Got a new work truck!!

[Lone Ranger]

Basic rundown: '07 Wester Star 4900 FA w/ 72" bunk, 410 HP Mercedes (derated from 450 I found out :angry ), 13 spd, 3.73 rears with Meritor airlocker. I don't care for the Mercedes as they're just a revamped Detroit Series 60 and I never cared for them, but apparently they get good fuel milage so Glenn likes them. A C15 or another ISX would have been nice...

-Light and chrome package (chrome trim, aircleaner and bunk lights)
-150 gallon tanks
-1750 watt inverter
-14" Toshiba flattube TV
-RCA DVD/VCR combo
-fridge/freezer
-electric range, coffee maker, microwave, kettle, ect ect
-Cherry wood interior
-Cobra 29 NW CB, Icom 2100 VHF
-Sirius satellite radio
-tons of tools for tinkering around with stuff I'm not supposed to :redneck
-basically enough food/water to be self contained for a week easily...

Home Sweet Home

[Lone Ranger]

2:

[Lone Ranger]

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[Lone Ranger]

4:

[the_danimal]

looking good. finally got a good truck eh? haha.

ttyl.

[Lone Ranger]

Oh, and I forgot to mention (and me being a bonehead I didn't get a pic of the odometer), but I got it with only *45 km's* on the clock!!! Hell, I've never even driven a car with that few km's on it.. I'm used to getting vehicles with 100,000 km or more on them...

[Dan]

there is just something wrong with taking an engine thats not even broken in yet and hooking 80 000 lbs to it :p

[Lone Ranger]

86,500 lbs to be exact (scrap paper load from WM Castlegar to Calgary, only over North America's highest highway pass [Kootenay Pass]). She did alright for a 12.8L engine, albeit the engine brakes kinda suck on them (especially being used to an engine that could almost stop the rotation of the earth).

You gotta do that to them to break them in. If you pussy foot around with the engine it won't break the rings/seals in properly and it'll be an oil burner. On the other hand, I imagine an exessive amount (super-b) would be a bit much for such a small engine. I know of guys who've blown the crank out of their C16 Cats just because the engine's never seen anything more than 30,000 lbs, it didn't break in properly (mind you, a C16's about 625 hp/2050+ lb/ft and meant for heavy haul). For the next two weeks its only getting 40,000 lb+ loads then its back to the usual 10,000 lb insulation loads and 25,000 lb walmart loads...

[Dan]

and the fuel mileage is???

how the heck does a compression brake work anyway?

I saw it at the end of an episode of trucks, the Wyotech guy showed some funky thing on top of the cylinder head and explained that a compression brake opens the exhaust valves

Why the hell would holding the exhaust valves open make compression braking???

Off I got to google search it

[Dan]

never mind, I understand now

thank you Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake

it all makes sense now. I always forget that a diesel works differently than a gas engine.

[Lone Ranger]

To be completely honest, I really couldn't explain it properly. All I know is how to use them and which motors have good engine brakes and which don't. There's also several different types (pac brake, c brake, jake brake, turbo brake, ect; then there's electric and hydraulic retarders to name a few). From what I understand all it essentially does is turn the engine into a big ol' compressor and creates a lot of drag. Turbo and backpressure have a lot to do with it as well (there's a vavle on the outlet of the turbo on my Benz, which works a lot like the exhaust brake on the Cummins diesel pickups, however, the turbo costs $11,000 to replace!!!).

The C brake I had in my last Cummins ISX worked differently, all internal. The only real thing I know about that was the variable geometry turbo had a lot to do with it (gotta love almost NO turbo lag on a 15L diesel engine), but I could run down snowshed hill on the Coq at 80 km/h @ 1700 rpm with a 40,000 lb load and not even think about touching the brakes (keep in mind that's an 8% grade for a good 6 miles, then 6% for about 10 miles past that). Shylock hill down below (6%) was always done in top gear, 110 km/h at 1600 rpm and still no brake usage. Those engines were unbelievable!! By the time I needed the engine fan it was putting out roughly 640 braking horsepower, and consider most are around 300 - 400 braking horsepower. I'm usually down anywhere from half to a full gear at least for the same loads and the engine brake likes to work around 2300 rpm, and the turbo lag is pretty similar to an older Cat.

