2021 Peterbilt 579 Ultraloft - 50K Mile Review

Did you see my overview when I first got the truck? Check out my 50K Mile Review here!
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travis.kinley
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803-236-8258
Driver Code =KINTRA
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[@louismiller7141]

The information you give is what people need thank you

[@TravisKinley]

Absolutely! Thanks for your feedback!

[@Overlord3420]

Glad to hear! hope to stay updated! Looking into purchasing a truck through prime and I’m really looking at the Pete

[@TravisKinley]

Awesome man! Truly enjoying this truck!

[@rollingwithdoitall]

Hey bro I still love my Freightliner LOL but I’m happy for you bro

[@waynecribb4922]

Excellent advice on engine brake use.

[@TravisKinley]

Glad you like it. I think I need to do an entire video on that. I just got the head mount for the GoPro so I’ll have to grab some footage to narrate too.

[@b4ds33d]

I’m wanting a new 579 ultraloft with every option. No chrome, murdered out. Matte gray. I’d like it with a little bigger sleeper so I can remove the bottom bunk and put an exercise bike in. Gotta get that cardio.

[@TravisKinley]

Wow man! That sounds tight. Def love the gray color too!

[@dankruger2890]

actually a really good review. lets see 100,000 mile review. would you recommend installing a epu, how does it work in heart of summer vs. dead winter

[@TravisKinley]

I would definitely recommend the EPU. If I ever buy a truck, I fully intend to try and get an EPU myself. I actually have a 100K mile review posted, and will be doing a 150K mile review very shortly! As far as the heart of the summer and winter, it works great. Of course, like an APU, it's only designed to heat and cool the bunk area - so you need to have the sleeper curtains closed - but I really enjoy it.

[@CubanoLibre80]

Great videos sir....

[@TravisKinley]

Thanks man!

[@kontrolledkhaos4853]

Awesome video

[@TravisKinley]

Thanks!

[@phillipcleveland5207]

I really like your videos because of the messages and the way you convey them. The way you explain things from a driver perspective makes it a lot easier to understand for some people.. One question I do have is in one of the comments it states that you’re going lease. Will you be leasing a new truck or the one you’re driving? The three in one galanz is that something you get at a truckstop? The suspension on a Peterbilt is totally different than a Freightliner. It is designed for the ride comfort. No I am not a mechanic, but I do look stuff like that up out of curiosity. Be safe out there

[@TravisKinley]

Yes! I’m going to stay in the truck I’m in! I don’t know if I can part with this truck! My first love! And you can find that Galanz in Wal Mart! My wife likes it so much she’s getting the larger version for home.

[@phillipcleveland5207]

LOL your first love. I think you mean your wife was your first love. Thanks for the info about where to get it. Best of luck with upgrading and keep these videos coming please.

[@TravisKinley]

@@phillipcleveland5207 Ok! My second love! Lol it’s still up there though!

[@phillipcleveland5207]

Lol😂.I loved the Peterbilt’s that I drove. They were 379. Be safe out there and happy new year.

[@BigRigJeffro]

Nice truck bro

[@johnboy6073]

Terrific video. Is the air ride system in a Pete a different manufacturer than FL? Great news on your upcoming lease adventure! Happy and prosperous new year! 🎉🎊🎇

[@TravisKinley]

What a great question. So I’m not sure, but it’s not the air ride that causes FL’s to ride so rough. It’s actually the shocks. I have a pic and video on my phone explaining it. I had already made this vid by the time it was sent to me. Are you in our Driver Hub discord. Can’t remember. You are, right?

[@johnboy6073]

@@TravisKinley I sure am. Not with Prime yet. But I've spent twenty years as a transit Operator. Our equipment was equipped with air ride but the average age of the fleet was about ten years old. And seats and seat suspension were not high on the maintenance priority list. So I imagine that even a FL is heaven compared to that.

[@TravisKinley]

@@johnboy6073 I’d imagine a 2021 FL would ride like a cloud compared to that! Matt posted that video that I was talking about last night in the General group if you missed it.

