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anorak:
The Magnum was launched in 1990, if that’s your date criterion.
Most of the French and German cabs of the 1960s had a low engine hump. Of the popular makes, it was only Volvo and DAF (and all the British makes) which did not make some effort to offer a “walk-through” cab, IIRC. Surely a Berliet/Renault of the period would have more room/appeal than a Cargo?
Riverstick:
The LP Mercedes with its near flat floor was a surprisingly comfortable cab to spend a night in…much nicer than the New Generation or Sk that followed it. The 2800 was definitely a favourite…a great cab if you had female company…The Transcon was nice aswell
Looking at the photos, the NG seemed to have just as much space as the LP- was this not the case?
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Hey Anorak, the big engine hump was mostly due by the Turbo then still mounted on top of the engine. Look the LB76 or DAF 2600 was the engine hump heighten. But about MB the LP had much more room if it had the long sleeper of course.
At the time the LP tipping cab came other could beat him,but the fixed LP cab of '64 was the first which had such a low hump ever.
The NG had an engine hump aigain,not a big one but enough to hinder the walk trough to the sleeper.
But more German marques had a nearly flat floor from '65 on because nearly no one had a Turbo and if it was it was built on the back of the engine.
The Sweeds were not so advanced in cab building,but had the best driveability ever in those days.
The best gearchanges,steering(nevertheless all marques had ZF steeringboxes except MB which had it’s own) seats,sealed doors and so on. If you closed the doors of a Sweed after many years hard labour they closed like a new one. Other an German cabs rattle already after 5 years. You can compare it with a DAF as 95 XF and 85 XF from ten years ago.
In the early and mid '60’s nothing could beat the LP in terms of cab room and cab suspension,but fuel consumption and power was a nightmare. But in those days fuel wasn’t a headache,only power was asked for.
Hey, a very bad thing with the scania’s 110 111 140 was to jump in the lower bed first the gearlever and with EG brakes the handbrake on the hump too,which was so bad mounted. I put my thing in the lower and slept on the top bank,and your gear couldn’t come down on bad roads.
The hump in the LB110 was only about 300mm, and the floor was flat behind the seats, which must have helped storage space/headroom. Is that not the park brake lever on the dash?
The hump in the LP seemed to get bigger, when it became a tilt cab in 1969:
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The hump in the LB110 was only about 300mm, and the floor was flat behind the seats, which must have helped storage space/headroom. Is that not the park brake lever on the dash?
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Hey Anorak, yes you have right the hump on the LP ■■26 and ■■32 was higher,but still better and roomier as the NG.
And of course the gear lever was in most cabs a hindrance,by my experience the best placed gearlever was in the F88/89 it was low placed near the drivers seat. Maybe some have other thoughts what I should like to hear here.
But about the Scania it looks maybe good but if you sit next to it; it makes a lot difference. And yes here the handbrake handle in on the best place,but that was only with the O series. With the 1 serie it was placed on the downside of the dash what was also good,but it was when the EG braking system came than it was placed on the hump before the gearlever and that gave a very bad way through to the lower bank.
Maybe this evening I show you some pics when you are sitting behind the wheel and want to move in bad.
Scania had a look of a big cab but was inside very cramped as I am a tall one,of course some are more worse.
But the Scania sleeper was the better as the 88/89,but the cab it self was more cramped as the Volvo 88/89.
How about day cabs, seeing as we’re talking about handbrakes and gearsticks being in the way. What was the best day cab to crash out across the seats?
My experience is, thankfully limited, but the D series Ford was good, the gearstick was able to be turned so it was out of the way and the handbrake was low enough, or under the dash on early models.
The Sed Ak 400 was ok too, the gearstick went down low enough not to be a problem and the handbrake was at the front of the engine tunnel, a piece of foam the right thickness between the seats made a comfy bed.
I always had my head on the passenger seat though, otherwise you’d spend all night smelling that day’s ■■■■■ and in those days I always had a full English for breakfast and you all know the effect of the baked bean
tiptop495:
Hey Anorak, yes you have right the hump on the LP ■■26 and ■■32 was higher,but still better and roomier as the NG.
And of course the gear lever was in most cabs a hindrance,by my experience the best placed gearlever was in the F88/89 it was low placed near the drivers seat. Maybe some have other thoughts what I should like to hear here.
But about the Scania it looks maybe good but if you sit next to it; it makes a lot difference. And yes here the handbrake handle in on the best place,but that was only with the O series. With the 1 serie it was placed on the downside of the dash what was also good,but it was when the EG braking system came than it was placed on the hump before the gearlever and that gave a very bad way through to the lower bank.
Maybe this evening I show you some pics when you are sitting behind the wheel and want to move in bad.
Scania had a look of a big cab but was inside very cramped as I am a tall one,of course some are more worse.
But the Scania sleeper was the better as the 88/89,but the cab it self was more cramped as the Volvo 88/89.
