What is the attraction with peterbilts

I love all old school Macks from the R Models to the Superdogs to the CH. Anything passed the CH is garbage.

If I had a choice between a Superdog and a 379, Id take the dog.

 

I wrecked an R model day cab when a car ran head-on into me and I rolled the truck onto it's right side. both doors opened and closed when it got back up but the frame was bent so bad, from the back, the 5th wheel should of lined up with the center of the cab, it lines up with the left door post.

 

Sounds like you were going at a good speed.

You're alive. That is a blessing after a wreck like that. Do you think you would still have survived that wreck if you were in something like a Prostar?

 

And that about sums it up. Looks. I like my FL to look clean, but to me, after 33 years in this game, a truck is just a tool to get a job done. And to do it at the lowest cost to me. It is about that simple. I don't like side pipes, as they get in the way of what I am trying to see and are nothing but insect fryers. My stacks are up the back. I like a set back steer because of the tight areas I have to get into now and then, and I grew rather partial to the visibility of an aero hood since I crawled into an early KW ant eater.. And the list goes on. I am all about making my life easier and more practical. I don't sit around truck stops shining aluminum. That is why I have Alcoa durabrites on the truck and painted fuel tanks. A little more esthetically pleasing, with no effort. I go home every weekend and do whatever little maintenance I have to, and then walk away from the truck and enjoy life. Clean, absolutely for long life. Looking like a show truck, I'll leave that to other folks. If I was on a dealer lot looking at a truck to buy, I would walk right on past a big nose Pete with a pile of chrome and side stacks. Just not interested, and I don't want to deprive someone else from buying such a truck to make them feel better about themselves. I am glad there are so many truck choices out here to satisfy the wants and desires of many folks. I would really be upset if there was only one truck make and style for everyone to have to deal with.

 

Couldn't agree with Cowpie more. I understand the aesthetics argument, but I'm not standing on the side of the road watching myself go by all day.

Old boss, Story #1 = "It's a workhorse, not a show pony". We'd wash the trucks once a month, with a garden hose run out of the office window from the bathroom. Had about 30 minutes. He'd say "Wash the wheels first - as long as they look clean, that's good enough".

Old boss #2 = Story #2 - He knew a customer who would only polish the hood of his car, usually only the drivers side. When asked why, the customer said "Because that's all I can see when I'm driving it, and about all I care about"

I'm firmly against brand loyalty. I don't need name brand clothing. The whole Ford/Chevrolet thing drives me nuts. It's childish. Same with trucks.

 

The cab construction on a Ftlr. is no where near as tough as a Ptb. Take the upholstery and inner door panel off the Ftlr. and it is like a piece of tinfoil. The Fld cab doors are just plain weak and always have been. Non labled wiring ya gotta love that. Try working behind that Ftlr dash. What is the difference between a huck bolt and a pop rivet? Take a good look at Ptb's upholstery and Ftlr's . There is a reason for the price difference, it is called quality. Weight a Ftlr. and a Ptb. There is metal in those Ptb. cabs. I bought this 2000 Classic from a friend of mine. The insulation, you can read a newspaper through. I had a 1986 362, it had the same insulation only 14 years prior. Can we say Ftlr. is a little behind the times.

 

i saw a superliner today that brought back memories. those superliners look cool with that long hood and twin stacks.it was a daycab but still looked cool.

 

Both vehicles were doing 55 mph at impact, (110 mph impact). The truck rolled onto it's right side, I'd say it would of been survivable in about any truck, the important thing was to have your seatbelt on.

 

Me too! No one in their right mind would drive either of those two inferior pieces of crap!

 

And can anyone say... Who Cares? There is a lot more to how a truck is spec'd for the operation and the needs of the owner than whether the upholstry is cadillac or toyota. Insulation is a matter of how it is spec'd also. My Columbia got the premium noise abatement insulation package and the premium arctic insulation package. Since I have owned it, and even though I stay up north all winter, I have NEVER turned on the engine coolant to the bunk (70" midroof) simply because the cab heater keeps the entire interior nice and warm. Even at -25F. A red oval on the hood will not do much better than that. A truck is just a tool to get a job done. I don't buy them to impress people. I use the same mindset when I buy my personal vehicles. I get what I need not what makes a social statement. I have no interest is spending more to do anything else. And it is going to be hard pressed to spec out a Pete exactly like my Columbia and have it weigh as little as mine does. I can put 47,500 lb in a 53' Stoughton dry box, with full tanks, before I need to worry about anything. And at the same time I have a generator on the side and a full 10 gallons of oil in a side box for when I need to pull in and have the oil changed. I like the oil I use and no one carries it, so I carry oil on board for when I need it. Total weight of truck and trailer, with full tanks and all the other stuff I have on board, and me in the seat..... 32,380 lb.

Most people try to compare fleet spec'd trucks to an O/O spec'd truck. When a person does his due diligence in spec'ing out a truck, even one of those "cheap" FL trucks can be darn nice. And do it for a much lower initial cost. There is a lot of money that just goes to pasting on that red oval. A similar thing can be said about John Deere green and a stencil of a deer on the hood. One can get just as good of a tractor in another brand without having to pay the premium. Guess that is why I own a New Holland tractor also instead of a John Deere. No interest in paying for a deer running across the hood.