Freightliner Columbia with Mercedes Benz engine

ed s · 03-02-2010, 08:15 AM

Anyone have comments regarding this truck and engine???? Looking at a Renegade with this set up and need to know any pos or neg comments.
Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thank you

Ed

GENECARP · 03-02-2010, 12:40 PM

Technically i am sure you will get more feedback, but in general its i good combination, i have the Columbia with a 515 detroit diesel, G

Bob86ZZ4 · 03-02-2010, 12:42 PM

My son drives truck over the road. He drives a company truck. '05 Columbia with the Mercedes 450, 10speed Eaton manual trans. His truck made it to almost 600k miles and a cylinder liner rotted through. They did an in frame rebuild. He doesn't know what that cost. The shop told him they think the coolant hadn't been serviced properly and that caused the liner/sleeve to fail. I think he thinks the truck is just fine. He would rather drive a KW or Pete tho. But he drives 3-4k miles a week. I think for a r/v they would be just fine.

geofkaye · 03-02-2010, 02:39 PM

...HOW LUCKY ARE YOU FEELING LATELY...ONE THROWS THE DICE AND WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET....an additional warranty is available at extra cost on some rigs...is is worth it?...for me it wasn't because of the salesman that I trade with -but we are good friends -a warranty is good for a lot of guys-it is/was a savings because of major big time expensive problems.....your guesses are the same as everyone elses....good luck-if there were any other answers I would pass them along-but there isn't........geofkaye and the rivercity GIRLZ

BUonM22? · 03-02-2010, 07:07 PM

Does the Renegade have the same wall construction as other brands?

Roof construction?

GFUSNER · 03-04-2010, 04:43 PM

I have this combo in 2006 Optima. Basically its a Detroit series 60. Can get parts and service anywhere Freightliner (TA Truck Stops) or Detroit shops. According to a few techs I have talked to only problems are 1) if run heavy (i.e 80K ) wide open all the time will blow head gaskets, 2) coolant must be kept up to correct spec or rot problems as mentioned above, and 3) Major pain to prime after changing fuel filter. (Ask me how I know.) Virtually impossible without external pump. For Coach conversion great. I get 7-8 MPG and I am about 34K without a trailer. There are a couple of recalls out on some chassie's and the engine so check to be sure those have been done.

wedooit · 04-03-2010, 12:23 PM

I just found a 2006 Freightshaker,double bunk that am converting interior somewhat and building a toter to pull everyday 12000 lb trailer and toyhauler. This is a good combo....my new truck has 470,000 miles, engine was jut overhauled with updated liners.....all the other posts are correct on their info.....at 499,000 miles I will buy the extended warranty tho. Love the transmission.... I come from the old trucking school and never had the luxuries that are now avail....one like is the MBE engine is quiet...and quieter than the detroit....

Good luck to you!!!!

rjdhomes · 04-17-2010, 10:20 AM

Ed, I have sold a bunch of Columbia/Mercedes and had basically zero defects. I think I remember one turbo going bad a few years ago, that is all I recall.

Not as much power as the 515 Detroit, but quieter with a smoother torque band.

Renegade has the engine warranty at 84 months or 250,000 miles on the MBE4000 and the Detroit Series 60.

Bob

rjdhomes · 04-17-2010, 10:22 AM

BUonM22, the Renegade uses a 5/8" FRP panel for the roof and the walls. As far as I know- no other manufacturers use FRP.

Bob

geofkaye · 04-17-2010, 09:41 PM

...FRP is obsolete....too many defects and swelling issues with moisture.....geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz

rjdhomes · 04-18-2010, 04:57 AM

geofkaye, obviously you have limited or no experience with Renegades. I have been a dealer for over 5 years, I have only seen one instance of delamination- and that was when a customer damaged an area and left an exposed edge to the weather for a long period of time.

I have had quite a few older (1997-1998), high mileage Renegade units in my shop- up to 363,000 miles, no defects in FRP- period.

Yes, no other manufacturer uses FRP, no other manufacturer can come close to the number of truck conversions built by Renegade. The market will dictate the best built most popular units.

I will say that I have heard of problems- but usually from someone selling something else and bashing the Renegade. I am at the Renegade factory service center every week, I have never seen a unit in for FRP delamination repair.

