Kenworth C500 is designed to work in the toughest conditions. These trucks are used for transportation of oversized loads, and sometimes used as dump trucks. On the latter the body is lifted with the help of not one, but two huge hydraulic cylinders.
Four-wheel drive and huge wheels allow to use these machines in areas where there are no paved roads. In YouTube you can find a video, where Kenworth C500 wades through the mud, sinking in it on the hub of the wheels.
There can be installed 2 or 3 axles at the rear. The third axle, which is closer to the cabin, can be “lazy”. So it will be raised and lowered, reducing the total pressure on the ground, but the power from the engine will not be transferred to it. Many Kenworth C500 trucks are equipped with a 6*6 all-wheel drive.
Kenworth C500 are also used in Australia. There these tractors serve as a locomotive for huge road trains.
Price and sale of Kenworth C500.
The new Kenworth C500 can be bought for 573 thousand dollars. Of course the price will vary depending on the specification of the particular machine. Very many C500 are built for a specific task and retrofitted with the necessary equipment for these works.
Looking through the ads for Kenworth C500 for sale on Truck Paper I saw the following prices. In Arkansas there is a ’92 Kenworth C500 with 427,852 miles and a 425 horsepower Caterpillar engine for $49,200. In Washington, there’s an offer on a 2006 Kenworth C500, also with a Caterpillar engine, for $120,000. In Oregon there is an offer for a 2009 Kenworth C500 for $89,500.
Appearance and photos.
Just from the looks of it, this truck may resemble a huge tractor, or even a locomotive, more than a truck. Note the gap between the wheel and the fender – it’s so big, a person could fit through there.
The air filter housings give this truck some resemblance to the W900 tractor. As an option, the C500 could be fitted with exhaust pipes extending up the sides of the cab. The front headlights appear to have been borrowed from the same truck. As on many Kenworth and other American trucks, the C500 has a small window in the right door. This window is necessary on this truck, because it is very easy not to notice a Mazda behind the wheel of such a truck. The gross weight of a single truck, without a trailer, can reach 72 tons! Of course, there’s a very strong frame. And now imagine that the wheelbase of the truck can be up to 10.4 meters.
Under the front bumper you can see the footrests. Of course, they will not help to get to the windshield, but you can look at the engine. As in many other Kenworths, the batteries are installed under the step on the driver’s side. For better cross-country ability, the rear wheels can be equipped with a special rubber track.
Rear tires have the size – 11R22.5. In the rear part of the cab you can see the glass. This is one of the details that indicates that this tractor is designed for short distances.
Interior and equipment.
The cabins of many Kenworth C500 are finished with wood. Many cabs have a day cab version and are not equipped with a sleeping compartment.
The latter is not really necessary for a machine, which works on a quarry, or transports cargoes on not long distances from the base. Instruments C500 have chrome trim, and the cabin can be equipped with trim with carriage ties.
Some vehicles are equipped with a small, salvage compartment. Of course, there is no room for a large closet, which you can see for example in W900 or W990. The instrumentation is unified with other models of the brand, which is the norm for commercial trucks.
Engine and technical specifications of Kenworth C500.
Caterpillar C15 and Cummins ISX15 engines are available for the Kenworth C500 with an output from 400 to 575 horsepower.
Drive can be rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive. Many machines are equipped with locking rear, interwheel differentials, as well as inter-axle locking. Rockwell and Clark axles are used. Such equipment significantly increases the cross-country ability of the machine. Transmissions were installed mechanical and automatic.
Despite all the monumentality of this machine, the fact that there is a metal, expansion tank of coolant, surprised me. I couldn’t count the number, but the suspension on this truck has a lot of leaf springs. There’s not one, but two hydraulic power steering units. Apparently they’re needed to spin the huge wheels.
The Kenworth C500 is designed for very specific and narrow tasks. These trucks work where normal, heavy trucks can not cope, or where they are already working at the limit. Some private haulers own several of these trucks. And thanks to these machines, they manage to capture a significant part of the oversized transportation market in their region.
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