It's too bad that one has to go to the 112 to get into the mid-bore motors. The 3126 simply is too small for areas outside the flatlands of the Midwest. (I spent 14 years in Illinois, much of it involved in trucking, and there is a large difference between the conditions there and those in the far east and west.) All of the trucks similar to the M2 have this flaw. The Cat C10 at its highest rating (350/1250, I think, a 50% increase in torque), would probably suffice, but to get there, one ends up in Class 8 land. This is likely to negate the potential advantages of the M2 for someone in a different situation than Warpath's.
The decrease in speed on a real pull (Sherman on I80 in Wyoming, Ryegrass/Vantage on I90 in WA, Jacob's Ladder on I90 in Mass, the rolling hills on I70/I80/I81 in PA, for examples; there are many more) is not merely unpleasant, but dangerous. Since I live out west, and even a short weekend jaunt to central Montana takes me across three stout passes, this is a serious issue for me. (Just commuting to work takes me up Vantage, and I see a lot of problems from speed disparities on that climb.)
Another drawback is the lack of some of the other options. For example, the air suspension for the front axle is only available in the full size class 8s (at least from Freightliner), and that is potentially worthwhile for an RV conversion - I'd sure look closely at it.
Also: has anyone else noticed that the engine classifications listed by Freightliner do not match the listings on Cat's website? I am guessing that Cat may not have updated it, but that's not consistent with my prior experiences with that site.
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