Importing trucks from other countries

They don't meet emissions for starters and the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the cab.

I don't know what all the differences in regs are between Australia and the US. Braking might be an issue too.

As you mentioned other countries:
Most of europe drives on the right side of the road but their emissions aren't the same as the US. The DAF XF is an award winning truck in europe (and still a PACCAR product). Europe is tighter on NOx so unless you buy a Mann you'd have to deal with urea already, but they're loser on particulate so you might have issues getting permission to import them without some sort of heafty tariff.

 

This doesnt answer your Aussie ? but several years ago i was looking to buy a truck in Canada that was about a year old. Started looking into it and our wonderful Gov. would whack me with the FET as if truck was new. That was the end of buying thoughts on that truck..........

 

if you want a KW cabover (K100) just look on truck paper. I drove one back in the day. My dad's actually, I had a Pete cabover.

 

The first thing that you need to do is call the lovely DOT (let's not forget the FMVSS...man they are a pain in the #####) in Washington D.C. and ask them if the truck is on the 'importation eligibility list'. The fact that it is right hand drive means nothing...just thought that I would get that tid bit out of the way. Chances are that you can get the truck imported into the country but you are going to have to jump through hoops to get it done. To save some time I would call Kenworth (not the dealer by the way. They will be clueless) directly and ask them for an emissions report as well as crash test paperwork in regards to that particular model. I could elaborate on this subject a lot more but it would take up tons of otherwise useful reading space. If it is your dream to have this truck in your possession I could make it possible for you. It would come at a price but you would be the only dude cruising the boulevard in a model like that one. I have a 'friend' in this business overseas. That's not a joke either....I actually do!

 

I just mentioned the right hand drive since some people tend to forget that australians as similiar as they are to americans still drive on the wrong side of the road Some people are okay driving right hand drive cars in the right lanes... but its a bit disconcerting.

I do know that Australia is on Euro 4 or US03/04 though. In 2010 they will be going to the US 2007 or Euro 5 standard. Whats funny is that the Euro and US standards up until 2013 are nowhere similar.

 

Crash it would be fine, we are pretty hard on those tests.

Emissions wise, we are one step behind you guys. so the standard thats just been supersceded we have just started on.

Perosnally, you would be better off importing a Cab, and installing it on a US chassis.

Also, something you havent thought about, the base price of a K108 is around $290,000 AUD ( $246,500USD ).

What price on individuality?

 

I drove a KW cabover about 20 years ago from Wis to Iowa and back, and it was the goofiest bloated box of a rig I've ever driven. I'd driven IH cabovers before that, so I was used to a COE, but that KW was just one weird sum beech. Interior was ailen I remember - Radio was in upper header half way between driver seat and pass seat. Ya had to get up and reach for the dial.

Mount your living room as far forward on a bus chassis, and wallah, you now have a cabover KW.. LOL

Point is go test drive one - then ask yourself if you could drive one for a living. I wouldnt go across town with one.

 

the land i live in they are king..

I think they all have brain damage personaly!

hood all the way for me