Wow, so this is what I have been missing out on all these years. I am the driver of the truck that is being discussed. I was persuaded by slacktide to sign up and weigh in so as to put an end to any questions regarding MY truck.
First off let me start by saying that the information slacktide shared on here about what I went through is accurate, so there will be no need in me restating what has already been said.
Now Dave, you seem to have taken this all a tad personally dont you think? What reason have you for resorting to name calling? (nut/yenta) Just in case you forgot, I believe name calling is a violation of the CoC/terms of use, not to mention rather unprofessional.
Your first hand account ends with what went on with YOUR truck, any other information coming from you concerning my truck would be third hand by definition. Your post offering "first hand" information leads people to believe that you had first hand knowledge about my truck, of which I am certain you do not have. Being that the extent of our conversation lasted all of about 2 minutes while I was washing my windshield.
Not that I need to defend here but I will. Their (slacktide) experience in this industry is, to say the least, extensive. You would be surprised at just how much is known about the equipment you and I drive and have driven by them.
Actually they do KNOW, ARE inside the loop on this subject. I talk with them regularly and have kept them FULLY informed as to the progress with my truck. They have never claimed to have had anything other than information they have received from ME, that they have gratiously posted to balance out your ONE SIDED, oh woe is me, all the vendors are useless view that you spew ad nauseaum.
Are you sure about that? While you did pass the classroom portion, obviously, what of the practical portion? You never did answer that question now did you? So what did Steve in Richfield find "wrong" with the unit that caused YOU to fail the 2nd time through?
Tell me, what part of the test did Bolt fail? Bolt makes the sleeper, what in Gods name do they have to do with TVAL? Spin it however lets you sleep at night.
But are you man enough to retract said critique when wrong about your first impression? Not that I have read.
Is that last part some kind of threat? I would tread carefully there, from the sounds of it they seem to have gotten under your skin more so than the other way around.
If there happen to be other questions that onlookers have that they would like to have another point of view/answer to, ask away.
Okay, I am up for this.
Let me start off first by discrediting your whole post.
Your truck was NEVER the subject of any thread I have written.
I see your comprehensions skills are tarnished as well.
This thread chronicles the experiences of the Bolt/ T1000 I am driving.
That is very clear.
Your truck is mentioned in passing ( actually failing....that line cracks me up, so I used it again).
I dont know your name, dont care to. I dont know your experience, dont care to. I dont know why your T1000 FAILED, i dont care too.
You are a non entity in my life and barely made it into the thread I started.
Okay, lets get to whats up your assumptions.
No one was ever called nut or yenta by me. If that is read into it by you, so be it.
Or as they say, if the shoe fits.
I quote:
Your first hand account ends with what went on with YOUR truck, any other information coming from you concerning my truck would be third hand by definition. Your post offering "first hand" information leads people to believe that you had first hand knowledge about my truck, of which I am certain you do not have. Being that the extent of our conversation lasted all of about 2 minutes while I was washing my windshield.
Well, if I wasnt writing about my truck you asinine assumption might hold water. But anyone with 3rd grade reading and comprehension skills can see this thread is about my truck experiences.
Again I quote:
Not that I need to defend here but I will. Their (slacktide) experience in this industry is, to say the least, extensive. You would be surprised at just how much is known about the equipment you and I drive and have driven by them.
I dont care. Irrelevant concerning my truck.
Again I quote:
Actually they do KNOW, ARE inside the loop on this subject. I talk with them regularly and have kept them FULLY informed as to the progress with my truck. They have never claimed to have had anything other than information they have received from ME, that they have gratiously posted to balance out your ONE SIDED, oh woe is me, all the vendors are useless view that you spew ad nauseaum.
The entire purpose of this thread, started by me, was to share our experiences with the new Bolt/T1000, which was the Fedex MATS show truck. You and slacktide are not in that loop. Sit and spin on it anyway you like.My experiences are well detailed. Whether you agree or disagree, you are a non-entity and again only mentioned in passing (ooppps FAILING...heheheheh).
Again I quote:
Tell me, what part of the test did Bolt fail? Bolt makes the sleeper, what in Gods name do they have to do with TVAL? Spin it however lets you sleep at night.
Never said Bolt had anything to do with the TVAL portion. But I did say the following:
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............................................ ......
and this:
Here is an update on the new 2012 Cascadia/Bolt Sleeper truck we are now driving.