[@johnboy6073]

@@TravisKinley I'll check it out. Have a wonderful, safe new year.

[@TravisKinley]

@@johnboy6073 you too!

[@donm1420]

Thanks for all the great info!!! Question, how’s the MPG’s ??

[@TravisKinley]

I usually hit 8.66 for my weekly average. Been through a hand full of mountain passes lately and saw 8.38 or so the past couple weeks.

[@TravisKinley]

Thanks for watching Don!

[@b4ds33d]

Get a cold water vaporizer to run to increase your relative humidity. I used to get nosebleeds from dry air and the vaporizer was the fix.

[@TravisKinley]

I’ve been doing that since last summer! Got to!

[@pandrdoberman]

I like your video

[@TravisKinley]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheLazyGoose]

I’ve got the same smart air in my truck. I MUST crank it to 75 to get it on. So, I turn it on, change it to 75, and as soon as I feel the fans coming in and before I even feel the heat warmed up, I crank it down to 72 again. From then on it works fine. Only issue is in rare occasions, it will cut off once it thinks it reached 72 and doesn’t turn back on unless cranked to 75 again. But if I leave it at 75, it regulates it perfectly at 75 and cranks on and off as needed

[@TravisKinley]

Same here man. Lol I actually took mine into a dealership some months back and had them adjust the temp threshold as far as it cutting off. It helped a little. I think many of them are still getting used to this new system, but I love it. Def wouldn’t trade it for APU.

[@tropickman]

@@TravisKinley Can you please share a bit on fuel efficiency and whether the new PACCAR automated transmission is all that its said to be. How does it compare to driving a manual transmission Pete?

[@TravisKinley]

@@tropickman Absolutely! I’ll def try to shoot that vid pretty soon! Possibly for the week of the 12th!

[@gamecop2191]

U say u go to sleep around 8 or 9... so with Prime I don’t have to night drive if I don’t want to? Is ur sleep schedule pretty consistent OTR?

[@TravisKinley]

Good question. With OTR, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. But generally speaking, I don’t drive overnight. I’m not good at it. I’m about to hit my year mark soon and I think I’ve done it twice.

[@GearJamminHank]

Great video! What year and how many miles was on the Freightliner that you are comparing to?

[@TravisKinley]

Hey Mark. I can’t remember the mileage on the FL, but I believe it was a 17 or 18? It’s been a little bit.

[@jerometaft]

A brand new fl is rough as shit

[@ptsi7095]

I like this guy. I would like to hire him.

[@johnapstrader3459]

Look forward to 100k update

[@TravisKinley]

Did you check it out already?

[@johnapstrader3459]

Not yet Will do

[@captain.john.]

Awesome video! What was the name of the microwave and where can I find it?

[@TravisKinley]

Galanz! And it’s right in Wal Mart!

[@captain.john.]

@@TravisKinley awesome ty!

[@jessecastro4733]

Very good video!!!! Informative for sure! Are you still company or are you lease?

[@TravisKinley]

I’ll be signing a lease agreement the third week of January! Excited about the New Year!

[@jessecastro4733]

@@TravisKinley l want to work for Prime as a lease driver but I live in California and there not accepting lease drivers from here. Definitely going to be a great start to the new year for you! Good luck😎✌️

[@TravisKinley]

@@jessecastro4733 Yeah - California and New Jersey both have laws prohibiting folks from being lease drivers. I’ve heard of Prime drivers even moving so they could continue leasing. It’s either moving or using another family members address as a residence - but I don’t know the legality or ethics behind that one.

[@203cyclone]

Nice truck! I’m in the TNT phase.. what’s the chance of me getting one of these Petes when done?

[@TravisKinley]

Depends on when you’ll be done. If the timing is right - it’s possible. Right now, they’re only being given to company teams. But once they’re rotated out, they may offer them to company solos? Ya never know!

