So the main thread isnt derailed too far away I have started a new thread, the discussion was on the VDB thread.
caledoniandream:
Carryfast:
caledoniandream:
Rob K:
It’s a good thing that the night heater isn’t wired up to the HQ computer screens… 
How are they not■■?
By the way you need to check when they go to bed to play their lullaby on the computer and send them instructions where to put their Teddybear 
By the way Airco is for Jessies, all the people who did Middle East and North Africa in the 70’s and 80’s never heard of Airco at that point.
My Daf 2800ATI didn’t even have mounting points for an airco 
And that went to South Spain, North Africa, Turkey, Persia etc.
To many steeringwheel attendants, not enough drivers. 
Do you really think that these old Pegasso’s in Spain all have airconditioning, or the old Fiat in Italy?
Think again
By the way have’nt seen any admission by caledonian dream that he’s wrong about that issue of air con not being used on 1970’s middle east running wagons 
.
Hi Carryfast, maybe somebody should tell you that the Teletubbies are not real, it’s just a play on the telly.
Because they show in a promotional documentary a truck with a airco pod on it, doesn’t mean that the whole universe was driving with airco in their cab.
But I forgot, you was in North Africa with your counsel gritting truck, gritting the Sahara in 1970.
Also there was a reason why the likes of Astrans used Scannies and Volvo’s, not because the Leylands, Fodens and ERF’s where so great.
The plastic cabs in the 80’s on the ERF’s and Foden brought a new meaning to the word BAKEWELL in hot weather.
Yes there was some air-conditioning in the 70’s but it was still very rare and very unreliable.
It was defiantly not a standard, mind in that time most trucks didn’t even have a night heater,
I don’t think in the 80’s -90’s British trucks did come with air-conditioning at all.
Recently Dreva tried to point out that Astran were not the B all and end all of Asian Transport, here are a few snaps of the other pioneers of the desert.
At last I found one with an aftermarket aircon. Best Booties was asked about aircon by a seasoned middle east man and it was explained that Carman bought two Transcons and had air con fitted, it was certainly not the norm.
Personally, I cant stand A/C. Never use it in my car although it is fitted as standard and whilst I never had it in a truck when I was poodling around Europe in the 80s and 90s, I doubt if I would have used it then.
I love the heat, especially in Southern Europe during the summer months. Yes it can be oppressive and yes I have had to try and sleep in the truck during the day in the summer months but for me it was all part of the job. Find a shady tree, side of a building etc to park under / by / next to and crashout. Windows down a bit and fan on. I didn’t know any different and would not have done it any different.
Each to there own but A/C makes my chest hurt, my lungs ache and it feels unnatural to be in a cool enviroment when outside the window its 30+ degrees.
Having said all that though, if I had wanted to use it and was in that hot, southern climate with its attendant temperatures then I would have done regardless of what the TM says. Any vehicle operator who begrudges their driver the use of A/C cos of fuel costs doesn’t give a monkeys about the employee in the first place.
If you are worried that the vehicle will burn an extra few litres of fuel because the driver may have the audacity to run the A/C then factor it in the (zb)ing price of the job!!! 
As a total contrast to my old mate Bullitt I would rather have A/C, I’m sitting here typing this with my A/C on, I’ve been parked since 4pm and can’t tip until the morning, I won’t turn the engine off until I get somewhere a bit cooler and less humid, at present it’s 26c and there’s a thunderstorm brewing, if I have to get out of the cab I have a spare key so I lock up and leave it running. I get a bonus of 1cpm for keeping my idle time under 20/30% depending on the time of year, I don’t get it very often, maybe two or three months of the year, but then I’m either in a hot place or a cold place, my comfort is more important than a few gallons of diesel.
Now having said that, I ran Southern Europe for many years, I was only lucky enough to have A/C in the later years out there, not many motors had A/C then, really it was only Volvo and it was only standard then in the top of the range F12s and latterly the F16, before having A/C for the first time I managed fine, as Bullitt says, a bit of shade, a cool breeze, natural or by fan and I managed to sleep very well, until I had an F12 with A/C, after that I would’ve taken a pay cut to have a motor with A/C 
The aircon in my scania doesnt work, hasnt worked since i have had it, have done twelve or so trips to the middle east, i can manage it, but to be honest, i will be glad when i have worked out how to fix it, as you get a lot of sand and dust in yourcab and bedding when you drive in 50 degrees heat with the windows open in the desert…
Life would be hard without an AC nowadays, I’m ■■■■■■ if I know how I used to get on going to hot places without one, I bought one of those Viesa things in 2000 & it made sleeping in Marocco & Spain in the summer bearable too.
As for fuel economy my FH has climate control so you have to physically switch it off as its on as standard so I cant see that extra pulley making too much difference or Volvos would’nt supply them like that.
