We are getting some new ones soon anybody got any views on them like how things work, driving tips etc etc just saves me looking through the manual.
Thanks in advance.
Brand new ones? All the information you need are on DAF’s Youtube page for Driver Instruction Videos and these videos show the same as they put on DVDs for trainers to use for vehicle familiarisation training. Several of the videos are well worth watching and will save you looking like a tool or suddenly being surprised as you’re driving down the road when it goes into neutral because of the EcoRoll and the truck slams all on without notice with the adaptive cruise control. There are 26 videos but most of them are around 30-40 seconds.
youtube.com/playlist?list=P … -HyGRFh5Qv
To get the best fuel economy out of them they need to be driven in a certain way. Approaching things like roundabouts etc, you let off the gas then give a tap down on the right stalk to kick in the engine braking for example. They should all come with the ECODrive system which will help the transition. We go up to Lockerbie from Howden going over the A66 both ways running around 35 tonnes on the way up and 42/43 tonnes on the way back and manage over 9MPG, sometimes hitting over 10MPG on the rare occasions its not windy with Euro 6 460 CFs.
If you’ve got the adaptive cruise control thats great for going through roadworks such as J16-19 on the M1 but its a nightmare when you get near junctions on motorways as you can find the brakes being piled on when someone cuts out in front of you but it is easy to disengage. Also worth keeping enabled is the downhill speed control. It’ll maintain within a few KPH of what cruise control is set at even coming down long fairly steep descents like from Stainmore Cafe on the A66. I can come all the way down from the top of the A66 to Barnard Castle at 42 tonnes and only need to touch the brakes once and even then that’s only when there’s a strong tail wind. It is a bit frightening the first time you use it as it’ll change down a couple of gears, have you in 10th at 56MPH with the engine speed literally 100RPM off the red line when you’re heavy on a steep descent. On less steep descents or more lightly loaded it’ll hover around 1800-1900RPM on hill descents.
quote … I can come all the way down from the top of the A66 to Barnard Castle at 42 tonnes and only need to touch the brakes once and even then that’s only when there’s a strong tail wind.
2 questions … If you’re doing 50 mph just how strong would that tail wind need to be to increase the speed in a fully freighted wagon enough to have to use you’re brakes even just the once, and wouldn’t the road also have been shut because of the hurricane force winds you mention ?
So the engine break is still zb then?
Exhaust brake is a waste of time. The intarder is ok. Never had 1 with a engine brake
Point and shoot
Conor:
Brand new ones?
Yes new ones, was going to have a look on you tube anyway and thanks for your in depth reply . Sometimes it’s better asking drivers as they can find (maybe by accident) these little querky things or tips which are not in any manual.
To create an XF simulator at home-
If you have a garden shed with windows, place a chair inside the shed up one end, take a seat for 4 hours and peer out of the window marvelling at the flat frontage. Occasionally take one of the kid’s skateboards outside the shed and practice turning on it. Note the turning circle of the skateboard, and the vagueness of the skateboard. That emulates the XF turning experience. Place spoons at the doorway of the shed. Attempt to shave in the distorted reflection on the back of the spoons. That’s good for practicing using the mirrors.
They’re a fine motor really. Chunky, solid and easy to drive. Squeeze and go. Tortoise is good for going backwards in tight spots. Just rubbish turning circle and heavier steering and the formally seperated suzies manage to work themselves into a complete pube bush by the end of the day.
Miles better than a Benz axor:lol:
Pimpdaddy:
Miles better than a Benz axor:lol:
And more reliable hopefully.
A fridge comes as standard I believe ?
bald bloke:
A fridge comes as standard I believe ?
Yes mate.
In your case it’s about 44 feet long and comes with it’s own wheels! 
(Well I couldn’t let your tyre jibe go unpunished could I? ) 
raymundo:
2 questions … If you’re doing 50 mph just how strong would that tail wind need to be to increase the speed in a fully freighted wagon enough to have to use you’re brakes even just the once, and wouldn’t the road also have been shut because of the hurricane force winds you mention ?
I’m doing 56MPH. I don’t need to use the brakes to stop exceeding the speed limit but the engine speed gets up to the edge of the red band on one point where its an elongated S bend just before the turning area and I do it to stay under that.
Its not increasing the speed, gravity does that. The wind is helping to overcome the engine assisted braking at one point where it gets a bit steep. When there’s not a tail wind it doesn’t do it.
And why would the road be closed when its a wind from the west and the road runs east/west?
