COFFIN CABS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spardo:

bestbooties:
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Being a left ■■■■■■,this is probably an export model for somewhere like South Africa where ERF’s are/were very popular.

That, in fact was called the ‘European’ I think, 240 will correct me, and was indeed intended for export as well as ‘over the water’ work, but it wouldn’t have needed LHD for SA of course where they drove, and still do, on the left. :slight_smile:

I’m sure you’re right David. There were two versions of this cab used on ERFs intended for continental work, and pre-dating the B-Series. Both are the same basic Motor Panels cab shell as used on the Seddon, Guy Big J, Crusader, FTF and Argyle, to name but a few.

I think the other version may have been mounted a little lower - certainly the front panel is different. Beresford and Cadwallader each had an example of the other version. I believe that there is one like this photo that has survived, but has not been restored.

Somewhere, I think we’ve already done a thread on them, but my knowledge of them is limited, because there’s no Big A on the front!!

Truck magazine used one in their Eurotest even after the B series had been launched - I guess because there was no 44 ton B series at the time (except maybe for heavy haulage applications). When I’ve moved house I will dig out the article, it was up against Transcontis, Marathons, 141s and the like IIRC.

This is what was left of a Borderer,240 Gardner,with a coffin on the back,in Eastern Turkey.


I drove this heap for a Swiss outfit. Always broke down in the middle of winter. You could freeze to death with bad insulation on the cab.

bestbooties:
This is what was left of a Borderer,240 Gardner,with a coffin on the back,in Eastern Turkey.

Didn’t do it an awful lot of good, did it? Having seen the pic before, I wondered whether Willhire ever knew where their trailer had got to!

240 Gardner:

bestbooties:
This is what was left of a Borderer,240 Gardner,with a coffin on the back,in Eastern Turkey.

Didn’t do it an awful lot of good, did it? Having seen the pic before, I wondered whether Willhire ever knew where their trailer had got to!

If you’ve seen that pic before,then it was on my list of pics on the site of Ferdy de Martin at:

toprun.ch/truck/Mega_Middle-East_Run/

When the Middle East first took off,most firms were using rental trailers,Wilhire was only one.
Brit European Transport,(Carmans),used Eurofleet Rental.On one ocasion I came across an owner driver in Belgrade who had a job with Eurofleet,driving between UK and the Middle East collecting dumped trailers,of which there were plenty.
When trailers were dumped,it was only a matter of days before the gannetts arrived and in a short time,all that would be left was bones.
This O/D had managed to get to this trailer dumped on the truck park to the South of Belgrade and the load was still intact,only a couple of brake hoses and wheels missing.
As my mate and I were on our way home,we were able to give him our trailer spare wheels to get him mobile.(Do you get that sort of help today?)
A couple of weeks later,my mate and myself got a 25 quid bung each from the MD at Eurofleet.

bestbooties:

240 Gardner:

bestbooties:
This is what was left of a Borderer,240 Gardner,with a coffin on the back,in Eastern Turkey.

Didn’t do it an awful lot of good, did it? Having seen the pic before, I wondered whether Willhire ever knew where their trailer had got to!

If you’ve seen that pic before,then it was on my list of pics on the site of Ferdy de Martin at:

toprun.ch/truck/Mega_Middle-East_Run/

When the Middle East first took off,most firms were using rental trailers,Wilhire was only one.
Brit European Transport,(Carmans),used Eurofleet Rental.On one ocasion I came across an owner driver in Belgrade who had a job with Eurofleet,driving between UK and the Middle East collecting dumped trailers,of which there were plenty.
When trailers were dumped,it was only a matter of days before the gannetts arrived and in a short time,all that would be left was bones.
This O/D had managed to get to this trailer dumped on the truck park to the South of Belgrade and the load was still intact,only a couple of brake hoses and wheels missing.
As my mate and I were on our way home,we were able to give him our trailer spare wheels to get him mobile.(Do you get that sort of help today?)
A couple of weeks later,my mate and myself got a 25 quid bung each from the MD at Eurofleet.

There was a photo in one of the classic mags recently of an abandoned ERF A Series day cab, somewhere in the Middle East, in full Fleet Hire livery (part of Rylands). Someone wrote in to say that he used to work for Fleet Hire, and that they never knew what had happened to it, and that it had been written off their books!

