Truck Shite

[quicksilver]

  On 13/05/2022 at 20:34, scruff said:

There is a fella around Northampton running one of those V8 Mercs on a grain bulker, it's a bit blinged up but is absolutely immaculate. Anybody ever driven one? 

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That'll be this one. They've also got another Actros, a Volvo and Scania, always immaculately turned out.

Quite rare to see these old-style Actroses now as they're all over 10 years old but there's still a few nice ones about.

[scruff]

That's the one. I see them a lot in Heygates mill at Bugbrooke which is like a haulage museum in its own right. 

[scruff]

Been spending far too much time looking at euro 6 stuff and getting depressed at tales of woe/warnings from fitters 

What I really want* is Alan Agar's motor, I last saw it a few months back, it is just awesome. There's something about it that a lot of restored lorries just don't have. Always makes me dig out a Long Distance Diary from Truck magazine when I get home. Not my pic: 

 

 

*Of course that's the rose tints properly on. But it is cool as fuck 😎

[Crackers]

That is FIT. 

[CreepingJesus]

Merc LN2 in 'not a horsebox' shocker! It works for its' living, but not too hard.

[Slappy]

  On 17/04/2022 at 18:13, Vantman said:

@sutty2006 It's a larger version of this Saab friction tester for airport runways---https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/runway-model

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and @MKT...

Just catching up with the thread and I can add some more to this as it's something  I deal with as work. All highway authorities have a network where they test the wet-skid resistance with a report required to be sent to DfT.  The survey is colloquially known as SCRIM. Usually they survey at night as a constant minimum and maximum speed is required to get valid readings.

Just took a look at one of the suppliers and they built the US registered vehicle for use out there a few years ago and bring it back over for annual accreditation by TRL, so if you were in the vicinity of MIRA or between there and Bristol, then it was likely to do with that. There's around 18 machines according to some press blurb that I read, I think most are modernish Volvos and Ivecos, but they aren't massively taxed mechanically so they last a few years at each contractor.

Meanwhile the same company that built the Volvo runs these still I think... https://www.wdm.co.uk/equipment/deflectograph-equipment. believe the oldest Merc is on a W or X suffix! 

[MKT]

  On 20/05/2022 at 18:29, Slappy said:

and @MKT...

Just catching up with the thread and I can add some more to this as it's something  I deal with as work. All highway authorities have a network where they test the wet-skid resistance with a report required to be sent to DfT.  The survey is colloquially known as SCRIM. Usually they survey at night as a constant minimum and maximum speed is required to get valid readings.

Just took a look at one of the suppliers and they built the US registered vehicle for use out there a few years ago and bring it back over for annual accreditation by TRL, so if you were in the vicinity of MIRA or between there and Bristol, then it was likely to do with that. There's around 18 machines according to some press blurb that I read, I think most are modernish Volvos and Ivecos, but they aren't massively taxed mechanically so they last a few years at each contractor.

Meanwhile the same company that built the Volvo runs these still I think... https://www.wdm.co.uk/equipment/deflectograph-equipment. believe the oldest Merc is on a W or X suffix! 

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I operate SCRIM and am starting to do DFG for a living (among many other things), we run a B reg Merc (you can probably guess who I work for going by that), second oldest DFG still going:)

[Slappy]

Smallish world! Sorry if I was preaching to the converted, haha

I think your guys may have bought the B reg Merc from my guys back when Austerity kicked in and we couldn't fund it anymore. Those DFG machines have seen some things. I imagine parts availability and rust is what's doing for them now?

[MKT]

  On 20/05/2022 at 18:52, Slappy said:

Smallish world! Sorry if I was preaching to the converted, haha

I think your guys may have bought the B reg Merc from my guys back when Austerity kicked in and we couldn't fund it anymore. Those DFG machines have seen some things. I imagine parts availability and rust is what's doing for them now?

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No worries, the vast majority of people will have no idea what they are!

There's a few niggling mechanical issues here and there, both with the actual truck and with the survey equipment, and it seems that whenever you fix one thing another thing pops up, I can't speak for others as I didn't go to the trials this year but ours is holding up ok rust wise from what I've seen, just a case of replacing knackered parts on a regular basis. I'm up in Ipswich next week using the DFG so I'm sure it'll find lots of nice ways to give us grief.

[sutty2006]

Any pictures of said B reg merc? 

[Vantman]

Leyland gas turbine---

 

 

[martc]

  On 21/05/2022 at 07:27, Vantman said:

Leyland gas turbine---

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Is that it's fuel tank on the trailer?

[martc]

Magirus-Deutz Jupiter 1958-64; why can't modern lorries be as stylish?

[Slappy]

  On 20/05/2022 at 20:53, sutty2006 said:

Any pictures of said B reg merc? 

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An oldish pic going by the background noise, but all the EDIT <deflec' trucks> of this generation (And all they all  seemed to all be Mercs) look a bit like this:

Edited May 21, 2022 by Slappy
Wrong words replaced by right words

[bigstraight6]

  On 21/05/2022 at 19:56, Slappy said:

An oldish pic going by the background noise, but all the Mercs of this generation (And they seemed to all be Mercs) look a bit like this:

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A tipper haulier based in Doublebois near Liskeard still has a 1988 Merc with this type of cab on the road, I see it hard at work quite often.

