Sports chassis and similar units becoming obsolete?

[aarondeere]

I haven't posted here in some time and honestly haven't even looked at the forum in quite a few yrs but while recently camping at a large resort saw a few freightliner medium duty trucks and got me wondering. Pickups have come a long ways these last few yrs with hp/tq and tow ratings. Almost to medium duty numbers. With this do you think the days of medium duty trucks are somewhat numbered? I mean pickups aren't cheap but for 80k I can get a fairly loaded dually with 4x4 and all the gizmos. A sports chassis doesn't have much of that and costs 150k plus along with the higher maintenance costs. I know they'll last longer but at the price difference you could bank the difference and buy another truck down the road when the pickup is done. Maybe I'm wrong. Also fun to read the posts after so long away. Not much has changed. Lol

[FishOnOne]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
We towed from Palm Springs, CA to DFW, TX with three two hour rest breaks. Seems like that was about 34 hours total time. Felt pretty darn good at the end. I have towed many 500+ mile days and felt great at the end of the trip each time.

Must be the "Fancy Stitching" on the seats. 😉

I'm sure the fancy stitching is good for another easy 150 miles to anyone's trip.

[2oldman]

spoon059 wrote:
I'm older now, which probably isn't helping anything...

Yeah, me too. It's not physical discomfort, it's just the hypnosis of looking at the road, trying to avoid ruts and potholes, and sitting in one place for hours on end. The human body isn't really designed for that.

[spoon059]

Oh, then disregard. I have a bottom of the line truck and the seats are horrible. At the end of a long day of driving I feel pretty darn tired. My last truck had much more comfortable seats and I felt better at the end of the day. I'm older now, which probably isn't helping anything...

[2oldman]

spoon059 wrote:
not if you were in a truck with air-ride seats. Those things are very comfortable and you don't feel "beat up" at the end of the day.

I do have air ride seats.

[Cummins12V98]

We towed from Palm Springs, CA to DFW, TX with three two hour rest breaks. Seems like that was about 34 hours total time. Felt pretty darn good at the end. I have towed many 500+ mile days and felt great at the end of the trip each time.

Must be the "Fancy Stitching" on the seats. 😉

[spoon059]

2oldman wrote:
500 miles in one day and I'd have to be carried out of the truck.

Not if you were in a truck with air-ride seats. Those things are very comfortable and you don't feel "beat up" at the end of the day.

[2oldman]

JRscooby wrote:
Bouncing in a field? Is that worse than 500+ miles a day on a truck that is nearing the end of second million miles?

500 miles in one day and I'd have to be carried out of the truck.

[Jarlaxle]

carringb wrote:
F-series MDT 7.3 is production constrained right now. Order bank for 2021 is closed. That’s why you don’t see more.

I have seen a fair number of V10 F-650s. They seem popular as rollback wreckers.

[Jarlaxle]

2oldman wrote:
I own one, and it's Sport Chassis, not Sports.

Air seats, air cab, air hitch, air shocks. And plenty of headroom. And you sit up high. And 22.5" tires roll smooth.

I will admit one annoyance.. I'm constantly battling air leaks. Nothing critical, but I wish someone could fix them for longer than 6 months.

It's a Freightliner...you get used to them.

[Jarlaxle]

spoon059 wrote:
Couple differences that I see...

That Freightliner will still have a substantial value in 10-15 years, the pickup won't.

Have you priced 10 year old diesel pickups lately?

That Freightliner has great comfort features like air-ride seats, can't get that in a pickup yet.

That's because you don't need them, since the pickup lacks the Freightliner's kidney-hammering ride.

That Freightliner likely doesn't even "need" trailer brakes, the pickup truck will need some sort of help slowing down at higher weights.

Yes, it does. Anyone driving without trailer brakes should be arrested.

But, for people that like bling, a new pickup truck offers lots of gadgets and gizmos and will haul decent weights with respectable power.

And much easier service, and VASTLY greater comfort, and probably better reliability, and is much more user-friendly when not hooked up. Also likely much cheaper to insure.

[JRscooby]

aarondeere wrote:

pitch wrote:
well he is not moving over 20MPH with his Fendt, 90% off the time probably between 8 and 12. I don't know what kind of fine he could get or who would issue it.
Normally the DOT cops don't patrol fields.

Your right these are farm tractors and while german made with quality they do suffer from leaks with all the bouncing. They do go 34mph though. Lol Any air leaks on the road trucks brakes would be immediately addressed for safety and legal reasons. The leaks I was referring too and the other post was aggravated with deal with the seats and possibly the leveling valve which can leak at the fittings from time to time usually due to cold weather.

Bouncing in a field? Is that worse than 500+ miles a day on a truck that is nearing the end of second million miles?
Seat; Make sure the lines clear, and dump pressure before you out. This keeps it from pushing you out the door, and keeps the line from pulling tight before it adjusts to the change in weight.
Fittings that are taped where the threads seal, not taped where the threads hold it together rarely leak if the lines are well supported.

[aarondeere]

pitch wrote:
well he is not moving over 20MPH with his Fendt, 90% off the time probably between 8 and 12. I don't know what kind of fine he could get or who would issue it.
Normally the DOT cops don't patrol fields.

Your right these are farm tractors and while german made with quality they do suffer from leaks with all the bouncing. They do go 34mph though. Lol Any air leaks on the road trucks brakes would be immediately addressed for safety and legal reasons. The leaks I was referring too and the other post was aggravated with deal with the seats and possibly the leveling valve which can leak at the fittings from time to time usually due to cold weather.

[2oldman]

JRscooby wrote:
the advice to ignore leaks is bad advice.

In my opinion it is. I'm hauling a 5th wheel all over the US, and ignoring little problems is how they grow into big ones.

[JRscooby]

pitch wrote:
well he is not moving over 20MPH with his Fendt, 90% off the time probably between 8 and 12. I don't know what kind of fine he could get or who would issue it.
Normally the DOT cops don't patrol fields.

Sorry, I misunderstood what kind of vehicle he had. But the advise to ignore leaks is bad advice. All air that is used or leaks must be replaced. More wear on compressor. Air in brings in moisture. And that will cause problems with the system.