Does anyone remember the old 'Coffin Cab ’ conversions of years ago ?

Basically, Day cab trucks used to have their back windows taken out and a large steel box was fitted to the rear of the cab for the driver to sleep in.

No, I am not mad, wait and see who reply’s to this post.

If I am not wrong,plenty of Leylands had this conversion,along with many other trucks years ago.

You don’t know how good youv’e got it to-day ,with your space cabs and top-liners :laughing:

I do, I drove for a bloke that had a fleet of Atki’s. The top men had coffins and 240 Gardners, that was envy. I got one with a 150 gardner and a hammock, strung between the two wooden door posts in the day cab (Mk2) and made from 2 aluminium scaffel poles and canvas! I blew that motor in short order and got a bare day cab with a 180 in!

Nearest thing I’ve ever driven to that is a day cab truck with a pod stuck on the top of the cab, lots around on 7.5’s. I slept in it one night only and refused after that, no room to move and a real struggle trying to get dressed!!!
IMHO darned dangerous too, how the heck do you get out in a fire?

Martin:
Nearest thing I’ve ever driven to that is a day cab truck with a pod stuck on the top of the cab, lots around on 7.5’s. I slept in it one night only and refused after that, no room to move and a real struggle trying to get dressed!!!
IMHO darned dangerous too, how the heck do you get out in a fire?

They’re called low-roof DAF85’s now :smiling_imp:

In 1989 my truck was in the workshops and they gave me an Iveco with a sleeper pod, I had the second night out at Chesterfield and woke up during the night gasping for air and a wicked headache. I was taken to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning from the night heater. I would never use one again.

They are also known as Rotostaks Rob, but only if you keep Hamsters in them.

I remember the Atki Borderer with these boxes on the back. :stuck_out_tongue: Ah! Luxury.

Im sure Econofreight at Howden had some of these, they certainly ran Borderers

When I was at school a local haulier bought 16 of these trucks, I had to rub the cabs down and prepare them for spraying. They were a good truck then and I remember the drivers fighting to get one. They were N registration and the company had Scammell Crusaders and Scania Vabis alongside Volvos.

The sleeper pods are ok if its not in the middle of summer, they just get too hot. I dont like sleeping with a night heater on so they also can get very cold. If they catch fire you kick the window or blank panel out and jump.
A broken leg is better than being burnt to death.

I REMEMBER THOSE PODS…VERY USEFUL IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE OF A SLEEPER OR ONE OF THOSE…HA HA
I WORKED FOR S.A.S. FRIDGE TRUCKS OUTTA BROMLEY WENT ALL OVER EUROPE…OR SHOULD I SAY BOUNCED ALL OVER…NICE IF YOU HAD A BIG BREASTED PASSENGER…ROL ON THE GOOD OL DAYS…
HAVE A NICE DAY

If I remember rightly, Tolemans had a load of these strapped to the back of their Ivecos in the early days.
I seem to remember that one of their drivers died of a heart attack whilst sleeping in one at Felixstowe dock basin, it was a complete (zb) for the rescue services to extricate him from it as he was quite a big lad…

What would you say if the boss said to - morrow :

Youv’e got an FH 12 or a Scania day cab next week.

Don’t worry though, the back window will be knocked out in the workshop and a steel box will be rivetted to the back of the cab in case you have to have a night - out ?

Scarey or what ■■

The old boys had this, as can be seen from posts on here.

Cheers for all the replies !!

Niall.

a North Devon Livestock haulier was running a F7 with one, until he sold up in march this year :open_mouth:

It was sold as a runner - so somebody somewhere may still be using it!

I remember a bloke having a Leyland Super Comet, he used to sleep on two planks laid across the door tops. His mate had a sleeper cab. They were parked up together and his mate got him a cup of tea, opened the door and launched this poor bloke in to the road, in his sleeping bag like a burial at sea :stuck_out_tongue:

Wheel Nut:
I remember a bloke having a Leyland Super Comet, he used to sleep on two planks laid across the door tops. His mate had a sleeper cab. They were parked up together and his mate got him a cup of tea, opened the door and launched this poor bloke in to the road, in his sleeping bag like a burial at sea :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks for that one Wheelnut…gave me a right laugh, i can just imagine it :laughing:

1/2 larger in my local for the 1st person to come up with a pic of a coffin cabbed lorry.