Bob

geofkaye · 04-18-2010, 08:55 PM

....RJDhomes....i have "too much" experience with FRP....I'm the only one locally that will rebuild the wall section to new....most are not handling or doing a replacement or in the case of the Insurance industry....they just total them if they are not "incinerated" first....too many guys are finding out about the repair process/and letting them catch on fire then calling the insurance company......happens all the time in this neck of the woods...usually it is a cooking fire on the stove-something overheats and the oil catches fire and it gets out of control causing the interior to have to be replaced along with the walls and floor.....I always ask what was for dinner?-the usual answer is something in boiling oil.....huummm...anyway not any of my business...I give an estimate and the Insco totals the unite and writes the owner/bank a check.......if there is anyway it can be redone at a price point that allows for profit of 50% I buy it and rehab....usually 4 a year along with polyisocynate super insulating houses and businesses....I net a 6 figure income BTW....I have 5 women/with 7+ kids that work for me currently and 2 guys on the "black gang"-they are all are dependent on me for work- so I'm busy 7 days a week....and will be for at least 2 years already scheduled out. I live right next to an area in Cincinnati Ohio that is one of the wealthiest in the county and there is more work than I can do even if i doubled my workload...._FRP is out_...the commercial guys won't stand for it anymore-aluminum or nothing-they will go elsewhere and buy from someone else....the trucking industry demands a unite that can be repaired overnite-and that is why FRP is obsolete...I have repaired "too many" over the last 4 years....I know what I'm doing and I use a vacuum pump and epoxy sealers with injection solutions of 2 part iso/glues...takes time but I charge only $80 an hour for shop time....I don't have the overhead that a dealer has and I have all portable equipment- I can do off site and also have a heated warehouse that can be used if necessary...I'm not in anyway taking any business for any dealer....my work is all custom work for private individuals and insurance companies...I don't advertise or solicit any work...no time/too busy.....when there is an issue with FRP and a MH/Toter/Trailer...5 insurance companies start calling for opinions...whether I repair or an boat re-builder does the work-[since there is not anyone else locally]-insurance companies call and I take a look-in person-never over the 'net. If i have ruffled your feathers-I certainly apologize-I have repaired Renegades and quite a few others over the years....they are a PIA if you don't know the tricks of the trade-which i will share with anyone......geofkaye and the River city Girlz

rjdhomes · 04-19-2010, 04:53 AM

Quote:

pump

geofkaye, I can't dispute that you rehab 4 units a year. All I can state is that I have been in the business for a over 5 years and I have never seen an FRP delamination problem except for one unit that was damaged and left open to the weather. I have seen plenty of problems with laminated wall class a & c motorhomes though.

It is hard for me to believe since Renegade service department would be the most likely candidate for an insurance repair, and I have never seen any delamination problems being repaired. I have seen a couple of insurance jobs replacing complete Renegade walls because of buildings burning adjacent to the Renegade- so I know that they are an excellent source of repairs.

Renegade has built over 4,000 units, they are one of the few in the industry still producing motorhomes and trailers in this economy. If they were not built better and stronger, that would not be the case- the customer and the market decides this.

I guess that if you were to show me photos of the last 4 or 5 Renegades you have repaired- I will stand corrected, until then, I am totally behind the product and the Renegade construction process & materials.

Bob Dill
(847)812-2972
rjdhomes@aol.com

geofkaye · 04-20-2010, 09:02 PM

....WITH THE MARKET CONDITIONS CURRENTLY...RENEGADE CAN DO ALL THE REPAIR WORK THEY WANT....the margin to too small for me to do anything but estimates for insurance companies...as i said most are totaled....other options are more profitable as i can pick and choose what i do and what i let slide....it is called "cherry picking" IIRC....pictures are forthcoming as soon as i learn how to do the pix stuff on the 'puter as for now i have to send it to another guy to upload it....time too time consuming currently. I always follow the trucking interests as they deal with more freq

geofkaye · 04-20-2010, 09:29 PM

....WITH THE MARKET CONDITIONS CURRENTLY...RENEGADE CAN DO ALL THE REPAIR WORK THEY WANT/CAN GET....the margin is kinda small for me to do anything but estimates for insurance companies...as i said- most are totaled....other options are more profitable as i can pick and choose what i do and what i let slide....it is called "cherry picking" IIRC....pictures are forthcoming as soon as i learn how to do the pix stuff on the 'puter as for now i have to send it to another guy to upload it.... too time consuming currently. I always follow the trucking interests as they deal with more frequent failures and in a lot of cases are self warranty stations with kickers from the manufacture.....that is why there are so many 500,000 mile tractors now on the market as that is the end of warranty-the larger interests dump the tractors very close to the end of life cycle at 500k. Trailer manufactures are going off shore now and they are all metal trailers-a metal unite is an overnite repair in most cases. An end user can repair the skin over nite and have the stock back on the road the next day-using marginal skilled labor whereas fiberglass [frp]requires some major skill development/and greater-environmental friendly refinsihing facilities-metal work doesn't -as the panels are prefinished as well as all the hardware plated and now all signage is large decal/photo done[at <$25 a sqft.]....from the standpoint of ease of repair-FRP is obsolete-as the cost factor can not compare to metal....facilities are included in any repair profit as you know I'm sure....and so is LABOR....the days of a body man for $12.00 an hour are long gone....but truck mechanics are working everyday and every nite for that kind of money-it isn't hard to find/hire them now-tools and all.......geofkaye and the Rivercity Girls spraying polyisocynate foam Wednesday afternoon.....and a quicker way of making $4000 by dinner time......

geofkaye · 04-20-2010, 09:33 PM

...yes it is a partial post and i don't have the slightest notion of why it happened.....must be time for a now 'puter thingy...huummm gk/RGZ

ed s · 04-22-2010, 06:15 PM

You know what??? I just bought an 2010 Renegade, have had it for a month and love it. FRP??? I think is better than the others mfg's. I love my coach more than my fiberglass class A. Now those walls sucked. OK, I am a newby to Renagade's way of construction but I will tell you this it is the most solid rv I have ever seen and walked on. I have no fears that I did nothing but make the right decision buying a Renegade. Bash all you want...........

You may also like: