beyerjf Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 The way we figure these things in the trucking world is cents per mile. My Argosy has 1.65 million one owner miles. Lifetime average is probably less that $.10 per mile. I would put it against any make and suggest that the profitability is at least as good. Combine a more modest purchase price and my truck makes me money, which I think is the point. This discussion is one of the most unending in all of transportation. But there again I think my 1951 Studebaker Champion is a real economical car... Jeff Beyer temporarily retired from Trailer Transit 2000 Freightliner Argosy Cabover 2008 Work and Play 34FK Homebase NW Indiana, no longer full time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoDirectionHome Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 Lifetime average is probably less that $.10 per mile. Is that total cost of ownership including purchase, fuel, maintenance? "There are No Experts, Do the Math!" 2014 Freightliner Cascadia DD16 600hp 1850ft-lb 18spd 3.31 260"wb SpaceCraft S-470 SKP #131740 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dollytrolley Posted November 13, 2015 Report Share Posted November 13, 2015 The way we figure these things in the trucking world is cents per mile. My Argosy has 1.65 million one owner miles. Lifetime average is probably less that $.10 per mile. I would put it against any make and suggest that the profitability is at least as good. Combine a more modest purchase price and my truck makes me money, which I think is the point. This discussion is one of the most unending in all of transportation. But there again I think my 1951 Studebaker Champion is a real economical car... Great points Jeff, Last week I was in Rainier, Oregon at a Card-lock fuel farm when a good looking 1974 KW long-logger with a lady driving that was likely in her early 60's.........She started the fuel hose at the slowest setting then slipped into a set of coveralls and then pulled the drain valves on the air tanks.......next she opened the cab door grabbed a hand full of tools and a new brake air hose and then crawled between the drivers and in about a minute a broken spring brake hose was tossed out from under the truck with the vice-grip clamp still on the hose and then a minute later she tossed the cage-bolt out as well thenn she wiggled out and started the engine to build up air and check for leaks........ I walked over and complemented her on her record time to replace a hose..........she smiled and said " oh at the landing in the woods a tree limb was stuck in the mud in the turn-around and when I was about to unload the trailer the limb jutted up out of the mud just wrong to hook the brake hose and then it shotgunned my brakes so I had to clamp the hose and cage the can.........just a day log'n"....... I complimented her on the truck and she said "well thankyou.......me and this old girl have been piling on the miles since 1976 after my then-hubby left me with three young kids and a thick payment book on this truck"........ I smiled and said " well obviously you have taken very good care of this truck"........ She grinned, and said " Oh I would say that we have both taken good care for each other as well as others........then she added " you see this truck has put 3 of my kids through collage..... one is a Engineer......one is a MD....and my girl is a CPA..... so I would tell you that me and this truck have done very well" I said "That is a real testament to a KW.......so did you ever think about a newer truck.......she smiled and said " oh ya my Engineer son started hounding me several years about getting a newer truck.......but.......my daughter the CPA ran the "numbers" and said......mom the ole KW is a gold-mine with low costs and reliable operation.......don't risk a newer money-pit"...... So I said " wow so the CPA won the day" she replied "well the engineer looked at the CPA numbers and had to agree that his sister had made a case for keeping the ole KW ......in the family". Don't argue with the ........numbers......or.......mom.... Drive on.........(Keep that OLD truck running.......) 97 Freightshaker Century Cummins M11-370 / 1350 /10 spd / 3:08 /tandem/ 20ft Garage/ 30 ft Curtis Dune toybox with a removable horse-haul-module to transport Dolly-The-Painthorse to horse camps and trail heads all over the Western U S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Let me start off with saying I am a dealer of used HDT trucks. Every brand I get in requires work, some more than others, but every one needs some kind of work after 500,000-1,000,000 miles. KW and Pete don't get the stress cracks on the dash and doors, but parts are so expensive to replace when something does break. I would have gone with a KW if I could have found the right one. I have had Freightliners out of the big fleets on the road, and after 500,000 miles, they were tight and solid. Pushing a million miles, yes, you have some that need a lot of work, but that holds true to all manufacturers here in the states. Watching on craigslist last year, I came across my 2003 Columbia. The fella said it had a 465 HP Mercedes motor, 10 speed, A/C worked, and was clean. I watched for 4 months, price dropped almost every week, and I figured it was because nobody wanted a Mercedes motor. I never owned one, heard how awful they were to fix, and left it at that. Finally, I couldn't stand it any more, and called the fella up to look at it. By this time, I have talked to everyone I knew coast to coast, Freightliner dealers, owner-operators,used truck dealers, and came to find out there are a lot of them running in fleets, with no more problems than other motors. Well, come to find out, the guy failed to tell me about the massive oil leak coming off the rear of the motor, a serious air leak, and...... no sleeper bed, it had a rear seating area, flat screen tv, disco lighting, and wood floors. It was a hospitality truck from some NASCAR team. WOW, I saw right thru all the faults, had to own it. It had never run in salt, as NASCAR doesn't run in the winter. It had been governed at 65 MPH its whole life, (it runs out now at 80 after fixing the computer), and, all service work was done at Freightliner, as near as we can tell from printouts. Got this Columbia to my shop. Someone had installed new valve cover gaskets, and twisted the middle valve cover gasket. What