Where to buy glider kits, engine, etc.

Let me know how you make out with those. I have been thinking about putting those or the Michelin XDN2 GRIP wides also... I think the GRIP might do better in the snow but the XDN2 look like the would do better in slush the very little 1/4 inch deep mud we sometimes get into...

 

I hope they work well. I really hate to get something and it doesn't play out like planned. But even the best laid plans go awry sometimes. Will post later how they work out.

 

When will you be on the road with the truck? Also if you dont mind PM me around how much your glider totaled out at. Mine keeps climbing in cost!!!!

 

The truck will go to work next week. The total cost came out at $111,062.

 

wow I am about 40k more then that. I also have a lift axle, C-16 motor and some other things that bring the cost up but still it shouldnt be 40K more... Your dealer also do Western Star?

 

That I am just not sure of. You can give Phil Woody a call at 319-240-8009. You will probably have to leave a message. He is running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to keep up with glider orders. They are doing 6-7 gliders a week at that FL dealership... Harrison Truck Center near Waterloo, IA. Leah Pullin also helps Phil out so you might try her phone... 319-234-4453. She is very knowledgable about the gliders as well. Gliders are all that Phil and her concern themselves with at that dealership.

 

Question on the financing side. Can you do a glider with normal financing like you would buying a new truck? 20% down and payments or does this have to be a special bank deal to do? I assume financing from a dealership would be easier then from someone like Fitzgeralds to do also.

 

Yes you can. Phil at the dealer referred my name to GE Capitol, Wells Fargo, and another financier a couple of weeks ago. I mentioned something about Daimler financial since this is a Freightliner dealership, and he did not have good things to say about them. GE Capitol was great. Very easy, one page simple little app, and I financed the next day. I had about 25% down, but 20% like you mention would be fine. Eric at GE didn't even question this being a glider one bit. Frankly, even though I have a pretty good credit score, with this economy, I thought it might be a little harder to get financing from what I kept hearing on the business shows and such. This was as easy as getting financed at a car dealer, if not easier. GE didn't ask for my financials, tax returns, profit and loss, or other documentation. I am sure each individual is different, but it was sure an easy thing for me.

Keep kicking myself for not doing this move sooner.

The situation with Fitzgerald is unique. They are not a dealer, but a third party source. They order gliders in bulk from a dealer. So it doesn't have the same clout at the finance groups like a full blown dealer does. Fitz is a good outfit and they do good glider builds, but they do have a more limited thing compared to a regular dealer in both the flexibility on the glider build, to the financing stream. This dealer I got mine with is right on the heels of Fitz when it comes to the number of glider builds they do. A person has a little flexibility in how they spec their glider at Fitz, but it doesn't even come close to what a regular dealer can spec.

Found out a little tidbit about this Columbia glider though. Many like to chide about Columbia's being made in Mexico. That is true to an extent. But they are also made in NC. Mine was done at NC. So, no Mexican truck in my hands. American made, custom spec'd truck. How this whole process has gone, I would go nowhere else to buy a glider, at least a Freightliner glider, than Phil and Leah at Harrison Truck Center. Except for the factory build delay of 5 months, and a hiccup with the air dam showing up, this process has been great.

 

I probably talked to same dealers as you. I couldn't make it work, for a heavy day cab the pete was as much as a new 012. The ws was a little less. I know you like the c16 but you should think about a c15 with a pdi tune might save a couple $.

 

It is funny you say that about the C-16. I talked to my sale guy today about the C-15 vs the C-16 but it was only going to save me $5300.00 he told me.

Not sure why not more but he said that this is the first time in years you can get it from the factory so he said with the C-16 coming from the factory it is only $5300 less for the C-15 but if they had to buy or find a C-16 and put it in it would be about $10,000.00 for the C-15. For $5300.00 I will stick with the C-16 and with a PDI tune in that I will be doing good lol...