James the cat:
To create an XF simulator at home-If you have a garden shed with windows, place a chair inside the shed up one end, take a seat for 4 hours and peer out of the window marvelling at the flat frontage. Occasionally take one of the kid’s skateboards outside the shed and practice turning on it. Note the turning circle of the skateboard, and the vagueness of the skateboard. That emulates the XF turning experience. Place spoons at the doorway of the shed. Attempt to shave in the distorted reflection on the back of the spoons. That’s good for practicing using the mirrors.
They’re a fine motor really. Chunky, solid and easy to drive. Squeeze and go. Tortoise is good for going backwards in tight spots. Just rubbish turning circle and heavier steering and the formally seperated suzies manage to work themselves into a complete pube bush by the end of the day.
James the cat:
To create an XF simulator at home-If you have a garden shed with windows, place a chair inside the shed up one end, take a seat for 4 hours and peer out of the window marvelling at the flat frontage. Occasionally take one of the kid’s skateboards outside the shed and practice turning on it. Note the turning circle of the skateboard, and the vagueness of the skateboard. That emulates the XF turning experience. Place spoons at the doorway of the shed. Attempt to shave in the distorted reflection on the back of the spoons. That’s good for practicing using the mirrors.
They’re a fine motor really. Chunky, solid and easy to drive. Squeeze and go. Tortoise is good for going backwards in tight spots. Just rubbish turning circle and heavier steering and the formally seperated suzies manage to work themselves into a complete pube bush by the end of the day.[/quote
As above but replace shed with 2 berth sprite caravan attached to a chassis using rubber ■■■ toys, will give flawless service for exactly 3 years after which you’ll be glad to see the back of them, DAF stands for Dial A Fitter
When I had mine about 2008 I loved it. A great living space for tramping, the bed was at the time the best around, great fridge with plenty of space and plenty of storage space.
As has been said though the turning circle on the DAF is crap, you could turn a container ship around in Felixtowe docks quicker than you could the DAF. Don’t think much has changed cab wise since the newer model has come out. Sound system is great I had 2 speakers behind both seats under the bed which were like mini sub woofers plus about 4 other speakers and 2 tweeters.
Only problems maintenance wise was with the Ad-Blue where I’d loose all power and only be able to get to about 20mph, no good when pulling 26 tonnes of glass up and down the A76 
Daf finally fixed the Zoom (“resume” officially ) feature on the CC. Before a tap of the zoom would send you into orbit, burning fuel like its going out of fashion and torqueing every gear so hard that of coming off a roundabout the cab tilted and you’d swear there would be black marks. On those older ones, best bet was to do the exit from roundabouts manually before re engaging CC for optimim fuel burn. Now they’ve fixed it, it’s a bit more sedate and progressive.
One of the biggest crimes is not the odd slightly convex (it’s not even uniformly convex, it’s slightly distorted through the lower third. Those crazy dutch stoners) mirrors, it’s the horrific-from the 1970s-posissioning of the mirrors. If you don’t notice anything else in an XF, watch out for the mirror blindspots. Not what they don’t show you in the reflection, but what they hide behind the mirror assemblies. That’s a real gotcha and will ruin your day at a roundabout.
They all have the now standard button of being able to reset ride height with one button after fiddling with suspension when coupling (all units have this? Not sure). Standard mid lift temp raise is useful on slippery incline pull aways (again, nothing new, a lot have this). Mmm, what else can I tell you. Built like a Sherman and looks like a caravan on wheels. Put the key in, squeeze proportionately and go, twig the retarder in plenty of time just like every single other unit on the road today and that’s ya lot. Anything else is making it hard unecessarily. Enjoy!
What . . . no air leaks 
I drive a 5 month old 106xf with the 510 engine and I am fairly happy with it,so far its given no problems have only replaced a bulb and a fuse and its very comfortable especially the excellent bunk.Engine and gearbox however are not as good as say a 500 Volvo with I shift gearbox,although engine has been reliable so far I feel performance for a 510 bhp engine is a bit on the lethargic side and the newer version of the AS Tronic gearbox although an improvement on the earlier AS Tronic is not as good as Volvo’s I shift gearbox.
The one I drive has the MX engine brake and its very effective when you get the revs up,as others have said the steering lock is poor on the Dafs and another slight problem I find is that the air supply is poor -they must have a small compressor and air tanks- you can quickly lose air supply if shunting in tight spots,but overall I am fairly happy with the Daf.