Truck Shite

[scruff]

Oman 5 - WELCOME BACK FELLA.

 

Thanks for the posts re. moderns, fellow drivers. We got a guy at volvo on the case and have bought a 62-plate FH classic, should be ready in about two weeks. I've got to say I am well happy with it, just got to keep it earning!

 

In the meantime the old Daf has been trooping along. It had a whoopsie last Friday and shat out a four-way valve that feeds the range change, seat, clutch and the splitter I think. I limped it back and our garage got it sorted pronto overnight, I was there when the bloke in the Daf parts van arrived and he said it was nice to see an old 95 still at it, I still think of it as quite a modern truck.

[scruff]

I cycled across Turkey last year and Ford there are still going strong with trucks still made by OTOSAN, although I haven't seen any exported. They had these tractors although they were rare compared to the normal European crop:

 

 

They were more popular though in medium haulage and construction, with both the cab we're familar with and an updated one that looks like that in the above image. According to Wikipedia they have similar alliances in Sarf America, too.

 

Incidentally Turkey is fascinating - it feels a lot like the UK as an ex-Imperial country now struggling to make headway in a globalised world that doesn't really 'fit in' anywhere.

 

I passed one of those on the M25 on Wednesday, Turkish firm of course.

[Vin]

Good selection of old wagons here...

 

 

 

[simmo]

Another local one

 

[CreepingJesus]

Oman 5 - WELCOME BACK FELLA.

 

Thanks for the posts re. moderns, fellow drivers. We got a guy at volvo on the case and have bought a 62-plate FH classic, should be ready in about two weeks. I've got to say I am well happy with it, just got to keep it earning!

 

In the meantime the old Daf has been trooping along. It had a whoopsie last Friday and shat out a four-way valve that feeds the range change, seat, clutch and the splitter I think. I limped it back and our garage got it sorted pronto overnight, I was there when the bloke in the Daf parts van arrived and he said it was nice to see an old 95 still at it, I still think of it as quite a modern truck.

 

Result! Although, the 'classic' FH cab is considerably newer than the Daf 'Cabtec' cab: 1995 vs 1987! To think when the 95 first arrived on the market, it still sported Leyland derived engines (albeit distantly) and actually competed against the Roadtrain. Although, children born in either of those years would be eligible to drive one now!

We were supposed to have a bit of Daf de-fleeting at work, but to my surprise it hasn't happened. The last of the 61-plate XF105s is hanging in there, at 700thou and counting. It and its' brethren actually didn't come up here til Nov 12, because they sat around in Portsmouth for a while, waiting to have their LPG kits fitted. MX61EKE was the lowest mileage of the bunch, because it did a stint down at HQ in Lincolnshire: the company completely fails to take into account that 'Scotland' includes everything from Gateshead - Carlisle and up to the Black Isle (plus regular trunks to Cannock and Lincolnshire) and involves Space Shuttle mileages which the English yards just don't do. There was a reason the old company used to buy its' own motors, and run them until they dropped. No having to explain to Salford Van Hire (or TOM) where the excess mileage came from!

In theory, it's to be replaced by a 65-plate XF105, but that remains to be seen: they've de-fleeted a rigid that was needed, to save cost. Troubling times ahead...

[Split_Pin]

The FH cab was still a 'baby' when it was replaced, being used for 'only' 20 years from 93 to 13 but other cabs are still going. Ivecos cab came out on the Cargo in 1991, Scanias P cab in 1996 and Daf's 65/75/85 cab in 1993. The Cabtech is 30 years old this year would you believe it!

[simmo]

[simmo]

[Split_Pin]

Can't beat a pentechnicon TK 😀

[Vin]

Is that a Pantechnicon or just a Luton body??

 

I always assumed, maybe wrongly, that a Pantechnicon is like these...

 

 

 

[worldofceri]

Yeah, the TK has a luton body.

 

Stoopid qwestyun: How do they tilt the cab on modern pantechnicons? Or do they modify the interior to create an engine cover?

[mercrocker]

Good selection of old wagons here...

 

 

 

 

DAF 33 Van alert!   01:40 in the Stanstead vid.

[simmo]

[simmo]

[CreepingJesus]

Yeah, the TK has a luton body.

 

Stoopid qwestyun: How do they tilt the cab on modern pantechnicons? Or do they modify the interior to create an engine cover?

That was how it was done on the Marsden Vanplans and the like: removable engine cover, or up from underneath. Bus practice really. I think the conventional pantechnicon has been abandoned, because it's cheaper to build on a regular chassis, and people's stuff goes in standard size boxes now mostly, thus obviating the need for the box over the cab. Certainly the utterly dismal FL6s I drove for Pickfords worked that way. The sleeper pod is attached to the cab and goes over with it when it gets tilted.

[meshking]

Spotted this on twitter

 

[Split_Pin]

Tilt cab pantechnicons/lutons whatever have a hinged flap at the front of the box that gets propped open to allow clearance for the cab to tilt. Some don't and engine access is just left at being marginal, stupid really as the engine is up inside the hump rather than in its side flat underneath the floor like an old bus.

[simmo]

[Jim Bell]

More randoms harvested from Facebook.

 

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[Split_Pin]

I have joined about 20 Lorry related Facebook pages recently and whilst there are quite a few members who post up Google image pictures, there's a smashing amount of original material. The absolute best 2 are Abandoned Lorries and Trev's Truck Pics Malta-Gozo. Id totally recommend joining them if you like trucks to any degree.

 

Best thing is that my news feed is now rammed with lorry stuff, which has somehow pushed out the trite 'inspirational' quotes, pictures of folk's dinner and anything political.

 

I joined a Shelvoke bin lorry page last night and now actually heart Facebook again.

[Split_Pin]

What's the deal with speed limiters nowadays, I thought it was 56 mph? I was on the A66 last night and overtook a tanker truck on a downhill section of the dual carriageway. But the truck then sped up when it reached a flat section of road and even at 70mph I couldn't get away from it. On the twisty single sections I couldn't do more than 50 as it was 1 degree, pitch dark and at risk of ice. The truck was so close I could hardly see his headlights. It wasn't slowing for any corners at all. I had my wife and 3 year old in the car and I was absolutely bricking it. I was scared to brake for the corners in case it hit me ☹ï¸

[Sir Snipes]

I've been ding an indicated 70, with Satnav in agreement, and had lorries stay with me too?

[2MB]

Is there any truth in the story of Irish lorries being de-restricted?

[Split_Pin]

It was totally like Duel in almost every respect. Overtaking a slow moving tanker which then develops unexplainable speed and handling capabilities. All whilst in a chronically underpowered car.

 

Seriously though, I can't think of a higher level of stupidity on the part of the truck driver, in light of the road conditions. Talk about being professionally trained, they give the rest of the industry a bad name which is annoying as it's a hard enough job as it is for the drivers without being tarred with the same brush.