Cabovers

http://www.roadtrains.com.au/article_article.php?ArticleId=224

Never fear mate, KW Australia has exceeded ECE R/C29 standards since 2004

 

You are right Most of johns trucks and alot of heavy haul run 18 speed roadrangers with 2 or 4 speed spicer auxiliary. I wouldn't know what rears he runs because of the hub reduction.
And yes they all have a bit of engine tweaking. He recons that one "untouchable" is putting out close to 700hp, his c501 is 675hp plus aswell

He now also has 5, maybe 6 not sure fh16 700hp volvos aswell

Well guys in Perth have always been a bit different to the rest of aus
i just know what a really good mate in Darwin told me as he runs triples and quads. He said that they tried running twin steers but alot of guys including him are going back to singles and tri-drive or duels with a lazy but he has permits to run 7t on the steers
Maybe the guys running euros have twin steers and the Americans are running tri.

I see what you are saying and It is quite possible that this has been done and could work, all I know is they have shortened the chassis to 3100 on the R730

Like jarradS said kw have met the standards. Remember alot of car companies use alloy for panels, and the KW cab is put together using aircraft technolagy Huck bolts not just rivets.
Westbound. Some guys like to run larger 9" offset steer tyres cause they increase the front track and make the truck more stable at speed. But just putting bigger tyres won't increase the weight you can run.
Usually conventional cant hook up to 36 pallet b doubles becuase they are too long so they would need shorter trailers so that is why the cab over is so popular with companies who run express.

I have never said that euro Coe tracks are bad, infact they a great trucks. All I have been doing is pointing out the differences between them and American/Australian trucks and why euro truck arn't always the best choice and things that the American trucks have which are better. I'm not trying to start a war.

 

Yeah, the Euros are pretty much all twin steer, and the americans vary between the two.



Even Conventionals get in on the action

 

Thanks for clarifying things!

OK, I knew that Paccar produces a much different kind of an animal for Australia, but I didn't know that even the cab structure is of a different nature then on the trucks they build for NA market.

Well, get this; It ain't the same thing here. We've got nothing but junk compared to what you have down under!


Well, in all fairness, we've got "the biggest" junk......70"-80" integrated sleeper cabs, or 120"-140"+ custom sleeper boxes with all the camper amenities, runing water, crapper, shower, kitchen, etc.....on 315"+ wheelbase tractors......and 25-27k lbs tare weight for the tractor alone.

My Volvo VN 770 is 23k lbs with full 2x125 US gallon tanks, and the vault box behind the cab full of flatbed equipment...chains & binders, straps and things like that.

1 US gallon = 3.78 liters

Ok, my all aluminum 3 axle Alutrec Drop Deck trailer weighs only 11.5k lbs. I can still load something at 45k lbs and be at 80k GVW.

 

True that.

Well, I suppose you don't need a truck rated for 70+ tonnes for running a dry van through Pennsylvania

 

We run pretty much the same regs as Europe. We are at euro 5 or ADR 80/03 as it is called here. Euro trucks here mostly run scr as well as the cummins isl and ism. The isx and signature here runs egr and dpf but we still have the DOHC engine not the SOHC you guys run. CAT just run duel dpf and we have the dd13 & 15. Also we have the Mack rebranded Volvo engines.

As far as I am aware all the American brands still run the old style gauges and wiring. The wiring in my kw's have been faultless, I cant remember the last time I replaced a bulb or fuse, my freight shaker and iveco's well they arn't the best, actually just crap. Kenworth have been really good with warrenty, everything is fixed no question

 

Yea you're right about that, but there are lots of crazy out here that would spend $25k on a Pittsburgh Power beefed up engine, just to grind the asfalt at some 750-800bhp out of a C15 or a pre EGR Cummins, or 600+ out of a pre EGR 60 Series Detroit Diesel......and yea, just dragging a dry box down the interstate at 75-80 mi/hour.

I bought this Volvo VN 770 back in 2000 with 5 miles on board. It has the Signature 600 Cummins, an Eaton Fuller RTLO 20918B transmission and Arvin-Meritor 44k lbs drive axles with 3:42 diffs.

But I don't just drag a box behind. I've got this 3 axle drop deck I play with when the big stuff ain't got the money right, and I have a 9 axle extendible RGN (3 axle jeep, 3 axle extendible RGN, 3 axle stinger/booster). I could move some serious Lbs if the money is right. I coul also use that RGN with the 2 axle jeep and the 2 axle booster I've kept from an older same make, a non-extendible RGN I sold 6 years ago.

Anyway, I wish that the economy would start rolling again, cause I'm seek of waiting for a good paying load. LOL

 

I guess, you guys over there in the great down under have got the "better end of the stick" when it comes to trucks. You've got the best of the two worlds.....meaning the much better built "American"- Australian trucks and the EU trucks.

Here in the good olde US of A we're stuck with just American brands built just to make it out trough the factory gates and we always have the unequaled fun to constantly argue about waranties with the OEM's.

I can't really pinpoint how we've gotten the way we are when it comes to truck build quality and product support, but.......it is what it is!

The American answer to this dilema it's always:

"DEAL WITH IT!"

 

That, and we can get a Volvo FH16 700 Conventional....

http://www.macktrucks.com.au/default.aspx?pageid=5718


P.S: I don't get the motto of Volvo when It comes to the I-shift. It's like "Hey, lets make the world's most powerful engine, then only stick a 12 speed behind it"

I mean, from what they say, it's a good gearbox software wise, but surely, in heavy haul or high weight, you'd want a) more than 12 gears, and b) something with actual crawler gears. 1st gear on the overdrive I-shift is taller than 1st on a 10 speed

 

IIRC, the fh16's have 5.41 rears, from what was said in a Truckin' Life article