[@TravisKinley]

Can’t find your other comment ab the weight and mpgs. But my weight varies all the time man. We pull 44.9K down to 15K. Seems the more miles I turn the better my mileage has been. I was in the 9’s for a couple of weeks running I-10 coast to coast. Can’t remember around how heavy the loads were - they def weren’t light, but don’t remember exactly. One load had pears and potatoes or something. I forgot. Lol

[@sweetteatruckin3202]

Had a 2020 Pete ultraloft. Ordered and 2021 Freightliner, regretted it, missed my pete soooo much!!!

[@TravisKinley]

That sucks. What made you order the FL?

[@sweetteatruckin3202]

@@TravisKinley Fuel mileage and turning radius for tight backs. The fuel savings were minimal and tight backs were easier, but I would have sacrificed both to get my Pete back!!! If I go back over to Prime as a LP, and I may be, I WILL be getting a Pete!

[@mr.sourcreamsupreme2180]

I ordered right now!! Not a Pete.. that 3-1 microwave!! Dope

[@TravisKinley]

I can guarantee you won’t regret it! LOL Cooked a NY strip yesterday! 😂👍🏾

[@mr.sourcreamsupreme2180]

@@TravisKinley awesome! So glad u included it in the video

[@TravisKinley]

@@mr.sourcreamsupreme2180 Absolutely! Thanks for watching! I’m 10K away from a 100K Mile Review!

[@jbeatty811]

I wonder if that temp sensor for your smart air system isn’t in the thermostat control itself??

[@TravisKinley]

That’s a good theory! I’m going to try to look into it when I’ve got some time.

[@gmerola2652]

Volvos dash board looks like Christmas tree lololol lot of Eletrical issues peterbilt forever ! Amazing vídeo brow god bless 👏

[@TravisKinley]

Glad you liked it!

[@BigRigJeffro]

Do you idle when you’re in the northern states or in extremely cold weather? 🤔

[@TravisKinley]

Nope. I just run the SmartAir and crack the windows. I only idle if I’m cooking and the inverter can’t keep up.

[@BigRigJeffro]

@@TravisKinley oh cool ok.

[@CubanoLibre80]

How is the turn ratio in comparison with the FL. Or does it turn wide or short

[@TravisKinley]

That’s a common question I should have mentioned. I notice a slight difference, but I rarely ever think about it or wish it was different - it’s such a slight difference. Most of our customers have plenty of space for you to get your job done. I’ve been in one situation where I had such a tough time a yard dog had to do it for me. It was a humbling day. That’s when I was running team and all. Tried until my clutch overheated. Other than that - I park just fine. I only notice it when parking. Very rarely are we ever taking turns so sharp that it’s noticeable when driving. May I add, I only spent 2 months in TNT (trainers truck was a 18 FL or close to that year), so my experience with a FL was limited. What you don’t remember, you can’t miss much. 😉

[@randallrigdon9379]

How many weeks did it take you to get your 50,000 miles in training?

[@TravisKinley]

I actually did 30,000 miles and upgraded to company team. It took me around 7-8 weeks to do that. That includes one week I was home (really 4 days or something).

[@TruckerKearsey]

Don't you know you are a company driver and can only get a FL lightweight????? (Sarcasm) 😂 most of my friend been having issues with theirs. I miss having a temp control. My rigmaster did. Thw ThermoKing just heats you up until you cook and turn it off. 😂 good vid

[@TravisKinley]

LOL Oh how many times did I hear that Id be stuck in a Lightweight!

[@danielross7032]

200k on mine and still strong. Just pm’s no breakdowns

[@TravisKinley]

Keep on trucking bro!

[@johnapstrader3459]

Any horror story electrical issues?

[@scottwilliams5044]

Hey, on the Galanz, did you need a bigger inverter to run it?

[@TravisKinley]

An 1800W comes with the truck. It’ll run the microwave with the truck off for a little bit. I usually just start it anyways. Air fryer & oven need the truck. Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t something I can do to improve what I have going on. A better ground on the inverter? Not sure. I’m not too knowledgeable about how they work.

[@Cobra4993]

@@TravisKinley I've always heard it's bad for your batteries to run a microwave without the truck running, but don't quote me on that.

