Two questions

[Madd Trucker]

Question 1 why cant European trucks be bought in the States other then the Volvo. I have seen some Mercs and Scania's I wouldnt mind driveing.

Question 2 I am currently working ona few European rigs and wonder what the round red and white number plates are for on the back of them.

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Here I am on the road again

[Madd Trucker]

I know of the plant in Virginia , where I worked at we went down to see two of ours built there it is near Blacksburg . It is neat to watch a truck being built

[chuckyr]

With the recent low sulfur emissions mandate for all highway diesels, Euro and North American engine standards are basically becoming the same, however, Euro length laws restrict tractors to cabovers and North American truckers don't really care for cabovers. At one point from the mid 1980s till the early 1990s Scania did sell in the US. Mostly in the Northeast and upper eastern Midwest. Scania trucks were/are set up like old Macks. In other words, they offer everything Scania exclusively. Engines, drive trains, suspensions, wheels. etc, which was an issue for truckers that wanted other manufacturer's engines. They didn't sell many, but left a good reputation. Scania's are sold in Mexico and make there way across the border quite frequently.

[Kostas Parchas]

Richard,

The round plates (inner white & outer red / black numbers) on the back of the truck are about the speed limits for trucks in the EU.

All the commercial trucks with weight over 6 tones, are allowed to travel at a maximum speet of 90 Klm per hour.

There are some kind of loads (oversises, chemicals) that are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 80 Klm per hour.

As already mentioned by Chuckyr, Euro lenght laws restrict the total lenght of the tractor/trailer up to 18meters (60ft).

Thats why all the European makes are COEs. Volvo in the US market is just an exeption.

Scania has a legentery history on convetionals with great trucks running all over the world. The letter ''T'' is for coventionals meening torpedo. Mostly the conventionals of SCANIA where prodused for ON/OFF road usage or if you want, for the construction industry. But there where also many ON road units used form companys or owner/operators what they work hauling ship conteners (max 40ft) or tankers because those trailers are much sorter that the vans or the reefers (remember the lenght limit)

SCANIA, IVECO, MERCEDES-BENZ, MAN have also a long story in other countries like Australia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. If I am correct all this makes have their own factories and production lines in Brazil.

Hope this helps you...

Kostas.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Kostas

[Madd Trucker]

Kostas and chuckyr, Yesit does answere my questions and thanks , Now when asked about the number plate I will have an answere. In December when I was back home I did see a Scania and wondered how the driver got in the states. Unfortunitly we was on the road going in oppiset directions. When I was driveing there wasa few places we had to go to and wished we had COE's . I also remeber back in the day many of the drivers hauled steel rolls and used COE's our neibor who had one was getting a new truck and checked on the insurance and was told buying a conventional would be lower insurance over the COE.

Also anyone can correct me but isnt KW now useing Renault COE cabs for certian trucks seems I read that some where.

[Jim B]

Kenworth is using the DAF XF105 cab for their K500. Mack is (or was) using the Renault cab.

Every so often we see a Scania here in New York. Not many. Anybody remember those Mercedes-Benz conventionals? They sort of looked like a VW Beetle on steroids. I remember seeing them in Miami and when I was deployed to Saudi Arabia.

[chuckyr]

Kenworth is using the DAF XF105 cab for their K500. Mack is (or was) using the Renault cab.

Every so often we see a Scania here in New York. Not many. Anybody remember those Mercedes-Benz conventionals? They sort of looked like a VW Beetle on steroids. I remember seeing them in Miami and when I was deployed to Saudi Arabia.

KW (K500) uses the DAF XF cabs for heavy duty and oil field tractors, since KW ceased cabover production in the late 1990s. KW, Peterbilt and DAF are all subsidiaries of PACCAR.

MACK, Renault and Volvo are all owned by Renault. Renault has owned an interest in MACK since the early 1980s.

The Mack/Reanult Midliner shared a cab. This was the first joint venture Mack and Renualt had.

Mercedes Benz L model was offered in North America during the 1960s and 1970s.

Scania offered trucks in North America during the mid 1980s and early 1990s.

[Jim B]

The L-Model! That's the Mercedes-Benz I was thinking of. I kind of like it. Does anyone make a kit of this truck?

What's that bottom Scania? I like that one, too.

Does Peterbilt use the DAF cab as well? I haven't heard anything about this.

[SpreadAxle]

I remember when I fisrt started driving I was working for an egg company that had 3 late 80s Mercedes straight trucks. Not the most powerful, but they were good for the neighborhoods in and around Pittsburh. 2 of them had an exhaust brake with switch on the floor close to the seat, kind of like the high beam switch on the older Ford trucks. You pressed it with your heel.

[Madd Trucker]

Jim B the last one is ina kit with a Bro Wreacker unit on it the one in the pic has an extended cab

.It is from Italeri and also as the Road Runner Kit also from Italeri. Theone with Noth American markings was like the one I saw back home ,, and I do believe at one time there was a Merc Kit produced not sure when or by who.

