Truck Shite

[quicksilver]

Travelling showmen have a fascinating collection of old rammel so I thought I'd share a few here. 80s/90s Fodens and ERFs are ten a penny but there's a load of even older stuff too - these things are often not what they seem as showmen have a habit of rebuilding their lorries.


Ergomatic survivor by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
This Ergo AEC is a legend, owned by the same chap since 1973


True Gritter by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Drastically chopped 1962 Atkinson ex gritter


Evening Star in the afternoon by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Scammell rammel


Not what it seems by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Old ERF with slightly less old cab


Meep Meep! by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Early Roadrunner. I guess one Leyland badge just isn't enough


Big John by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Not many of these DAFs around now


Old Timer's time isn't up by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
ERF A-series or is it an LV? I can't tell the difference


40 winks by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
How has this not rotted away long ago?


...and Farr away by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Early Cargo, no power steering by the look


Historic Forest by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
Lovely Gardner straight-eight powered ERF, owned by the same family for 20 odd years


A trio of magnificent Magnums by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr
If you like French tat, have a Magnum or three

[Cavcraft]

Class, got any more?

 

Looks like the RoadRunner owner has 'modernised' his by spraying over that lower window on the (nearside) front! ERF is an oddity alright and has tubeless front rims, ditto the DAF wrecker with what looks like super single fronts. DAF looks quite familiar, at least the body type and reg number does, wonder if it's an ex-Crosville wrecker as the reg. number (CA) is local.

[autofive]

some from Barnard castle truck show a few years back

(some a quite big, you may need to zoom out)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Jolly good idea! Keeping the fairground spirit, I bet this has a caravan attached to the end of this trailer...

 

Like this in fact! Illegal I'm guessing, but they still seem to do it. NOT GR8 4 REVERSIN

[quicksilver]

I see your 2 trailers and raise you 3. All legal under showman's special classification, I can assure you.

 

Triple trailer roadtrain by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

 

A large turning circle! by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

[Father Ted]

 

Children today ! Sheeesh - whats wrong with rolling down a hill in an old oil drum?

[Cavcraft]

On my 'must own one day' list an old Sed Atk, Foden or ERF features highly. Shouldn't be too hard to remove the fifth wheel, downrate it to 7.5 tonnes and then apply for showman's licence?

[warren t claim]

On my 'must own one day' list an old Sed Atk, Foden or ERF features highly. Shouldn't be too hard to remove the fifth wheel, downrate it to 7.5 tonnes and then apply for showman's licence?

 

No need to remove 5th wheel.

[quicksilver]

EFE have done a model of this ERF. The Atki looks proper shite but I bet it still runs well.

 

Glad you like - I have a load more but don't want to overload you with them all at once.

[danthecapriman]

I love old trucks, Some relly nice ones here too.

The AEC/Leyland ergo is one of my favs, I will own one one day!

Theres a couple of yards not far from me with loads of old trucks in, rotting away. They seem to have everything from the 50s onwards and a few cars laying around too. Theres an AEC ergo flatbed, and an ex british rail Leyland FG mobile workshop in there visable from the road. Id get some pics but I dont think they are the sort of people that appreciate people hanging around or bothering them!

[Split_Pin]

Some proper class wagons there.

 

I love the DAF wrecker. Now a rare machine.

 

The Gardner 8 pot Erf is a thing to behold too!

 

The other ERF you were asking about is an lv. It has the later grilled, but you can tell its still an lv due to the plain panel above the bumper.

 

 

The A series was only available in tractor form and had the set back front axle. It was developed to take advantage of the higher weight limits being introduced at the time.

[Justin Case]

Some great photos, but Wot No Volvos, the Autoshite favourite Let me correct this This superb F10 is used for transporting a Fowler crane engine, (owned appropriately enough by Len Crane ) to steam fairs

Volvo Heavy Transporter by geoffp5, on Flickr

 

 

No discussion of showman's transport would be complete without the Holy Grail so have a photo of a one-owner Showtrac with my compliments:

Scammell Showtrac - Pat Collins by geoffp5, on Flickr

 

 

Away from the fairgrounds, one of my favourites is this 1994 Scania 93 cattle transporter that I still see from time to time carrying Herefords around Worcestershire.

Scania 93 Livestock Transporter by geoffp5, on Flickr

 

That lovely little ERF LK44G (YMB39) was used until comparatively recently (does anyone know when?) by Gardners for delivering spare parts to their dealers. I would see it from time to time trundling up or down the M6, so it is nice, but not surprising to know that it has been preserved.

[warren t claim]

^^^I still drive an old Scanny like that now and again! I want to take it home with me!

[Shep Shepherd]

That Volvo F10 is lovely. I have a real soft spot for the F10, F12 and F16; to me they are the HGV equivalent of the Volvo 240

[quicksilver]

No discussion of showman's transport would be complete without the Holy Grail so have a photo of a one-owner Showtrac with my compliments:

Scammell Showtrac - Pat Collins by geoffp5, on Flickr

 

Those Showtracs are worth £££. 18 were built and 17 survive, the guy who scrapped the other one must be kicking himself. Hard.

