Freightliner Columbia -vs- Century Class

russtrucker · Oct 22, 2014

Pablo-UA said: ↑

Really I saw Century class with short hood and short wheelbase, seems to me there are some modifications, that are not popular, but they exist
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That is more likely trucks for regional haul or linehaul like fedex and have smaller engine like mercedes, dd13, or c-13.

25(2)+2 · Oct 22, 2014

I don't think that I've ever seen a 112BBC Century, but there were some Columbias. The joke about a Columbia was that it was a cabover with a pimple on the front. The round headlights were better, though on a Century. I drove a 97 Century for a few trips when I first started driving, and it was OK, this would have been when the truck was 7 years old, in 2004. Not enough to really get used to it, though.

After driving a Cascadia( a cheap one, I would add) there is no comparison, the Cascadia is a lot more solid, and others more experienced than I am have told me the same thing.

They fixed a lot of things, especially over the Columbia.

A remembrance of the guy who started this thread. I had forgotten that he had a Century.

rollin coal · Oct 22, 2014

Yeah Gears was a good one.

russtrucker · Oct 22, 2014

25(2)+2 said: ↑

I don't think that I've ever seen a 112BBC Century, but there were some Columbias. The joke about a Columbia was that it was a cabover with a pimple on the front. The round headlights were better, though on a Century. I drove a 97 Century for a few trips when I first started driving, and it was OK, this would have been when the truck was 7 years old, in 2004. Not enough to really get used to it, though.

After driving a Cascadia( a cheap one, I would add) there is no comparison, the Cascadia is a lot more solid, and others more experienced than I am have told me the same thing.

They fixed a lot of things, especially over the Columbia.

A remembrance of the guy who started this thread. I had forgotten that he had a Century.
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Cascadia are also will be available as gliders. I would just imagine a cascadia with 12.7 detroit.

JarradS · Oct 23, 2014

25(2)+2 said: ↑

I don't think that I've ever seen a 112BBC Century
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https://www.freightliner.com.au/Trucks/century-class

View attachment 73408

Yet another Australian only Freightliner Model, Kinda took over from the Columbia as the Local Rig after the Coronado came here. DD13 powered

Pablo-UA · Oct 23, 2014

I saw century with b-double trailer very short hood (looks like bbc 108) and very small sleeper, small bunk, narower than in any EU cabover

weldermain74 · Jul 13, 2016

pxdetroit_ said: ↑

To anyone concerned about low turbo air, or as I used say "won't go up a hill," please take note of this helpful tip before it's too late. Here's my story with the solution at the end.

I had a Century for a year. I loved my truck, all the space inside, and like the others said not much trouble at all. I had her for exactly a year. She was a 2007, an old Shaffer truck with that "Shaffer Blue" color, 600k when I got in and almost 800k when she caught fire and burned to the ground -- with ALL my stuff in it. OMG the stuff I lost... ####, all my tools... etc etc... but I digress....

When I'd had her about 6 months a motor mount went. I noticed because when I bobtailed one time, it made noises like the engine was going to fall out. The bad motor mount in just 5 miles of bobtailing on city streets allowed play in the radiator assembly and punctured the bottom of the radiator. Limped it 800 miles back to the yard leaking. Mechanics replaced the motor mount(s) and radiator.

But it was never the same after that. She had a loss of power on hills after that. At first I thought it was my imagination, or heavy loads, or whatnot. After several more months I knew it wasn't my imagination. She did NOT like going up hills anymore. Every time I had service I bugged the mechanics about it, trying to cover all bases of what it could be. A few months later, you know that hill in Pennsylvania on 322 just before you get back on 80, that monster hill? She was taking that hill at 16 mph. I was down to 4th gear going up that hill. I put my foot down to the shop and said we HAVE to find out what's wrong with my trk. They put it on the computer and still couldn't find anything. Had it looked at by several mechanics, and nobody could figure out what was wrong with her. Even went to an engine shop (WW White I believe). By that time the turbo had developed a squeal so of course they figured that's the problem. Replaced the turbo and still wouldn't go up a hill. Mind you on flat road (even loaded) she'd run like a r@ped ape, gov at 78 and would do every bit of it without any complaints. But the smallest hills in the road had me up/down shifting constantly.

