Does anybody still operate old lorries? When I say old I’m talking about pre-2000. Are there many advantages or disadvantages? I currently own a 1997 ERF EC11 6x2 Olympic, which I’d planned to eventually get out working. I prefer old to new, but would I be wasting my time or can they still earn their keep?
I run a 2000 Alpha ,when I need bits they are here before I get back be it genuine or pattern ,iam an ERF fan and good as the EC11 is it’s very difficult to gets bits and the bits you can get MAN want a fortune for ,as for mpg the 25 odd yr old ■■■■■■■ technology is still capable of keeping up with today’s models .the most important thing with running an older lorry is knowing the lorry inside out and preventive maintenance on a fine tooth Combe scale . 
A few pets that still earn their keep from time to time - oldest is 1983 - but not front line work.
As Dan says keeping on top of them is crucial, if you don’t have your own workshop you need someone who doesn’t panic or cry when presented with an older wagon for inspections/repair/MOT time. I would suggest good contacts are essential as well.
Why risk sending a really old truck out on a job when its a) more likely to break down and b) less likely to be fixed at the side of the road or by the dealer it gets recovered to? Its all well and good saying you can keep on top of it by my trucks and vans want for nothing and still things go wrong. One of the vans did a set of brake pads in 1200 miles after a full disc, pad and caliper replacement a couple of weeks back. It was back on the road after being dragged into Thurrock within 12 hours, (the delay was due to driver rest too) because its a modern vehicle and the dealer had the parts on the shelf. How likely is it that a workshop a couple of hundred miles from your yard is going to have a suitable part on shelf for a 25 year old truck? (Unless its DAF, they haven’t really changed in my lifetime!)
I really do think you are better off with a new truck which is going to be more reliable and available with a full R&M so if it does fail someone else pays the bills. Throw in that its going to be more comfortable, more consistently efficient and easier to drive its a good bet from that perspective. You can also crow about your commitment to saving the bunnie wabbits or something because instead of driving around an old ‘dirty’ diesel, you are running the latest Euro Emissions Standard, looking after the publics health. Half the game is hearts and minds these days with bleeding hearts in parliaments and councils all over the UK villifiying us for gassing their sprogs. Unless you can counter with the latest in efficient kit, you are leaving an open goal for bad PR. You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
nsmith1180:
Why risk sending a really old truck out on a job when its a) more likely to break down and b) less likely to be fixed at the side of the road or by the dealer it gets recovered to? Its all well and good saying you can keep on top of it by my trucks and vans want for nothing and still things go wrong. One of the vans did a set of brake pads in 1200 miles after a full disc, pad and caliper replacement a couple of weeks back. It was back on the road after being dragged into Thurrock within 12 hours, (the delay was due to driver rest too) because its a modern vehicle and the dealer had the parts on the shelf. How likely is it that a workshop a couple of hundred miles from your yard is going to have a suitable part on shelf for a 25 year old truck? (Unless its DAF, they haven’t really changed in my lifetime!)I really do think you are better off with a new truck which is going to be more reliable and available with a full R&M so if it does fail someone else pays the bills. Throw in that its going to be more comfortable, more consistently efficient and easier to drive its a good bet from that perspective. You can also crow about your commitment to saving the bunnie wabbits or something because instead of driving around an old ‘dirty’ diesel, you are running the latest Euro Emissions Standard, looking after the publics health. Half the game is hearts and minds these days with bleeding hearts in parliaments and councils all over the UK villifiying us for gassing their sprogs. Unless you can counter with the latest in efficient kit, you are leaving an open goal for bad PR. You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
A set of brake pads in 1,200 miles, what was the friction material made out of cheese, I hope you kicked off at who ever fitted those!
The old vehicle mentioned above, the Foden Alpha of 2000 vintage, carry’s out a lot of jobs for me and the vehicle has never been late or broken down whilst engaged on this work, in fact a couple of my customers comment on the condition of Dan’s truck for it’s age, free advertising at its best. Horses for courses and all that Nick!
nsmith1180:
Why risk sending a really old truck out on a job when its a) more likely to break down and b) less likely to be fixed at the side of the road or by the dealer it gets recovered to? Its all well and good saying you can keep on top of it by my trucks and vans want for nothing and still things go wrong. One of the vans did a set of brake pads in 1200 miles after a full disc, pad and caliper replacement a couple of weeks back. It was back on the road after being dragged into Thurrock within 12 hours, (the delay was due to driver rest too) because its a modern vehicle and the dealer had the parts on the shelf. How likely is it that a workshop a couple of hundred miles from your yard is going to have a suitable part on shelf for a 25 year old truck? (Unless its DAF, they haven’t really changed in my lifetime!)I really do think you are better off with a new truck which is going to be more reliable and available with a full R&M so if it does fail someone else pays the bills. Throw in that its going to be more comfortable, more consistently efficient and easier to drive its a good bet from that perspective. You can also crow about your commitment to saving the bunnie wabbits or something because instead of driving around an old ‘dirty’ diesel, you are running the latest Euro Emissions Standard, looking after the publics health. Half the game is hearts and minds these days with bleeding hearts in parliaments and councils all over the UK villifiying us for gassing their sprogs. Unless you can counter with the latest in efficient kit, you are leaving an open goal for bad PR. You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
You really have a lot to learn .
although I do agree with some of your points
and reading some of your posts over time I guess your new to operating trucks however I can tell you that older trucks are easier to fix at the side of the road fact
Mike P…
nsmith1180:
Why risk sending a really old truck out on a job when its a) more likely to break down and b) less likely to be fixed at the side of the road or by the dealer it gets recovered to? Its all well and good saying you can keep on top of it by my trucks and vans want for nothing and still things go wrong. One of the vans did a set of brake pads in 1200 miles after a full disc, pad and caliper replacement a couple of weeks back. It was back on the road after being dragged into Thurrock within 12 hours, (the delay was due to driver rest too) because its a modern vehicle and the dealer had the parts on the shelf. How likely is it that a workshop a couple of hundred miles from your yard is going to have a suitable part on shelf for a 25 year old truck? (Unless its DAF, they haven’t really changed in my lifetime!)I really do think you are better off with a new truck which is going to be more reliable and available with a full R&M so if it does fail someone else pays the bills. Throw in that its going to be more comfortable, more consistently efficient and easier to drive its a good bet from that perspective. You can also crow about your commitment to saving the bunnie wabbits or something because instead of driving around an old ‘dirty’ diesel, you are running the latest Euro Emissions Standard, looking after the publics health. Half the game is hearts and minds these days with bleeding hearts in parliaments and councils all over the UK villifiying us for gassing their sprogs. Unless you can counter with the latest in efficient kit, you are leaving an open goal for bad PR. You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
pete smith:
nsmith1180:
You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
Sounds good to me. Where do I sign?
Steve_H:
pete smith:
nsmith1180:
You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.Sounds good to me. Where do I sign?
Also add Southampton to that list
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
nsmith1180:
Why risk sending a really old truck out on a job when its a) more likely to break down and b) less likely to be fixed at the side of the road or by the dealer it gets recovered to? Its all well and good saying you can keep on top of it by my trucks and vans want for nothing and still things go wrong. One of the vans did a set of brake pads in 1200 miles after a full disc, pad and caliper replacement a couple of weeks back. It was back on the road after being dragged into Thurrock within 12 hours, (the delay was due to driver rest too) because its a modern vehicle and the dealer had the parts on the shelf. How likely is it that a workshop a couple of hundred miles from your yard is going to have a suitable part on shelf for a 25 year old truck? (Unless its DAF, they haven’t really changed in my lifetime!)I really do think you are better off with a new truck which is going to be more reliable and available with a full R&M so if it does fail someone else pays the bills. Throw in that its going to be more comfortable, more consistently efficient and easier to drive its a good bet from that perspective. You can also crow about your commitment to saving the bunnie wabbits or something because instead of driving around an old ‘dirty’ diesel, you are running the latest Euro Emissions Standard, looking after the publics health. Half the game is hearts and minds these days with bleeding hearts in parliaments and councils all over the UK villifiying us for gassing their sprogs. Unless you can counter with the latest in efficient kit, you are leaving an open goal for bad PR. You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.
Ive only just changed my 1999 DAF, in the last 12/13 years Ive run it, its never once left me stuck at the side of the road. Any work Ive done on it was a lot easier to work on, than its replacement.
Being dragged in was almost unheard of with the older designs, invariably they could be fixed by the roadside if the driver (who usually had a bit more about them and could at least diagnose if not bodge it) couldn’t limp it home…ie i along with many others have brought a fully loaded artic back with no clutch release bearing, try that with arsetronic or ishift.
These days it seems we see new quarter million pound wreckers dragging newish lorries along the road every day of the week and sometimes every hour, the costs must be ridiculous.
Probably running old lorries now is mainly the realm of mechanically competent owner drivers or small hauliers who have managed to keep hold of one or two of the dwindling supply of lorry drivers capable of mechanical sympathy.
Steve_H:
pete smith:
nsmith1180:
You are also self excluding from London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool over the next 5 years.Sounds good to me. Where do I sign?
Juddian:
Being dragged in was almost unheard of with the older designs, invariably they could be fixed by the roadside if the driver (who usually had a bit more about them and could at least diagnose if not bodge it) couldn’t limp it home…ie i along with many others have brought a fully loaded artic back with no clutch release bearing, try that with arsetronic or ishift.
These days it seems we see new quarter million pound wreckers dragging newish lorries along the road every day of the week and sometimes every hour, the costs must be ridiculous.Probably running old lorries now is mainly the realm of mechanically competent owner drivers or small hauliers who have managed to keep hold of one or two of the dwindling supply of lorry drivers capable of mechanical sympathy.
And that Juddian, hits the nail on the head. Absolutely spot on.
gingerfold:
Juddian:
Being dragged in was almost unheard of with the older designs, invariably they could be fixed by the roadside if the driver (who usually had a bit more about them and could at least diagnose if not bodge it) couldn’t limp it home…ie i along with many others have brought a fully loaded artic back with no clutch release bearing, try that with arsetronic or ishift.
These days it seems we see new quarter million pound wreckers dragging newish lorries along the road every day of the week and sometimes every hour, the costs must be ridiculous.Probably running old lorries now is mainly the realm of mechanically competent owner drivers or small hauliers who have managed to keep hold of one or two of the dwindling supply of lorry drivers capable of mechanical sympathy.
And that Juddian, hits the nail on the head. Absolutely spot on.
Looking at some service history today my 06 sprinter had it first front tyres and pads but not discs at 151,900 kms , and only last month the fuel pump was spraying diesel out ,the driver removed the pump with the tools I leave in the cab tight end up the screws in the seal carrier plate and job done ,it’s currently on almost 1,400,000 kms .
Now now danl triggers brush