I was handed the keys to a 69 plate 2545 ACTROS last night, a rental unit which I left me underwhelmed after my previous experience with early examples particularly the god awful suspension and hopeless transmission
Shock horror! The nice people in Stuttgart must have been listening because this new motor was hugely improved, I didn’t roll around like a sailor ashore on a bender, the engine seemed much smoother with more grunt and it had a super touch screen radio/phone/mp3 system
It always had a roomy flat floor cab but it’s finally the truck that it should have been from the start
Don’t be lured into a false sense of security, 100k on the clock and the gearbox will start ■■■■■■■ and going into neutral. All the padding in the seat will have evaporated and your spine will be crumbling like chalk [emoji106]
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
Drove a 67 plate 450 6x2 today instead of my normal 64 plate 400 4x2, still gutless but rode ok. Still hate them, give me anything instead of a merc.
The suspension on the big space with the flat floor was always much better than the fleet spec motor with the hump in the middle. Be interesting to see if the newer poverty spec actros has been improved.
Was in Sainsbury’s in Haydock this week and was interested to see all new Daf’s waiting to go on the road and presumably replace the Merc’s hey had there.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Silver_Surfer:
The suspension on the big space with the flat floor was always much better than the fleet spec motor with the hump in the middle. Be interesting to see if the newer poverty spec actros has been improved.Was in Sainsbury’s in Haydock this week and was interested to see all new Daf’s waiting to go on the road and presumably replace the Merc’s hey had there.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
We are at the Sherburn depot, they changed our Mercs for DAF’s last year. Much more comfortable
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
I doubt it very much, I have a medal somewhere (I deserve one) presented to my by none other than Gareth Edwards for driving mercs for a million clicks, so I should know.
I personally guarantee the gearbox after a year or so will behave and sound like a cuckoo clock ,it will have crap steering that is heavy at low speed and then will pull violently to the left above 30, there will be twelvety cup holders for only the good lord knows why, it will have only slightly more power than a Kia Picanto.
Mercedes Benz AKA the German hill detector, have never built a decent tractor unit, I have driven them all starting with a 1625 right up to the present day and everything in between, they are mediocre at best.
Mike 68, whilst i agree with you generally, we had one day cab 1727 V6 tractor unit at Kwikies, on steel springs all round with a standard 8 speed (roadranger style) gearbox.
It was a cracking lorry, pulled well, rode brilliantly best riding tractor on the fleet with really comfy soft seats, steering brakes were all spot on, if we’d been allowed a choice of vehicle i’d have plumped for that without a doubt every day.
As it was i used to get the sole Roadtrain often cos only a handful of us could cope with an eaton twin split, the very opposite of comfy you could travel the entire length of the M6 with your arse barely touching the seat, most of the journey you’d be airborn in mid bounce hanging on to the wheel to stop you being jettisoned out the window 
Juddian:
Mike 68, whilst i agree with you generally, we had one day cab 1727 V6 tractor unit at Kwikies, on steel springs all round with a standard 8 speed (roadranger style) gearbox.It was a cracking lorry, pulled well, rode brilliantly best riding tractor on the fleet with really comfy soft seats, steering brakes were all spot on, if we’d been allowed a choice of vehicle i’d have plumped for that without a doubt every day.
As it was i used to get the sole Roadtrain often cos only a handful of us could cope with an eaton twin split, the very opposite of comfy you could travel the entire length of the M6 with your arse barely touching the seat, most of the journey you’d be airborn in mid bounce hanging on to the wheel to stop you being jettisoned out the window
At the back end of the eighties/early nineties they came close they used to fit a 16spd ZF to the old shape 1635 and that was a decent truck and the second generation EPS they used the one where you could preselect gears paired up with the V6 motor was also decent.
Then they went and built the Baxxsore truly awful by any measure, I find mercs well built and the design of the cab interior as good as any comfy seats nice bunks decent heating plenty of storage, on the other hand they seem to be unable to get basic stuff like ride quality, transmission, and steering right.
I also doubt that they listen to the end user.
well i hope they are much improved! after being told we were getting a fleet of brand new Volvo’s (DHL have ordered hundred’s of them),we are instead getting a fleet of 36 Merc’s 
to replace our Daf’s. don’t know what spec,but poverty i’d imagine.they arrive next month 
The new Volvo’s are nice but the I-See eco roll is a total PITA. I just over ride it most of the time. Microlise won’t be happy but bollox to it. I’d almost rather have a Merc, almost but not quite.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
bigdave789:
I was handed the keys to a 69 plate 2545 ACTROS last night, a rental unit which I left me underwhelmed after my previous experience with early examples particularly the god awful suspension and hopeless transmission
Shock horror! The nice people in Stuttgart must have been listening because this new motor was hugely improved, I didn’t roll around like a sailor ashore on a bender, the engine seemed much smoother with more grunt and it had a super touch screen radio/phone/mp3 system
It always had a roomy flat floor cab but it’s finally the truck that it should have been from the start
Have you got the new mirrorless variant perchance? We’re due these soon much to my dismay.Also have they done something about the bunk reading light too? Absurd levels of lumens in our current chariots?
our fleet is arriving end of next week.a couple of driving ‘assessors’ 
have been to view them,and were impressed.got proper mirrors,cd player,and 56mph 
carryfast-yeti:
well i hope they are much improved! after being told we were getting a fleet of brand new Volvo’s (DHL have ordered hundred’s of them),we are instead getting a fleet of 36 Merc’s
You must be about the only depot not getting Volvo’s then. 1000 new Volvo’s with a lot of them now been completed. The only places I have heard thst are not getting them is places that require fewer than 5 new vehicles. I’d bet a pound to a dollar they will turn out to be new Volvo’s myself. Fleet standardisation and all that gubbins. (mind we have kept the 2 X 68 plate MAN’S probably down to using a container as the Volvo’s are far too close coupled and no sliding 5th wheel). Just the rest of the crap to dehire after Xmas. Then the new rigids around may which will most likely be Daf’s again.
simcor:
carryfast-yeti:
well i hope they are much improved! after being told we were getting a fleet of brand new Volvo’s (DHL have ordered hundred’s of them),we are instead getting a fleet of 36 Merc’sYou must be about the only depot not getting Volvo’s then. 1000 new Volvo’s with a lot of them now been completed. The only places I have heard thst are not getting them is places that require fewer than 5 new vehicles. I’d bet a pound to a dollar they will turn out to be new Volvo’s myself. Fleet standardisation and all that gubbins. (mind we have kept the 2 X 68 plate MAN’S probably down to using a container as the Volvo’s are far too close coupled and no sliding 5th wheel). Just the rest of the crap to dehire after Xmas. Then the new rigids around may which will most likely be Daf’s again.
our customer,who pays our wages,has vetoed Volvo’s,and bought 36 Actros’ themselves for us,despite our chief’s insisting Volvo’s are more reliable,better on fuel etc etc.
probably been parked up in a field somewhere for a couple of years,so going cheap 