I thought was a rear main seal, (couldn't see where the leak was coming from other than a puddle on the concrete), or head leak, we fixed for $35,00. The air leak was the small service valve on the rear axle, $45.00. The A/C had to be filled again, as there was a hairpin leak in a hose. Thank goodness for the new leak plug stuff. After replacing.... for piece of mind, 4 air bags, all idler pullys, all hoses, all belts, new air valves,new fan clutch, all new tires, new hood mounts, and a bunch of chrome I could have done without, I have an inexpensive RV toter that works as good as some of the newer stuff we get with EGR valves bad, computer problems a mile long, all this new California Carb crap that nobody can figure out if it really helps or not, and, the high cost of a new truck. With Freightliners, we have mostly dash problems with the cheap plastic. Even newer Volvos have dash and bunk problems after a while with the plastic. Doors are a problem with vibration cracks in the plastic on both. Yes, radiators are a problem on Freightliner, but I find it is totally dependant on who drove it, and its application. Rough drivers and rough roads take a toll. Even the older FLD models seem like they hold up well. Freightliner here in Arizona is open 24/7 for parts and service. We find also, our dealership is cheaper on standard parts than Pete or KW. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beyerjf Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 The dashboard on the Century class(Argosy) has always been a huge complaint. I bought my truck new, and watched it disintegrate over 11 years. I did a failure analysis when I rebuilt the dash($2200 worth of panels). I am convinced that it all started when the dealer installed the radio( slide in from the front DIN mount, and didn't bother to stabilize the rear of the radio by bolting it to the provided bracket. That would have required removing about 5 panels and about another hour of labor. So the radio just sits there and bounces and breaks all the related plastic supports. Pictures of before and after. 400,000 miles later, not a crack or a squeak in sight: https://www.flickr.com/photos/118502133@N04/12774285623/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/118502133@N04/12774136713/in/dateposted-public/ Jeff Beyer temporarily retired from Trailer Transit 2000 Freightliner Argosy Cabover 2008 Work and Play 34FK Homebase NW Indiana, no longer full time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Darn, Jeff....it looks like a new truck!! Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Bigtrailer, You forgot to tell us the mileage of the truck!? Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hi Rocky, It has 834,700 miles. I did oil analysis on it.... perfect results, no failures noted. The Mercedes runs like Detroit's, great fuel mileage, lower rebuild cost compared to Cats, and million mile engines. As I said.... never owned one, had negative attitude towards them. I'll be lucky to put 50,000 more miles on this thing. Just as a side note, We sell overseas to South Africa, and in this order, Mercedes, Detroit, Cummins and last is Volvo. The brokers won't take Cat motors for the expense in repairs. just for what that is worth. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 That's great Bill. With the price being reduced weekly, I'm figuring you purchased it right! There are deals to be made out there. Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 My response to people that are looking to go into HDT RV' ING', is look on Craigslist in southern states. NO rust to deal with, more selection of older, pre-carb and emission trucks, and, a whole lot less electrical problems from corrosion. Some dealers have stock of older trucks they will wholesale, just ask them. Don't be afraid of fleet trucks, like Werner, CTI, Heartland, Prime. They trade before 5000,000 miles, when it goes out of warranty, and believe this or not, We have gotten fleet trucks with new crate engines just put in. Call the engine company and run vin number of the engine and it will show when it was put in the truck. Yes, got mine very cheap! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 I likely picking up a KW T600 with a Cat late December/January. Ya'll make me feel much better about this. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hi Glenn, I assume your looking at my response to fella's getting into the HDT world. The T-600 should do you fine. Is the Cat big horsepower? Nice rig to run over the road with. You have a sleeper, or day cab. What year? Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 2000 c12. factory single. He has several. Also told me has 2 pedals. We want 2 pedal. He assures me they in good shape. States many have new engines, some new trannys, etc. Fleet maintained. http://timjordanstrucks.com/trk.htm 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hey Steve, call me 602-881-4550 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr. cob Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Howdy All, Yes, I recently had to have a new radiator installed in my truck, the truck now has 763,873 miles on it, it had 727,489 miles on it when I bought it a little over two years ago, other then oil changes a few coolant hoses, a boost sensor and a set of brakes when I first bought it it has been a very dependable truck. It ain't much to look at, dash has some cracked panels, the paint is pretty sand blasted in front but it was cheap and serves me well. Theres a saying among the Hog riders, "Chrome may get you laid but it won't get you home." Sure I'd love to have a 369 long nose Peterbilt with a king size sleeper and all the other goodies that make truly custom classic truck, but being a cheap ba$tard I'd much rather spend that money on diesel fuel and camp ground fees as I drive my ole Columbia all over the country.............................. Dave 2001 Peterbilt, 379, Known As "Semi-Sane II", towing a 2014 Voltage 3818, 45 foot long toy hauler crammed full of motorcycles of all types. Visit my photo web site where you will find thousands of photos of my motorcycle wanderings and other aspects of my life, click this link. http://mr-cob.smugmug.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Beautiful rig Dave. Your doin' it right for a lot of us on budgets. 10-4 on the Pete. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cochran Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Really no problems with my 1998. However was at Phoenix International Raceway. A guy stopped by not an Escapees. He showed me a picture of his on the side of the road on his way to Vegas it was on fire right at the battery area. He said he did not know what caused. Because of location maybe short in the batteries. His was green like mine except a 2000. Forgot to add he lost both truck and 5er. I guess he just watched it all burn maybe he did marshmallows!!!!!! 2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Bob, We get "a lot" of Freightliners in that people have taken off the holddowns for the batteries. They bounce around, and rub anything close causing shorts. Any of you guys running other trucks, make sure all batteries are held down and restrained from bouncing. Putting rubber mudflap under them reduces vibration. On a used truck, check to see if someone ran a hot wire for a CB, inverter, refrigerator, etc, and just clipped the wire and no tape or connector to prevent a short. Sorry about the rain, we call it dust control out here. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cochran Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 All makes sense to me. Drive home back Concho Az. 20 miles East of Show Low Az was interesting. Wind, snow, scrabble my just washed and waxed Freightliner and 5er is very dirty and 2 miles of dirt now mud to the S & B added mud to both as well. Oh well needed get back up here or would have waited. I like mud flap idea well do that whenever I replace batteries. 2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Bob, My EX had a place in Concho, down Ponderosa road. You live there full time? Don't forget to get some contact grease for the terminals. We unhook the negative side , the ground, with our trucks in the yard. Keeps the batteries up and don't worry about a drain. I have quick disconnects on my stuff. Keeps a thief honest! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDR Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Bob, We get "a lot" of Freightliners in that people have taken off the hold downs for the batteries. They bounce around, and rub anything close causing shorts. Any of you guys running other trucks, make sure all batteries are held down and restrained from bouncing. Putting rubber mudflap under them reduces vibration. On a used truck, check to see if someone ran a hot wire for a CB, inverter, refrigerator, etc, and just clipped the wire and no tape or connector to prevent a short. Sorry about the rain, we call it dust control out here. Bill BigTrailer; I often wondered what started that type of fire, most times iv'e seen the battery blows up when a cell has a catastrophic failure. Which can cause a straight ground fault with the alternator putting out 170 amps or more until the engine decides to shut down, fire will occur! Without using battery tie down systems, I gotta say your asking for it! Never would have even thought someone (with an RV/HDT would not be "prudent in thinking" with that amount of energy, around them / around us. When it comes to the battery/alternator/inverter systems out there. But I come from the Boat world, we are used to large amounts of stored energy, being thrown around at speed. Just sayin... Curt 2001 Freightliner Century, 500hp Series 60, Gen 2 autoshift, 3.42 singled rear locker. 2004 Keystone Sprinter 299RLS (TT) 2 & 4 Wheelers! 2013 Polaris Ranger 800 midsize LE Our motto "4 wheels move the body, 2 wheels move the soul!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtrailer Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 BigTrailer; I often wondered what started that type of fire, most times iv'e seen the battery blows up when a cell has a catastrophic failure. Which can cause a straight ground fault with the alternator putting out 170 amps or more until the engine decides to shut down, fire will occur! Without using battery tie down systems, I gotta say your asking for it! Never would have even thought someone (with an RV/HDT would not be "prudent in thinking" with that amount of energy, around them / around us. When it comes to the battery/alternator/inverter systems out there. But I come from the Boat world, we are used to large amounts of stored energy, being thrown around at speed. Just sayin... Curt Hi Curt, Yep, had boats too, know about things coming loose. You would think a trucker would be smart enough to see the problem. I think it is just a not care attitude drivers and mechanics have if they don't own the truck. Freightliner on some models, mount the 4 batteries in the middle between the frame rails. I suppose it does protect them from the bounce they get in a battery box hanging from the rails, don't have stats on that innovartion. Makes it hard not to get dirty changing them out. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cochran Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Hi Bob, My EX had a place in Concho, down Ponderosa road. You live there full time? Don't forget to get some contact grease for the terminals. We unhook the negative side , the ground, with our trucks in the yard. Keeps the batteries up and don't worry about a drain. I have quick disconnects on my stuff. Keeps a thief honest! Bill 2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cochran Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Know where Ponderosa is hard not to since the town is so large. As you know the is the old town of Concho the West a couple miles is Concho Valley. We have a S & B about another 8 miles West of Concho Valley and couple miles of Az61. Not cedar people if you know what I mean. Let's see that puts us 20 miles East of Show Low. Yes we are full time here. Was not my plan but is how circumstances worked out. My truck has 4 batteries between the frame rails and under step walk in a barrery box. With the drom box it is a pain getting to them. So I don't as often as I need to, need motivation. I am guessing a short at the batteries did cause his fire. The pic showed is really blazing in that area. 2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hey guys, how would a Century Freightshaker work out for a rv hauler? Finding a lot of them with 700k-800k at great prices with Detroit engines. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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