Why the long Hoods?

I guess with that 2 years of experience, you need the better visibility and maneuverability huh?
I just got out of a Columbia, that I put 884k miles on. Before that a Century that I put 750k miles on. All accident free, and all surrounded by plastic and cheapness.
I now have a Western Star, which has more interior room than your Columbia, a better build quality, better resale, better "feel" and is a LOT easier to work on. Figure out how to work on something yourself, and the Columbia love will soon fade away. As my mechanic said yesterday after he ran the overhead for me "I'm glad you sold that piece of $#%^ Columbia" . MPG is whatever my right foot wants it to be. For my loads, I did lose fuel mileage......a whopping .4mpg. Not worth bothering with in my world, although I dont run that 90 some cents a mile crap neither.
The reason the plastic trucks are involved in more wrecks, is because of the people that drive them. Normally less experienced, less caring, and working for a flease deal or mega carrier with lower standards.

Martin

 

For me it was simple, I just like the way a W9 looks, so that is what I bought.

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I loved that truck, never had maneuverability or visibility problems.

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In fact I always knew where the bumper was because I could use the end of the hood as a reference, never had issues with catching my bumper.

And I got about 6.5 out of it.

It was a great truck, dumbest thing I ever did was selling it.

I say drive what makes you happy, drive what works for you.

Today if I was go get back on the road it would probably be in another W9, I might consider a T660, they are a sharp looking truck. I wouldn't touch another T-2000 or a Freightliner, learned to drive in them, and IMHO they are plastic pieces of ####. Some guys like em however and I say, you like em, good for you, drive em!

 

Well Martin, you're an intelligent person, you owned a Century followed by a Columbia? They can't be all that bad.

 

Century was my first Freightliner, and I was impressed by the interior storage space.
Spec'd out the Columbia right before the 07 emission junk came into effect, and was bought for three main reasons:
The motor was (then) known to be reliable for an emission motor. Detroit had a nightmare with EGR, Cat had the same with ACERT, and the ISX's are just junk with emission anything bolted to them in my book.
My local dealer treats me like royalty.
I figured I had got 750k miles from the Century relatively trouble free, so why not?
The build quality went way down between the '00 and '05 model years. It was very noticeable within @2yrs.
I dont think F/L has a "premium" model anymore. The Crapcadia is just that, the Classic is long gone, and the Coronado is a squared off Century of old.
After looking at various trucks after getting hammered last year on taxes, the Western Star's have everything beat for interior room (still very important to me), build quality, ease of working on it yourself, and so on. Basically the stuff that matters to an O/O.
Oh, and I only paid $6k more for a brand new WS in 2013 than I did for a brand new F/L in 2005, and got the same amounts on trade in!!!
There's my logic, and reasons behind it....

Martin

 

Can't argue with that. The number$ always have to make sense.

 

Love my long hood its a dieing breed, that plastic throw away junk is worthless after a few years.

Nothing rides like a long hood!

 

It WAS going to be a 4900ex with the 82" Stratosphere sleeper regardless. Was thinking about used ones, up to 2009. But when my wife found the 2009 we have now, brand new, with full warranty etc, for $82k and my old Columbia...The answer was obvious! It was a new truck, for used truck money, and no DEF crap neither. Throw in good rates from Daimler, and it was a done deal.
So, I was never going to get another F/L, as I believe the build quality went drastically downhill between my 2000 and my 2006. And after looking at the interiors of WS's, there is no comparison in my experience. If F/L had kept up the quality in workmanship and materials, one would be on my driveway, but it felt like they now make throwaway trucks, much like most of the other aero trucks.
Martin

 

Martin isn't your western star built by freightliner now though? I kept thinking WS got bought out by freightliner and the quality just went to hell. Not saying your WS is a piece by any means just wondering if you could "remind" me who owns WS now.

I suppose I drive a hood to overcompensate. I'm a small guy I need to feel big. Also I like the styling of the hoods. I don't give 2 ##### about fuel milage. I'm simple and can spend a little more for fuel and still live at the end of the month. My 379 has been good to me. Knock on wood...a lot of it. She has her quarks but I wouldn't get caught dead driving an aero for more than bringing it back to put a driver in. I believe martin showed a pretty good analasys on page one when the USA moron decided he was going to play Cletus in the truck stop and drive drunk. Them plastic aeros aren't going to be driving away from that. Hell my fairings are dented, not broke, hammer and a dolly and they're fixed. Try that with that plastic junk. Also who the hell wants to drive something that looks like a catfish that's been hit on the head with a hammer? Sorry not for me. I had a choice bought what made me happy. I love my uncomfortable, uneconomical, piss the epa, carb, and everybody else off, blind spot packed hood. And no I don't run fender mirrors either. Its a matter of opinion by all means.

My fuel bill might be higher than somebody that has an aero, I might have more horses than I need, I know for a fact by 90% of peoples standards I have too many lights (BTW y'all that think that can go to hell I need more lol), but that truck is mine, I drive it, I maintain it, I have to live with it, nobody else. If that's wrong we have a different views. If some guy wants an aero that's his porogative. To each their own. I'll keep my lit up coal rolling noisy old rattle trap. Hell if I could find one is snatch up an old 359 long hood with a 1693 and a 6x4 or a 13 double over. Won't ever get more than 5mpg but the sob looks good and ain't nobody gonna mess with it because they'll think its about to blow up or fall apart. No need for anti theft on a truck like that. Is it economical hell no. But the governments shut down so who cares about economics right now? Hahahaha

 

Daimler to be precise. Same folks that own Mercedes, you know, that small car company that must make junk cars too apparently...
Drive one of each, then give your opinion. Hell, just walk around them, and see major differences.

Martin

 

I like a shorter hood for visibility, but for fixing .... longer has to be better.