Truck Shite

[Richard]

Amazing what a difference a handful of years make.....Nowadays that Escort would be on Ebay for ten grand and somebody would have lowered the FG and built a shed on it.

 

Both these statements would apply equally in 2010, except that the Escort is a four door.

[willswitchengage]

Has anybody here been to Russia before? Their truck scene looks fascinating. European, domestic and American manufacturers combined - I wonder if they get Jap stuff too?

 

 

[worldofceri]

No, but I've watched a lot of dashcam crash videos, and have concluded they all drive like mentalists.

[Split_Pin]

100% of Russian Dashcam videos have an out-of-control Kamaz travelling towards a Lada at 45 degrees.

[scruff]

Went to a farm this morning with a new sprayer and this was in the yard, lovely!!

 

[rml2345]

100% of Russian Dashcam videos have an out-of-control Kamaz travelling towards a Lada at 45 degrees.

Or an orange Kamaz tipper setting off across the screen with half a dosen panicking Ruskies chasing after it.

[cros]

You proper truck people probly know the reason for this, but this week I went to Kent and back and then to Stoke and back and saw only 2 made until 2013 type Magnums. Have these things all suddenly evaporated or what?

[gordonbennet]

You proper truck people probly know the reason for this, but this week I went to Kent and back and then to Stoke and back and saw only 2 made until 2013 type Magnums. Have these things all suddenly evaporated or what?

I reckon thats about the going rate you used to see them anyway, they never sold here in great numbers, only personally known one owner driver who had one years ago and he got 1 million miles out if without any issues worth mentioning.

 

You noticed them more maybe a few years ago cos they were by far the biggest cab on the road without being too much in yer face unlike the bling automated shit thats about now, now ever buggers got a cab the size of a caravan festooned in a dozen (or two) spotlights and effin hundreds of led's.

On the subject of automated, far as i know Magnums came mostly if not entirely with a proper gearbox, won't be in wanted any more by the legion of too precious to drive a manual new breed.

[tooSavvy]

^^ eh? [mythbusted]

 

You sayinn them hunky kids (all drivers are kids at my age) freewheelinn down the M6, for good 'ol Eddie, are really cruising an AUTO!!

 

I've gone right off Yorkie bars, now....

 

*give Pam one though

 

 

TS

[Split_Pin]

The only ones I ever see now are on Polish plates. Saw one at IKEA in Renfrew last week.

 

I don't think they were that popular in the UK, the earlier 1990s versions perhaps a bit more so.

 

I remember when I saw one on the telly for the first time in about 1992, before they went on sale here and though WTF is that? It looked so unusual. One of my favourite Trucks of the 1990s.

 

I don't actually recall seeing many Renault Trucks in the UK during 1990s, the Turboliner and Manager in particular. The Maxters were quite popular with WH Malcolm's though.

 

Now they're everywhere!

[scruff]

Friend of a friend is just doing his training. On the assessment drive he struggled with a 4-over-4 synchro so they said, don't worry, just do it in an auto. 

There is a whole generation of new drivers who have never driven a manual lorry and don't want to either. 

[mercrocker]

There also seems to be a whole rake of hauliers who don't particularly want old-school drivers trying to outfox economy settings, too, from what a couple of HGV mates tell me.    Further to the Magnum question they seem to be more common on box work than they were, certainly with owner-drivers.   Maybe that's where they end up!

[Split_Pin]

I loved the sound of a truck pulling away and changing gear, not something you hear anymore.

[scruff]

You do at our place!! 

[gordonbennet]

Up to a point i don't blame any one wanting an auto, trouble is the majority of boxes (Volvo and same fitted to modern Reno notable exceptions) vary between so so and fuckin abysmal in the case of arsetronic especially at junctions and hill climbing, manily because they arn't really auto boxes, they are manual boxes with a normal clutch which servos shift and shift the gears for you, not very well it must be said in too many cases.

 

They might not think so but i wish some of the newer and younger drivers could have a decent manual box coupled to a proper engine like a good old 14 litre Cummins and enjoy instant stump pulling power from the second you touch the throttle not the horrid bloody will she won't she give me a gear, the right gear, and some power when i want it which makes negotiating junctions these days a friggin nightmare.

