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GLIDER KITS

Sep 18, 2012 at 02:52 PM CST
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Hello this is Kevin, i would like to ask if anyone has purchased any Glider Kits from Fitzgeralds in TN. If so i was looking for some feed back on how the trucks perform and what kind of fuel milage your getting with heavy loads 90,000/lbs and above. I would appreciate any information that any of you would take time to share.Thank you
Replied on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 02:40 PM CST
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give me a call, 519-5336-6079
Replied on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 02:41 PM CST
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519-536-6079
Replied on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 08:21 PM CST
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I hoped someone had something to say about this because
We were wondering the same thing.
So let us know what you find out.
Thanks
Replied on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 08:21 PM CST
I hoped someone had something to say about this because
We were wondering the same thing.
So let us know what you find out.
Thanks
Replied on Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 09:17 PM CST
I have an o/o who bought a Coranoda this summer from them.... He is really happy with it ,on a van trailer he is doing about 6.75 and pulling tank 7.25, it was a little more heavier then he expected with full wet kit, full of fuel....19500lbs.....I have all KW's and Pete...but the more I look at it and numbers he's producing... and quite roomy
...thinking of looking at them as possble purchase,..I'm sure I could get weight dropped by another 1000 or so
Replied on Sat, Sep 22, 2012 at 12:07 PM CST
i heard that people were having trouble insuring the trucks & having trouble of getting titles. like i said, i only heard this by 4 people said they had this problem. for me, that's kind of hard to believe but who knows. just sayin
Replied on Sat, Sep 22, 2012 at 02:43 PM CST
Quote: "i heard that people were having trouble insuring the trucks & having trouble of getting titles. like i said, i only heard this by 4 people said they had this problem. for me, that's kind of hard to believe but who knows. just sayin"

Talk to the guys at Pittsburg power. They have been doing them for quite a while and last I looked had a big back log. The title goes with the VIN on the glider.
Replied on Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 06:42 AM CST
I have a 2011 columbia med roof st it has a 500 detroit factory reman with warranty I bought it from Harrison Truck Center in waterloo ia. And they put alot of gliders together there ..Now they been getting them with new rears and putting the factory reman motors and eaton reman trans in at their shop .And my trk gets 6.7 to 7.0 pulling a tank and a hopper..And my empty wt is 17500
Replied on Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 09:23 PM CST
Quote: "i heard that people were having trouble insuring the trucks & having trouble of getting titles. like i said, i only heard this by 4 people said they had this problem. for me, that's kind of hard to believe but who knows. just sayin"

I have a friend that's getting together a couple of Peterbilt gliders. They are a little different than the Freightliners because Peterbilt views them as a parts bundle not a vehicle. They only put 12 digits on the vin plate. That means you have to have the DOT assign a vehicle ID number to get a title and probably insurance. He sat on a truck that was ready to roll for a week sorting that out but the fix was pretty simple. This was in Iowa of course but I noticed an ID plate riveted on an Illinois truck in the beauty contest at Wolcott last July also. The parts bundle deal came right from the parts manager where the glider kits were purchased form. Freightliner I belive just puts a letter somewere in the VIN to denote that the vehicle was a glider. Also I don't think that there were any trade in engines or scrapping on the Peterbilt kits.
That's all I can offer!!
Good Luck!




Replied on Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 10:47 PM CST
I seen that same pete at the truck show at walcott ..And did not that about the pete gliders
Replied on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 01:54 PM CST
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I have spoken to Fitzgerald on numerous occasions but have never bought from them. Their prices and specs are good. They use reman Series 60s and reman Eaton trans. Be aware that the engines are probably NOT Detroit remans but will have come from a local rebuilder. They will have warranty, maybe not as good as from Detroit. My son bought a new glider from the Freightliner dealer in Waterloo, IA . Great deal on a truck he custom specd. Nice facility. They did the engine and trans install and so far all is well. Been in service since mid-July. The 97 to 02 era Sreies 60 is the way to go if you are going to buy a kit, in my opinion.
Replied on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 02:02 PM CST
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As for gliders in general, make sure you check with your state of registration to find out what hoops will need to be jumped to get a title and plates. PA requires an expensive ENHANCED inspection before they will issue a title, even tho the kit has an MSO. It took my son almost 3 weeks to get a title and transfer his apportionment plate from his old tractor. Should have been 10 days, but a small SNAFU on the lady that processed the inspection was cause for PA to reject the app and kick it back! Typical beaurocratic garbage! Just do your homework first!
Replied on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 07:01 PM CST
Thats good I hope has good luck with that truck .. I am happy with mine I would try the coranado the next time..What model did your son get ?
Replied on Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 01:11 PM CST
We looked long and hard at Gliders. We stayed away from them for a couple issues. First, resale value is awful. Because of this we could not put a viable lease together. And with trucks at the prices they are now you just can't do a straight purchase/finance. The financials just don't work.