Commercial Motor tip of the week last week drive with your windows up & AC off, yeah right I’ll bet you gang of ■■■■■ do the same in yer offices don’t ya
Hi all I was the OP in the VdB thread regarding air con usage, the main fact of the matter is, Im Scottish and we don’t get a lot of Euro weather up here 
The point in fact was, I was parked up for 24, in an open car park in a small village south of Turin last summer it was 30c at lunchtime, I went for a walk round the little village to waste an hour or so, and most who have done this will know even walking round is a chore in its self so on returning to the truck i rolled all the windows down but no breeze, like u get in the uk, even with the sun roof open it was like sitting in an oven. I don’t mind the heat but surely if it is available you should be able to use the aircon.
So im not gonna sit and dehydrate and not get a decent nights sleep so I rolled up the windows and started the engine with the aircon going full pelt, Now much better than sitting sweating.
I was informed after 1hr by the in cab computer that it was forbidden to run the engine for any longer than necessary!!! WTF they were told where to go not very politely.
As a human being no matter where or what you do as a form of employment there are HS rules and regs as to what tempratures you can work in…UK schools are a prime example, if it is below a certain temp in a school they send the kids home and shut the school. It is the same with offices and factories.
So where is the law concerning drivers and such like■■?
Why should you or your colleagues suffer excessive heat/cold, and don’t even go down the road as Frans has that we are all JESSIES and that the guys during the early 70s worked in this type of atmosphere all the time because that is just not on in this day and age, you can be prosecuted for leaving a dog in a car during hot weather and people can and do report car/dog owners for doing so and courts prosecute owners for this type of behaviour. I am a dog owner and I would never think of leaving him in the car during hot weather, but hey its ok we choose to do this job under victorian conditions as we always have done so that must make it all right then mustnt it!!!
Can you leave a dog in a car if the windows are down and sunroof open■■?
How are they not■■?
By the way you need to check when they go to bed to play their lullaby on the computer and send them instructions where to put their Teddybear
Frans you are supposed to be an educated intelligent man and yet you bring yourself down and show your childish mentality by making a comment like this, I am a grown man and know how to take care of myself including knowing when it is too hot, or I am too tired to drive, I need to eat et al. And i think 99% of the guys and girls on here can manage to function using our own brains to do all this, so this seems to be a put down on us all that we can not function or do our jobs without someone holding our hand and telling us where to go, when to sleep, eat sheet etc
Childish and purile i am afraid…
How are they not■■?
By the way you need to check when they go to bed to play their lullaby on the computer and send them instructions where to put their Teddybear
Alas Frans here was I sitting with the impression that you were an intelligent and educated man!!!
Yet you have made a comment on here which demeans all the users on this site with said comment by insinuating that we all need our hands held and shown exactly what to do, 99% of the guys and girls on this site manage to do the job daily with no one in the cab to tell us what gear, lane, speed,clothes to wear where to go et al.
Neither wonder so many have left as in my personal dealing with yourself and VdB it seems you and your employers have the opinion that we all need a nursemaid and constant instruction on where to go and what to do and we would never be able to do the job if it wasn’t for they planners then VdB would be in a rite old state losing money and going down quick. Hail Hail the planners the saviours of VdB I forgot my place cos these guys and girls are all seeing all knowing gods of which the infernal nuisance that is the driver should all be grateful for.
How did we ever manage before we had planners■■?
Sidney, does us a favour, dont bring that VDB bollox onto this thread.
This is about A/C and its use (or not useing it), not about the ins and outs, the pluses and minus`s of VDB. Save that (zb) for that thread.
Cheers,
Im sorry you think this way but I think it is relevant and what does it really matter who the employer is, I was under the impression it was from the original VdB thread so gave the ones on here the insight into what started this lead off thread here so they know just what this one is all about. After all knowledge is power
bullitt:
Sidney, does us a favour, dont bring that VDB bollox onto this thread.
This is about A/C and its use (or not useing it), not about the ins and outs, the pluses and minus`s of VDB. Save that (zb) for that thread.
Cheers,
bigsidney:
Im sorry you think this way but I think it is relevant and what does it really matter who the employer is, I was under the impression it was from the original VdB thread so gave the ones on here the insight into what started this lead off thread here so they know just what this one is all about. After all knowledge is power
bullitt:
Sidney, does us a favour, dont bring that VDB bollox onto this thread.
This is about A/C and its use (or not useing it), not about the ins and outs, the pluses and minus`s of VDB. Save that (zb) for that thread.
Cheers,
Sidney I started this thread away from the ■■■■■■■■ you were all talking, there was no need to bring your squabbles here, keep them for the VDB company thread.
I did it to be polite as a forum user.
And the comment from the other bloke from Scotland was tongue in cheek or didn’t you recognise that?
Im sorry hubcap posted on the wrong forum, my pc playing ooooopppp again