Glider--Coronado or Cascadia??

Have you ever done an ECM dump to see what the lifetime MPG was to compare? And you are right, the RPM spreads are too far. And as you, I have always preferred a 13 or 18 for that very reason.

 

Things have changed somewhat in how far you can spec a glider. The big players in the glider game, Fitzgerald and Harrison, pretty much have one size fits all packages now that only minor changes from stock can be done. You find a smaller operation like a dealer that is doing gliders on the side, and you would probably have more options on an individual order.

When I got my Columbia glider, Harrison still allowed me to spec every detail of the build. I spec'd the Arctic Insulation package, the Premium Noise Abatement Package, Conmet Preset Plus Hubs on a Detroit steer axle, Meritor 14x drive intermediate length drive axles with full lockers in each. And a laundry list of other things to make it a truck that fit my operation like a glove. I still have the original wide based drive tires on it, at 428,000 miles, and they are not going to get changed out till later in the fall. The first set of steers, I took off at 210,000 only because I was offered $150 a tire for the casings and given a discount on the next set of Michelins. I currently have 218,000 miles on these and, again, they are not going to get changed out till later in the fall. I dumped the ECM when I had an ABS sensor replaced, and the lifetime average mpg of the truck was 7.83 on the report. That is with the bulk of my running in the upper tier of the country year round. Idle time showed about 11%.

As far as insulated, I never turn the water valve to the bunk heater in the winter! The cab heats the entire interior just fine, midroof 70" sleeper. Even on a 100F day, like last Friday, I only turn the blower on the AC in the sleeper to the first notch, and the same for the cab. And sometimes I have to even turn the temp knob up just a little to keep from being too chilled. Factory installed Webasto heater under the bunk does a more than adequate job during rest period in the middle of winter. I primarily run during the day and sleep at night, so I have not had any real need to run the truck at night for AC during the summer. I have probably idled, on average, maybe a total of a week's worth of 10 hour breaks a year, at the very most. Only about 2 evenings this year as best I can recall. Weather has been a little more cooperative this year. And no, I do not have an APU on the truck. Couldn't justify the expense. I do have an Xantrex inverter/charger that I can run a Yamaha EF2000 generator occasionally that I run a power cord from it to the inverter/charger and it keeps the batteries up. That generator rides, and runs, inside of a custom box on the right frame rail, and out of the weather. I usually only run it a couple of hours before starting up for the day just to get batteries up to full capacity. And that is primarily during winter months.

 

I have not. Its a loaner truck from my carrier. Its used mainly for O/O's with trucks in the shop so they can keep rolling,.. I have seen a few company drivers in it as well. It has not been treated nicely. My wife and I spent 3 hours defunktifying this truck before I even pre-trip'd it. I am curious as to how this truck was when it was newer and better maintained. I dont have the time right now,.. its not my truck. I dont want to do any more than the minimum with it. I give this truck 3 - 4 more years and it will be beat to death and worthless. Its almost there now.

I'm doing a load from OK to PA,.. then already booked a load from PA to Chicago. Drop this truck off in the yard. Go get a rental car and head out to Lowell Mass to pick up my truck. I dont like to Fly if I can help it.

Hurst

 

I've got a '15 cascadia. I like it, it can get a little rough on the bad roads, but it turns very tight, very quite running and smooth running. I don't pull a ton of weight, max of about 65-70,000, but it handles it well.
It's a 10 speed with a Detrioit and I did have the wiring harness for the injectors go bad with only 10,000 miles on the truck. WOT was 45 mph with every light on the dash lite up. I get 7-8mpgs

 

Never pay more up front so you can maybe get part of that money back at the end in the form of "resale value." By doing this you are essentially giving the finance outfit a interest free loan for the length of the time you own your truck.

 

If one uses resale value as any substantive part of the reason to buy, then don't buy. Plan a purchase on the idea that you will be holding on to it for almost all of it's useful life, else why are you getting it. Fleets do one thing, the smart thing for an individual owner is another. Some people seem to approach buying a commercial vehicle like they are buying their personal car and they have been so used to the fleet turnover cycle stuff of every 3 years or whatever. I only buy a truck with the intent that I will be taking it to well over 1 million miles. Very rare I get rid of one with less than a mil on it. My present one I bought new and it just turned over 449,000. Runs great and is a real money maker. No way I will ever get rid of it for a long, long time. I most likely will even keep it long enough to drop another motor in it in the future.

 

The build quality is just not there in Fitzgerald.... unless you consider the 'quality' electrical tape and zip ties they use

 

Build quality is relative to how the truck is spec'd. My Columbia glider got the premium Arctic insulation package and premium noise abatement insulation package. I spent almost two months going thru every aspect of specs I could, right down to brand of wheel hub seals. My truck is as good at 449,000 miles as it was when it left the dealer lot brand new. Only issue has been a ABS sensor thus far. The factory rebuilt Detroit 60 only uses about 2 qts of oil in 25,000 miles. And the insulation packages are nice, along with the premium interior I ordered, I can hear a finger across a guitar string on my stereo, while running down the road, and I have NEVER turned on the bunk hot water in the winter, as the cab heater does a stellar job of keeping the entire interior warm. And I stay up north all winter long. I just did new tires all the way around. I had 447,000 on the original wide based drive tires and 227,000 on the steer tires. All of them still had 8-9/32 tread and my tire dealer gave me $1020 for all of them.

Brand doesn't mean doodley if the truck is spec'd properly. Most people are used to fleet specs when they compare models and brands.

 

Just curious, could you post pictures of the interior of your truck?