Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

And as far as metric vs standard goes......

One of the things that Canada does very well is make dimensional lumber. The entire world loves our lumber.

We make standard 2x4 for the domestic and US market and metric 2x4 for the rest of the world.

We don't tell paying customers to effing smarten up and go metric, we ask them if they need anything else and sell them all the 1.75" x 3.5" 2x4's they want.

 

The Canadian government subsidies to the lumber industry helps to. That's why there is barely a saw mill on the US side within 200 miles of the border. They haul lumber down and round wood back and you can't touch their rates..

Maybe we should have a closed market like trucks from the other side of the pond ?



ps I can buy a car or motorcycle from Europe , but not a truck ......

 

US trucks are simple, easy to fix. EU trucks are complicated, technologically advanced. to fix EU truck more skilled technicians required.

Well, ok, lets imagine new volvo FH in USA (not FH classic). First problem - independent suspention.... who can align it in your state?

Problem #2 - EBS... sometimes it is not easy to find a problem! like to know surelly what to do - change modulator, inspect complicated wiring ore check EBS ECM in cab.

Really US mechanics are not ready for EU truck. We use to fix calipers here, in USA they just change it.... we fix compressores, in USA they change it, sometimes they use old to rebuild...

Ouh, one bad news.. EU cabovers are slow, usually 55 mph governed. why? cabover is a four wall brick, and to save fuel it must not be fast. In EU axle load is much higher (pavament is thik, roads are more tought) and that's why EU cabover is usually 4x2 with short wheel base. Yep, it is less stabil on road and that's why Europeans use advanced EBS systems. As result - less jacknifing. So really EU truck is safe.

Unfortunatly no hood, no room to absorb impact... so they have to make cabs of steel, more heavy. In EU weight limit is 40000KG for axle truck, in USA 80K Lbs, so 38 metric tons. The only advanyage of US truck - you can pull longer trailers.

 

The US can't survive without international trade.
The reason Canadian lumber is such a hit with Americans is that up until the last 6 years, for the previous 40 years the Canadian $ has been worth $0.80 US. So.... when Canadian goods are 20% off, well, who doesn't like a deal like that?

Plus Canada has older forests and older trees make stronger lumber for things like trusses. It doesn't matter for that garbage lumber you can pick up at Home Depot.

 

My Mercedes has been a wonderful engine but it has two serious design flaws.
that is actually not mercedes engine , mercedes borrow it from MAN , because they need its lying version horisontal for city busses, man trucks had those lying engines, as part of exchange mercedes give them v10 , in europe this engine was never popular it is intended for the poor markets

edit: and they have problems mainly with 2things here, one is low pressure fuel pump due bad fuel , other is head sealing

Edit #2: so on a euro truck the clutch gets done from the top with a crane and on a NA truck from the bottom with jacks. I see no difference.
it is still simplier , when you drive rigid truck to shop they swear and many are not willing to do this


Well my drum brakes lasted about 900,000 KM and died of "rust jacking" with about 40% left.
drums ( big 10.6inch and 8.5 on front) lasted about 120 000km on my truck and it is considered very good , it is because of different condition truck work in , mainly only city lot of start and stop and sometimes you need to stop as quickest as possible, overload(up to 40%) .....here discs last average about 500 000km while drum brakes last shorter and cost more, this is because higher gross weight and different conditions on different places

Edit; I read somewhere where 800,000 KM is high milage for a euro truck. Is that true?
yes, many avoid trucks with more than 500 000km

example when you compare truck which have 600 000km and worked here in bosnia(you almost cant find straight/flat road) and italy(worst of all european roads but still years ahead of our roads) , with truck which came from NL or DE, and have 700 000km it is like new comparing to ours

problem at this kind of millage are things like cab suspension ...

but there are many trucks with lot more km.

example my father had legendary mercedes ng 1635Ls with adr(for dangerous goods)

it was quite modern truck for its age(mercedes started to make them in 1985 till 1988 and younger model with just small differences till 1994, that series end at about 1997 though you can find examples of late SK2 from 1999/2000)engine was 14.6L v8 with bi-turbo , on good roads it can make 6.7mpg,on ours with mountains 5.9, it had electronic diesel regulation, abs, traction control, 16speed automated gearbox , hydraulic retarder, 4point air suspension,

father tried something with tank trailers,also had MAN f8 and bitumen trailer.... but since we are since ever in tippers he sold it , latter guy who bought mercedes made 2000 000km on russian roads

today make no sense to own truck long, because of emisssion for tolls and permits, because old truck dont make money(fuel ), nobody wants to drive it , you cant risk brakedown and expensive towing , so many people dont maintain trucks at all

i have mercedes from same age, it is 26year old now, 800tkm on clock, but you cant compare this kms to road , and especially to highway, and especially to your highways, and no problems at all just simple things like fuel lines

other example , scania 112h from 1986, 2axle tipper , pulled 3axle drawbar trailer, always well overloaded, mainly worked only during winter(hauling grain and road salt), over our mountains, truck was bought from germany with 298 000km, in 1992 , it had low km because it was involved in some fatal crash and it was under investigation and long sitting, we sold it in april/2003 with 1200 000km, truck was never maintained except oil (shell at 20000km intervals and filters) , during that time got only one brakedown ( some screew that pulls clutch ) ,except that hose that connect intercooler and chassis leak, driver break diff lock twice, father break halfshaft when he stuck with 65t in mud, also when snowchain breaks it damage cover(rubber tenon of right rear brake cilinder and during years on salt roads , it oxidize the inside .....he put used one from older 2series, there was no clutch exchanged or anything except brakes

2years ago it was on sale on internet, with "792 000km" , father called this guy , and they talked , he say during 8.5years , he break halfshaft, and change seals on clutch cylinder , and if truck will left he would make inframe

 

So the MBE 4000 ( xx460.....) is a bus engine that is meant to lay down flat and was intended for poor markets?

Pablo: can you confirm this?

Here is was marketed as " designed specifically for the NA market" and they charged a premium for it.
(Which I didn't pay)

 

My how the mighty US market has fallen.

Poor market, 3rd world or banana republic Tks to the corporations . lol !

 

om460(12.8L)man name d2876 is extedned stroke of om457(12L)-man d2866 which was sold here, made in turkey on brazil

engine d28 first appeared in 1983 with 360hp and 1570nm, 2years later it get version of 290 and 330hp and old d25 was discontinued

over time engine got updates , and its 10L 5cil version (discontinued in 1999)

at 1995 version 2876 first time appeared with 460hp , last version had 530hp with common rail



at late 60s man take over company bussing , which was famous for their lying engines, man firstly used their engines as lied, latter adopt their own engines for that , also version d2866 , this kind of concept in trucks was discontinued i think in 1994


reason why did they used lying engine is because in this time europe was crazy about volume , so cab become shorter and body and trailer longer, and there was no space for engine under cab because cab was too short, after eu ban this , no longer need for such engines in trucks

 

maybe not third, but brazil use this engine , turkey , now kamaz use it in their trucks, it is used in mitsubishi trucks in far east as well as chinese trucks

in third world they are loyal to V mercedes engines,

 

Scania man: poor choice of words on my part.

"Some of you guys......"
I should have said " some of them....."

You weren't on the radar. I'm sorry it came across that way.

Changed it now.