Cabovers

Usually in a case like this one, a tipical US classic truck would have the engine sitting in the sleeper and the driver would weare a steering wheel and probably have at least his right leg become part of the engine assembly.
Kip in mind, the hood/bonnet it's no match for 50km/h impact. It's only fiberglass for most truck models or aluminum sheet in the Pete 379. The 3 point engine mount it's not intended to withstand forces of horizontal-longitudinal nature in referenced to the frame. The strength of the engine mounts is designed to take torque forces produced by the engine and reversed torque when engine brakes are applied. In the case of a collision with the rear of a stopped trailer the fraim rails will simply slide unaffected under the obsticle and the rest of the fiberglass and aluminum structure above would just simply be pancaked between the obsticle and the trailer behind.
Remember, we're talking about velocity (speed x mass) that have to decelerate from 50km/h to 0km/h in seconds. There are phenomenal amounts of energy that have to be dissipated somewhere.

Use your logic.

The safest thig in any case is not the vehicle, it has to be the guy or gal controling tha vehicle and the key is in the prevention measures one is emplementing. Kip your eyes peeled and stay in control of any situation.

 

A big disadvantage of the euro design is lack of cab storage, there's actually more room to move about than a classic style american truck but theres nowhere to hang up a wet jacket etc. I was just lookin back tru pics I took of a Peter 379 ( I think ) and yeah can see daylight through the door on the side of the sleeper , have to say though that was built better than the freightliner, didnt get to drive that one! Did try the clutch pedal though, still extremely heavy, ours are air assisted so are lighter than cars!

On the subject of big cabs , this is what Scania done with only 4 feet: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5zchKG5QW...os+de+camiones+scania+longline+por+dentro.JPG


http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/1325717/img/Scania-Longline-"Blue-Griffin"-Svempas/PICT0125.jpg

Imagine if they got a chassis as long as you're permitted!

 

While u drove here, did u try anything with a retarder? As far as safety goes that's a piece if kit! I know jakes are good but it's not even the same ballpark, of course it the driver that makes the difference at the end of the day but a well equipped driver is a safer one!

 

Sweet! I know, the Longline cab, but sadly out of production.
That truck would be phenomenal here in N America. The success for Scania with a truck like that on the N American continent would probably start slow at the beginning, but after the drivers would experience it, well, I think it would be a landslide.

 

True enough! If the equipment don't help, then the job becomes allot harder.

Yop, I know the difference. Unfortunately these guys here are "stuck on stupid", jake's a good guy, but he's too old. He's got to go and enjoy retirement.

 

Things about retarder vs jake brake..... on our bad roads which are destroyed with extreme overloads and retarder when going downhill if it is wet engine brake is better because truck start to jump and with powerfull retarder easy to loose traction,..with engine brake you have more choice on how powefull you will brake most retardER s are 5step so volvo veb with 510hp can be better choice than retader especially on steep hill on low speed

 

Most retarders are now antilock! Really helps! I find them very controllable anyway

 

Well, big power and retarder power it's only as good as your traction.

 

Hard to know, the guys that bought them in th US before loved them but still they didnt take off, as far as fuel efficiency goes they would blow anything American manufacturers have to offer out of the water so that could help sales, reliability is outstanding but that would have to be proven over time, if the v8 engine was allowed this time I'm sure that would help, build quality and ride comfort is far beyond anything I've seen from stateside manufacturers!

Just an article I found of an amercian Scania owner, he seemed happy with it, there are a few more but they looked like they got paid by a marketing company to say things:: Hello all SCANIA fans...I would like to take this opportunity to tell you all some SCANIA America "facts" ; since I was part of it's history. From 1992 until the end of 2005 I owned a 1992 P113HL 6x4 "Lorry" ; the ONLY P Model "Lorry" in the USA with the Sleeper Cab !! I convinced Scania to sell me a P113HL 6x4 Chassis Truck with the Sleeper Cab , and both side windows ( a rarity on Scania sleeper cabs ). I used the Sleeper many times , so it was well worth having it. My Scania was the LAST "customer ordered" Scania sold in the USA , before they ceased selling trucks in the USA at the end of 1992 ; because of the very poor American truck market at the time. You see, Scania only builds "x - number" of trucks each year ; and has to spread them out all over the World. So , I was told by Scania USA , that Scania Sweden said they needed the US build slots for their other World markets...sad , but true!! My Scania had many "newer" versions of components than the vast majority of Scanias sold here from 1985 to the end. My Engine , Brake Can mountings , and some other components were newer designs. I had the 340 HP Motor ; GR871 10 Spd ; and 44,000# rears with 12R22.5 Tires ; and 18,000# Front Axle. I had a 25 Ft. Flatbed Body on it. I registered it for 53,800# GVW (The Max in CT for 3-axles).The most I ever had on it was 36,000# (making me about 6,000# overweight), but it pulled the weight with no problems at all. You just had to be careful about being required to stop too quickly because some moron 4-wheeler , or traffic light , made you have to stop quicker than you wanted to. I got 10 MPG overall Fuel Mileage ALL the time !!! Unbelievable , but absloutely TRUE !!! I can honestly tell you that there was NO other Truck on the road at the time that was as technologically advanced as My Scania. All you would have had to do was drive it once and you would have agreed. It would still to this day be better liked to drive by a lot of people , because it was SOOO easy to drive. As far as the remaining Scanias seen today ; I can tell you that they concentrated their sales in the Northeast and the Indianaplois areas. There is a guy named Telmo Abreau ( TRMA Trucking and Service ) in Newark , NJ , who has bought up and Re-built as many Scanias as he can find these past years , and continues to do so. In fact he is the guy I sold MY Scania to in 2006 ; because I knew he would Re-build it and find it a new home ; which he has done. So you can thank Telmo Abreau for keeping the Scania brand alive in the New Jersey area. I have a new truck these days , and see Telmo's trucks all the time when I go to NJ. Any one with questions about this comment, can e-mail me at GRJCT@aol.com , and I will try to answer you...Thanks , Gary from CT.

 

True but for highway use they are perfect, safe too because they pull from the back of the gearbox so u can clutch and change gear without the truck picking up speed, they can be set fully auto and operate in conjunction with an auto gearbox or active cruise control or both! Basically you can set a speed into the cruise control, the truck will cruise at that speed up or down hill automatically changing down gears and putting on the retarder or brakes if needed and the active cruise control can regulate your speed from the vehicle in front or automatically perform an emergency stop if needed