Driving some of these if your interested here is my thoughts on the SLT
commercialmotor.com/big-lorr … ge-in-fact
Seems an interesting truck, if I remember correct buses used a fluid clutch system on semi auto’s but the result was a huge gearbox? though the addition or implementation of a "dry"conventional clutch is interesting, I take it this is for longevity of the clutch?
Off road wise if anything has the low torque creep it will go lol
Excuse me being naive but I have not heard of a “Turbo Retarder” does the turbo throw in back pressure to the cylinders?
Great report and that’s me being a newbie 
Oh bet you were grinning like a Cheshire, I’ll read that later when I’ve dragged meself out of bed.
Excuse me being naive but I have not heard of a “Turbo Retarder” does the turbo throw in back pressure to the cylinders?
You wont have heard of it as it is new 
and at present exclusive to Mercedes, although how long that agreement between Voith and Mercedes is for is any ones guess, they are not saying 
As for the name its more to do with the way it works, by building up pressure against a series of vanes using oil, similar to the way a turbo does using exhaust gases 
Nice, could you have a turbo retarder on a 44 tonner or would that be overkill? Do they allow you to spec it on a normal highway vehicle? Sounds the nuts. I like my retarders.
Rikki-UK:
Excuse me being naive but I have not heard of a “Turbo Retarder” does the turbo throw in back pressure to the cylinders?
You wont have heard of it as it is new
As for the name its more to do with the way it works, by building up pressure against a series of vanes using oil, similar to the way a turbo does using exhaust gases
Interesting, cheers Rikki
Silver_Surfer:
Nice, could you have a turbo retarder on a 44 tonner or would that be overkill? Do they allow you to spec it on a normal highway vehicle? Sounds the nuts. I like my retarders.
Well they fit them to these
- and they worked pretty well around the off road course
Think you went for the sunshine Rikki !
pete smith:
Think you went for the sunshine Rikki !
It pee’d it down Friday Morning 
Nice report Rikki, never driven anything as heavy as this, only 44 tons (unless I count the time that a machine driver overloaded my Push Out to 56 tons ! Lol) but I’d love to have a go.
Impressive guess it will come to this side of the pond in about 100 yrs or so lol
Beast of a truck , good read
Great photo’s. Keep your aperture low, but your shutter speed high.
sweepster:
Great photo’s. Keep your aperture low, but your shutter speed high.
Not my photo’s 
they were taken by the official photographer for the day- I was too busy having fun driving the trucks and doubt I could get anything like this quality on my Nokia phone
Massive sleeper ,i didnt now merc did a longline
Rikki-UK:
sweepster:
Great photo’s. Keep your aperture low, but your shutter speed high.Not my photo’s
I don’t blame you, that’s by far the best bit. It’s amazing what you can do with just the basic understanding of photography with a half decent camera and lens. The official photographer would have had unbelievable kit as is shown.
seth 70:
Massive sleeper ,i didnt now merc did a longline
Its not mate- its the standard Giga space cab, the extra bit is a fairing hiding the cooling tower for the Turbo Retarder Clutch and the fuel tanks/ batteries etc moved from the usual place to make room for the extra axle (and yes I did notice the )
What she got under the hood Rikki
taffytrucker:
What she got under the hood Rikki
the top end is 15.6 litre 625hp straight 6 cylinder
Rikki-UK:
taffytrucker:
What she got under the hood Rikkithe top end is 15.6 litre 625hp straight 6 cylinder
Could i be your trailer boy on next trip please!