robroy:
I must be in a minority here, I’ve had about 5 in last 12 yrs on and off, apart from the old F2000 (?think that’s what they were called the old square Roadhaus type) and from a drivers point of view I love them.
I’m at the stage now where I prioritise over living space and comfort, all the rest is the guvnor’s concern not mine.
There’s a lot of snobbery with the Scania and Volvo men, but for cab space you can not beat them imo, and I’ve had Scanias, Superspaces, a Magnum briefly, and now an Actros, I prefer the MAN to the lot.
Some of you don’t know you are born when you listen to moaning about trivialities in trucks, compared to some of the crap we had to drive once over.
During the war we …
Try living in a Premium, it’s like going back in time every time you park up!
Lots of space, comfy seat, wide bed, good night heater (though no control from bunk), big mirrors (though as previously said creates big blindspot at roundabouts), gearbox is crap from stationary - takes a second or 2 to do anything and when it does its all power/torque so jerky. Forever losing bits of trim from the mirror backs. Massive steering wheel, okay for distance but when manouvering a lot you’ll probably have to lean forward to reach the top of it. Could also do with a suspension reset button on the dash. Good cab space though, unless it’s got a fridge that takes up half the space because it can’t slide under the bunk far enough
robroy:
I must be in a minority here, I’ve had about 5 in last 12 yrs on and off, apart from the old F2000 (?think that’s what they were called the old square Roadhaus type) and from a drivers point of view I love them.
I’m at the stage now where I prioritise over living space and comfort, all the rest is the guvnor’s concern not mine.
There’s a lot of snobbery with the Scania and Volvo men, but for cab space you can not beat them imo, and I’ve had Scanias, Superspaces, a Magnum briefly, and now an Actros, I prefer the MAN to the lot.
Some of you don’t know you are born when you listen to moaning about trivialities in trucks, compared to some of the crap we had to drive once over.
During the war we …
Try living in a Premium, it’s like going back in time every time you park up!
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…a la good old/bad old days, Premium is a penthouse suite in comparison.
After saying that I came off a MAN xxl at Brit European on to an 8 yr old Premium in my next job, know what you mean heap of ■■■■.
Yeah, which ‘genius’ designed that fridge/coolbox. Mine was only a coolbox so pretty useless so I took it out. Makes the cab feel much more roomy.
I often wondered about the test drive of the final finished test truck. When the test ‘driver’ got back and said “that gearbox is perfect, put it into production exactly like that”. He must have been a really crap driver or a sadist who’s been wetting himself laughing at his victims ever since!
nomiS36:
Yeah, which ‘genius’ designed that fridge/coolbox. Mine was only a coolbox so pretty useless so I took it out. Makes the cab feel much more roomy.
I often wondered about the test drive of the final finished test truck. When the test ‘driver’ got back and said “that gearbox is perfect, put it into production exactly like that”. He must have been a really crap driver or a sadist who’s been wetting himself laughing at his victims ever since!
+1 on the coolbox , I only drive a 18t TGM sleeper but with cool box removed there’s soo much more room but the company mechanic don’t like it he’s got a pile of MAN coolboxes in he’s workshop
Good luck with them if your on the Precast/building site work still ? u were on with 1 as the gear box is awful for tight spots and slow manoeuvre jobs and the lock isn’t the best also the ground clearance on front bumper isn’t the best off road ever as others have said the living space is good and bunks aren’t bad .
robroy:
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…
Don’t forget not being allowed to light your interior candle and having to eat your rations in the dark in case the Luftwaffe spotted you.
Greggo:
Good luck with them if your on the Precast/building site work still ? u were on with 1 as the gear box is awful for tight spots and slow manoeuvre jobs and the lock isn’t the best also the ground clearance on front bumper isn’t the best off road ever as others have said the living space is good and bunks aren’t bad .
Not been on precast for a bit , just trunking deckers around ( well I was before Ill),think that maybe why truck might be changed , mines kitted up with beacons etc , think theyl want it for drivers there meant to be taking on for concrete , mib or whatever there calling it thiscweek .
Think adverts says , job won’t suit some , never a truer word spoken
robroy:
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…
Don’t forget not being allowed to light your interior candle and having to eat your rations in the dark in case the Luftwaffe spotted you.
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…a la good old/bad old days, Premium is a penthouse suite in comparison.
Well that beats sleeping on the “shelf” behind the seats in a Bedford TK that had a tin box extension where the little window was to put your feet in…(which went blue with cold in the winter !)
