Brand New Cabover

Europeans swear they're more aerodynamic.

Just think how big a sleeper you could have on the same wheelbase if you eliminated 4-6 feet of hood.

 

The cabover in europe get WAY better fuel economy than out trucks do, I loved driving a cabover. A production house I worked for long ago always had cabover because they could get a 30 or it may have been 32ft box on a tandem set up. You had to put light stuff up front so aluminum lighting truss etc and then stog it full. Last one they had was a c15 cat, it was crazy fast uphill downhill didnt matter, ran like a raped ape.

 

They're also speed restricted to 55 mph too though aren't they?

 

I've often wondered about the aerodynamic part. Keep in mind that their speed limit is like 90 kmh most places I think. Is aerodynamics directly proportional regardless of speed, or once one begins running 70 mph does the equation change? The Pete 372 (I think it was) was supposed to be one of the most aerodynamic trucks ever produced.

 

I think the new ones are electric, but those that I ran had a hydraulic pump system that had a hand lever pump that sat right behind the cab, and latches on each side to hold it in place when it was down.

Just had to make sure you didn't have a good old Stanley thermos bottle laying on the doghouse before jacking it up!

 

Opens via hydraulic... electric pump or hand pump

 

overall ride quality

 

Not hard at all. Our Freightliner CO's had a little hydraulic hand pump at the left rear corner of the cab. Release safety latches, close valve in pump, pump up cab, engage safety latches. You had to make sure there was nothing loose and heavy in the cab. A Stanley thermos will take out a windshield.