[@TravisKinley]

@@Cobra4993 I can imagine it will cause them to go bad quicker than someone who doesn’t; but it seems it would take consistent microwave usage without the truck idling to really make much of a difference. The more any type of battery goes low and needs to charge back to full, the shorter the life span. Cell phones and trucks alike. I usually idle when microwaving. Unless it’s warming a honeybun! 😁 then I’ll keep the truck off. LOL

[@alexjohnson339]

I know they are doing these as company team but a Solo Lease can get one as well right?

[@TravisKinley]

Yes sir. So they used to do this for company team people, but I don't think they're doing it anymore. Especially getting one with the Smart Air like I have, I think you would have to go lease specifically. Very rarely would a company driver be issued a Pete. 100K mile review coming really soon! Later this week is what I'm hoping.

[@xnihilo1044]

Hi Travis, Will they let you lease a manual ?

[@TravisKinley]

That’s a great question! Prime only operates automatic equipment. If there is a manual, it is because someone leased/purchased it some years ago.

[@marcussmith5755]

Ahh yes disc brakes 😏 as for the engine brake on the Freightliner? YES it does shake the cab... But that microwave though 😎

[@TravisKinley]

I’m getting the larger version of the microwave for the house. 😂

[@johnapstrader3459]

I don’t want to have to fiddle or have to work around temp control Or worry about electrical issue’s

[@TravisKinley]

Yeah - it's def for some people and not for others.

[@pandrdoberman]

Why u work for prime?((((

[@petrromanets2081]

What is the max speed you run and what torque mx13 do you have

[@TravisKinley]

1850 ft-lb of torque, and Prime governs us at 65.

[@highstrung_cat7469]

Is that a 10 speed auto transmission or a 12 speed?

[@TravisKinley]

That was a 12 speed auto. Thank goodness.

[@Bo24Yfz]

Wouldn’t a portable humidifier help? I have crazy sinus issues if it’s dry and they are life savers

[@TravisKinley]

Oh I definitely run my humidifier in certain regions in America. Always at the ready. Lol

[@Bo24Yfz]

@@TravisKinley right man if I don’t have mine on the ready I’ll be walking around with bloody noses all the time 🙄

[@TravisKinley]

@@Bo24Yfz yep! Lol I had to get mine the first week or two of TNT. I found out pretty quickly.

[@Bo24Yfz]

@@TravisKinley brah... mine is already in my bag packed to come and I’m not leaving till after Easter 😂🤣

[@TravisKinley]

@@Bo24Yfz 😂 essentials!

[@pandrdoberman]

8.66mpg ? Wow Governed 65? Super singles? Avg gwt?

[@TravisKinley]

Yes, yes, and yes. Couldn’t really give you an average weight. We haul many different things over the course of 2 months. Mpg changed slightly since the winter fuel with additives have started - but that’s it.

[@jakecray5401]

Where is the underground place at?

[@TravisKinley]

Jake, I've been to a few of them, but I think this one may have been near Springfield!

[@ricksworlddereaux2397]

Yes, the Truck is great and beautiful, but you shut learn to maintain it yourselves, and fix minor issues, thats what a good Trucker does, give us the price of your Truck. 🤔👍🇺🇸At the End most important is what ends up into your Pocket, not if you drive a nice and Fancy Truck, i rather driving the old cabovers and make a better Income.

[@bloodietraks8225]

You don’t have the actual apu on the passenger side of the truck?

[@TravisKinley]

No. This truck was equipped with an EPU, so there was no APU located on the frame rail. It was battery powered. The APU on the frame rail is basically a generator.

[@bloodietraks8225]

@@TravisKinley yeah that’s why I was asking. Damn near every prime truck I’ve ever seen has an apu. I know when I get there in March ill grab one. I have had to many issues with EPUs not pulling the right temps.

[@TravisKinley]

@@bloodietraks8225 yeah. I had to have my parameters adjusted at a dealer to get it right, but once I got it right I was good after that. Prime isn’t offering EPU’s anymore though - at least the last time I checked they weren’t - so you’ll be good on that.