[sutty2006]

I bet they’re fun to drive! 
 

The oldest merc we see at our place is a 2002 Atego 18 tonner with 700k up it. Believe it or not, it’s nicer to drive than brand new mercs. 

[MJK 24]

  On 21/05/2022 at 20:57, sutty2006 said:

I bet they’re fun to drive! 
 

The oldest merc we see at our place is a 2002 Atego 18 tonner with 700k up it. Believe it or not, it’s nicer to drive than brand new mercs. 

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That’s low mileage for a 20 year old wagon.  We have a 2008 MAN 7.5 tonner owned from new.  1,360,000 on the clock.  Still on its original clutch.  One driver from day 1 has probably helped a lot 

[sutty2006]

  On 22/05/2022 at 03:15, MJK 24 said:

That’s low mileage for a 20 year old wagon.  We have a 2008 MAN 7.5 tonner owned from new.  1,360,000 on the clock.  Still on its original clutch.  One driver from day 1 has probably helped a lot 

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Yes very true, it belongs to a Toffee manufacturing company so it doesn’t go too far. 
 

as for mileages, we have 18 plate Actros fleet all around 900k at the moment. 

[scruff]

  On 21/05/2022 at 20:57, sutty2006 said:

I bet they’re fun to drive! 
 

The oldest merc we see at our place is a 2002 Atego 18 tonner with 700k up it. Believe it or not, it’s nicer to drive than brand new mercs. 

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I can well believe that 😂

Good mate of mine works for a firm who have just changed from new generation Scanias to Mercs. He is distraught.

I've driven a 2033, I think it was a C plate, V8 twin steer with a slap-over range change. Solid and quality feeling thing but the cab was well ripe. 

[sutty2006]

Local show this morning 

[rml2345]

That line painting Bedford is ace. 

[sutty2006]

  On 22/05/2022 at 10:03, rml2345 said:

That line painting Bedford is ace. 

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Yeah I drooled a little when that arrived. 

[quicksilver]

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the future of trucking! That's the battery-electric Scania L-series demonstrator on the back, zero emissions and all very noble, but it stil needs a bloody great 770bhp diesel V8 to move it any distance.

[sutty2006]

It’s like the race to the moon. Merc have been itching to get the new electric truck on the market but it looks like Scania will beat them 🤣

[Metal Guru]

  On 23/05/2022 at 18:01, quicksilver said:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the future of trucking! That's the battery-electric Scania L-series demonstrator on the back, zero emissions and all very noble, but it stil needs a bloody great 770bhp diesel V8 to move it any distance.

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We already have great EVs for moving heavy loads long distances. They’re called trains. Surely we can integrate haulage transport , ( works ok for the channel tunnel), so HGVs are removed from motorways and trunk roads, and then they can be battery powered when in a city.

Much greener and reduced congestion as a bonus.

[scruff]

  On 13/05/2022 at 21:27, quicksilver said:

That'll be this one. They've also got another Actros, a Volvo and Scania, always immaculately turned out.

Quite rare to see these old-style Actroses now as they're all over 10 years old but there's still a few nice ones about.

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Tipped next to their older Volvo today, 09 plate and spotless. Unlike mine at the moment 😃

[quicksilver]

  On 27/05/2022 at 09:20, scruff said:

Tipped next to their older Volvo today, 09 plate and spotless. Unlike mine at the moment 😃

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I haven't seen that one yet, it looks great for its age. Also, I spy a Foden Alpha lurking in the corner

[scruff]

Not really a truck, but lots in common. Moved this JCB Fastrac for a bloke this week. I do a lot with Fastracs but hadn't driven one of these particular models since I was a student. This, coupled with the fella buying it to restore, meant I was surprised to find it's 23 years old! 

 

This is the smaller of the "big" Fastracs with a 155hp Perkins in it. Nice tractor, it ran well and built up air no problem, all the gears worked etc. 

Not quite as cool as the original Fastrac with the Austin Rover steering wheel and wind up windows, but still a pleasant place to be. Air con was ice cold.

[Dyslexic Viking]

  On 27/05/2022 at 16:06, scruff said:

Not really a truck, but lots in common. Moved this JCB Fastrac for a bloke this week. I do a lot with Fastracs but hadn't driven one of these particular models since I was a student. This, coupled with the fella buying it to restore, meant I was surprised to find it's 23 years old! 

 

This is the smaller of the "big" Fastracs with a 155hp Perkins in it. Nice tractor, it ran well and built up air no problem, all the gears worked etc. 

Not quite as cool as the original Fastrac with the Austin Rover steering wheel and wind up windows, but still a pleasant place to be. Air con was ice cold.

 

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Nice tractor. Is it true that it has 10,059 hours on it? But I may have misinterpreted which gauge the hour meter is.

[MJK 24]

Lord help me 🙏