Got honest question? need honest answer!

Rumor has it that Cat is planning on returning to the on highway market.

 

Figured they would eventually.

I've been on both ends of the ACERT DPF debacle.

08 T660 with C15. Truck ran great.. decent economy with plenty of power to spare. Only time it ever failed a regen was when the ARD head took a dump. Was covered under warranty.. was back on the road the next day. Very reliable truck.

The other was an 07 Pete 386 with the same engine. Total lemon. Was in the shop once a month for DPF/Regen issues. They never fixed it correctly. Just cleaned the filter.. got it to regen and till 3 - 4 weeks later it was in another shop.

My 05 Columbia has pretty much the same ACERT.. just none of the emissions BS to contend with. For the money and mileage I have put in this truck it has been extremely reliable all things considered. Shame because I really wish I had a different truck. Just afraid to give up what I have in this one.

Hurst

 

Hi missj, it could be. So many variables. I'd want coolant samples, oil samples, trans oil, rear end oil, all tells a story. When you say Conway, you mean, THE Conway? If so, most likely light loads, and any motor will work for that. You are on the right track, though, as I've seen people buy new trucks for their 1st truck, and if something happens, health, funky loads, fuel prices goes off the scale (which it will again, rest assured)whatever, and that big payment is right there every month, and that's where people run into problems. No matter what older truck you buy, you will have problems. Electrical problems are big with older trucks, and can drive you nuts, but if your payment is manageable enough, like mine were, it was a good excuse to take a few days off.

 

Chances are she's not looking for anything thats going to require much 'Self' maintenance or hands on mechanically at all. I understand full well how daunting everything under the hood can be,. particularly on newer trucks.

I see 2 problems right there. With out some minimal mechanical aptitude,.. you can go broke paying a mechanic to handle every small detail that a truck needs in order to maintain top operational condition. 2 newer trucks tend to be more costly and take longer in the shop (Especially when it comes to diagnosing) which can end up costing more in lost revenue than what it would to have repaired an older truck.

Its a double edged sword,.. on the one hand you feel secure with a truck that has a warranty,.. on the other you have a truck that is more affordable but has seen some use and could be a ticking time bomb. Its a gamble either way.

Hurst

 

CAT have been selling on Highway trucks Down here since 2010.
essentially they're C13 & C15 ACERT powered Internationals ..

http://www.cattrucks.com.au/

 

Where do you get your data? According to one company, Internationals with Maxforce had the 2nd lowest days out of service after Freightliner and ahead of both Pete's and Kenworth. They said after 2012 they were much more reliable.

 

No . No . No .
Do not buy an International with the Maxfarce engine which would be 2012 or later . See if you can find a 2011 Prostar with a Cummins ISX engine . A truck with a dependable history should have about (very roughly ) 125k miles per year OTR . The truck in the ad is either a shop queen or a local truck that wasn't used much .

If you find a 2009 to 2011 with a Cummins engine I can give you a llist of what you need to have checked out but with good pm they are good trucks . The 2011 Prostar with the Cummins ISX was the last of the no-DEF trucks sold .

 

The company I'm with had 4 2009 prostars with cummins isx engines. Every single one was a piece of #### that had way to many problems from a/c to emissions. Every week at least one of the trucks was in a shop.

 

do not buy international!!! junk!!! your money will br going towards repairs

 

Yes

The 2014+ N13 uses DEF (Cummins SCR technology). Sometimes I see it called "Maxxforce N13" and sometimes "Navistar N13" so I'm not certain they are continuing the "maxxforce" name.

Regardless, it is the same German MAN D20 engine, but instead of Navistar emissions it uses Cummins emissions. Early reports are positive.

Generally, yes. The Maxxforce13 came out around 2008-2009, got slightly less bad in 2010, a little better in 2011, and a lot better in 2012 (when Navistar gave up on trying to get it to meet emissions without def & just started paying fines to the EPA).

The maxxforce 13 is a MAN D20 engine with Navistar emissions. Caterpillar didn't touch a thing on it.

It's engine brake relies heavily on its variable geometry turbo -- which basically acts like an exhaust brake. It is very strong, but you need to rev it to 1800-2100rpm for it to be effective. Unfortunately many fleets don't bother to read the owner's manual and flag such driving as "excessive rpm."

The Maxxforce 15 is a Caterpillar C15 bottom end with a Navistar head & emissions package. By all reports it was a failure.

The MAN D20 & Cat C15 hard parts are robust. The problem is all in the Navistar advanced EGR emissions package...

Close.

I would assume Con-Way Truckload, in which case you'll be grossing 65-80k most of the time, but mostly be on flat lands. 370hp would get the job done; 450 horsepower would be a little more comfortable...

I'd be interested to see that data. My personal experience with a 2011 Maxxforce 13 wasn't terrible. Never left me on the side of the road or anything, but it had almost a week in the shop every 3 months or so for dozer and egr issues. As time went on, it & International got better.

I think if you have an excellent International dealer, a Maxxforce might be a decent gamble. But it would be risky. Unfortunately, there are a lot more idiot international dealers than good ones (Houston & Laredo are horrible).

You could get a maxxforce13 in 2009, but I think you are talking about 15L's in which case you're right, they switched from Cummins to the maxxforce 15 in 2011 and gave up on it in 2013.

A 2011 with a Cummins would have an epa '07 engine, which wouldn't be good in California after 2022.


Sources:
http://m.todaystrucking.com/maxxforce-13

http://m.fleetowner.com/management/news/navistar-15-liter-diesel-0323

http://www.constructionequipment.com/scr’d-maxxforce-13-now-joy-drive