kenworth trucks

Looking into purchasing a good used 1999-2005 Kenworth semi sleeper tractor twin screw for pulling trailers about 15,000 miles annually.  Which ones were good years, good engines, good trannies, right rear axle ratio, & 22.5" or 24" tires?  Anythings to stay away from or lookout for??  Or, is another brand better?  Thanks.  

Wow Jeff, 4 trucks running over a million miles a day! I bet your drivers are sore when they get in! LOL! Sorry, couldn't resist being a smart-acre.

We have a 2001 Volvo VNL64 with a N14 and merritor 10spd. The Volvos have alot of room in the cab compared to other trucks. It also has plenty of power with the N14. It also rides like a Cadillac.

Defiantly go with paccar air suspension, you, or your drivers' back will appreciate it

I just located an 03 T2000, 887,000 miles, C12, 13spd auto shift & 22.5" tires.  It has a new turbo, new clutch, and new drive tires.  It has a lot of fiberglass around the fuel tanks that worries me about rural gravel roads?  Would I be able to get another 250,000 miles out of the 13 spd auto shift transmission?  I have not driven an auto shift yet.  Can you manually select any gear or do you just put it into Drive??  Any thoughts welcomed.  

How much weight you pull'in ? If your Hauling grain that C12 is awful small. The autoshift can be operated manually or in auto. You have to clutch it in auto to start and stop.

At auction yesterday in Fort Worth, TX. Petes, KW and Volvos with 500K miles, new tires and pretty good condition were selling for $10K and lower. The used truck market is a blood bath right now. Same auction in two weeks will have all of the tractors from the Arrow Trucking Tulsa facility. Literally thousands of trucks available right now for bargain basement prices. Check out the link.

Edited by John (C-IL) - 12 Mar 2010 at 7:50am

I would say stay away from a c12, it had its share of problems.  A C13 or C15 are damn good motors.  So is a N14, even a detroit 60 series is okay to about 750000, plus side is that parts are cheaper?  Parts for an auto shift are very pricey.  With the bigger motors a super 10 is okay, smaller motors like a c12 or m11 you should have a 13.  15 and 18s are just showing off any more with the modern big bore turboed motors.

I personally hate a kw suspension but hey to each his own. I like the international trucks do to the heavy cab, simple layout, and roominess compared to a pete or kw, but the petes and kw are good well made trucks.  Newer volvos are okay mechanically but they have electrical problems.  Stay away from freightliner junk. 

KW has the best cab in the industry straight up. Coil coated aluminum so it wont rust, doors swing on a SS piano hinge so they dont sag, sealed up so tight that if you slam the drivers door with the windows up you run the risk of blowing the glass out of the drivers door. Sold many door windows because of that.

C12 is an updated 3176. C13 is a C12 wih a little bit bigger bore and all of the tree huggers compliance crap hanging off the side.

The Pete 372 with the C12 and 13sp Iwas driving for the last 280,000 would get 7 to 8 MPG hauling tanker at 80,000. The Pete 379 I have now has the C13 and 13sp but on same trips am now at 6 MPG. More power but still governed to 67 MPH top speed.

Edited by Coke-in-MN - 12 Mar 2010 at 2:38pm

Don't like the C12 or C13. Can't say about the C15. The jake brakes are better on the cummins and detroits. Get a N14 cummins and let her roll. Coke, your right about the Pete's. Look good but no room.

run pete 379 long hoods with c 15 cats,18 speeds,3 55 or 3 36 rears,pete airride.We run 175,ooo roughlee a year.Easy to work on. cat engines fairly trouble free.

I have 2 c12s and both had to be overhauled before 800,000. Both had cams go bad.

I was a truck mechanic for over 25 years when I gave it up 15 years ago, I preferred the old IHC equipment but do not know how they are today.  Parts used to be readily available from most all sources as they used off the shelf devices.  Pet and KW did as well but not as heavily as IHC.  As to types, I prefer a W900 KW or the 359 Pete long noses to all the hyped 'aero' cabs, as far as IHC a simple S2500 or a 4370 are good choices on older units.

These were the "simpler" trucks and stood the test of time/miles to me.