dealer said it was 35 miles south of them at a warehouse. I said go get it. Dealer said union hacks down there would not release it. I told dealer I was loading up my Jeep with myself, a .45 auto, a Remington 870 12 gauge, and I was heading to Cedar Rapids to get the fairing I paid for. Dealer called me back 30 minutes later that warehouse decided to release the fairing to dealer.

    The truck, finalized, is great. The process was a mess. Dealer was fantastic and really jumped thru hoops as best they could to do me right. the UAW can kiss my rear. For a while there, I really wanted to flip off any person or printed message that said "buy American". I have gotten over that, but we had better get our act together on how we work in this nation or the world is going to pass us by. Maybe Pedro works for less in Mexico, but he appreciates his job and does the work right. He doesn't worry about Monday night football, when he can go bass fishing, or any other nonsense on the job and forget to install parts.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2012
    heavyhaulerss and The Challenger Thank this.
  9. Gunz444

    Gunz444 Light Load Member

    241
    161
    Aug 20, 2011
    Florida
    0
    I really wasn't intending to take at a shot at the folks from way down south or their work, I was trying to make the point that FL has a fancy new factory completely set up already to produce the Columbia's and other legacy units and I have been under the impression that the majority of the legacy units are being produced down there. I don't have any real proof to back this up though. I would assume they are trying to get as much use out of their legacy models as they can. The must surely make a healthy profit on those units considering they paid off all of that tooling a LONG time ago as far as the old Columbia's go.

    Sorry if that came out the wrong way.

    My hats still off to you for the undertaking. Nothing ever worth doing is easy. Especially giving birth to a Class 8 tractor at the local dealership. The glider thing has always been a more hands on approach, but hell, some people like that opportunity to get more involved. I know I look forward to it. All I need to do now is hurry up and wear my truck out a bit more so I can justify making the switch. Right now I have a epa98 Pre EGR motor in a Columbia turning out 7-8 mpg on a regular basis, and now that I have some respectable power coming out of this Benz motor, I am really looking at a sideways trade , but I want something that is "perfect" for me like the truck you have.

    I think that is worth some labor pains when you look at the real possibility of birthing a real lemon at the factory. I don't want to offend anybody with special needs kids but the current technology in my mind is definitely special needs. Taking delivery of a modern $150k truck seems pretty stressful to me. Its kind of like a baby arriving. All you can do is just prey that it is healthy and be thankful as heck when it is.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2012
  10. Cowpie1

    Cowpie1 Road Train Member

    5,569
    4,646
    Nov 25, 2008
    Kellogg, IA
    0
    No, I didn't take it as a shot at the boys south of the border. It just gave me an opportunity to take multiple shots at the miserable workers on OUR side of the border that have no desire to do a job right. "So what, that is for the dealer to worry about" was a comment made the the character played by Clint Howard in the movie "Gung Ho" regarding the problems of a U.S. auto plant. It is pretty sad when a union hack, making substantially more than his Mexican counterparts, puts out a product that doesn't reflect any kind of quality workmanship. Yet the Mexican worker is putting quality into the same product.
     
  11. Gunz444

    Gunz444 Light Load Member

    241
    161
    Aug 20, 2011
    Florida
    0
    OK maybe I should start an entirely new thread, but I want some input from the folks that have been following this thread.

    I have been waiting for it to happen and it looks like Freightliner is now offering the Cascadia in a glider kit.

    http://dtnaglider.com/files/Freightliner_CabnGlider_Brochure.pdf

    So this is what I am thinking.

    I want to order a Cascadia glider Minus the engine. I plan to order it set up for the series 60 14 liter EGR EPA 2007 motor. I am assuming that since they built some of these things back in 2009 with the Series 60 14 that this is the spec that it will have to conform to.

    What I am wanting to do is supply a Pre EGR EPA 1998 Spec Re manufactured 12.7 Series 60 in lieu of the 14L 2007 motor. I know that the dealers probably WILL NOT build this Glider for me, but I have several other shops that are local that will.

    So what are your thoughts on this idea?? Is it worth trying to do or not??
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.