Cheers Eric,
Hi Tiptop,
What is an EG brake? I can’t see anything on this 141:
PS Don’t those accessories look cheap? The seat covers look like they came from a market stall and that engine cover looks as if it is made out the material you would use to make an incontinence blanket.
Funny how some drivers decorated their cabs back then, only problem was the bling wasnt available like it is today. uk drivers preferred small mats, a rubber for the drivers side, and a bit of axminster for the passenger side, not forgetting a bit for the hump
Csad, used to have lino across the entire cab, which made it very easy to clean, especially during the winter seasons, and looking at some of the interiors of their Liaz one could eat off of the floor.
Boxes in the middle of the cab were definitely a hassle, my 113 Scania required me to slide into bed like a snake before removing my trousers, but when you got in it was a good comfortable bed.
Hey Anorak and others, An EG was the name here for the Europian legislation for brakes who came in here in 77/78.
With the system you had to can make an urgent braking with only the handbrakehandle by lifting it half it’s way.
Which was only using the handbrake together with the trailerbrakes. But some other modifications were made too.
Yes that was the comfy you was presented,AND the luxery Scanny LB cab had even an illuminated ashtray
what do you want more .
the same at Volvo,mid '70’s a mightheater was pure luxury.
And you were very lucky if you got an aircon on the roof if you moved off for the Middle East.
Mostly the bosses said yeah if you pay them.
Here the promised pics,compare a bit. Not much headroom on the topbank of the 88 was better in the 89 with it’s lowered underbank. A jump over and a jump down and you were in the Scania’s lower bed.
Easy if you are young, but if you are… but maybe if there was already a young girl lying over there.
Thanks for the super phots, Tiptop. I can see what an EG brake is, now, and the problem it caused. Was that the position of it when they came out of the factory? You would have thought that Scania would have put it back on top of the dash, like on an LB110, to preserve the cross-cab access.
Are those old, “original” photos or restored lorries? Either way, they both look very smart. Judging by the red trim, that F88 would be a very early one, or has it been re-trimmed?
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anorak:
Thanks for the super phots, Tiptop. I can see what an EG brake is, now, and the problem it caused. Was that the position of it when they came out of the factory? You would have thought that Scania would have put it back on top of the dash, like on an LB110, to preserve the cross-cab access.
Are those old, “original” photos or restored lorries? Either way, they both look very smart. Judging by the red trim, that F88 would be a very early one, or has it been re-trimmed?
It are restored ones and all are retrimmed the 88 is an '67 and the Scanny is one of the last delivered aloneside with the 142 in '81.
It came so from the factory,but ours (Belguim,France and other counties) were built in Holland and Holland had the EG brakes already some years earlier even on the last 110/140’s.
If the in Sweden built had it don’t know.
If the regulations came the 2 serie was already in the pipeline,and so marques never attend much on run out models. Look at some where they put the first electronics for example a volvo F 10/12 first appeared in 77/78. And in the begining of the '90’s came lots of electronical controled items on it just before the launch of the FH. So they dropped it everywere.
Scammell Crusader had the most room of any non-sleeper I ever drove. I used to unfold a sun-lounger and put it on wooden blocks; my feet slid in under the steering wheel with my head over the passenger seat. You could even ratchet it up and sit up in bed.
The Volvo F 7 was deceptive to look at, in the normal driving position the seat back used to be behind the B pillar so the bunk area wasn’t as big as it looked from the outside. I’m not the tallest of blokes but I couldn’t sit fully up right on the bunk with out my head being on the roof lining, but it was a far better thing than crashing across the sears of a D series Ford.
When I was driving in America land I had a new K1 Areodyne according to the boss it was a " Biscuit and creme " interior finish to me it looked like brown and beige. The driving position was very cramped, but the bed ( once you got out walked round the passenger side and got back in ) was a lot better than any European truck of the time. There was a full size 3 foot wide bed and a bit of cupboard and storage space between that and the seats, and a built in tele as well.
When I was working out of Newcastle ( Australia not NE England ) my TM phoned one day and told me I was go to the new BP truck stop at the north end of town and collect a new road train spec Magnum that was coming down from Brisbane. The plan was for me to run it as B double to Melbourne where I was then to go Bert and Ernie ( 2 up ) to Perth and collect another trailer along the way. Meeting time was 3 PM travel light as I was coming back in another truck as well. I wasn’t happy about being either Bert or Ernie, but I wasn’t paying the wages so that’s how it goes.
I was at the BP for 2.30 but the truck didn’t arrive until 5, which wasn’t to bad because if I had left Newcastle at 3 then I would have been caught up in the peek hour traffic round Sydney, so even though I was a miffed I would have a fairly clean run by the time I got to the big smoke.
The Magnum interior was still wearing full factory protection plastic apart from the driver seat and I was told not to remove any of it at all. That was a bit of bummer but on the up side the speed limiter was activated yet. Being a road trail it would have been set at 90 kph.
