What do you think about this truck?

BJ belive me when I tell you a 18 speed is awesome, I know when I buy my next truck I am going to try to find one, but keep this in mind, it is always something you can do to the truck later.

Consider this, your first priorities should be finding a truck in good mechanical condition, specifically if you are going to keep this truck for a long time, I will strongly recommend you find a truck with the CAT 3406E 6NZ motor, if you find one that has a 13 or 15 speed behind it, but it is all in good working order, you will be in a good position, and later when the tranny needs replaced, just put in a 18 speed.

The physical condition of the truck is going to account for something too, I know there are guys who swear up and down all day long that a freightliner or sterling is as good as a KW or Pete, but my feeling is the majority of them have never owned and operated either.

Both are good rigs, I prefer the KW W900L exclusively because it is what I learned on, it is what I am confortable in, and they are just great trucks. You can get one with a 72" aerodyne aerocab for 25-30 grand in nice shape where the paint will still be presentable, and the truck will be in reasonably good mechanical condition.

The downside to the cheaper trucks that are made from a lot of plastic, is that over time that plastic is going to become brittle and rough roads take their toll on it.

I think it really comes down to if you are going to keep this truck for years to come, or run it a couple of years and then trade up. If you are going to keep it, id get the nicest truck you can, and then work towards getting it just how you want it.

 

I know this doesn't fit the bill for what you want however it does show how over priced the one you posted is.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...52569-fs-2000-sterling-at9500-chicago-il.html

Also the guy who posted about the sterling being all plastic is dead on, i am a vacation driver and am in one of twelve most every day and they are all falling apart inside. The skin on the dashes is peeling off. The plexy glass over the instrument cluster is cracked in about half of them. The pannel for the air break release has broken in all but three of them, (however there is a metal replacement out now)

Invest more in a better quality truck for your self, for your sanity, and for your bank account when you go to sell it.

Not aero, but can still get good mileage out of these:

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2948481&

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=2898547&

Great deal on an aero, but only a 13 speed

http://www.truckpaper.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=3017341&

 

Do you have some kind of soft spot for sterling? If so, more power to you. I personally wouldn't touch one with a 50 ft pole but I only have experience with them as dumps.

A sterling is the result of a drunken night of debauchery between ford and freightliner. Sterling is their ####### love child.

 

I paid $23,500 for this 2 years ago, 2000 379, 3406E, Super 10, former Richard Childress Racing test and utility truck, 570,000 miles.





If you pay $30,000 for that Sterling and drive it for 2 months and go to sell it, it will be worth $15,000, tops.

 

Nice truck

 

A 265" WB KW will hit a dock all day long, my first 6 months I was pulling a triple axle spring ride non slider high cube van, I could get it in anywhere I needed to.

You will find it will ride a lot nicer too.

if you go for a T600 or a T800, they do have shorter wheelbases because of the set back front axle. they are good trucks, same cab and sleeper as the W9, but they do ride quite a bit rougher.

For me that is why I like the W9 so much, goes down the road really nice.

 

Very very nice truck but I'm betting you had some inside information to get such a nice ride. Maybe I'm wrong but I remember you talking about hauling test cars in another post so figure you probably had an in and that's how you got it.

Not saying anything bad at all about using contacts to get good deals, just think its hard to say if you can get that kind of a deal without one.

 

Really? And how exactly do you come to this conclusion?