Tractor First, Right?

Gotcha thx.

 

Same deal man. Just heavier and more bolts...

 

I can't speak to the first part.

Lot of double frames spread around here: you don't see many older trucks with double frame that are regular working trucks in this area because of that.

I've never gotten to purchase a new truck I specced (yet!) but I will be staying away from a double frame bc of that.
State of CT got sued a couple years back just because of what chemicals they treated roads with. Sposed to have caused billions of dollars in damages to vehicles in the state over a 5 year period.

My KW was 100% rust free 6.5 years ago. 6 winters here n I need to get the whole back half of the frame blasted and painted. It's no Bueno.

 

Now comes the hard part...pulling the trigger.

Warning: the following post will be well over 3 sentences long. If you (no one specific) have ADD, epileptic seizures, or just aren't real bright, skip this post.

You look around and it seems as if you are being corralled in a certain direction, somethings wrong. It's kind of like how the wannabes go to trucking school, and get corralled into the big mega carriers and turned into hamburger. There are other alternatives. Don't let your search began and end at the local used truck lot.

In the truck papers, you see truck after truck after truck. If you want a well equipped heavy 3, then look for the states that border Canada. Or perhaps Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The Bait and Switch

You see a truck you liked, spec' the way you like. Thing is, it's at one of those Buy Here Pay Here lots. Cool, nothing wrong with that. So you call and inquire about the truck. You fill out a credit as and are told that you are approved. Cool, right? Well, you tell the salesperson that you will be flying in in Friday. "Excellent, sir! Everything's a go! We will have her ready for you."
But Thursday, they call you and notify you that the truck is gone. But I thought we had a deal? How do you make a deal with one person and sell the truck to another person? And of course, they call you about another truck. And for some reason, it's ALWAYS inferior to the truck you were looking at. Well, you already have been approved, and you already have your plane tickets, right? No. Don't do it. Take your business elsewhere.

Now there are certain trucks that I would never buy. Not because of the truck, but because of the dealer, the service departments. Freightliner is one. I will never, N E V E R buy a Shaker. Their service departments are horrible! The other of course, is Volvo. It's not the Volvo truck, it's the staggering cost of parts and service. The most expensive part I put on my truck is that 22918B. A good friend of mine owns a 780. He was looking at an 880 with a 600 Cummins. They did the bait and switch on him and he has a 780 with the Volvo engine and a 13. It's almost as if every time he goes into the shop, it costs him 10 grand. He's replaced the injectors 3x in 5 years. Wiring harness twice. Kingpins cost him $2600!!! For kingpins? I think I pad $900. Maybe it's his truck. But the repair costs have been staggering. I wouldn't think that they make their own front axles and kingpins, but that's an insane amount of money for kingpins.

 

How did they manage to swindle that deal out of your friend. Those trucks aren't even in the same game.

 

I would go with single 3/8" rail. Thickness is only part of the equation. Taller rail will have more strength. I'm not a fan of a double frame. Rust in between and they spread apart. I posted this picture of mine in another thread. It also didn't help that the truck had a body mounted water tank on it so it couldn't be washed easily.

See all that flake between the flanges? No good. Took me a day to beat two 6 foot inserts out. Then found out the frame was fubar'd so I just said screw it and ordered new rails.

 

@HandLogger, I have to say, as has already been said on this thread, that it is REFRESHING to have someone asking the right questions WITH a game plan. Far too many folks ask, "What truck should I buy?" without knowing what kind of freight they want to haul or where they plan to run.

Earlier you mentioned that you are not going to run in the Rockies, only up in the Appalachians. The Rockies don't hold a candle to the kind of steep grades you will have to pull in the Appalachians, ESPECIALLY running off the beaten path.

If I were you I would not even consider buying anything that doesn't have an 18 speed. I currently have a 13 speed (converted from a 9 speed). Many a time running off road on muddy grades north of 20% my only option with a heavy load on the deck is to wind up the rpm's higher than I am comfortable to put my engine through and HOPE I can top out a hill before lugging the engine or having to downshift and risk coming to a full stop and MAYBE have to back ALL the way down the hill to try again.

If I could split the low range it would give me far more control and confidence in those situations. Good luck with your search. Be patient. The right truck WILL come along and will tell you her name before you lay down your hard earned money.

 

I own older stuff so I may be off on the years here (someone please correct me), but in regard to Cat engines you will have non-emission single turbo C15s through 2004. I believe the twin turbo Acerts arrived in 2005 model trucks. I am not sure what year the SDP serial number prefix engines came out, but from what I understand you want to stay away from them. Given your situation I believe that I would look for a truck no newer than 2006, and I certainly wouldn't mind sticking with a 2004 or older. At this age of truck it is more about the use and care it has had than the model year, and whether or not it has been in-framed yet. The other fellows can give you better details.

In regard to financing, I have found that working with my local, small bank has been the best and easiest to work with.

 

They let you go through the "approval process", wait until buy plane tickets, arrange time off work...etc. Basically, you have an investment in the trip. And you're right, it wasnt even close to the calibre. I told him before he even found a truck to watch for the bait and switch.

But of course, they make it seem like theyre working for you, getting you the best deal, and if you decide to cancel, you will be missing out on your golden opportunity.

Its funny...you can tell someone the play by play in detail...and the salesmen will still beat them.