The Cummins are averaging 5.6 mpg, and these Mercedes Benz are supposed to be around 6.5 - 7 mpg. That may not seem like a lot, but consider that the company's fuel bill averages over one million dollars a month and that single mile per gallon makes a HUGE difference. Parts are really expensive on the Benz's but at least they seem to last better, albeit Frieghtliner can be a real bugger to deal with for warranty work up here. At least Cummins/International were pretty decent.

You'd think for over 5 years and going on a million miles behind me I'd know more about these engines. I guess most of what we deal with is doing the pre/post trip inspections and trying to keep them between the lines and out of the trunk of the idiot in front of us who just cut us off...

[leeberts]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dan
[B]and the fuel mileage is???

how the heck does a compression brake work anyway?

:) as the piston goes up on its compression stroke just before it hits TDC (top dead center) the exhaust valve opens, so you don't make any power but the engine had to work to make all that compression

[crazyguy]

needs a bug deflector on the hood and some decaling :)

[raskal]

Originally posted by crazyguy
needs a bug deflector on the hood and some decaling :)
and spinnners... maybe lower it!

[brian468]

need to return it for a long hood first :p



then change the front fenders out for some wti`s off a w900, add another 6 inchs to the hood then 2 feet to the rear rails, put a polished deck plate on it, shave the cab lights off it, shutter grill, suicide the doors etc etc :D

[r_jacksontrucks]

Being a 2007, does it have the new catalytic converter particulate filter on it? I'm not looking forward to servicing the trucks that have those. By 2010 they'll supposebly be using pig urine to burn off the rest of the emissions on the heavy duty diesels too.

[Hayes]

I'am not so sure about the Mercedes some people like them some don't. The Mercedes uses their own brand engine retarder its not made by Jacobs.

The Mercedes engine brake makes more of a hissing sound than a bark like a Cummins with a JAKE.

I also heard that the Mercedes gets good mileage then again it is a small displacment engine. Its just like Mack engines that are in the 12 Litre displacement trying to crank out 450hp.

Repairing the Mercedes might be a little expensive too the money saved on fuel might end up paying more for repairs.

Western Stars are decent trucks I don't know if Freighliner has turned them into junk. I would probably want a Western Star over one of the Glenncoe Frieghtliners (white) I seen today.

I haven't seen the old blue Kenworth that Glenncoe has in awhile it must be one of the oldest trucks in the fleet a old W-900.

Once your used to having power its tough going to a truck that has less power.

That truck of Loneranger's driving is pre emmissions you can tell by the exhaust stacks I don't know if the new trucks will come out with exhaust stacks. They have a big rectangle box under the sleeper.

Oh ya 99% of the work done on the new trucks will have to be done at the dealer no more getting engine work done at a regular shop. The computer crap needed to diagnose the new trucks costs way too much money.

[r_jacksontrucks]

The vacum to clean out the particulate filters cost $50,000 I'm told.

[muddhunter]

Looks good Matt! I wish I was still on the road, mind you, in a few weeks I'm taking holidays to go up to Grande Prairie to haul some logs! Off highway, 10'6" wide bunks, stacked to the sky, I can't wait!

[jason26]

hey loneranger where was that truck bought?

i see and drive those trucks everyday, since i do work at a w/star dealer in port kells..

the mercedes are not big on power but are good on fuel. the brake on them are quiet and they work well.

[rattle]

So you get icoms for vhf? I take it they are opened up for LAD channels. What kind of power output do you normally run?

[Lone Ranger]

Hmmm, I don't go online for a few days and goddamn the questions!! LOL

I run mine on low or mid power (5 or 10 watts), more than that and it scrambles the FM radio and pins the needle on the CB. Plus, a VHF on low power still gets 10x the range of any CB radio out there anyways (no counting skip). Yeah, I only have the Lad and logging channels in this one (and the weather channels on scan).

I'm going on 10,000 kms on the engine now and its loosening up a lot now and pulling better. You are right about the hissing, its drives me INSANE. Its more of a high pitched 100 db hiss, I have to roll the window up going down a long hill, but it does start to bark a little bit around 2200 rpm though. I got a buddy of mine who has a 475 Mercedes and they're supposed to be a lot better, this one just feels lethargic. And yeah, its pre-emmision. Glenn's trying to buy as many of these as possible as the emissions rated engines have been nothing but trouble. Having the turbo brake on it they are able to run near straight pipes on it (sounds like I'm sitting on a subwoofer in here under heavy load, almost deafening. Was cool at first but my ears hate it now), so I imagine the turbo should last a lot better as there's less restriction to keep the heat in the exhaust (lower turbo temps).