Second, if you looked at what CA did to the market for used reefers and the same thing happens to tractors you now have taken a bigger hit.

Unless you have a very special need and need to spec a truck a certain way then the risk is huge. Would have loved to move this way but with current market for used equipment the excessive actual depreciation is a deal killer. Add the CA unknown factor and the decision is made for you.
Replied on Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 05:42 PM CST
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My son bought a FL Columbia glider that he custom specd. He got a reman 18 speed with new double locker rears, 500 HP reman Series 60 with a mid-roof XT sleeper. It is a very functional and versatile tractor. We know it will not have the resale value in 4 to 5 years as a new unit, BUT.. he paid about $40,000.00 less for it than a new one would have cost, and it will hold its value because the engine is pre-EGR / REGEN / urea. One drawback is that it does not have the CA clean-idle emissions sticker, so he can't run CA. Oh darn!
Replied on Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 07:13 PM CST
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Thats is to bad that those trucks not CA approved lol..I run a 5 state area with mine ..And I also saved 40000.oo plus the fuel savings will off set the resale on it plus all the emissions it don't have...
Replied on Mon, Oct 01, 2012 at 02:36 PM CST
Wow, $40k - ones we looked at where in the $120K range compared to $140K new.

Used tractor prices keep climbing. Between drivers keeping equipment, new O/O's buying older equipment and exports we are in the middle of a used tractor bubble. Our '06's we purchased several years ago are worth more today than what we paid for them. Export market is going away. Now it is a matter of what happens when CA effect hits. Maybe nothing happens.

Now if you want new truck for the farm and the CA effect doesn't matter then it is the way to go. But if resale in the next 1o years matters then it needs to be factored into plans. Sadly, far to many people are buying these with zero understanding of the financials beyond the intial purchase savings.
Replied on Wed, Oct 03, 2012 at 10:54 PM CST

For anyone wanting to know about kit truck i have built 16 of them for the co, that i work for they are the cornado frieghtliners, they are just like any other truck on the road as long as you put good rear ends in and good trany you wont have any trouble with them, ower kits come with a fully reman detroit 60 in them and dont have a clue on how many miles are on the motor before we get them but they come with a 300,000 mile warrnty on motor and 100,000 on the cab and other parts ,tranys and rear end are not covered unless you get something from the place that by your parts from, in this co, we have 30 of them out of 300 and they are the most trouble free tractors that we have, the only time we see them is if the driver comes home for time off or it needs a service they just run, the worst brake down we have had is a bolt in the crank came loose and it was fully covered it happened on first trip out and 450.000 later has had no problem and the most comen troble is factory never gets the abs wires pinned right in the dash but freightliner will cover it, i myself dont care for the A.T.C. that they put in them but this is automatic traction control,,, as a driver myself with two million miles under my belt you wont like it as driver,,, all of ower kits pull refers and pulling 6.5 to 7 miles to the gallon set at top speed 65 motor are 500 detroit and tranys are 13 speeds rear end are 3:42 and 3:36 with 22.5 for tires these grear ratios put rpms right at 14 and 1450 seams to be the sweet spot for fuel and torq. preforements,, all in all they are a good truck but little on the heavy side and resale is poor because of it being a glider and banks frown when you are asking for money to by them,,,,hope maybe this helps some of you wanting to know about them,,, keep in mind a truck is two things a body and a drivetrain,,, that is the only difference from a pete to a freightshaker in kits just what ever you prefere, all of ower drivers that are driving them have no complants and love not haveing to get d.e.f. every 2 to 3 thosandmiles and they smoke like a real truck should,,, p.s. wont work in cali. but i bet that dont brake your heart at all,,,,, lol.

Replied on Sun, Oct 07, 2012 at 07:34 AM CST
I see Fitzgeralds is putting petes gliders together now I was on thier web site last nite ..And kenworth are build gliders too the T680 the T600 the W900
Replied on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 12:12 PM CST
Don't know about KW but the Pete division did a 180 when sales slipped. Imagine it was a corporate decision for both divisions but only saw the press relase from Pete.