[codie27]

Hey Jim, there is a link to a Scania here,My link. The one in the pic on this thread has an extended bunk which I have never seen. They normally have a short bunk. Italeri also sell it in kit form as an Australian version, supposed to be a good kit from what I have heard. I thought that the U.S had really strict emission laws and that that would mean the Swedish trucks would pass all requirements as they have a reputation of being clean running trucks.

[chuckyr]

Hey Jim, there is a link to a Scania here,My link. The one in the pic on this thread has an extended bunk which I have never seen. They normally have a short bunk. Italeri also sell it in kit form as an Australian version, supposed to be a good kit from what I have heard. I thought that the U.S had really strict emission laws and that that would mean the Swedish trucks would pass all requirements as they have a reputation of being clean running trucks.

I thought that the U.S had really strict emission laws and that that would mean the Swedish trucks would pass all requirements as they have a reputation of being clean running trucks.

USA has the strictest emissions laws in the world. Scania still uses V8 engines. In North America we use in line 6. Scania V8 would never meet our mile per gallon goals.

The Scania tractors sold in the North America were under powered.

[codie27]

Chucky, does that mean that no v8s are used in trucks? Am I right to assume trucks produced with v8s before the passing of emissions laws are still in service or does the regulations prohibit their use for service also? So does that mean that only 6 cylinder Scanias were sold over there?

[chuckyr]

Chucky, does that mean that no v8s are used in trucks? Am I right to assume trucks produced with v8s before the passing of emissions laws are still in service or does the regulations prohibit their use for service also? So does that mean that only 6 cylinder Scanias were sold over there?

No road diesel engines are used in North America. Some off road vehicles have V8 engines V8s went out of favor in the 1980s. You would be hard pressed to find a highway diesel V8 in service here. Scania only sold the 6 cylinder intercooled engine in North America. Under powered for some applications.

Edited September 24, 2010 by chuckyr

[Kostas Parchas]

Hello @ all,

I just wanted to say that here in the EU the V8s are very common for the highway trucks.

SCANIA, MAN & MERCEDES are produsing their own V8s and believe me they invest too much money because the EU polution emitions.

Starting with Euro1 back in the 90s and today using the Euro5 polutioning limits from diesel engines, large V8 engines are more powerfull and more fuel eficient than even before. For example the last SCANIA R730 Euro5 (730 horse power) needs less fuel than an Euro0 or an Euro1 truck for the same job!!!

You may also wonder why too much power? We need all this power because of the senery/terain profile, wich has huge mountains and trucks should climbe them fast, using less fuels, produsing less air polution and of course keeping the engine cool in order when the truck is going down a mountain after a big climbe, the driver to be able to use the intarder or retarder (name depens the make) wich is what you guys call Jakebrake.

PS. Last year SCANIA was celebrate its 40 years of produsing V8 engines.

PS1. PETERBILT is my favorite, but when you hear the sound of a SCANIA V8 all you want id to ride it.

PS2. SCANIA is The King Of The Road.

Kostas.

[chuckyr]

Hello @ all,

I just wanted to say that here in the EU the V8s are very common for the highway trucks.

SCANIA, MAN & MERCEDES are produsing their own V8s and believe me they invest too much money because the EU polution emitions.

Starting with Euro1 back in the 90s and today using the Euro5 polutioning limits from diesel engines, large V8 engines are more powerfull and more fuel eficient than even before. For example the last SCANIA R730 Euro5 (730 horse power) needs less fuel than an Euro0 or an Euro1 truck for the same job!!!

You may also wonder why too much power? We need all this power because of the senery/terain profile, wich has huge mountains and trucks should climbe them fast, using less fuels, produsing less air polution and of course keeping the engine cool in order when the truck is going down a mountain after a big climbe, the driver to be able to use the intarder or retarder (name depens the make) wich is what you guys call Jakebrake.

PS. Last year SCANIA was celebrate its 40 years of produsing V8 engines.

PS1. PETERBILT is my favorite, but when you hear the sound of a SCANIA V8 all you want id to ride it.

PS2. SCANIA is The King Of The Road.

Kostas.

In North America the Rocky Mountains, Cascade Mountains and Sierra Nevada are as high as the Alps. North America doesn't use v8 anymore because they cannot achieve the same MPG (KPG0 efficiency as the in line 6 engines with the same emissions ratings. The typical Euro truck will not travel the great distances as the North American trucker so fuel savings is a large factor.

[Madd Trucker]

Jim B here is a link for the Merc Cab.

http://www.modelltrucksandparts.at/shop/product_info.php?info=p1489_MERCEDES-BENZ--RUNDHAUBER--RESIN---CONVERSION-KIT-SCALE-1-24.html&XTCsid=99893f57b43f31dc90e0de5292261964

[Jim B]

Richard, there's nothing there on the link. They must have sold out.

[Wally]

Thanks for the link, I couldn't find the Mercedes but I found some other neat stuff. I would like one of those Merceds if they every turn up. The last truck my dad owned before he got out of 7up was a 1980's mercedes.

[chuckyr]

Here is another Euro tractor that was available in the US. Mercedes Benz 1628s.

Edited October 2, 2010 by chuckyr