All opinions on this truck will be weighed against the 2007 Columbia SST.
Both units are Class 8 DR units 22' box, 2007 has a MB4000 10 spd auto GVW 30800 the 2012 DD13 w 10 spd auto GVW 31000.
Both units were picked up new by us at Stoops in Ft Wayne.
Over all, so far, we like the 2012 better than the 2007.
Newer is better, right?
Well okay it smells nice.
The handling is better, a firmer feel on the road steering with the 2012.
The DD13 responds well but so far just an even match to the MB4000. The newer 10 spd auto is a different story. Markedly better than the old.
To date: MPG 8.6 diesel and 396 DEF.
We run at 65 mph. MPG is about the same as the MB4000, should get better as we break the DD13 in.
We have been torpedoed by the T1000 THERMO KING Reefer.
IT DID NOT PASS the Thermal Mapping Test done at Fedex.
A MAJOR disappointment as now we have to once again have the unit looked at by THERMO KING.
For the life of me, I dont understand how a vendor puts its product on a "SHOW" truck and not have it meet Fedex standards.
No gripe against Fedex TVAL standards, they are what gets us the good paying runs........when the T1000 is accepted.
At the same time our T1000 equipped unit was being TVAL tested so was our old 2007 for the new buyer.
The 2007 equipped with a Carrier passed no problem.
We will just bend over for a couple more lost days wages on a situation that in my non humble opinion never should have happened with a new T1000.
Okay that is the worst of it. Maybe.
Lets talk ONAN APU.
I would not recommend one of these if they were free.
The 2007 had to be rebuilt ( $2500 each time ) twice in a 4 yr period.
The 2007 ONAN was broken down 50% of the time over 4 years.
The 2012 ONAN, while still running, has some issues we need to have addressed. You might ask, like what?
1) it seems if the % of available charge falls below 82% our refrig WILL NOT turn on. Yep, our new bigger nicer frig begins to thaw. WHY?
The default set-up has a range you can set an auto start feature.
When you toggle thru this screen your options are: 50, 60 and 70%.
If 80% were available I believe the frig would be okay and my ice cream wouldnt be yukkie.
Also, we have 2 AGM batteries for the condo. My observation is they DO NOT charge as we are driving down the road. We have done a couple cross country runs with the new truck and I have observed the condo batteries had discharged to aprox 72% while we were on a 24 and 36 hour straight thru runs.
Melted my ice cream again.
I dont like ONAN.
Okay, thats the major stuff.
We still like the new truck very much and once the mentioned conditions are taken care of it will almost be perfect......hmmmmmm he said almost.
Okay, now I can be petty.
1) No Fantastic Fan. I was told there wasnt any place to put it.
MY RESPONSE, then its a poor design. Find a place as it gets hot in the box with thos really high ceilings holding way more hot air than the 2007.
A microwave with an exhaust fan was installed and said to replace the FF. Not even close. It gets hot and sticky on a nice 72 degree day or evening where a FF will make it comfortable.
2) Cheap privacy curtain in the cab. It is a much larger curtain than the one we had on the SST but unlike the SST the Bolt unit uses a flexible plastic track where you pull tiny wee little plastic "T" clips along the track.
This may be okay in a RV setting that is used a couple of times a year but we pull the cab curtain shut every time we are stopped for more than a few hours. The tracks are already wearing and the "T" clips are popping out.
3) Noisy AC and micro fan. If I was making a condo for the trucking industry, I would try and understand what happens in the sleeper area. One guess would be SLEEP. Now I know a loud AC fan above your head or and exhaust fan on a microwave that sounds like a propane torpedo heater shouldnt disturb your sleep, but it does.
4) Front window controls. On the 2007 you could open and close the windows anytime without turning on the key. Not so on this 2012. A minor point but just wanting to close an open window say if its starting to rain means turn on the key, listen to all the beeps and bells an then close them where as before all you had to do was push the button and they closed.
5) The nice looking battery and fuel tank covers pose a couple of issues. The battery covers have the steps to get in and out of the cab. This new design has a much narrower step. I will wait until winter and slush and ice season to have a final opinion. Also, the fuel tank covers do not allow the pump nozzle to securely nestle into the tank during filling. Never had a problem on the 2007 but twice already a nozzle has popped out once while fuel was being pumped. To try and remedy this I use the fuel cap as a wedge under the handle. So far so good. Not the best solution but it works.