The shift in policy also makes it cheaper to get a new Peterbilt with custom options. Since I last posted here I have talk to a farmer that order a Pete with current model year Det.
Replied on Mon, Oct 08, 2012 at 07:35 PM CST
Excellant i pull doubles for FedEx. I run though Tennesse Mountain and Ave 7 to 7.5.
Replied on Sat, Oct 22, 2016 at 12:27 PM CST
A very close friend of mine just picked his up 2 weeks ago did one short run and it's been it the Cat shop ever sence
Replied on Sun, Oct 23, 2016 at 10:52 PM CST
I have a friend, yes hard to believe, he bought a glider last year. A Pete from a cat dealership near Fitzgerald. He loves it. We have other customers with Fitzgerald kits some with FedEx and some doing those container looking tanks. I would love to build one not in my budget. Even Schneider has a bunch, don't know who built them but they are on Schneider site for sale.
I know there are many ways to deal with title issues. It's called research and ingenuity.

Art Pfluger
Replied on Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 07:38 AM CST
We have gotten 5 Pete 389's from Fitzgerald. They all had the Fitzgerald build on the engine instead of the factory Detroit rebuild. Fuel mileage and power is good once you get the parameters opened up. I have never had any problem with title or insurance here in Illinois. It is titled a used truck though when you pick it up and have to get it transferred from the state of Tennessee
Replied on Mon, Oct 24, 2016 at 07:36 PM CST
Watch your money. Most in illinoiis are paying F E T. Has to be priced under 75 percent of new
Replied on Sat, Oct 29, 2016 at 01:31 PM CST
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6 to 6.5 mpg loaded heavy,they pull like a muthaf@k@
Replied on Tue, Nov 08, 2016 at 04:14 PM CST
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I am currently running 21 Fitzsgerald gliders.
I have been happy with the fuel mileage as those ol'Detroits were alsways hard to beat. 6.4-7.2mpg dry van or reefer as much as mpg on low tanks or grain depanding on aplication. Our experience has been mixed as we have had some with faulty engines mostly due to them putting them together poorly. Now I am not saying everyone is bad but maybe 20% or so needed reoverhauled or headremoved by 300,000 miles. Warranty does cover a lot of these but when it runs out it doesn't leave you warm and fuzzy about what you are left with. However, you get one overhauled by a reputable shop and you won't have many more problems for the next million miles.
Good price trucks good people to deal with, thats our experience.
Replied on Tue, Nov 08, 2016 at 04:15 PM CST
I meant to say as much as 8mpg pulling grain or low tanks
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 06:56 AM CST
Are all these gliders going to comply to ELD regs ?
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 10:40 AM CST
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I have 4 of them , seemed like a good idea with all the epa stuff. All of them have head gaskets leaking at 100,000 and spun a # 2 bearing at 130,000. After going there seeing the operations and talking with them saying this is a great motor thought they would cover as I was only 30,000 miles out of warranty, well that shit didnt happen!! They covered parts only . Had to replace wiring harness in every truck also, as they would rev up and stay there.So no matter how much money you spend on a truck , if you get cummins , detroit , pacar none of them are worth a damn. I have 80 trucks most cummins and have rebuilt probably 45 of them between 250,000 and 600,000. Im not asking for a million miles hell give me 750,000 trouble free and I will be happy, But I am afraid those days are gone. So the moral of the story is get out of trucking while you can . Between the government and EPA we dont stand a chance.
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 01:22 PM CST
I got a few of them. All with Detroits. With two of them I had injector issues around 300,000 mi. We pulled the injectors in both of them and found that there were some mis matched injectors on both engines that were obviously installed on the Fitzgerald Rebuild. Not a huge deal but still disappointing that incorrect injectors were used and a ding on their quality of product. Other than that I'm happy with the trucks.
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 02:31 PM CST
Sounds like thier throwing together rebuilds without checking clearances and part numbers to me, are they using true remain Detroit parts?
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 03:07 PM CST
Troy,
They are mostly put together with aftermarket engine parts.
Replied on Wed, Nov 09, 2016 at 03:38 PM CST
Quote: "Troy, They are mostly put together with aftermarket engine parts."