At Mount White weigh station I found it was only 67 ton so I spent the rest of the night kicking it’s arse down the Hume highway at 110 kph and arrive at Melbourne just before 6 Am where I met Ernie, who was ■■■■■■ of as he had been told I was arriving at 3 AM. ( Newcastle to Melbourne is 1100 K )
I met Ernie who insisted that was Bert because in his mind he was a senior drive, and I was relegated to the top bunk for the rest of the trip.
Ernie was double ■■■■■■ of as we were now 3 hours late and heading into peek hour traffic round Melbourne.
After trying to be pleasant for a few hours I eventually gave up and went to get some head down on the top bunk.
That’s when I noticed that the Magnum didn’t have a curtain or blind between the seats and bunk area, not only that but Ernie/ Bert was a smoker, drove with the window open, which meant the air con didn’t work, and listened to any kind of crap on the radio very loud. The speakers were very well placed one at each end of the bunk, so there was no way of getting away from them. ( I didn’t have any tools to disconnect them either )
I don’t know if anyone has ever tried to sleep on the top bunk of a moving truck, but I can assure you that because of the extra height every movement is exaggerated.
Because I was lying on my doona ( Australian For quilt ) on top of a plastic covered mattress at one round about I shot across to the other side of the cab, back up, hit my head, then back across the the way I had just came.
I made it through the first day then did a my night shift starting at 6 PM . At mid night I decided I’d had enough and got some head down, which didn’t go to well, as I woke at 5 am to find Ernie/ Bert was driving again, and boy did he have an attitude. I slept on until I woke up again at mid day to find the Magnum stopped in a truck stop, all locked up with the windows closed.
It was late summer so the outside temp was around 40c, which made the inside of the cab even hotter.
When I opened the door it set the alarm of, and about 3 minutes later Ernie/Bert strutted across the truck park with an attitude the size of jumbo jet, and it took another 2 or 3 minutes to work out how to switch the alarm of.
I won’t go into details but 2 very tense days and nights after that we were in Perth, and I never saw that little %&^&$%&&%%$&& again.
One of the other pros of night driving in Australia is that most of the road houses ( truck stops ) close at 10 pm and don’t open until 6 am, so If you don’t eat before 10 you’re going to be pretty hungry by the time you’ve covered another 600k’s.
I came back on my own in a new 8X4 twin steer FH 580 tractor with a twin set of fridges as far as Mount Gambier then B Double from there to Newcastle.
Jelliot:
The Volvo F 7 was deceptive to look at, in the normal driving position the seat back used to be behind the B pillar so the bunk area wasn’t as big as it looked from the outside. I’m not the tallest of blokes but I couldn’t sit fully up right on the bunk with out my head being on the roof lining, but it was a far better thing than crashing across the sears of a D series Ford.
When I as driving in America land I had a new K1 Areodyne according to the boss it was a " Biscuit and creme " interior finish to me it looked like brown and beige. The driving position was very cramped, but the bed ( once you got out walked round the passenger side and got back in ) was a lot better than any European truck of the time. There was a full size 3 foot wide bed and a bit of cupboard and storage space between that and the seats, and a built in tele as well.
Jeff…
At Gaydon a few years ago, I had the chance to have a good sniff around that Marmon tractor unit that someone has imported. The cab did not look much, if any, longer than a Euro one, but the bed looked to be a good three feet wide. It appeared that the American manufacturers sat the driver much closer to the windscreen, which made more room behind the seats. I draw the line at taking a measuring tape and jotter around lorry shows, so this is only an impression.
On most of the older American COE’s trucks I drove of that era( which wasn’t many ) there wasn’t much room between the steering wheel and the windscreen, so the seat was a fair bit farther forward compared to a Euro truck and most had the same cramp driving position. The other fun thing they did was to mount the seat really high so that the average person would have their head touching the roof lining, while not being able to touch the peddles with their feet. The problem was solved by buying a shorter after market seat box which was usually an hours job to change.
Don’t get me started on air operated windscreen wipers, or climbing up the wheel to get in.
ChrisArbon:
Scammell Crusader had the most room of any non-sleeper I ever drove. I used to unfold a sun-lounger and put it on wooden blocks; my feet slid in under the steering wheel with my head over the passenger seat. You could even ratchet it up and sit up in bed.
Chris I agree with you about the Crusader day cab, I took the passenger seat out and put a box in which fitted on to the seat mounting locker which was level with the engine cover which was two thirds of the bed and I had another piece of foam which went over the drivers seat and this was a wider bed than most sleeper cabs of the time and my sleeping bag fitted into the box. I fitted a curtain rail and curtains and there was still plenty of room to get undressed or dressed standing in the passenger foot well and I was often out for two to three weeks in it and I had more room than say a F88/89 sleeper.
cheers Johnnie
