Linda and I went to Fort Wayne on Tuesday the 24th to pick up our new ride.
It took several weeks longer than expected.
Man it was tough cleaning all the nose and finger prints off everything and drool was EVERYWHERE (thank God the bed was up )from all of the visitors to the Fedex booth that went through this truck, what a job cleaning up.
Anyway, thats done and we have just completed our first run. We are at the
TA in New Haven CT.
On the outside the new shape of the Cascadia is obvious vs the Columbia.
The cab is wider and taller.
This truck front suspension is springs vs air making a firmer truer ride down the road.
The enclosed fuel tanks make a nice sleek appearance and should help MPG.
We will be using DEF.
There is one large storage box on the driver side, thats it.
On the passenger side hangs the Onan Genset.
Drop axel w duals. This truck needs the tag down ALL THE TIME as it is heavy.
Cool feature on the drives, automatic chains.
The box is a 22' Supreme w/ garage doors. Inside are five rows of E-Track. At the
tail the metal that covers the lift gate has been coated with a Tough Coat, like a bed liner for a pick up truck.
Then there is the landing gear and the lift gate is a Leyman.
The Cascadia vs the 2007 Columbia SST we drove the last 4+ years is powered by a DD13 vs MBE 4000, the DD13 seems quieter, smoother and has more torque.
Coupled with the new deluxe 10 spd auto it's acceleration is much smoother.
No data on MPG as of yet.
Inside the cab the sound level from outside has been reduced.
The cab is wider on the Cascadia. We have wider seats and about 5" more
between them. Oh, Linda wants me to mention that both of our seats are heated.
There are a lot of gauges and switches on our dash. Too many gauges and the
switches aren't laid out very well, IMHO.
Of particular concern is the hazard switch. It is located on the dash to the right
of the steering column neatly tucked out of sight hidden by the steering wheel.
But, once you get the lay of the land the roominess of the cab with a cockpit
dash that surrounds the driver is very functional.
Cruise control, jake and data info center all have controls on the steering wheel.
A cool feature is the data screen on the dash above the speedo and tach. It informs you what message has just come across the clink. Not just announce it but actually states the header to the message, "Run Opportunity" or " Fleet Message".
Linda wanted me to mention the heated seats.
Stepping into the condo I notice its roomier.
The extra width and the tall ceiling make a huge difference.
I am 6'4" and I could hit my head on the rooftop AC fixture in the Columbia.
I have included a picture of me with my arm stretched upward just being able to reach the AC unit in the Cascadia.
Aprox. 18" higher.
All lighting is by LCD. Very cool.
On the Columbia we actually burnt a sheet from it being against the spotlights when the bed was put up. Very hot.
Cupboard space is greater inside the Cascadia condo. The upper shelves are a stretch for those vertically challenged. We will have to get Linda a step or two for her to reach some spots.
Needless to say, all my things are way up thare.
We have a 20 gallon water tank vs a 10 gallon and now have hot water as well.
There are five locations around the cab where you can plug a three prong chord into, making it very convenient to power-up. Be it in the condo or sitting in the swivel captains seats up front ( did I mention they were heated ).
There is a hard wood (composite) floor vs a carpeted floor.
No ceiling fan. Instead the microwave has an exhaust fan. Does the same job, it doesnt have to close in the rain but it is noisier.
We have a frig that is twice the size of our old one. Nice.
The condo is quieter and less breezy.
A special Thank You goes out to Cedar Hill Leasing and Pat Hopkins for purchasing this neat truck and having Linda and me drive. Thanx Pat!!!
So far a good upgrade. Oh Linda wanted..................................................
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