2012 volvo 780

Can the ishift box be ordered with the cummins engine? And can you get the Volvo retarder as an option over there?

 

Retarders are so much more effective than compression brakes.

 

Safer too! They still work if truck goes into neutral like on a downshift and they have antilock, they are relatively cheap and are excellent brake savers and modern ones are very light ( 30 kgs) on top of that with the ishift auto box it's basically set your cruise control and the truck does the rest, up or downhill the truck will regulate their own speed with no input from the driver, the I shift takes care if going uphill while the integrated retarder takes care of it going down, it's a complete system! Very relaxing on long motorways

 

Nice thread, very informative, You guys keep it going.(PLEASE)

 

I still have an issue when I interview a driver who has never driven a manual crash box or negotiated mountain passes with nothing more than an exhaust brake.
I will have to get used to it as those sort of trucks got thin on the ground after the 80's.

 

Yup I think valuable experience is lost through too many safety features on modern trucks, I cut my teeth on an old 142 pulling reefers going to Italy over the alps with no working exhaust brake. However I don't have experience with crash gearboxes because we didn't have them here not since the early eighties it's all syncro boxes here and I do prefer a manual syncro to most auto boxes but I'm long enough at this game now, I have the experience so now I want the toys so I can semi-retire lol, I think you'd agree many new drivers couldn't handle a jacknife situation cos they simply never got into one or probably never had superheated brakes on a long decent!

 

Crash boxes are really easy with a bit of practice.
I wouldn't say I was the special but I never understood people saying you were in trouble if you missed a gear.
It was really hard to miss a gear and if you did you had time for a second or third try.
If you still could not hook the gear you could stop on your breaks.
So I was always amazed at the fear.

I really like the look of the 780.
Dont think we will see them here except for the odd import.

 

I have a 98' Volvo 770 with a Detroit engine. She is a reliable, decent partner of mine since 2000. But I will give you some of my thought, why I would not buy a new one. Sure she has a nice ride, at the time of the purchase not many trucks could come close. But they did not improve anything since then and the other truck makers are catching up. She is heavy. Little over 20,000 pounds without fuel. Depend on the trailer sometimes I have problem with 43-44,000 pounds in the dry van. Every part what use the name "Volvo" is premium priced and low quality. They made some cosmetic changes in 2002. Every strong built fiberglass body parts was changed to cheap plastic. Bumper, hood, skirts, what by the way falling apart after a couple months, and a little hit on them, and cracks all the way. The chrome on plastic everywhere is peeling off. The headlight is complex, expensive, and need to be changed every 3-4 years, because after that a candle give more light. Anyway, the water go into it after a few years. The dash nice, complex, sealed one piece. Even the bulbs are not replaceable. During the last 12 years I had to replace gauges six times, plus some bulbs. A new dash is 1,200$. Do the math. The paint of the frame so bad, after 5-6 years it looks 100. I have two friends with a 2008 and a 2009 Volvo, Volvo engine. In the first two years they were in and out of the dealership mostly because of electrical issues, (sometimes on hook) also they had to change the injectors and pay for the upgrade even under warranty, because the factory ones could not stand the pressure. It is true, after the first couple years, after every bug was fixed, they are quite happy with their trucks......But they would try a different brand next time. So do I.

 

I've driven a freightliner briefly and and iveco with a crash gearbox over flat terrain but never on mountains, I've seen ice road truckers where they're stranded on a slippery hill numerous times after missing gears, I think it's the fear and myths about them are putting me off . We really don't have much experience with them at all!

I'm with you on 780, one of the best looking trucks both sides of the Atlantic

 

Thanks for your honest reply, volvos on this side don't have those issues, there's little Chrome or plastics on them, drivelines are very dependable but Volvo cabs on this side are the smallest in the business! I had 2 pre-egr volvos, kept then they had almost 1 m kms, very little trouble except headlight bulbs which constantly blew for some reason, still it was a small complaint!