Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

I thought paccar was here?


And all of cokes Freightliners are built right up the street from me in Mt. Holly. NC




American Trucker

 

this is absolutely my way of thinking.....every time i bought either a honda or suzuki motorbike....

 

The only thing Scaina and Cummins are working or were working on together was the fuel system on the 2010 emissions ISX engine.

 

There are many reasons I'd prefere US ore EU truck... Really I can see a lot of critics form truckers who never own European truck.

Ugly.... to build well locking COE is not so easy as conventional truck, I wanna remind you US COE trucks....! So for designer there are more limiting factors with COE then with conventional design. And I agree, Mercedes Zetros looks better then Actros.

Cabines made of plastic???? There is more steel in European cabin then in US cabin! European cabin is not protected with nose and designers have to make them of more tought steel with steel doors, steel panes.. else cabin may be a death box!

The average US cabin is a combination of steel and plastic. EU cabin is made of steel including all doors, roof and sleeper.

Things like steps, hoods, bumpers are made of plastic all over the world.

The other myth is that EU truck runs roughtly becouse short wheel base and less weight. The reality is different. EU cabin is heavier then bigger US cabines and usually it is on four air bags and that's why european truck runs much smoother.

But short wheel base is more dangerouse when truck looses control and goes jacknifing and europeans solve this problem the expencive way - all disk brakes on trucktor and trailer, EBS, ESP, RSS and all this stuff. But anyway EU trucktor bobtailing is more dangerouse becouse other weight distribution and too heavi cabin, more traction problems.

But now I can see too many EU things in US cabins. Volvo use enlarged European cabin (this cabin passed very "cruel" Swedish cabin impact test and roll over test). Panels, doors, keys, locks, electronics are of european design.

In some Freightliners I see so many things from Actros.












Look at pictures and compare Freightliner interior with Mercedes Actrof of first generation and MP-II... So is the Cascadia interior really american????

Lets go on. In Peterbilt cabine and in KW cabin I see to many DAF95 and DAF105 parts!!!



Engines and trunsmissions... the reality that US and EU trucks share powertrain.

 

Euro trucks simply are not suited to the American roads...

I don't know why you rookies are so enamored with syncro transmissions... I prefer to float shift an not use a clutch every time I shift.

Disc brakes are coming here because of the new federal rules on stopping distances... I prefer to let the market decide what is sold here.

 

not only actros but also smaller mercedes models and cars

also hpi and turbocompound

i would not use look as argument

this cant make some truck good or bad i also think some us trucks are not beautiful but i dont hate them because of this

also i think zetros is not good looking

this is main problem , usually it is best to drive thing where you are from , best choice for parts and mechanics and easy to sold truck later

they are mainly uncomfortable when they are without trailer , for comparison best thing would be to chose 3axle tractor

for anyone suspicious about comfort i would suggest to try volvo 6x2 as bdf setup or other type with same suspension

only thing now miss is trailer brake ( separated from truck) they were forbidden i think it is now legal again but no one else buy it

 

here for clutch pedal you need 18lbs of force nominally. on some trucks it is different some harder some softer my father now own mercedes 4axle tipper with twin plate clutch and it is pretty hard also before and after clutch exchange

but on other mercedes 3axle tipper almost same model clutch could be pressed with 2 fingers , our other trucks have similar force needed for clutch , i dont like too soft clutch it is hard to "feel it"

here is what we consider as manual transmission ( mercedes offer this since 1985 )


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t02t6yCUSZ0[/ame]



also look at this you just press button on gearbox and clutch works

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1iXOChnLA[/ame]

 

HPI is the 2010 fuel system on ISX engines.

 

awesome interior on that bottom mercedes!

 

I don't hate them I just won't ever drive any of them...

I prefer the classic look of a Peterbilt 359/379/389 or a Kenworth W900L or an old "A" model.....luckily I'm in a position where I have a choice..