Today the Freightliner Cascadia of the second generation is produced. But now I would like to write a post about the first generation truck. It is believed that the Cascadia replaced the Century. Although in appearance I think it looks more like Columbia. Maybe I think that’s just because of the shape of the headlights. The Century has round headlights, while the Cascadia has solid headlights that look more like the Columbia (the headlights on this truck are from the first generation Mercedes ML-class).
Anyway, the Cascadia became the company’s flagship truck. As you probably know, this truck got its name in honor of the north-western part of the USA. It was the most aerodynamic truck of the brand. In addition, it received a new hydraulic clutch drive, which led to the fact that the transmission lever strokes became much shorter. This truck has rack and pinion steering, which was exotic for American tractors of that time. Looking at it, we can already say that the manufacturer tried to make the driver’s work easier and less tedious.
2015 Freightliner Cascadia began to be produced in 2008. The truck was exported to New Zealand and Australia. On the distant continent Cascadia was used as a part of huge road trains.
The truck was produced with three types of cabins; – Day Cab (low cabin without a sleeper), Mid Roof XT (medium height cabin with a sleeper) and Raised Roof (high cabin equipped with a sleeping compartment). Of course, the greatest interest among drivers is the last variant of the roof. Such a machine not only provides the highest level of comfort, but also has the most spectacular appearance.
Sale and price 2015 Freightliner Cascadia.
A tractor with 100,000 miles and a year to a year and a half of age usually costs about $100,000. A ’16 car with 500,000 to 600,000 miles can be bought for $40,000. Of course there are cheaper and more expensive options. A customized machine with a significantly redesigned cab and possibly an engine can cost much more than a new tractor.
Appearance and photos.
As in the Century, the exhaust pipe goes upwards and if the machine is equipped with a low or medium cab, the pipe can be seen even when looking at the machine from the front. For better aerodynamics, the exhaust pipes are hidden behind the cab, rather than mounted on the sides (as was once done). This solution was not new and was used already in the mid 90’s on Century.
By default, the fuel tanks (total capacity of two tanks is 1140 liters) are covered by aerodynamic fairings. But some of the owners, who want to give their Cascadia a resemblance to classic American tractors, remove these fairings. The installation of chrome bumpers also contributes to customization.
According to the photo you can notice that the body of additional mirrors, which are installed on the hood, is made of plastic, not metal, – as it was on the same Century. You can also see from the photo that there is no window in the right door, through which the driver could see the car under the right side of the truck. This window is considered to be an attribute of classic American tractors. It was on both Columbia and Century, although these trucks were already actively used new solutions related to aerodynamics and lightweighting. Instead of a window, there is a special mirror above the right door, through which the driver can look down and to the right of the side of the truck.
Speaking of weight, the 2015 Freightliner Cascadia with curb weight of 8200kg is 300kg heavier than the Century in a similar configuration. With a body length of 6800mm, the width is 2550mm ( 50mm more than the Century) and the height is 4080mm (3700mm for the Century). As you can see, Freightliner tried to make the largest and most comfortable cabin.
As in previous models, the windshield of the Cascadia consists of two parts. This is good in case of repair, because you will have to replace only half of the windshield, not the whole one. Above the windshield you can see additional parking lights.
2015 Freightliner Cascadia is equipped with 315/80 R22.5 tires. Like the Century and Columbia, the Cascadia’s cab in the rear is supported by two air bags and shock absorbers ( I tried to show this in the photo). And as in the previous models, – on the hood (which is made of plastic), above the radiator grille there is a handle.
Interior and Equipment.
The front panel resembles the one used in the Century and Columbia. It is no longer so rectangular, but turned toward the driver. There is a new semi-trailer brake lever. The steering wheel is borrowed from Mercedes. When the driver’s airbag deploys, the driver’s seat automatically moves back.
This is another example of the fact that Freightliner tried to make a really modern machine, which will help the driver and will take care of him. As we said above, the travel of the gearbox lever has been reduced very significantly.
The largest sleeping compartment has a length of 72d. And if you think about the width of the car, you can easily imagine that this is a real, small room. However, not in every house, and even more so in an apartment, you can find such high ceilings. Of course, the salon of many cars is equipped with a refrigerator and a microwave oven. Under the bottom sleeper is located volumetric box, which is not something new, but it is definitely a big plus, because the flight can be long and long.
Comfortability and roominess have always been the advantages of American trucks, but the Cascadia has added ease of operation, which many people lacked before, but which fans of American trucks put up with.
Engine and Specifications 2015 Freightliner Cascadia.
Like other Freightliner models, the Cascadia was equipped with the following engines: – Detroit Diesel (13, 15 and 16 liters), Caterpillar with an output of 550 horsepower, Cummins West Port SX 126 with an output of 400 hp and traction of 1966N.M (this engine can work on liquefied gas). The Brazilian-built Mercedes engine produced 370 – 450 horsepower, depending on the modification.
Most of the cars were equipped with a manual, 10-speed gearbox Eaton Fuller, the clutch in which is squeezed only at the moment of touching. And I’d like to remind you that thanks to the new hydraulic actuator, the clutch pedal on the Cascadia was significantly lighter than on any of the company’s earlier trucks.
Despite the noticeable improvements in design, Americans are very conservative in building trucks, so the brakes on their trucks are of course drum brakes.
For better cross-country ability, the Cascadia can be equipped with inter-axle and inter-wheel lock, which can be very useful in the northern states, and especially in Alaska.
This machine can be a great option for those who like the looks and charisma of American tractors, but lacked the ease of operation. There is a traditionally huge, sleeper compartment, which only other, American trucks can argue with, but not European trucks. Probably it is impossible to say that today the appearance of Cascadia becomes classic, because it is not Classic, but this truck definitely has an appeal.
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