What We Like and Don't Like About Our Truck
by
Phil Madsen, Expediter
(Started February 11, 2007, updated as the truck ages and items come to mind.)
• In winter cold, we can activate the head bolt heater by flipping a switch in the sleeper. We don't even have to get out of bed. When outside temperatures are sub-zero, a flip of a switch brings the engine oil temperature to 80 degrees F in a few hours.
• The large windshield does not have a center post like some trucks have. Visibility is outstanding.
• The sleeper is large enough for both of us to move around in it at the same time. We can get dressed, cook, set up a computer on the table, or get something out of a cupboard without getting in each other's way.
• At night, the headlights flood the road ahead with eye-soothing light. Nighttime visibility in this truck is better than we have had in any of the six other trucks we have driven.
• When the heater or defroster is on, the interior door panels are warm to the touch. There is no need to wear long sleeves or a jacket when driving the truck, even in the coldest winter days.
• Fuel economy is OK; 9 mpg at 65 mph, 10 mpg at 55 mph, with favorable weather and terrain.
• Tire wear is excellent so far. With 100,000 miles on the truck, rear tire wear is unnoticeable. Steer tire tread depth is 9/32" and even all across.
• The truck rides smooth. When driving along side other trucks on rough roads, we often see those drivers bouncing in their seats as we sit steady.
• Maneuverability is very good. We can make U-turns and tight turns with this truck we could not make with other the trucks we have driven.
• The cab and sleeper are both air-tight. Outside air is filtered before coming in. The truck stays clean. We do not get the dust we used to get in other trucks.
• The sun visors actually block the sun. There are front and side window visors, not one visor to swing between two windows. The side window visors slide forward and back so sun shining from the side can be blocked. That is better than the swing visors that do not shield the window all the way back. Also, when driving into the sun and going around a curve, we do not have to rotate the visor from one window to the other.
• There is enough storage for everything we need. When things are put away, we have space to spare in a couple cabinets.
• The gear shifter mounts on the side of the driver's seat. It is bothersome to work around it when you get in and out of the seat.
• There is ample space in the cab. The space between the seats is more than previous trucks we have driven. One vendor (not Volvo) said it is more than any other truck.
• The dashboard has an automotive look to it, not a truck look. It is a look we like. The custom-made steps and grab handles on the back of the truck make it easy and safe to climb in and out of the box.
• The truck is fun to view. We like how the lines and graphics came together.
• The window curtain in the cab is black on the inside and gray on the outside. It absorbs light inside and reflects outside.
• The double-thick sleeper curtain keeps radio noise in the cab out of the sleeper. One driver can turn the volume up and the other can sleep.
• The sleeper color scheme (cherry wood, olive carpet, maroon blinds, tan walls) is warm and easy on the eyes.
• The day cab prevents Phil from standing fully upright. Diane can, but only with shoes off. We have to duck to move from the cab to the sleeper and back again.
• There are no dark corners anywhere in the sleeper. Interior lighting is excellent and can be varied as appropriate to one's task.
• There are no red dome lights in the cab like we had in every other truck we drove. Red lights preserve your night vision when you use them at night. We wish Volvo included red dome lights but they do not (at least not that we know of, and we have checked).
• The dip stick tip is plastic and black in color. A yellow or white tip would make it much easier to see the oil on the stick.
• In warm (not hot) weather, we can crack a sleeper window, run the ceiling fan and enjoy a refreshing breeze. In trucks with poorer ventilation, we would have to run the air conditioner to stay comfortable.
• The generator is very quiet. Inside the truck, the ceiling fan or running water in the sink will drown out the generator noise. Outside, you can have a normal conversation standing right next to the running generator.
• The generator oil change intervals are only 150 hours. While an oil change is relatively easy to do, and only three quarts of oil are required, we would prefer to make them less often.
• The truck is less tiresome to drive than any we have driven before. We do not feel the need for stretch breaks as often as before.
• The Sirius® satellite radio is built in. It is not a transceiver that captures the satellite signal and rebroadcasts it to the FM radio. That means the signal is constant. It is not interrupted by local FM stations when driving in certain areas, especially Chattanooga, Tennessee.
• The zipper on the sleeper curtain is plastic. Light glows through even when the zipper is closed. Except for the zipper, we can totally black out the sleeper, which makes it easier to sleep in the day. That is easily overcome by placing something over the zipper, but it is an irritant that we have to.
• The 94 chicken lights on the sides of the truck light up dark truck stop parking spots, making it safer to back in or out and encouraging bad people to hang out elsewhere where they will be less exposed. The lights also help other truck drivers see your truck when they are backing in the dark.
• Those same chicken lights catch people's attention when they are entering the freeway. As we proceed down the road, we have seen people on entrance ramps turn their heads sooner and give us more space than we did when we drove trucks without these lights. Still, lights or no lights, there seems to be an endless stream of inattentive drivers flowing from those ramps.
• The dual trumpet air horn tenders a dignified and more-orchestral sound than a plain-old truck horn.
• The horn is activated on the steering wheel, not from a cord that hangs from the ceiling. We can honk it a half-second faster when a blast is required.
• When driving into the sun, the sloped, aerodynamic hood does not reflect the sun into our eyes like a conventional style hood once did.
• At night, the orange and red lights on the dash are easier on the eyes than the green dash lights that some previous trucks had.
• Engine power is good. There are only one or two hills (mountains) in the nation that have slowed the truck down from its set cruise control speed.
• We can see all dash board gauges without peering around the steering wheel.
• The "Jake brake" system is excellent. On steep downhill grades, we almost never have to use the service brakes to slow the truck. The Volvo exhaust brake and compression brake do the job. They are quiet too.
• The cruise control, as designed, does not work under 30 mph. We would prefer that it worked at speeds slower than that.
• The cruise control is precise. It is very easy to bump the set speed up or down a half-mph or 10 mph. With good engine power and engine braking, it will hold the truck exactly at the cruise-control set speed on all but the most extreme hills. The exception is on downhill grades where the cruise control is designed to let the truck creep about 3 mph over the set speed before the engine brake kicks in. We would prefer that 3 mph creep to be eliminated and the engine brake to be applied the instant the truck exceeds the cruise control set speed, but that is not the way Volvo designed it to work.
• The hood latch is inside the cab. We don't have to walk around both sides of the truck to release the latches before opening the hood.
• The hood is easy to open. Once unlatched, we can stand just a step or two ahead of the driver's door and raise the hood with one hand. Gas cylinders ease the hood down after it reaches top dead center. Taking no additional steps from there (well, maybe one), we can refill the windshield washer fluid and check the oil. Closing the hood is done from the front.
• It is very difficult to climb up on top of the engine to wash the windshield or change the wiper blades. It can be done but we have to be very careful to maintain three points of contact.
• The door locks are made so we cannot lock ourselves out of the truck.
• After 100,000 miles, there are no drips, leaks, rattles or wind whistles under the hood or in the cab or sleeper. Four minor leaks occurred that were easily repaired; a hose clamp under the hood, repaired by Phil with a couple wrench turns; a seat air valve replaced by Volvo under warranty; a roof unit gasket repaired free by ARI by tightening it down just a bit; and an air bag connection leak also repaired free by ARI by tightening it just a bit. There is one rattle exception to what was stated above. The National seats rattle on rough roads. We plan to replace them with more comfortable and better quality Isringhausen seats when we get a good down-time chance to do it.
• Compared to the Freightliner and Western Star dealers we visited with trucks we drove before, Volvo service is fantastic.
• The steering wheel is infinitely adjustable throughout it's range. There are no detents or notches that you choose to set the position. We can set the steering wheel in one place and later move it just a tiny bit if we wish.
• The steering wheel and steering wheel column can be moved high up out of the way, so it is almost touching the windshield. That is great for doing log books on your lap.
• The steering wheel is adjusted by stepping on a foot pedal to release it, using both hands to position it, and releasing the foot pedal. If we want to change the adjustment while driving, we do not have to remove one hand from the wheel to release it and use the other hand to adjust it. Instead, we safely keep both hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road while repositioning the wheel (something often done on long trips).
• There are numerous pass-through's built into the cab in various locations, making it easy to run aftermarket wires into the cab like a satellite radio antenna, Qualcomm wiring, camera system cables and cell phone amplifier antenna, backup flood lamps, additional running lights, etc.
• The 13' 4" truck height keeps the truck safely under tree branches that have been cleared by taller trucks.
• Shore power in the truck means we no longer have to empty the refrigerator if we park the truck at home for a few days. It also saves generator hours and opens us to staying in RV parks instead of truck stops.
• After a full year of service, the Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels are performing as advertised. It only takes soap and water to clean them up, and when you are done, they shine like hand-polished wheels.
• In sub-zero weather in our Volvo, we can sit comfortably in the cab in shirt sleeves and stocking feet. The cab is toasty warm throughout. In Freightliners, we wore jackets and used duct tape to cover the places where cold air flowed in. It is a huge comfort difference that we greatly appreciate on long trips through sub-zero weather.
• We like how the 1 3/8" laminated hardwood floor in the reefer body raises the floor surface level slightly higher than the surface of the deck extension. That helps keep rain water that falls onto the deck extension from running under the door seal and inside the body.
• We like how our fuel economy has improved by 1 mpg. With over 275,000 miles on the truck and fuel prices around $4.50, we made some changes in our driving habits to improve fuel economy. We also added Airtabs to the truck and tune the engine once a year. We used to tell people we got between 9 and 10 mpg, depending on how fast we drive. Now we get between 10 and 11 mpg, depending on how fast we drive. That translates into a fuel cost savings of several thousand dollars per year.
• We like now how the front tires are wearing. We did not like it before. The first two sets of steer tires were replaced with just over 100,000 miles on them. We have since figured out what the best tire and tire pressure is to run on this truck. We now have over 75,000 miles on the third set of tires and they are wearing like iron.