I'm honestly not a big fan of the Western Stars (they work well in the bush, too rough for highway use), I miss my Cornbinder The dashes are a lot better in them and it rode a lot better. I never was a fan of the seating arrangement of the Kenworth's, albeit I think they look the best (even as much as I love Petercars, I think the KWs look better).

They were sold at James Western Star in Kelowna and the reason for all the extra chrome and lights are that they have been trying to get Glenn to buy there for a long time (one of the largest trucking outfits in the OK, we're up over 200 trucks now). I talked to Chris Finch when I got it and he was showing me a lot of the extras he threw in here. I believe there's somewhere around $1,500 in extras on the truck.

And lowering it and throwing spinners on it... Don't tempt me :p Leo from Highland Transport has them on his Peterbilt and I think one of the Lordo trucks do have spinners on them as well! I nearly fell out of my seat the first time I seen them I was laughing so hard. I'm going to look into a bug deflector but I don't really need it. I learned a valuable lesson with 5002, its a real bitch getting them off again with only a swiss pocket knife in the middle of the night after taking 6 hours to clean the truck out... I got my name coming for the door but that's about it I think.

I'm pretty happy with it, looks nice goign down the highway so that's all I care about. But its a typical Detroit, you sit here and idle and get your daily dose of carbon monoxide making its way into the cab :rolleyes: Its going back in for some warranty work next week so I'll see if they can fix it.

Oh, and albeit the Freightliners we run are pretty lame, stripped right down and automatics.. Blah! They know better than to offer me one. Usually the new guys get those until something better comes available.

And good luck hauling the logs, Luke! Damn good money to be made up there and get some pics, especially if you do hit the magic 100,000 kg mark ;)

[rattle]

Originally posted by Lone Ranger
I run mine on low or mid power (5 or 10 watts), more than that and it scrambles the FM radio and pins the needle on the CB. Plus, a VHF on low power still gets 10x the range of any CB radio out there anyways (no counting skip). Yeah, I only have the Lad and logging channels in this one (and the weather channels on scan).

I have left mine at 5w. Don't have the same problem at higher power, don't normally even turn the CB on. There seems to be little to no traffic on CB anymore. Has pretty much everyone changed over to LAD?

[Hayes]

Take the truck back to the Western Star dealer and say you want a C-15 rated at 625 shoved under the hood :laugh

One of the truck drivers that hauls potato chips for not going to say the company. Anyhow he likes the International he drives I think its a 9400 Series same as some of the Glenncoe trucks.

The one thing I don't like about the older Star's is the brake pedal and throttle pedal are too close together.

[the_danimal]

This is the Lone Ranger posting under my bro's user name (meh, too lazy to log out). Talking about the 625 C15, I seen an add the other day in an RV mag advertising one in the back of one of those!!! Holy crap, imagine 625 hp 2250 lb/ft in a 30,000 lb RV?? Good grief..

The Star I got has the pedals spaced out pretty well, I just ain't used to the style of air brakes this one has (pedal hangs from under the dash and feels spongey, vs the floor mounted bus style the Cornbinders use). That and you feel stretched out using the pedals (they sit pretty far under the dash).

I honestly miss my 9900i, I liked the bigger hood and the layout of the Internationals, albeit the cherry wood interior and high pile carpeted floors seriously kick ass in it. I find the interior to be one of the best/nicest I've seen so far (not the usual cheap plastic feel).

Now that Glenn Jr is running things he's trying to make the fleet look more "modern" and appealing to drivers. Most of our fleet is within 2 years old and getting into a lot of Freightliners (including the Classics) and will be 10 of these Stars, and will include anything he can get the Mercedes in. Both Cummins and Cat have been pretty ignorant with us regarding warranty work so that's why he's going with them, and as much as I may not care for the Mercedes it sure as hell beats a 383 hp C13 or a neutered ISM that has virtually no engine brake.

Oh, and before I forget, we're up to $0.40/mi now in Canada, $0.42 State side so the pay's getting alright (especially for the amount of work we actually do around here, aka sweet F all. We're almost solely pin-to-pin). Things have been going pretty good around work.. Finally...

[Hayes]

So your used to driving trucks with a brake treadle over a gooseneck brake pedal.

