For those not wishing to disentangle the untabulated register I posted early, here my observations in written form. I have a very high regard for the B-series and happy memories of driving them, particularly those with the ■■■■■■■ 290 / 9-speed Fuller combination. Alas I never got my hands on a LHD unit.
ERF launched the LHD B-series in 1976. It had an 11.6 tonne rear axle and a straight chassis frame. Most of them were exported to the ■■■■■■■ dealership near Rotterdam, Best Truck Imports. Surprisingly, not all of them were high-spec long-haulers, some of them having the flat-roofed Jennings sleeper-cab conversion which was basically an extended day-cab. These were mostly for domestic work in Holland (one was registered 57-HB-51, another 32-64-TB). Three more went to De Vos in Holland. One Jennings sleeper went to Vermeulen in Holland as a 6x4 on construction work and spent most of its time as a ballasted tractor (30-19-XB). An Irish operator, Kevin Smullen, ran one of these Jennings units (PZW 207) on European work.
The rest had full ERF SP sleeper cabs. This attractive full-width cab comprised a steel frame with reinforced fibre-glass panels. Dutch haulier, Van Rumpt used one (11-97-XB) on containers. A Swiss outfit called R&R Fries retired a pair of B-series units on snow-plough duties. Van Steenbergen in Belgium ran two (fleet nos. 27 and 45) in their striking red and gold livery on tilt-work. Another Belgian example carried the registration plate ZZA 520. A French-registered unit (1146SJ68) found its way onto the showman’s circuit.
A number of UK-registered B-series units saw service abroad in LHD form with companies like PG Horridge (BMB 447W), Brown-Wharrier (whose example went to Trans Arabia), and Game International (DWN 618Y). An ERF demonstrator with a 350 ■■■■■■■ (WFM 734W) also saw European work.
Inevitably, some of these ended up on the Middle-East run, notably those run by Eric Vick (one was registered YRF 823S). Another of theirs was the only known LHD B-series with a Gardner 300 in existence; it had started life with a 350 ■■■■■■■ and had a tag-axle (TAF 365). Nick Bull, operating under the name Overland, ran a LHD unit (EWR 112Y) with a very long wheel-base and a tag-axle, specialising in the recovery of units and/trailers from the TIR-trail; it also had an upright stack, roof-mounted air-conditioning, massive fuel tanks and a camel bar. This vehicle was previously run by Millfield Horbury of Wakefield alongside another LHD unit (EWR 111Y) which was similarly kitted out with Kaisor air-conditioning and camel bar. Euroroute of Northampton had one example (PMJ 891W) with a tag-axle that saw Middle-East work and was eventually converted into a wrecker operated by Mason & Darlow. GVH had one with a roof-mounted air-conditioner, coupled to a tilt trailer with a belly-tank, which looked as if it had done Middle East. Manadient ran a plain white LHD B-series (PNV 486V) to the Gulf on ‘fridge work, which went to Gammond’s where it acquired an unusual mid-lift axle — it later went to Drake.
Arguably the most spectacular LHD B-series units went to the Arabian Peninsula to serve on ‘internals’. Notably, Trans Arabia ran two B-series with Kirkstall double-drive, 9-speed Fullers and ■■■■■■■ 290 lumps (nos. 122 and 144). These had Kirkstall D65 axles with a Hendrickson single spring bogie. Three or four other 6x4s with Hendrickson rear bogies joined the fleet, having been converted by S Jones from cut down eight-wheelers and given new sleeper cabs (these may not be strictly classifiable as ‘Europeans’ though the cabs may qualify). They also had four 4x2 units with 290s, 13-speed Fullers and Kirkstall D85 rear axles supplied in 1978 and were believed to have been a cancelled Swiss order, which qualifies them as ‘Europeans’. All Trans Arabia B-series ERFs undertook road-train duties grossing up to 100 tonnes. These vehicles also did international runs into Kuwait and the Emirates. Another two impressive units ran with ■■■■■■■ 350s out of Damman in Saudi, also with 9-speed Fuller and double-drive, for Star Commercials. And another similarly spec’d 6x4 with ■■■■■■■ 350 ran out of Damman for Caravan Trucking. These too were fitted with the Kirkstall/Hendrickson rear axle set-up and were all fully kitted out with air-conditioning units, stone-guards, sump-guards, camel bars, long-range tanks and visors. Six more similar units, with ■■■■■■■ 350s and 9-speed Fullers went to CAMEL (Cunard Arabian Middle-East Line) in Jeddah. Robert