 

I'm sure if some of the newer drivers tried and got used to (it don't happen instantly, it takes time to learn any gearbox) a decent manual coupled to a decent and large enough engine, they'd be as bloody frustrated as many of us old biggers with this modern shit.

My last Cummins/Fuller/Rockwell combo only had an 8 speed constant mesh box, but unless hill starting it only ever needed the top 5, would cruise all day @ 70mph @ 1100 rpm, and yes if driven at 55 instead of 70 was actually better on fuel than this modern shit weight for weight, so where's all this progress then...oh and it didn't put up numerous warnings of impending doom on the dash every now and again, didn't stall on you or throw a hissy fit if it didn't like something, it just did its work day in day out for years trouble free, unladen @ 13ton it could out accelerate quite a lot of cars of its day and probably match them for max speed, i'd give me eye teeth to have one like it again.

 

The trouble is all autos arn't the same, i'd love an Allison proper torque converter auto in me lorry in place of arsetronic.

 

By the way, apart from the aforesaid Volvos which seldom if ever need any manual input, i drive all modern lorry autos in manual, it takes at least some of the frustration out of junctions and traffic because at least the gear will be the right one even if the clutch and engine management wants to fuck about having a meeting before deciding if you can go or not.

 

How did we get to this point.

 

Re Mercrocker.

Ha on the economy bollocks.

My last job on the transporters they started buying this fleet management crap, Vemis system we had.

They also paid us a fuel bonus every 3 months for driving 'economically' which meant no lights on.

Have a guess who never got his fuel bonus, but had the best fuel figures in the depot and one of the best in the country.

[worldofceri]

I drive a DAF 75/310 26tonner with a 12 speed automatic.  It's absolutely fucking dreadful.

 

I'm going down to Cornwall twice a week lately and, like you say, it's terrible on the hills.  Like you, I have it in manual most of the time, but you can't leave it in manual permanently because there's no way to reliably block-change, like when approaching a roundabout or whatever.

 

Trouble is we also have a telematics system installed so I lose some of my bonus if it detects "throttle >95%" or, in other words, driving foot-to-the-floor too much.  I get around this by leaving the cruise control set to 85kmh and using that to accelerate away whilst telling it when I want it to change gear.

 

Completely arse about tit way to be driving, but it reduces the temptation to end the frustration by driving it off a cliff.

[Snipes]

I remember seeming an early Magnum at a county fair or something in the mid-90s I think. Why were the cabs so large? They look like they're mounted quite high on the chassis

[gordonbennet]

I drive a DAF 75/310 26tonner with a 12 speed automatic.  It's absolutely fucking dreadful.

 

I'm going down to Cornwall twice a week lately and, like you say, it's terrible on the hills.  Like you, I have it in manual most of the time, but you can't leave it in manual permanently because there's no way to reliably block-change, like when approaching a roundabout or whatever.

 

Trouble is we also have a telematics system installed so I lose some of my bonus if it detects "throttle >95%" or, in other words, driving foot-to-the-floor too much.  I get around this by leaving the cruise control set to 85kmh and using that to accelerate away whilst telling it when I want it to change gear.

 

Completely arse about tit way to be driving, but it reduces the temptation to end the frustration by driving it off a cliff.

 

Sounds like arsetronic, same box as i have in the MAN.

 

To be fair MAN put little arrows on the dash telling you if in manual what gears are available, this changes (as does the rev counter preferred band) depending if you have switched the exhaust brake on, it can do a max of three block changes up or down, but you need three firm flicks of the column switch to make it work and even then it sometimes won't play ball.

 

We've got telematics now, its a real pukka jobbie inbuilt with our commercial standard Garmin pratnavs, which incidentally you can run constant traffic search without having a destination in...pity Garmin technical seem unaware of the capabilities of their machine, such is life.   Anyway it did bring up messages if the revs went over 2k, but in exhaust brake mode it runs between 2000 and 2200 for max braking so they've altered that on our MANs to 2400 where the red band starts, these are high revving units, in comparison Cummins would never go above 1800 and was happiest between 800 and 1100.

