Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
FWD trucks are getting popular?  The Caddy and the Rampage sold... some... 30 years ago and besides a trickle of Subarus there hasn't been anything like them since. The Transit seems to be popular but it isn't much more or less than a minivan; they aren't being loaded down with serious weight.
Still not seeing the advantage of flat nosed trucks. The frontal area isn't less and the drag isn't better. So then what. |
I'm not saying they're getting popular, only that they're gaining acceptance, particularly among commercial operators.
A few years ago my wife was in DC to care for a sick friend and noticed that every vehicle that had a flower company's name on the side was a Scion xB, the first-gen, non-thyroidal model. Evidently with the seats out the xB is just right for nippy little deliverys on DC's busy, crowded streets. Out on the edge of the prairie with you, Frank, it doesn't matter so much how unwieldy the truck is.
The advantage of flat nosed trucks is in the city where tight maneuvering is an issue, having the engine underneath and a nearly straight-down view is pretty important when trying to slide into a crowded loading zone. I used to deliver print shop materials in DC and can tell you even the stubby nose of an Econoline was sometimes more than I wanted to contend with.
Even now, in relatively wide-open E. TN I still appreciate the cliff-like panorama that spreads before my flat-faced Isuzu NPR. Not only that but flip the cab to work on the engine and there's the
whole engine with precious little to block access. At the relatively low speeds I travel on city streets, aero drag isn't a big factor so frontal area and cD aren't a huge concern. I don't see a downside here.