[@bloodietraks8225]

@@TravisKinley oh thank god lol. My truck I’ve had since it had 3 miles. It’s at 72k. Had to have the EPU reworked 4 times now. Killing me sometimes. Thankfully it’s not to hot/cold out where I’ve been driving.

[@TravisKinley]

@@bloodietraks8225 I had that Pete in this video for a little over a year and put 200K on it. Lol truck was awesome man.

[@davidanderson-22]

But you don't have a choice on trucks when you're a company driver, correct?

[@TravisKinley]

That’s correct. I had a “choice” because I did company team out of TNT. Back then they guaranteed a brand new Peterbilt, but I don’t think they’re running that program anymore. So when you go company, you get what they give you.

[@TravisKinley]

Sun and ring the bell for the 150K mile review coming soon! Ab a week or so!

[@ega0117]

Are you leasing that perterbilt?

[@TravisKinley]

Yes I am. I started with this truck as a company driver and recently went lease a few weeks ago.

[@wesleycartwright2581]

What is the link for driver hub?

[@TravisKinley]

All updated and permanent links are in the description of my most recent vids. The one in this one may have been temporary. Let me know if you can’t find it!

[@wesleycartwright2581]

@@TravisKinley Thanks got it!

[@TravisKinley]

@@wesleycartwright2581 no problem!

[@ega0117]

I thought Peterbilts have Cummins Engines

[@TravisKinley]

Some do, and others now come with Paccar MX-13’s. Maybe for the past 3-4 years or so they’ve been offering the Paccar? You can still get the Cummins as well though - just not at Prime. Lol

[@ega0117]

@@TravisKinley so far how do you like working for Prime? And how do you like trucking? I’m thinking of going into trucking bro.... I am gathering people’s opinion. Thanks for the video 👍

[@TravisKinley]

@@ega0117 I'm enjoying both. I enjoy trucking because I feel a lot more free from the normal structure of society - go to work in the am, get off in the pm, do the home thing, then go to sleep; do that Mon-Fri, have a weekend, then back to work on Monday. I feel free from that. Trucking is a daily adventure with new challenges every day. It's very rewarding - much more than just financially. Let me know if there's any questions I can answer for you! My contact info is at the bottom of my vids too!

[@kevincarter5854]

Egr not ear lol

[@kevincarter5854]

Not to take away from your video but that truck only has 50k miles on it, they all work good at 50k , when it has 500k then see how it preforms, Paccar 👎 and the Paccar drive train 👎 after treatment issues will be coming ,fan hub ,ear issues are most likely around d the corner ut good luck ut in this EPA world we live in all of the trucks today have ck engine lights all the time I guess you have to find the lessor evil

[@CrustyAbsconder]

Does this truck attract the hot nasty ladies ?

[@ricksworlddereaux2397]

It means the Engine burns oil, if you need to adjust it constantly. 🤔Dude get a Trimmer and Trimm your Beard, like this you look like a Bum. 🤣🤣

[@TravisKinley]

You must be my critic of the week. Because of guys like you is how creators like me know when we’ve made it! 💯😁👌🏾

[@ricksworlddereaux2397]

@@TravisKinley No Critics, take it as a advice from a 50+year old Trucker, at the End its always what ends up into your Pockets, and how much you can put aside. 🤔🤣🇺🇸

[@TravisKinley]

@@ricksworlddereaux2397 In America, when “advice” comes as a low key attack from KZbin, we call those critics. Lol get right or get left.

[@ricksworlddereaux2397]

Thats your Problem, with that hostility between your Republicans and Democrats, it reminds me of the US Civil War, we overhere in Europe are way more Liberal, even this Populism and Fashism is on the Rise. 🤔🇺🇸🇪🇺

[@TravisKinley]

@@ricksworlddereaux2397 you may be a classic troll, but you’re definitely not my problem. Lol you’re small to me bud. I’d block you if I cared. But sometimes I’m entertained but fellas like you. Please continue talking ab everything no one cares ab.