The cabin feels like home. The coolest trucks (24 photos)

Price

The cost of used vehicles varies from 420,000 to 8 million rubles . It all depends on the year of manufacture and, accordingly, the generation of models, cabin modifications, technical condition and mileage.

As of this year (2020), the Freightliner Argosy is no longer available in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Production has stopped completely and no further introduction of a successor with the same cabin design is expected. Instead, there is a Freightliner model with a standard hood compartment - the Cascadia.

Fredliner trucks have become widespread in Australia. After all, it is in this continent that most of the road networks are devoid of hard surfaces. And unlike European-made vehicles (DAF, Scania), Americans are designed for driving on bad roads.

Engine and gearbox

The line consists of three types of power units. All of them are in-line with 6 cylinders, and the gas distribution mechanism (GRM) includes 12 valves. Motors for Freightliner Argosy:

1. The Cummins diesel internal combustion engine with a turbocharging system is the most budget-friendly engine in the line. The volume is 10.7 liters and the output power is 330 liters. With.
2. Another diesel unit is Detroit Diesel, which is also turbocharged. It has a larger volume (12.7) and power (370 hp). Maximum torque reaches 2101 N*m at 1200 rpm.
3. Caterpillar powerplant with an even larger volume of 14.6 liters. Accordingly, the power is also higher - 460 hp. The maximum torque is 2237 N*m.

With the most powerful engine, the manufacturer limits the speed of the tractor to 90 km/h. The medium-power engine can easily accelerate the truck to 115 km/h. In terms of fuel consumption, the gluttony of the most powerful engine is 40 liters per 100 km. Slightly weaker options spend no more than 38 liters per hundred.

The transmission supplier for the tractor is Eaton, and Meritor has developed new axles. A pair of power units can be an 18-speed manual transmission Eaton-Fuller UltraShift or an automatic transmission Eaton-Fuller Autoshift with the same number of gears. In addition, there are options with 10, 13, 15 steps.

Generations

The debut of the tractor took place a year before mass production. Initially, it was a concept car that had common features with the Century series cargo transport. The doors, windshield, radiator grille, and head optics are inherited from these models. Serial production started a year later.

A feature of Argosy I generation trucks is the location of the steps behind the wheel. But to make boarding convenient for the driver, the manufacturer has provided a compact ramp that extends automatically. The truck's cab floor has also been raised slightly (by 3 inches), which is another distinguishing feature compared to other cabover predecessors.

In 2012, the second generation Freightliner Argosy was born, which, although it retained the features of the previous model, the developers included a number of innovations. Most of the components come from the Freightliner Coronado, particularly the doors.

Solutions from the Cascadia tractor (dashboard) were also used. And if the 1st generation had a two-section radiator grille, the 2nd series is distinguished by a one-piece design.

Peculiarities

The front wheels are capable of turning at an angle of 50°, the distance to the bumper is 40 inches. As a result, this gives high maneuverability in narrow spaces - road intersections, loading areas.

The central pillar in the cabin contains a Data Logging Unit for recording incoming data. As a rule, this is information about faults, which is then stored in the form of codes on the internal memory. Afterwards, the magazine is downloaded to the computer, which facilitates repair work and maintenance of the tractor.

The use of new technologies has made it possible to reduce the weight of trucks. For this purpose, alloys (80%) were used for the cabin, the total weight of which does not exceed that of aluminum. In this case, the body elements are fastened together by cold stamping, and not by spot welding. The latter method is mainly used by European manufacturers. In addition, welding light alloy parts requires a complex approach.

A solid windshield, as well as windshield wipers, provide good visibility in any direction and regardless of weather conditions.

Special mud flaps installed on the rear wheels protect vehicles behind the tractor from lumps, stones and dirt from under the wheels.

Argosy chassis

The Cascadia's mechanism includes wheels with low-profile tires. The standard wheel shape is 6x4, for new models - 8x4. The distance between the axles can be 3950 mm and 4100 mm. Due to this, the payload increases and the stability of the tractor during its movement increases. The total weight of the tractor, including trailers, can be more than 60 tons. The truck has an addition in the form of a three-axle trailer with a length of 17 m.

The front part of the chassis has a dependent suspension. It is based on semi-elliptical leaf springs, including hydraulic shock absorbers with double-acting telescopic type. The rear suspension is also dependent, only the springs are replaced by pneumatic elements.

The pneumatic brake system includes a vacuum booster. The manufacturer installed classic drums as the mechanisms themselves.

The Freightliner Argosy steering wheel is located on the left side, and the column itself is equipped with tilt adjustment. Together with the favorable location of the gearshift lever, including a wide range of settings for the driver’s seat, the most comfortable working conditions are ensured.