Cabovers

Just had my first DAF motor go a little while ago after 760 000km.
I think it has something to do with the shop that fitted a service exchange gearbox.
The spigot shaft was to long and it thrust-ed the crank forward.
Got 30km from their shop before it blew up.
Crank and block ruined.
They then blew all the electronics putting 48 volts on it to force start it.

 

I'd be back knocking on their door, daf agent?? Sounds like one.

Jeez you're getting great mileage out of them! Ive often thought about what you said before about them being susceptible to water, there's not very many getting that mileage out of them here unless they are doing light work. I sincerely hope they stay going for you like that

 

Ugly!

Looks like some chinese design!

 

seems to me cabover design is more complicated tusk then conventionals, really all COE cabs are like shaped four wall brick

 

Agreed, looks like a mish-mash of other makes, new euro trucks are getting really ugly, first Volvo now this

 

They could've done alot more with it in fairness, a new streamlined front attached to a twentysomething year old cab design, looks awful, its just a cheap half assed attempt

 

Howdy Mr. Down Under Trucker!

Here in North America (NA) Euro COE, or any Euro trucks are definitly not availeble and just about impossible to import cause of legislation and regs designed to protect the American Truck Builders from unwanted competition.

Volvo was able to come onto the NA markets due to the purchase of White GMC truck brand years ago.
Even though they're in NA, they can't sell the Euro FH COE here. Volvo is producing in Dublin-Virginia, Hagerstown-Maryland(power train components) a NA model, the VN. Product quality and support is typically of the NA nature. Warranty means nothing after the purchase. You literally have to fight with them for any warranty work. Anything that breaks on the truck before the warranty runs out it's "not Volvos NA problem" or it's always "the operator's fault". All the parts that don't break before the warranty runs out are definitly covered by Volvo warranty. MACK it's the same, it belongs to Volvo NA.
Paccar, Freightliner(Deimler Group), and International are practicing exactly the same strategies.

All the new trucks, regardless of the name on the hood(bonnet), produced in NA have electronic controller modules for the instrument pannel and all switches. They're no different then the Euro COE when it comes to that. The only thing is, that the quality is much lower then on the Euro trucks and thus allot more headache in trying to keep the junk running. No options anymore for the old sile directly power-source-switch-fuse-lights or whatever wiring.
I don't know if the Australian "American brands" trucks still ofer the old stile wiring.

As for the engines, well, there's even a bigger nightmare here cause of the crazy EPA regs. The engines offered in NA are chocked and can't breathe cause all the EGR+DPF+DEF+ ACERT crap on the engine, and the thusand sensors are a complete nonsense. These engines here, compared with same engines in Europe, are power downgraded cause the excessive heat and soot buildup.

Well, we're living in the "Brave New World" of over-regulating and bureaucratic tyranny.

 

WOW!

It seems that Australian regs for axle weights are even more crazy then in North America.

Here in NA the steer axle weight is enforced in correlation with the axle&suspension ratings and the tire sise&ply ratings.

A standard class 8 truck comes with a steer axle&suspension rated at 12k lbs. and usually has 11R22.5 or a 22.5 low profile, or a 11R24.5 or 24.5 low profile.

But if you have a truck which may be allot heavier on the steer axle (like a Euro COE) you can remedy the situation rather easily.
Just install a 17.5K lbs axle&suspension and run 315/80R22.5 tires. That way you're legal and good to go for up to 17.5K lbs on the steer axle in every state. Some states will allow even up to 20K lbs on that setup when under permit.

The Volvo VN 770 were a 22k lbs truck that always had 13+k lbs on the steer axle.
On the newer VN 780 they moved the ateer axle about 4" towards the front and slightly reduced the weights on the steers, but still over 12k lbs.
So far, the Volvo is tolerated by the DOT even on regular 11R22.5 tires on steers.

We don't have restriction on tractor wheelbase. There's some trucks that have well over 300" wheelbase.

Also, tare weights on the tractors are similar with the Euro trucks. Some are even heavier. Just get a lightes trailer or haul lighter loads.

The 5 axle tractor trailer is still limited to 80K lbs GVW in the majority of states.

 

Hey Mr Down Under Trucker, how in the world are the COEs and the Conventionals trucks configured over there? Why are you saying that the COE's have to have such a short wheelbase when a Conventional with a longer wheelbase are hocked up to the same kind of trailers?

And I've seen a KW COE with a B-Double that has bigger steer tires designed for a heavier steer axle capacity?



http://www.flickr.com/photos/39300919@N03/6800789901/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39300919@N03/6794993927/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39300919@N03/6835138215/

 

Mr. Down Under Tucker, you say that the KW COE down under are better then the EU COE trucks cause they have aluminum cabs thus are lighter on the steer axle!

OK then, are you saying that a lighter aluminum cab that completely disintegrates in case of a rollover accident it's better then a EU certified crush tested(safety cage design) all steel truck cab?

Even a conventional truck that supposedly it's better in a frontal collision, it won't be any safer in a rollover crash with that little aluminum cab.........and all this "better lighter" ideas just to have bigger fuel tanks and/or a little extra room in the sleeper in the case of the COE design.

I don't know about y'all over there down under, but I'd rather sacrifice a little payload capacity and drive something that'll give me a better chance of survival in case of an accident.

A bad accident doesn't need to be happening multiple times till something fatal could happen to the driver involved! It needs to happen just one time and it'll be enough to loose something that can't be replaced...... Your LIFE!

If you say that in trucking it's all about payload capacity, then, human life comes in very cheap, in second place, at least!

I've seen plenty of overpriced KW and Peterbilt trucks involved in a rollover that had no cab structure left in place whatsoever. All that was left was parts of the floor panel. The rest was in a million bits and pieces scattered all over the place. Y'all can imagine what happened to the cab occupant/s...DOA, to put it nicely!

I'd think twice on what's really important and what compromises are acceptable!