[quicksilver]

another random collection of showman shite, circus chod and traveller tat, including some for the Ovlov and Scanny fans

 

A tight fit by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Its an AWD, not a Bedford

 

Circus star by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Don't be fooled by the reg, this isn't quite that old

 

Black magic by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

This firm have a 100% Volvo fleet but this is the only F-series left

 

Sweet 16 by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Same lorry, older livery. I preferred this as it matched the rest of the fleet

 

Metal Mickey by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Mickey Mouse Foden

 

Fleetmaster in fine fettle by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Original looking Fleetmaster

 

Wood you believe it? by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Rare Sed Atki 301

 

Sheppard without a flock by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Smart Scanny 92

 

Mystery machine by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

What the hell is this? Some kind of Commer?

 

Knight of old by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Atki Knight

 

Club of Four by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

Not many 'Club of Four' Ovlovs left

 

All weather AWD by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

An AWD that hasn't crumbled to dust!

 

That's all for now but there are more to come.

[Cavcraft]

[scruff]

Great thread.

 

Our mate moves us about with his twin steer ERF C series. Cummins lump with a Fuller gearbox. Taxed as private HGV and no speed limiter Good fun overtaking the supermarket wagons on the A1.

 

 

 

Here I am getting loaded up after a breakdown!! AA aren't much cop.

 

 

 

My friend Paul uses this Borderer to move his engines about, his late dad used to restore Atkis and his mum still does a lot with the owners club. This is a great old wagon, we had it and the engine at our wedding.

 

 

Here's a few more steam rigs. ERFs are popular as they are mega simple, cheap to buy, not too terrible on fuel and with the plastic fantastic cab they don't mind standing out all winter. You do see quite a few old Atkinsons about though.

 

 

 

 

Finally, ANY1 WANT A ERF?

 

 

I stumbled on it by chance when on a job in Maidenhead. It's a B series with a Cummins 14 litre (Powah) and a 9 speed Fuller. Up for grabs at around £1500 without the crane... no test on it or owt as it's been used for recovery.

 

[DSdriver]

 

I was looking at the crank handle on this and two questions spring to mind:

What sort of superman can swing an engine like that to start it? (I presume its a diesel so you can decompress it)

and How much does it hurt when you forget its there and bang your shin on it.

[Cavcraft]

Hey, Mr Scruff, any idea what that ERF would want for an MOT at all? Cheers.

[scruff]

I wouldn't like to say Cavette but I was warned off buying it for swapping to a tractor unit it as a lot of old recovery stuff can be pretty shitey, you might be into the realms of swapping out all the brake actuators and shiz like that. The fella did say it barked up alright and he used it in 'emergencies' and his other trucks were all pretty up together so it might be OK. £2000 was mentioned if you fancied keeping the crane on it but that was a few months back. It could make a nice truck for shows and monging around in. The recovery firm's number is 01494 512955 if anyone fancies a punt.

 

I did seriously consider it but it's a wee bit long to drop a fifth wheel on and if you look in the old truck mags there's units for not much more all ready to go, that 14 ltr lump would be nice though.

[Cavcraft]

Cheers, wouldn't want one for actual haulage just something to razz about in for a laugh.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Now this is a great thread, i'm loving it. What does 'club of four' mean when applied to a volvo truck?

[scruff]

I think it's to do with the cab on the F7, it was designed and shared with the 'club of four', Volvo, Renault/Savium and two others (Maggie Deutz and DAF I think?)

[scruff]

Volvo F7

 

 

Renner Saviem, still see loads of these in France

 

 

Maggie D

 

 

I thought DAF used it too but that might have been a different cab.

[oman5]

Daf was involved in the club of four but didn't actually utilize the cab on anything.

My mate had the Saviem version, called a JK75 I think, very rare now. 3.5 litre 4 pot but not bad for a wee puddle jumper

[cms206]

Could've sworn I saw a DAF with a Club of Four cab, similar size to that ikkle Saviem; Mack also used it in the States and possibly Australia.

[mattblack]

What the hell is this? Some kind of Commer?

 

Commer Commando, later badged as Dodge. Some had Mercedes engines, which could account for the grille badge, although why it's on a 'C' sufix plate is a mystery...

 

EDIT: Beaten to it! ^

[quicksilver]

What the hell is this? Some kind of Commer?

 

Commer Commando, later badged as Dodge. Some had Mercedes engines, which could account for the grille badge, although why it's on a 'C' sufix plate is a mystery...

 

EDIT: Beaten to it! ^

 

Deffo not a Commando, wheels are too small and the arches look home made. Merc badge seems to be a red herring. Best guess so far is a recabbed Commer BF.

 

Meanwhile, feast your eyes on this cache of Commie chod

Zillions! by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

 

One ZIL in a million by quicksilver coaches, on Flickr

[Vin]

Didn't they do the 'Gang of four' cab as a bonnetted version. Seem to recall Magirus Deutz and Renault badged ones. Plant and tipper stuff mainly.