Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

Your conclusions always amaze me. In a frontal collision, the fronts of both vehicles should behave as much as possible as flat surfaces, no irregular shapes, no beams protruding etc,. I wonder if that will happen with a conventional. It does happen with a COE.

 

Caesar, in Ukraine drivers say - bonnet is additional 2 m of life/

 

Pablo, I'm sure that is what they think, but is it true?

With a conventional the engine is mounted in front of the cab. When another truck hits the engine, it is pushed backwards into the cab, where the driver is. The hood has no strength what so ever.

With a COE the engine is mounted below the cab. When another truck hits the cab, the cab as a whole is pushed backwards, and the engine is also pushed backwards simultaniously. The cab can crumple en deform as well in a predefined way.

Look at the cab of that MAN truck a few postings back. That truck hit another truck at full speed, and yet the driver only had one broken leg!

A 20 year old Mercedes or Volvo car also looks massive and strong as a bankvault, but today they would get only 1 point in the NCAP crash test. Any modern small car has a much stronger passenger compartment.

Looks are deceptive, and I would like to see a crash test between a COE and a conventional.

 

If the engine is hit hard enough to remove it from the mounts what makes you think it won't drop to the ground instead of going into the cab?

 

For a very simple reason, you hit it with high speed, it doesn't have time to drop down. Compare it with hitting a tennis ball, it doesn't drop to the ground either.

 

Caesar, have u seen many wracked truckks on boneyards?

Yes, every trucking company has its boneyard, it is like a truck mortary and belive me, engine in front collision moves under cab, not inside cab, becouse engine got only one mounting point, transmossion - two.

And cab substructure is designed to be moved up with engine sliding under cabin.

It is not all. any truck gets first impact with bumper and engine and cabin are moved with acceleration forces. Hood and radiators absorb energy of impact to reduce acceleration (decceleration), frame of truck holds maximum stress and usually collapces behind cabin.

Belive me, trailer with 24 ton of payload is the most dangerouse thing when truck hits massive barrier.

 

Given the Global resources of PACCAR who know what they have built as prototypes over the years.
This truck is clearly Right hand Drive, So that would limit ( I would think) It's intended Market..

 

It's obviously a badge-engineered DAF from the Kenworth Australia factory in Bayswater near where I live. Instead of insulting Kenworth owners everywhere by putting "Kenworth" on the grille, they have kept it as a DAF, which they sell here. However, they don't make many sales, they are mainly to fleet owners who want a cheap urban truck. When I drive past the factory it's always Kenworths in the production line finished lot. At least I think it's a DAF, all these euro trucks look the same to me.

 

You should be amazed. I am awesome.

 

Yep that looks safe...

Engine still in place. But as Pablo stated frame failing behind cab was the bigger hazard . Front end collision did not make it to the cab. It did side swipe another truck . Trailer twisted the frame , gap is about foot and half closer.