Well I don't know how good the aftermarket is, I know cat aftermarket is junk Iv herd, but have herd that about cat remain, I have personally have had great luck with cat remain, knock on wood, can't afford new parts, just new fuel system parts
Replied on Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 02:55 PM CST
The best thing that I've found, tho you'll pay a bit more is gliders from Carolina cat or Thompson truck sales. They come with cat platinum parts and they rebuild them and give 4 year unlimited mile warranties plus with Thompson they offer towing as well. However they only sell Pete's and kws so if you don't like style your Sol lol. Fitzgerald's gliders I've heard many conk out around warranties end, and for 12.7's they usually last a clean million if not longer
Replied on Fri, Nov 11, 2016 at 01:11 PM CST
we have two t800 kenworth gliders that we got from them. 500 detroits, 13 speed. they ar grossing out at 161000 he in michigan they are doing good. getting around 5.5 miles per gallon hauling heavy loads and 6.8 on 80000 pound loads. they are set up to haul heavy so they might do better on fuel for light loads if they were set up as a over the road truck.
Replied on Wed, Feb 01, 2017 at 07:42 PM CST
Quote: "The best thing that I've found, tho you'll pay a bit more is gliders from Carolina cat or Thompson truck sales. They come with cat platinum parts and they rebuild them and give 4 year unlimited mile warranties plus with Thompson they offer towing as well. However they only sell Pete's and kws so if you don't like style your Sol lol. Fitzgerald's gliders I've heard many conk out around warranties end, and for 12.7's they usually last a clean million if not longer"

Do you have any of these?
Replied on Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 07:59 AM CST
i have had to of them..500 detroit 18sp..fuel milage ran 6.5 not suited for heavy haul...just 12.7 motor..
Replied on Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 08:00 AM CST
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no problem to insure you get a new title just like at new truck dealer
Replied on Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 08:02 AM CST
yes the vin plate notes is a glider i got 2 of them
Replied on Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 11:31 AM CST
I have one got it in 2014 it's a 2015 Pete with 10 speed in it haven't had any problems out of it. For as fuel I'm getting anywhere from 6.2 close to 6.7 according to how I drive it
Replied on Thu, Feb 02, 2017 at 11:48 PM CST
I have 3 2014 Freightliner Coronado Gliders; 1 Fitzgerald, 2 Harrison, all Detroit 12.7 500 HP 13 Speeds. Great fuel economy and plenty of power. Next purchase will be 2017 Pete 579's (just starting to build them now) spec'd the same way from Fitzgerald. Get the DETROIT FACTORY REMAN MOTOR, not Fitzgerald built. It will come with the ceramic manifold and Borg Warner Turbo. You won't be disappointed.
Replied on Fri, Feb 03, 2017 at 11:32 PM CST
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How soon was they starting to build the pete 579 kits ? Because I was just on Fitzgeralds site and did not see any...
Replied on Fri, Feb 03, 2017 at 11:46 PM CST
Quote: "How soon was they starting to build the pete 579 kits ? Because I was just on Fitzgeralds site and did not see any..."

Ask Glenn Nave. He's the salesman who posted the ad I saw in Transport Topics.

2016 Peterbilt 579 80” with fairings
12,7 Detroit 500 HP , Jakes 3yr/ 300K Miles Warranty (Silver Standard)
RTX16710B Eaton REMAN 3yr, unlimited miles

Price $135,750
Add $2,000 for 13 Speed
Title Transfer $495

Thanks again,
Glenn Nave
615-542-8461
Replied on Tue, Jan 02, 2018 at 09:08 PM CST
Quote: "Ask Glenn Nave. He's the salesman who posted the ad I saw in Transport Topics. 2016 Peterbilt 579 80” with fairings 12,7 Detroit 500 HP , Jakes 3yr/ 300K Miles Warranty (Silver Standard) RTX16710B Eaton REMAN 3yr, unlimited miles Price $135,750 Add $2,000 for 13 Speed Title Transfer $495 Thanks again, Glenn Nave 615-542-8461"

Silver - head gasket failure at 115k on a 2015. Parts only covered no labor is covered. What a joke. How's that for a warranty?
Replied on Wed, Jan 03, 2018 at 06:22 AM CST
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Quote: "Silver - head gasket failure at 115k on a 2015. Parts only covered no labor is covered. What a joke. How's that for a warranty?"

My 2016 with 109,910 is getting a complete in frame, yep won't cover any labor, just the cost of the cheap aftermarket parts they put in to begin with. Silver warranty is not worth much
Replied on Wed, Jan 03, 2018 at 05:11 PM CST
Im thinking real hard about buying a pete 389 or KW w900 from them. Will have a N14 and 13spd. My top drivers 1997 W900 is getting a little long in the tooth. Ill give him the new truck and rebuild the 97 for one of the "young" guys.