When I went to North Shore Driving School one of the instructors I forgot who its been 10 or more years ago said to me real trucks have Brake treadles. I'am used to gooseneck brake pedal as thats what Louisville Fords have in them.

Too bad Cat and Cummins is screwing around Glenn with warrantee work. Those Mercedes might be a little expensive to repair.

Nothing replaces displacement the Mercedes are not big block engines 12 litres doesn't compare to a C-15 :laugh

As for the motorhomes with the C-15s the scarey part is people that have never driven a big truck can buy those motorhomes and hit the road :(

[Lone Ranger]

Yeah, I honestly don't care for the Mercedes at all. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient and wait but I'm well over 10,000 km on it and its still as lethargic as when I first got it.

I just had it in Thurs for a bunch of warranty work (just small things, working some bugs out, the usual BS) and they looked it over. The only thing wrong with the motor is that the turbo oil return line's leaking a touch so its getting a new line Tues I believe, but the damn thing just has no balls... I had a 10,000 lb load from Vancouver to Calgary today and I was still down to 40 km/h climbing The Smasher (Snowshed Hill on the Coq), my Cummins woulda purred up it doing well over 60 km/h. Then getting my doors blown off by a Cornbinder w/ 47,000 lbs in the box the other day on Donald Hill was embarassing.. Well, until I found he had a 600 hp 3406E Cat/18 spd. The bastard! LOL

The biggest thing for me has been the cab. The more time I spend in here the more I love this truck (which thankfully makes up for being governed to 104 km/h and having no power). The cabs are really sweet on these WS's and the ride keeps getting better and better as the suspension breaks in. I finished off putting on all the chrome (SS lugnut covers and all the hubcaps) and am installing another set of driving lights (Jetco dual bulb) and work lamps, plus have finally bought a radar detector (Passport 8500). It was $200 less than my last two tickets including points and it's already saved me one ticket, or at least a warning. Got the inverter installed so with the big tanks I'm fully self contained and am good for about an honest week if I get shut down out on the highway again this winter (my record has been sitting for 4 days waiting for the road to be cleared!!). Welcome to trucking in BC :rolleyes: When I get my S2 digi back from crazyguy I'll snap some pics of the interior so I should have those up when I get home on the 23rd. LR

[jason26]

hey i saw you, just before the new west turn off heading east.last sunday. we put alot of those lightforce lights on trucks,work great. i even have a set on my yj. the cool thing about those lights is that the filter(coloured lens) can be changed. clear,orange,blue,red,yellow,green. all for different conditions.a couple truckers like the blue lens when it is snowing,see way better.

like the series 60, the mercedes you can put injector cal codes to get more power. you just have to ask the right person.

[Lone Ranger]

Yeah, I thought about it a few years back with the ol' C12 I had.. only thing is that if Glenn finds out, I don't think I'll be needing to worry about low power in the truck anymore ;)

Yeah, I love the Lightforce lights. I didn't put them on this truck because it already came with a set and just like the one thread on the RCMP section brought up, they're really cracking down on them especially up north (which I run through PG a lot). I ran into trouble with them a couple of time with my blue Cornbinder and had to put socks on them to leave the scale. They're sitting in my room at home waiting for another truck to go on, maybe my Sami since it has the larger 1.6L alternator with nothing to work it. They'd look sweet on the hood. Do you guys sell just the lightbulbs at all? The last set I got from Sport Trucks cost me $64!!!! Just the damn bulbs!! A complete set of 100w chrome jobbies cost that!! Bah..

[jason26]

can find out about the light bulbs. up north do they give ya a hassle because you dont have the black covers to go over them?

got a new set of these lights to go onto my next rig, want a cherokee again so the yj has to go.

[Lone Ranger]

Well, I can testify that they will outshine a set of swapped in 130 watt H3 bulbs in the chrome 6" driving lights (sold under several names, Procomp, Blazer, ect). I don't know what those xenophot Silvania bulbs are coated in or how the lenses are make in the Lightforce light, but they work well (they should considering their price). I miss them on the truck but then again having 4 highbeams and the 220 watts of the new driving lights aren't bad either..

I don't have a set of the black covers, plus I'm too lazy to cover and uncover them all the time. The ones I have now are DOT legal and only come on with the highbeams (when I actually need them, not like those f*ckin' driving lights everyone uses that do nothing but annoy oncoming traffic)..