Opinions on Freightliner Classic XL’s?

How heavy are the 84’s? I remember the studio sleeper W9’s being pretty heavy compared to the 72” aero cab.

 

I think the KW Studios are about 20k, Same with the 770 Volvos, 379’s a little less, if my memory serves me well. A lot of that is because they usually have Cats. Detroit’s are lighter. My 84” is at 19k full of tools and extra gallons of oil/coolant with 12.7 /13spd, Otherwise it weighs 18400 w/ half tanks. It’s 285 wb. Less than 200 lbs more than my 70” w/265 wb. I have a heavy trailer. Weighs 15k. I can scale 45400 if I have to. Last trailer weighed 14200, could scale 46400 w/ my old 70” 265”wb. Most 70” bunks will have a 265” wb. A few shorter, never saw one longer, but I’m sure they were available. The 84” usually is 275 or 285” it seems. I think 285” is the longest wb available. It took me a while to adapt from the 265” to 285” wb. theres a big blind spot on the 84” that the 70” didn’t have. I was surprised. Didn’t think it would be much different. I had also put new lo ride seats in when I first got it, made everything worse. I couldn’t see anything, it was downright dangerous, Lol. Along with being nervous after wrecking the 70”, it was a little hairy at first. Had to add 2” height to the seat bases, Like everything you get used to it. I recently got 2 new seats again. Standard height, much better. Always been able to get into any dock. Have to be patient, doesn’t like to follow the Trailer very well. Have to get it just right, and often do a few short pull ups, often in a blind side position for the last move to the dock. You can almost blindside it into a dock just as easily as not. I bought my 99 70” in 2000, kept it till 08. Wrecked it at 875k miles. It had 50k miles on a $23k Detroit step 3 inframe, done by Freightliner, new brakes, tires, clutch, etc.They gave me $21k, I could have bought it back for $7500, with a salvage Title. All it needed was a hood, 1 air cleaner, and 1 stack. About $4k in parts. Instead I bought the 84” for $21k it coincidentally also had 875k and 50k on an inframe done by a small independent shop, for $11k. I didn’t hesitate to buy a higher mileage Truck, like in the past. Being familiar with them, Now it has almost 2.5 million miles. 135k once again on fresh inframe done by a friend of a friends shop. Replaced original bull gear, damper, radiator, charge air cooler, bunch of stuff. $20k total bill. Recently replaced all 4 rear axle wheel bearings and seals. Replaced drag link, everything else, king pins, tie rod ends, all original and still good. Finally replaced original fifth wheel recently. I always wanted a Classic, since Driving my Dads new 97 model Company Truck. I had a 92 WS 4964, 425 Cat, 9 speed OD, 3.90’s . It was very nice, but the Classic was like floating on air compared to the WS. Fuel mileage was 5.2 on the WS. 7.5 and up on the Classic pulling a light load. Later it averaged 6, heavy in hills, and idling it. Back then the Century was brand new. Overall averages between the Century and Classic, specs’d the same with 12.7 430/470 10 spd. were .5 mpg difference. Based on numbers from Werners fleet. They had started buying them for Driver retention and also higher resale through Highway Sales. My info is from Highway sales. I almost bought a 95 Condo w/ 350k miles from them for $53k. in 1996. Instead I bought the 92 WS for $40k. Should have bought the Classic. Cheaper on fuel and parts. Needless to say, I love Classics. They have everything I need. Only Truck I’d consider upgrading to is a Coronado. But they’re over engineered in many ways. and parts are more expensive. I run heavy, and sometimes pretty hard on it, when it’s wound up good, It gets 5-5.5 mpg. Original Owner said it was always that way, since new. I’ve recently been running it at 62 mph, @13.75 rpm. I’ve been getting 6-6.2. Even got over 7 a couple times running light, and not idling. The lower torque rating on the 12.7 makes for a wider gap between mpg’s depending on weight/terrain than the Cats. Plenty folks claim they get 7 and better with performance upgrades, and higher torque, little more fuel, via ecm tune, All that info can be found on ttr. That’s my next move. Nothing to lose at this point. Just heard some real horror stories about blown up engines from improper tuning. One Guy I met blew his Fitzgerald glider 12.7 up twice. Second time, melted a piston. Said it ran and out pulled everything Lol. Offered me his tuners phone #. No Thanks! Lol.

 

All good points, most parts are not more than 48 hours away, easy to work on, and junk yards are full of them. They were a well built light weight truck. The doors and dash is not any worse than others. Replace the parts and keep them tight works wonders. I can scale 51k and change with a combo trailer. FLD 120 Classic, 235wb,58" bunk, 12.7, 13sp, 3.58s on lp24.5. 6.5mpg yearly average. 100k gross and its hardly working. 50/50 covered wagon, or poverty wagon. I like most all trucks, and have worked on most everything prior to 2010. I have owned this one 10 years. Plan on another 20 years. Its all work, no show.