So the Flag Ship has taken on some water.
Nothing so bad as to sink us, delay us a little, yeah but that can be expected with any truck.
This is written as a critique to help others if they are in the market for a Cascadia/Bolt truck.
You might want to look into the things that are bugging me or not.
ALL IN ALL, I RECOMMEND THE CASCADIA/BOLT TRUCK.
We are happy to be driving it and will be happier when the T1000 has its issues resolved.
And I said this:
Shooting off a flare: . . . _ _ _ . . .
Okay, my dislike of ONAN aside, here is a question.
The Onan screen control panel shows two power lines.
Line 1 and (yep) Line 2.
The AC according to the install manual is connected to Line 1.
In my Flagship series I commented on all the electric plugs we
had about the truck.
Well, three have gone dead. Two remain. ( Fault breaker is pushed on )
Line 1 shows: 121V : 13 A
Line 2 shows: 121V: 0A
Yesterday , Saturday the 10th, I began to experience weird power interruptions.
I had my Pod 3x guitar processor plugged in, which I use to practice while on the road, it has a Class Two Power Supply, Input 120 Volt AC 60 hertz and Output 9V AC 2000mA. I was in the swivel driver seat so I was plugged into the receptacle behind the passenger seat.
A coffee pot was plugged into the plug next to the sink.
There are two separate plugs there, the pot was in the one above the TV antenna plug.
Both units began to flash on and off. My POD would cycle between sign on screen then blank. I thought my power supply was going bad so I unplugged.
Linda began preparing diner. She said that the electric skillet would not come on.
It was plugged into the second input with the coffee pot. The usually blinking 1200 was not blinking on the coffee pot.
We switched to the plug below the TV antenna and the skillet worked but the coffee pots blinking 1200 was going crazy blinking very rapidly and then after a few seconds went blank. Now it will not turn on at all.
I know a dirty power source wreaks havoc on micro processors.
I am thinking my $300 pedal and $15 dollar coffee pot were just executed by this ONAN.
All these items worked without a problem on the Columbia, which also had an ONAN.
All that to ask this, does any one know if there is a reset for Line 2 and if there is, where is it?
I would like to resolve this asap but it may just be another item added to the list for the Dealer to look at.
I will call Bolt on Monday if I cannot resolve it today.
An FYI, were told about the Power Switch that shuts off the power to the condo located next to the drivers seat. It was recommended that if we were stopped for a spell over three days to shut the power off to save batteries.
This switch, in the manual, is also mentioned as a reset.
I turned the generator and inverted off, then switched the Power Switch to off.
Everything went dead. I mean everything, condo, qualcom, ameriscan, truck gauge panel, every thing. I thought only the condo would shut down.
Not really a problem just wasnt what I expected.
Now when I powered back on I still had the problems with our electric plugs.
So I went about my usual Sunday morning of checking the systems on the truck.
Tire pressure, axles, lift gate, cleaned the inside of the box, came in and turned on the Reefer and had it go 5C ( our next runs set point ) and fired up the truck to rebuild air pressure.
Okay, here is where I am going to, my air pressure was low from sitting a couple of days. When I started the truck I began to LOSE air pressure. I reved the motor and still lost pressure, the low air pressure warning light came on.
Okay okay the FYI, I believe when I shut the Power Switch off it affected something with the air pressure. An electrical sensor maybe? (We did hear a release of air when I shut the Power Switch off).
So after losing air pressure while the motor idled, I shut the truck off, and let it sit 5 minutes. I restarted the truck and the air pressure went up to 130 in usual manor. Did sitting those few minutes with the electric back on power up a system that effects the air pressure? Dont know?
Okay thats it, see ya.
Now that does concern the Bolt Condo, Hey am I glad you asked.
And again I quote you:
Is that last part some kind of threat? I would tread carefully there, from the sounds of it they seem to have gotten under your skin more so than the other way around.
Someone once said "Ignorance is bliss". All I am offering is to help someone, okay maybe two someones, with questionable comprehension skills. Cause ya both think this is about someones truck other than mine. Take it anyway you want, from what I read in your and slacktides post, you just dont understand, and will probably get it wrong.
Oh, welcome to EO. (Here's hoping I dont have to explain that).
Back to the real world.
