Hi peeps, I used to run a small fleet of Maxiloads in the early 70s. It would be interesting to see if any of my old wagons survive, this might be the right place to find out, if not, anyone know how to trace them?? As well as driving, I did all repairs to these great wagons, [ still have spares for them ] . In my early twenties at the time, brilliant days running down the old A38 to deliver allsorts to Cornwall, then loadup with loose china clay from the pits at St Austel, Nanpean, Trevisco, etc, then deliver to Poole pottery, [ tip off by hand with a shovel, 10 ton,] wash off the wagon then back to Bristol to loadup for the next trip. It was physically hard work, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I hope this post hasn’t been too boring!! The name of my fathers firm I took over in 1971 was W T RICH & SONS Bristol, blue & silver Maxiloads, anyone working the Cornwall run still out there??
Hi slideplayer,
I drove a Commer Maxiload 16 to gross tipper for C W Griffiths in 1968/9,a brilliant lorry,the TS3 two stroke pulled like a train,five speed gearbox plus overdrive,also a two speed axle,an excellent lorry.I very often in recent years have asked Clarence Griffiths why he only bought just the one,he doesn’t really have an answer,my own opinion is that it was possibly a bit heavy and the Leyland Comets with the Ergo cab which he bought later were lighter. The Comet with the 400 or 401 engine was no match for the Maxiload.
Have you any pic’s.
Cheers Dave.
Watney’s brewery depot at Lodge farm, Northampton ( now Fosters ‘mini’ artics) used to have a fleet of Commers in the early 70s, not sure whether they were the maxiload , but the engines used to make a right old bark .
E. H. Bradley of Swindon ( makers of Bradstone ) ran a fleet of mainly Commers and some bonneted Dodges years ago. I remember them having some new Maxiload 6 wheel tippers, they used to stick up in the air at the back even when fully loaded. looked like a hot rod coming towards you. 
you can trace if they are still taxed or sorn on the dvla website.
taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPor … le+Enquiry
just type in the reg number and vehicle make.
hope that helps.
My dad drove a number of them for Nitrovit on annimal feed deliveries out of Hull, the only registration number I remember was AAT188B
Hi Dave, no pictures i’m afraid, the lorries were long wheelbase dropside flats, with David Brown 6 speed boxes, and Eaton 2 speed axles, what a combination. They were fast [ regularly beat coaches and other H G V s ] reliable if well maintained, economic [ average 15miles/ gallon] and if the drive belt on the power stearing wasn’t slipping, a pleasure to drive.In the five years of running these wagons, [five lorries, the max permitted on the o license at the time] only one engine required changing. One engine developed cracked pistons [cast pistons in chrome bores] easily changed in situ. Gearboxes bullet proof apart from overdrive seizing on, easily rectifiedby changing the gear [in situ] and improving lubrication by changing from 140 oil [ original spec ] to 90. Eaton 2 speeds no faults at all, just the electric change motor now and again, and 2 blowers comitting suicide, one of them I drove back from Bodmin with the blower rotors knocking together [verry carefully ]. Talking of Bodmin, all our drivers stopped at the Chestnuts in the main street, are they still there■■? Basically Maxiloads were excellent motors in my book, though some may disagree, absolutely brillant to drive and what a sound, the boy racers lorry of the time. Acouple of reg nos I can remember, UHU556H, VHT844H, FGL156D, PAE219F, anyone know what happened to them, I’d love to know where they are, best days of my working life. Thanks vwvanman, i’ll check out that site for my old wagons.
slide player:
Hi Dave, no pictures i’m afraid, the lorries were long wheelbase dropside flats, with David Brown 6 speed boxes, and Eaton 2 speed axles, what a combination. They were fast [ regularly beat coaches and other H G V s ] reliable if well maintained, economic [ average 15miles/ gallon] and if the drive belt on the power stearing wasn’t slipping, a pleasure to drive.In the five years of running these wagons, [five lorries, the max permitted on the o license at the time] only one engine required changing. One engine developed cracked pistons [cast pistons in chrome bores] easily changed in situ. Gearboxes bullet proof apart from overdrive seizing on, easily rectifiedby changing the gear [in situ] and improving lubrication by changing from 140 oil [ original spec ] to 90. Eaton 2 speeds no faults at all, just the electric change motor now and again, and 2 blowers comitting suicide, one of them I drove back from Bodmin with the blower rotors knocking together [verry carefully ]. Talking of Bodmin, all our drivers stopped at the Chestnuts in the main street, are they still there■■? Basically Maxiloads were excellent motors in my book, though some may disagree, absolutely brillant to drive and what a sound, the boy racers lorry of the time. Acouple of reg nos I can remember, UHU556H, VHT844H, FGL156D, PAE219F, anyone know what happened to them, I’d love to know where they are, best days of my working life. Thanks vwvanman, i’ll check out that site for my old wagons.