Or you forgot you were on the shelf and rolled over in your sleeping bag and head butted the steering wheel on the way down as you feet were still trapped in the tin box extension . Oh what luxury when we started buying Volvos , that had a bunk and curtains
3 wheeler:
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…a la good old/bad old days, Premium is a penthouse suite in comparison.
Well that beats sleeping on the “shelf” behind the seats in a Bedford TK that had a tin box extension where the little window was to put your feet in…(which went blue with cold in the winter !)
Or you forgot you were on the shelf and rolled over in your sleeping bag and head butted the steering wheel on the way down as you feet were still trapped in the tin box extension . Oh what luxury when we started buying Volvos , that had a bunk and curtains
This is getting a bit ‘Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen’ here , but my TK didn’t have a window extension, I had to sleep either cramped up (6’ 1’') in Winter, or my feet out of the window in Summer, …not joking either
Then I had to get up half an hour before I went to bed, and lick t’ roooad clean wi’ tongue, tell the young uns today that, and they won’t believe ya.
3 wheeler:
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…a la good old/bad old days, Premium is a penthouse suite in comparison.
Well that beats sleeping on the “shelf” behind the seats in a Bedford TK that had a tin box extension where the little window was to put your feet in…(which went blue with cold in the winter !)
Or you forgot you were on the shelf and rolled over in your sleeping bag and head butted the steering wheel on the way down as you feet were still trapped in the tin box extension . Oh what luxury when we started buying Volvos , that had a bunk and curtains
This is getting a bit ‘Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen’ here , but my TK didn’t have a window extension, I had to sleep either cramped up (6’ 1’') in Winter, or my feet out of the window in Summer, …not joking either
Then I had to get up half an hour before I went to bed, and lick t’ roooad clean wi’ tongue, tell the young uns today that, and they won’t believe ya.
Did you also have to start lorry with starter handle and your hoppo walked in front with a red flag
3 wheeler:
Don’t want to Toptrump you mate, but try living in a day cab, board across engine cover with a bit of foam as a mattress, no night heater in winter…a la good old/bad old days, Premium is a penthouse suite in comparison.
Well that beats sleeping on the “shelf” behind the seats in a Bedford TK that had a tin box extension where the little window was to put your feet in…(which went blue with cold in the winter !)
Or you forgot you were on the shelf and rolled over in your sleeping bag and head butted the steering wheel on the way down as you feet were still trapped in the tin box extension . Oh what luxury when we started buying Volvos , that had a bunk and curtains
This is getting a bit ‘Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen’ here , but my TK didn’t have a window extension, I had to sleep either cramped up (6’ 1’') in Winter, or my feet out of the window in Summer, …not joking either
Then I had to get up half an hour before I went to bed, and lick t’ roooad clean wi’ tongue, tell the young uns today that, and they won’t believe ya.
Did you also have to start lorry with starter handle and your hoppo walked in front with a red flag
Or 04.00 in the morning for a 07.00 start, to light tut Boiler ?
Aye Echy Thump !
Where’s tut bloody Whippet ?
The cab curtains run off the rail at both ends, so Blutac or Sellotape to stop the curtains falling off the rails.
The small windows behind the drivers and passenger seat are usless, buy some black sticky back paper to stop the day light coming in and peeping Toms perving at you naked on the bunk .
Coolbox as said is usless, take it out .
Huge blind spot with the door pillars on both sides of the cab .
When you pull out of a junction, your view is obscured, I have a few near misses, as the car drivers think you pulled out on purpose, that design is dangerous.
I did a few trips in the early 90’s to France in a merc 814 car transporter with no sleeper, all week each time! I was collecting smashed up cars that my dad or I had bought the week before. I quickly worked out that if one of the cars was only slightly smashed, I.e no blood and broken windows it was more comfortable to sleep in that! We had a 9 car drag that used to go as well and I was so envious of the ‘massive’ cab of his p cab 113 lol. Any of you euro boys remember a car transporter from Gloucester with SWS (south west salvage) all over it?
dozy:
Told I’m getting one ( or fair chance ) , what are they like these days , old ones I found comfortable ,but plastics were a bit flimsy , going back nigh on 10 yrs at a guess for the last one I had , have they improved ta
I work for a company that uses MANs regularly and apart from the auto gearbox (the one on the 26-tonner is worse, it’s quite adequate on the 18-tonne rigid, although both reverse more smoothly than any Scania I’ve driven), it’s quite a comfortable and smooth truck to drive and I’ve hardly ever had any technical problems with them. I really enjoy working for this company because of these trucks. Only thing missing is an AUX input for the stereo. They’re Euro 5 12-plate trucks from Steadplan.
ta