Finally, on my last trip before the fire, another driver got me on the CB and says he can hear the air pissin out every time I accellerate. I thanked Mr. Obvious and told him I've had several mechanics look at it to no avail. So he says he knows exactly what it is and would show me if we stop together. I'm skeptical but curious so we stop and I open the hood and he tinkers and says to me... put your hand right here (front of radiator where air charger plugs in but behind the metal lines) and feel just a little air breezing out. Then he hits my throttle and sure enuff a LOT of air was pushing out. He says that's what my problem is, a crack in the air-to-air cooler, and it's killing my turbo power. He says he just went thru the same thing and nobody could figure it out til it finally got SO bad as to be obvious. This was in Montana on my way to Wash, and I said as soon as I get back to the yard back east I couldn't wait to show the mechanics. Well she made Washington, the reload in Oregon, and back thru Idaho/Utah. But by Wyoming it was too late, and I made the fatal mistake of pushing her. I'd been driving all night thru the mountains, she'd run too hot in the daytime in the mtns at this point. When the sun came up and I saw I was on FLAT land only doing 25, I said f-it I'm callin for a hook -- it'll take me 4 hrs to reach the pilot like this. But I had no cell service and nobody on the CB would make a phone call for me. So I pushed her to keep going. Finally I saw a rest area ahead and went for it, for the pay phone or borrow someone's phone. Laramie, Wyoming, the rest area is on an elevated road. Tryin to get up the getoff ramp (incline) to get the rest area and the engine made those horrible tell-tale booms that say you've just f'd up BIGTIME (throwing rods). All this smoke started pouring out, light at first then black as sin, and so thick you couldn't see through it. Trying to ease her to the shoulder and I saw flames coming out where the hood meets the windshield. I stopped right there in the middle of the ramp and ran out with my tiny lil fire extinguisher but it was no use. Went back in to get my laptop and teddy bear (crap now u know I'm a girl) and you could hear the pops and sizzle and snaps and flames. Man, I couldn't get out of there fast enuff. All you know is on TV it's fire/explosion. So I was outta there, didn't even grab my phone or smokes. Well being a tanker driver in a previous job, I instinctively ran UPHILL cuz downhill the fire will catch you. (Killed a propane driver back home that way, ya learn from others' mistakes.) You can't imagine the horror and helplessness you feel watching your house burn to the ground with all your stuff in it. Tools, gps, maps, paperwork, supplies, workboots, clothes, everything plus all my personal stuff from living a year in that truck. (Made a memorial video after the fire, before and after pix, it's on youtube, google "bear and the truck fire" if you want to see the wreckage.)

So I'm here to tell you that if you have loss of power and can't find it, look for a tiny crack in the turbo lines. You won't notice it at an idle, you have to throttle it up to catch it and also you need to know right where to check.

Second piece of advice: don't push it. That driver who made it up the mountain in 1st gear was lucky his didn't breach like mine. I'm still not sure if it was the engine that went first (sounded like it was throwing rods and punching holes in the block) but other drv's have told me it was probably the turbo the went. In either case, there was a breach in the engine and hot oil shot out and ignited on the superhot (had been driving all night) manifold/turbo and caught fire. By the time the fire dept got there and put it out, she was gone. You know how they look after a fire -- nothing left. And to boot, the co's insurance didn't cover any of my stuff. Nice.

Excuse the long story, I want you to know it can get serious in a heartbeat. Check out the turbo lines for tiny cracks (remember they replaced the turbo and didn't catch the problem) and above all, don't push it if your truck won't go. You may lose your stuff as well as your truck.

BTW I've been driving truck 10 years and I've had every kind of truck except Volvo and WStar. And hands down my Century (14L/10sp/Det60) was the overall best I ever had. Tons of room, hardly any trouble, and backs real good compared to the bignose trks. Blows away the big guys on fuel mileage too -- I'd get 6-7 mpg all day (week) long running 70 mph and never shutting it off except to check oil.

That's my story (and I'm sticking to it!). Don't let it happen to you.
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Reeds Gap! They had it single lane recently...you can imagine what that was like.

wgtrucks · Jul 26, 2016

weldermain74 said: ↑

Reeds Gap! They had it single lane recently...you can imagine what that was like.
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.

Hey man we need to talk I am thinking your story is almost identical to mine.... Old shaffer/Crete blue truck Detroit 60 apu 800 k miles and the same story calm you call me? Or email me text or anything? I'm not on fire yet but I'm hoping /praying for power to return . Without fires...⚙⚙⚙

KeNnY.CaNTu · May 21, 2018

Does anyone know if a century hood will fit on a Columbia ??

x1Heavy · May 21, 2018

KeNnY.CaNTu said: ↑

Does anyone know if a century hood will fit on a Columbia ??
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I don't know. Maybe.

The Century is a good truck within reason. But once you start having electrical issues that's the end of it.

This thread dates to about 2010 so it's 8 years so far.

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