Left had drive british registered truck

[quote=“les_sylphides, post:60, topic:238763, full:true”]
Then you’ll like this Swiss one CF: [/quote]

Yes, the Swiss seemed to like those drawbar set-ups.

I particularly remember Hangartner and Asia Shop amongst many others.

I guess those of us old enough will remember Saurers too.

I was also doing Italy long enough ago to remember the LHD FIATS (millepiedi) that had a very paticular exhaust note when climbing gradients.

I also worked in Italy for over a year driving an Italian registered Renault 360 V8 on national and international work, which was a real pain in the arse when encountering roundabouts in the UK as positioning was quite difficult. It seemed perfectly normal in all other Eurpean countries though.

I can hear that exhaust note in my head now!

If I’ve remembered it right sort of a mixture of Gardner and L60 Chieftain tank exhaust note ? and acrid smell of rough low quality gasoil ?.
Those old Fiats were still in common use relatively recently in Sicily and Sardinia.

and in Libya, CF. Here’s a couple of pics I took in Libya before it all went tits up.





And the proper old school RHD Ro.

26-27 ?.
Needs a proper load and climb to drag the revs down a bit to get the resonance at the exhaust right ?.

Yes, it needs to be under load to get that gutteral roar. You shouldn’t be able to hear that blackbird chirping! :rofl:

If Fiat had stuck to loose engines and let others make lorries I’m sure they’d still be in business today (without Iveco).

One for Carryfast:

Meanwhile this was my type of toy in the day Ro.
Worst of all worlds centre drive and right hand shift semi auto Allison.Often London Borough of Hounslow not the African wilderness or airside on an airfield.
Admittedly, for me, would have been bit better if left hand shift or like all right hand gear shifts if I was right handed.

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Much easier to drive a RHD abroad than a LHD in UK in my opinion thanks to wildly different standard of car drivers. Only ever found cars dithering in your blindspot a problem when in LHD in UK, never had same problem in Europe with a RHD

Depends on which era we’re talking about. Many of us on this forum drove abroad when much of the journey would be made on national roads (like our A-roads) both in the EU and especially on long-haul work beyond EU. The problem wasn’t so much blind spots as pulling out to overtake on dead straight roads with a right-hooker. Some of these roads went for many miles without any bend. On today’s motorways this isn’t so much of a problem. :wink:

Peages were a pain too.
Now lots have boxes in the windscreen, but back when they weren’t around, and some cabs had humps in the middle that was another minus point. Also entering leaving at gatehouses etc.

thats what i was on about above that when i have done it in a car it was a pita and although i have never driven a lorry abroad nothing grates my teeth more than pulling up to a british company only to find the intercom is on the nearside. So i imagine that its worse abroad

I’ve just got back from a trip to Italy.Can confirm that the millipiedi is still alive and well in modern form.Now improved with double axle drawbar bogies.So very similar to the NZ type 8 or 9 axle drawbar outfit either 3 or 4 axle prime movers.
Unfortunately there no suitable photo opportunities when I saw them.But mainly seemingly used for quarry transport not tankers and general haulage.It would make a great configuration for Europe wide haulage operations.
Don’t get why they seem to have dropped the RHD idea though which even with the car is still very well suited to their often narrow and abrupt edged and winding road conditions.

The most dramatic millipiedi were usually to be found on marble extraction work so not surprised to hear that you noticed them quarrying. Maybe the vastly improved visibility / mirrors / cameras plus better road conditions account for the absence of RHD examples.

I’ve been familiar with their heavy drawbar types over many years of trips there Ro.Including either the marble quarries in Marina di Massa or granite quarries in the Alps as in this case.
But they now don’t seem to be using them for general haulage and tanker work like before and the twin axle front drawbar bogie seems to be a recent upgrade as don’t remember seeing that specific configuration used before regardless ?.
Also good to see the proper drawbar configuration still putting up a good fight in all the usual places in Germany and Switzerland in general use.With examples of the weight distribution flaw of close coupled types, where used, lifting weight of their steer axle and putting too much on the prime mover drive and tag and front trailer axle.To the point where many drawbar operators seem to be realising it and actually going back to A frames.Left me with a feeling of I just wish I could have been driving one of them.

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