Hi slide player,
Got to agree with you,probably the best lorry I drove was the Maxiload,the reason I came off it was the license number,the owner only had a license for four vehicles,but had an extra temporary one for six months. He asked me if I could find another job until he got another one sorted,otherwise I would have gone on driving it for a long time. As a young driver at the time I couldn’t have wished for anything better. They were a good solid well built lorry.
Cheers Dave.
slide player:
Hi Dave, no pictures i’m afraid, the lorries were long wheelbase dropside flats, with David Brown 6 speed boxes, and Eaton 2 speed axles, what a combination. They were fast [ regularly beat coaches and other H G V s ] reliable if well maintained, economic [ average 15miles/ gallon] and if the drive belt on the power stearing wasn’t slipping, a pleasure to drive.In the five years of running these wagons, [five lorries, the max permitted on the o license at the time] only one engine required changing. One engine developed cracked pistons [cast pistons in chrome bores] easily changed in situ. Gearboxes bullet proof apart from overdrive seizing on, easily rectifiedby changing the gear [in situ] and improving lubrication by changing from 140 oil [ original spec ] to 90. Eaton 2 speeds no faults at all, just the electric change motor now and again, and 2 blowers comitting suicide, one of them I drove back from Bodmin with the blower rotors knocking together [verry carefully ]. Talking of Bodmin, all our drivers stopped at the Chestnuts in the main street, are they still there■■? Basically Maxiloads were excellent motors in my book, though some may disagree, absolutely brillant to drive and what a sound, the boy racers lorry of the time. Acouple of reg nos I can remember, UHU556H, VHT844H, FGL156D, PAE219F, anyone know what happened to them, I’d love to know where they are, best days of my working life. Thanks vwvanman, i’ll check out that site for my old wagons.
I would love to see some pic’s of them as well, so would a lot on here. Let’s hope someone can come up with some info, or better still some pic’s.
A nice restored example.
Dave the Renegade:
A nice restored example.
Yeah proper lorry Dave, a real credit to whoever restored it.
cheers
John.
I think it was Mike Brookes son who restored this one John.
Cheers Dave.
Dave the Renegade:
I think it was Mike Brookes son who restored this one John.
Cheers Dave.
It’s a credit to him Dave, real nice job.
cheers
John
A couple more,seen at Gaydon last month.
altitude:
E. H. Bradley of Swindon ( makers of Bradstone ) ran a fleet of mainly Commers and some bonneted Dodges years ago. I remember them having some new Maxiload 6 wheel tippers, they used to stick up in the air at the back even when fully loaded. looked like a hot rod coming towards you.
Halicon days indeed. I can remember Bradleys Commers screaming up Kingshill towards Okus,Lionel Pike from Brinkworth used to have a few on the cattle didnt they ?
Love the old commers dad had the blue and red G L Williams and sons one on page 25 on scrap book memories one with the boat on sounded mint loved that truck as a kid dont know how to put the picture on this thread 
Suedehead:
altitude:
E. H. Bradley of Swindon ( makers of Bradstone ) ran a fleet of mainly Commers and some bonneted Dodges years ago. I remember them having some new Maxiload 6 wheel tippers, they used to stick up in the air at the back even when fully loaded. looked like a hot rod coming towards you.Halicon days indeed. I can remember Bradleys Commers screaming up Kingshill towards Okus,Lionel Pike from Brinkworth used to have a few on the cattle didnt they ?
Yeah I forgot them, weren’t they green and used to carry hanging meat?
A few lined up here.
JOHN
Stanfield:
A few lined up here.
JOHN
My old man drove one for Bradleys, not a maxiload one like the one on the right of the photo. It had an Eaton 2 speed and went well, but always sounded like it needed another gear. If you needed to look left or right you had to bend forward, because your head was up in the roof, horrible bloody thing.
altitude:
Stanfield:
A few lined up here.
JOHNMy old man drove one for Bradleys, not a maxiload one like the one on the right of the photo. It had an Eaton 2 speed and went well, but always sounded like it needed another gear. If you needed to look left or right you had to bend forward, because your head was up in the roof, horrible bloody thing.
Those Commer’s in the pic are the Commer 8 ton,which grossed at 12 ton,the Maxiload had twin headlights and grossed at 14 or 16 ton.
Cheers Dave.