 

Foot to the floor, what a load of bollocks, we run the smallest engines possible at between 43 and 44 tons when loaded, if it wasn't foot to the floor we'd never bloody get there, as it is when i do Penyfan the fuckin things nearly on fire at the top of the hill just before the delivery point, wouldn't dare turn it off on arrival or there'd be a pile of molten alloy on the floor where the turbos used to be.

 

Rusty Sills.

I think the idea of the high mounted cab was to give a walk thru design even if a proper Mack engine is lurking in the chassis, driver able to stand up in cab too, that was rare back then.

[dean36014]

I'm driving a 370 daf cf wagon and drag outfit on drop boxes atm. Got it brand new last september and can honestly say its the biggest pile of crap ever. 12 speed auto with Eco settings. the truck is specced with with wrong back axle ratio so its only doing 1100 revs at 55mph. that would be fine if it was a big 500 but it isn't. I've never known a vehicle to hide its power so successfully as this one. I drive to kent overnight empty and it struggles up hills, it won't let you keep it in manual as it it keeps overriding you and reverting back to auto. Due to the Eco settings it won't let the engine rev, so acceleration even empty is dangerously slow. I get to Kent and swap the boxes for ones full of plastic pipes, total load is probably no more  3 ton and driving home is even worse. You can feel the engine labouring along in top on the flat. If i leave it in auto it drops to less than 30mph going up the big hill on the m20 heading fro the m25, if I hold it in manual it will go up at 50! If it had to pull any weight god knows what it would be like, I get out the cab everynight feeling frustrated as its so horrible to drive. Plus I've never had a truck that the mpg is so effected by the weather. Heading down empty it will do 12 mpg, a slight breeze will reduce that to 10.5 mpg average. Strong winds will reduce it to 9.5 mpg and its more economical driving it in 11th rather than 12th! Whatever mpg I got on the way down is rapidly reduced  coming back with my load of plastic pipes. It will drop to around 9.5 to 10 mpg and I'm probably no more than 20ton gross weight. I used to get 10.5 mpg out of a 450 Actros running at 44t on containers!

[Split_Pin]

I remember seeming an early Magnum at a county fair or something in the mid-90s I think. Why were the cabs so large? They look like they're mounted quite high on the chassis

They were mounted so high to give a completely flat floor. Even 6ft plus people could stand right up in any part of the cab.

 

Here's my 1/24 version to try and show you the flat floor from underneath.

[Jon]

Have some 2016 truck spots unashamedly bandied about from my spotting thread (link in sig if bothered), from the land where manual gear boxes and jake brakes rule. And also perhaps the most diverse range of makes available anywhere - even compared to Russia, it seems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mercrocker]

Awesome....That's living the dream, that one with the Western Star, stripped Falcon and cedar bungalow.   Off-grid gas, too.  Perfect.

[cros]

Thanks for the Magnum info and condolences to those who have to contend what sounds like horrible gearboxes. My only experience of similar nastiness was tractors fitted with Selectomatic boxes years ago. Working on a similar principal to modern clutch pack systems but without a 'brain' you could just move the lever to any forward or reverse ratio you fancied and after a few months of cretins fancying going straight from 10th to reverse they soon became re-christened 'Jerkamatics'. After a short time Ford dropped the thing and went back to a conventional box, but I don't think you lot will be so lucky.

