Cabovers

Yeah, I agree, we compare 30 years old COE trucks with new Conventional US trucks.

Belive me, European COE trucks of old design were like US, with only differencem that after Volvo started cabin safety program, EU cabins are safer then US cabine of 80-s.

When US truck makers will introduce COE trucks for US market I sugest they will rebrand European trucks for US market ore just use EU cabins.

And I think COE trucktors will not be so popular in the USA like in EU, becouse operators will use them in places they need maneuroability.

 

Came across this as it pertains to this thread,,,Blawhawk hit it right on the head about no one would buy them,,just a very funny this broker wants serious coin for some flatroof midrange power trucks that are 3 years old

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2034047&

 

I bought my first new U.S. Conventional truck in 1975 after I decided that cabover trucks were just not to my liking. That 1975 KW W900A model was almost as nice as the W900L that I have now, It rode smooth (even without the air ride cab) and was infinetly more comfortable than any cabover truck that was available the same year...I'm not comparing 30 year old trucks to modern trucks, I'm comparing cabovers to conventionals based on my experience with the differences between those two styles of trucks in the same years.

I don't care about euopean trucks because....I'm not trucking in europe.

They might eventually try marketing euro style C.O.E. trucks here...But I seriously doubt that the maket will be there for them and that they will die the same death that the domestic C.O.E. trucks did, and for the same reason...There will be no real interest in them because there is no real need for them.

 

Yeah, in the USA for more maneurability day cab trucktors are used, the have the same wheelbase with COE sleeper trucks. But sometimes we need short wheel base trucktor with sleeper. And that's why we use EU COE trucks for domestic trucking.

Unfortunatly we cant use conventional trucktors in Europe becouse of stupid lows. In CIS we have 20 m lenth limit.

IMO, if EU will cancell lenth limits COE trucks will not dissapeare like on US roads, but EU conventional trucks will not be with so long sleeper becouse there are parking problems in too many places

 

A set back axle conventional tractor with a wheel base around 230 inches can often turn tighter than a much shorter wheelbase set forward axle cab over.

 

I understand, that's why I concider EU laws stupid.

 

i think the main reason(s) why "no one will buy them" are basically premature; Wiener thought that no one liked cabovers (as if the driver really matters to them) and they thought they could attract more drivers by only offering conventionals.

Since trucking is monkey-see-monkey-do, lots of other companies followed suit. In addition, since the owner operator contingent is largely of a macho-type there's no way most of them would be caught dead with a conventional. In addition to that the monkey-see-monkey-do attitude is especially prevalent among owner operators thus everyone just has to get a w-900 or a pete.

However, the following facts i don't think can be refuted:
a) The roads aren't getting any larger. i think we can agree on this. If anything they are getting smaller because there is more and more traffic. Especially in the cities.

b) Coupled with the fact that trailers are getting longer. 53's are the standard size now. Some states have 57's!

c) And yet tractor overall length and wheelbases are tending to get longer and longer. This does not make sense.

d) So, do you think truckstops and rest area parking lot spaces are getting longer? Come on.

a,b,c, and d combined do not make sense.

2) a) they are cramped. i would have to disagree; The argosy, and i'm not saying, this is an angel truck by any means was very reasonable on the inside. It's comparable to any conventional with equal sleeper size. In fact, i would say they are probably more roomy than a pete 378/9 or w-900/t-800.
Even the FLA and FLB were not too unreasonable on the inside.

b) They ride like crap. Again, i would have to disagree. Air ride, as well as, air cab mounts has largely narrowed the gap between conventionals and cabovers in regards to ride.

c) servicability. i can't fully comment on this as i'm not good as servicing trucks, but it seems to me that having the whole engine and trans exposed would make it easy to work on? This is what you get with a tilt cab.

d) "arodynamics" (sic). But the pete 372 was the most aerodynamic production truck ever.

Now as far as lying down to get dressed, i see your point but who said we were going to sleep in it? i favor these for local work as well. And i think you can get dressed sitting down which is how i get dressed a lot of times anyways.

i would say that the decision by truck companies to discontinue cabovers was premature and i would not be surprised by a comeback and even welcome it.

 

Them DAFS, MANS and VOlvos they use over their is nice looking and I bet they drive good now too. These ain't like the old Transtar INT though my neighbor still talks about how much he loved his!!

 

What?

Monkey See, Monkey Do? Are you serious?

I know tons of O/O's with Volvos, Junkliners, Internationals and just about every other brand available.
I buy a truck based on how tough the truck is and how long it will last. My Kenworth is 11 years old and has 1.6 million miles on it and it's still a solid nice truck that looks and drives as good as it did when it was new...Try that with one of the "plastic specials".

Traffic makes a road smaller? Try more congested! Congestion has little effect on whether you can manuver around...It just makes things a little slower.

So what? Besides, I pull a 48' flatbed which is still the "standard size" for flatbeds...You see 53' flats around some but they are far from being the "norm".

Tractors are pretty much the same length that they've been for the last couple of decades since the length laws were relaxed allowing us to rid ourselves of the need for cabovers with all of their limitations and incoveniences...Your statement that "wheelbases are getting longer and longer" is nonsense.

They're quite a bit longer now than they used to be...

I agree....Very little that you say makes sense.

Have you ever driven any of these trucks?

Narrowed....Not closed.

Yes...When the cab is tilted there is more access to the transmission but the cab has to be tilted to get to things that I like to check on a daily basis....No thanks!

It was also the ugliest truck ever built....Until International came out with the Lonestar.
Some of us like to be able to look at out trucks withour having the urge to throw up.

Oh I'm sorry....I didn't realize that they needed to start building C.O.E.'s again so that YOU would have a truck to drive locally....Many of us sleep in our trucks and C.O.E.'s were a pain in the ### to deal with.

Good for you....Lucky for the rest of us we don't have YOU making the decisions as to what WE drive.

Don't hold your breath.

 

I think at some time in the future the need will be back,....

Sooner or latter the ata will push for longer trailers and longer combination's of trailers necessitating the need for the shorter tractors again,...