Adventr.us
New member
As I noted on another thread - I'll just admit up front I'm a total rookie. Not to travel, camping and adventures - but definitely to expedition vehicles. It's years away still that we'd build/purchase, but I'm starting to think about the use cases for our next step, and an expedition vehicle may be the answer. I really appreciate those who've shared the design trade-offs made during their builds on here, it's been extremely helpful.
I understand from those, that to build a cabover-based design, at least one I can use long-term here in the States and with the amenities/living space we'd like, my options are likely the Acela Monterra (or the unrefurbished versions), the Kenworth K370 (with a custom 4x4 or 6x6 conversion), or an older model (possibly European, if over 25 years old.) (At least at this stage, the FUSO looks too small for our application.)
However, driving into work today, I saw a Mack truck with a cabover design. Their website shows both the LR and the TerraPro models. The LR looks closer to the "medium-duty" range of the Kenworth, but looks like it has serious ground clearance issues in the cab - it's made for crew getting in and out of it all day. However, the TerraPro looks more interesting. The marketing scree says it's designed for construction, which would imply some off-road usage. I've searched these forums, and found one thread from 2011 where it was discussed. Nothing since. Anybody know why the Mack TerraPro just isn't even on the radar in these build discussions? Is it too heavy for the application? (It can't be too far off the Acela, can it?) Is there some reason it can't undergo a custom 4x4 or 6x6 conversion like the Kenworth? Crazy expensive compared to the other options? Some other reason?
I understand from those, that to build a cabover-based design, at least one I can use long-term here in the States and with the amenities/living space we'd like, my options are likely the Acela Monterra (or the unrefurbished versions), the Kenworth K370 (with a custom 4x4 or 6x6 conversion), or an older model (possibly European, if over 25 years old.) (At least at this stage, the FUSO looks too small for our application.)
However, driving into work today, I saw a Mack truck with a cabover design. Their website shows both the LR and the TerraPro models. The LR looks closer to the "medium-duty" range of the Kenworth, but looks like it has serious ground clearance issues in the cab - it's made for crew getting in and out of it all day. However, the TerraPro looks more interesting. The marketing scree says it's designed for construction, which would imply some off-road usage. I've searched these forums, and found one thread from 2011 where it was discussed. Nothing since. Anybody know why the Mack TerraPro just isn't even on the radar in these build discussions? Is it too heavy for the application? (It can't be too far off the Acela, can it?) Is there some reason it can't undergo a custom 4x4 or 6x6 conversion like the Kenworth? Crazy expensive compared to the other options? Some other reason?
TerraPro
The Mack TerraPro cabover vocational and refuse truck is built to maneuver tight spaces and offer maximum visibility
www.macktrucks.com
The low end of the Mack TerraPro GVWR range looks similar to the Acela Monterra 6x6 to me ... which was the platform for a beautiful SLRV build featured in another thread. And the Mack has several suspension options, including "vendor", which I suppose means you could adapt it to ride well at the lower end of the GVWR range?