[gordonbennet]

I'm driving a 370 daf cf wagon and drag outfit on drop boxes atm. Got it brand new last september and can honestly say its the biggest pile of crap ever. 12 speed auto with Eco settings. the truck is specced with with wrong back axle ratio so its only doing 1100 revs at 55mph. that would be fine if it was a big 500 but it isn't. I've never known a vehicle to hide its power so successfully as this one. I drive to kent overnight empty and it struggles up hills, it won't let you keep it in manual as it it keeps overriding you and reverting back to auto. Due to the Eco settings it won't let the engine rev, so acceleration even empty is dangerously slow. I get to Kent and swap the boxes for ones full of plastic pipes, total load is probably no more  3 ton and driving home is even worse. You can feel the engine labouring along in top on the flat. If i leave it in auto it drops to less than 30mph going up the big hill on the m20 heading fro the m25, if I hold it in manual it will go up at 50! If it had to pull any weight god knows what it would be like, I get out the cab everynight feeling frustrated as its so horrible to drive. Plus I've never had a truck that the mpg is so effected by the weather. Heading down empty it will do 12 mpg, a slight breeze will reduce that to 10.5 mpg average. Strong winds will reduce it to 9.5 mpg and its more economical driving it in 11th rather than 12th! Whatever mpg I got on the way down is rapidly reduced  coming back with my load of plastic pipes. It will drop to around 9.5 to 10 mpg and I'm probably no more than 20ton gross weight. I used to get 10.5 mpg out of a 450 Actros running at 44t on containers!

 

I feel for you matey, however...

Now think of our three unfortunates who've got the same Daf junk with probably the same 11 litre engine as yours, hilariously badged 440 even they're actually 400's with a supposed extra 40 horses hidden from all but the most determined if you press the right button, running at 43+ tons continually.

As you say a utter pile of shit, i've only driven them couple of times and thats twice too many, on local runs they have the unenviable ability of dropping to lower than 4mpg which is a record only a two stoke GM engined Bedford could match at around 90mph fully freighted.

Oh not forgetting the auto braking shit which when it spots a hazard, say for example a bollard as you turn right, or someone overtakes you and cuts in a bit quick the fuckin brakes apply on their own, can't wait to see how the lads (and anyone about) cope when everyones on packed snow or black ice and these frankly shit lorries start throwing the anchors out for no reason whatsover, all that and 11 litres at 44 tons, hmm...WCPGW.

 

Got 5 years to go and i'm retired thank the good Lord, due a new lorry next year, will probably ask for a Scani or Volvo, but i'm not in the list of favourites who get asked what they want, if its one of these fuckin Daf's i'll be looking for another stable sharpish.

[dean36014]

Mines a poverty spec so none of that auto braking malarkey thankfully. Have drove one with it and had some interesting experiences. Was driving down so country roads I know well on cruise control at just over 40 and went round a corner and the bloody radar thing picked up on the car parked by the roadside on the outside of the bend and decided to emergency stop the truck. Nearly got twatted up the arse by a van that had been following to closely behind. A real wtf moment and had to spend 10 minutes cleaning my Costa Coffee off the dashboard where it got jettisoned too! My company are too tight to spec the truck with stuff like that. No aircon fitted, basic seat fitted with no adjustment even though I do 350 miles every night. I tried to get a new battery fitted in the remote key fob as I use the light test function on it and they wouldn't even fix that. Brought my own and did it myself. The best of it is we do drop bodies and they deleted the 4 wheel air suspension to save money and fitted a stupid little platform that lifts the front of the box up so you can drop the legs on the front of the box. What they forgot is where we do the box swaps the ground isn't level and we have to drop the boxes on bits if wood to get the clearance to get out from under them. Only a matter of time before something goes wrong with that.

[Supernaut]

[scruff]

Been down on the Wiltshire downs this week. On my way home at Fleet services I bumped into some of the lads from Saunders hauling engines away from the Great Dorset Steam Fair.

 

Nice F10... Driver had to fight to get in it, dodgy handles. My crate lurks in the background.

 

[Split_Pin]

The F10 is probably worth as much as the traction engine l!

[willswitchengage]

Ooooo another tractor

 

[gordonbennet]

^^^    thats a perfect tractor for my job, small mid lift for low tare weight  and a decent sized engine cc wise and a gearbox of use, i'd give me eye teeth to have summat like that instead of electronic/arsetronic shit now stuck with.

 

note the sensible light arrangement (OE not the 10 bloody superfluous spotlights), indicators completely apart from side and headlights so they stand out when in use, large orange lenses too for the unfashion, superb.