DIG:
Hi Tony
I purchased the Merc for local container off rail work around Perth but I also did some float work with it to Port Headland and worked on the Dampier Penisular servicing the off shore exploration industry for about 3 months.An excellent truck for manoverability but not as good as the american units in the long distance work due mainly to the heat build up into the cab making sleeping a swag job more comfortable in the simmer oops summer.
The truck had a 120 tonne rating and had done some road train work prior to me acquiring it and would have held its own in 2 trailer application but struggled with 3 trailers but single trailer operation excellent. The 18speed gear box and the 600litre fuel tanks were fitted when it was new by the local dealership.
Yes Gaz it did sound pretty good especially when using the Freeway Tunnel here in the city lol.
Cheers Dave
It is interesting to read the opinions of Australians on their vehicles, since it is the only civilised country in the world (!)which takes both European and American vehicles.
Is the cab temperature problem due to its being smaller, or are you comparing it with bonneted Yank chassis? What engine would not struggle with 3 trailers?
50c+ ambient road temperatures are not uncommon in our north during the summer months , the Merc I had was a bit of a micro wave and absorbed heat from all angles , the a/c fitted in it surprised me and worked quite well but with a crank mounted fan it was always going to struggle keeping the engine cool although the Mercedes engineers had fitted a second radiator and thermo fan that was tucked up under the nearside in front of the wheel and at 96c it cut in and worked reasonably well but my experience with this truck was restricted to one trailer or float and I could see if you hang multiple trailers behind it its really going to struggle.
The modern trucks are more driver friendly and my last long distance unit was a Mack Titan and the comfort level was as good as any car I have been in obviously influenced by their association with Volvo, but Volvo and Scania have made a solid move into the road train industry here and are well respected units.M/Bs link with Freightliner is their road train unit and there own branded units are only rated up to b train specs here.
I have operated the big 3 engines over the years a K19 ■■■■■■■ fitted in an 80s model KW set at 525hp and the Mack originally had a 575hp EM9 V8 which although a nice engine to drive was to say at best troublesome so when if finally expired with a block split through the front cam bearing I repowered it with a C15 Caterpillar 550hp and this would be the engine I would want if I suddenly became 30years old again lol. The modern engines in the 500 to 600 hp range handle the triple configurations quite well its quite surprising , I geared my units to 90kmh and found that wasn’t a problem sure they got hot in the summer but the 12 or 1400 square inches of radiator handle the conditions quite well providing you switch the cruise control off and get back to the basics of driving.
By the way I.m a pom ex BRS many moons ago.
DIG:
50c+ ambient road temperatures are not uncommon in our north during the summer months , the Merc I had was a bit of a micro wave and absorbed heat from all angles , the a/c fitted in it surprised me and worked quite well but with a crank mounted fan it was always going to struggle keeping the engine cool although the Mercedes engineers had fitted a second radiator and thermo fan that was tucked up under the nearside in front of the wheel and at 96c it cut in and worked reasonably well but my experience with this truck was restricted to one trailer or float and I could see if you hang multiple trailers behind it its really going to struggle.
The modern trucks are more driver friendly and my last long distance unit was a Mack Titan and the comfort level was as good as any car I have been in obviously influenced by their association with Volvo, but Volvo and Scania have made a solid move into the road train industry here and are well respected units.M/Bs link with Freightliner is their road train unit and there own branded units are only rated up to b train specs here.
I have operated the big 3 engines over the years a K19 ■■■■■■■ fitted in an 80s model KW set at 525hp and the Mack originally had a 575hp EM9 V8 which although a nice engine to drive was to say at best troublesome so when if finally expired with a block split through the front cam bearing I repowered it with a C15 Caterpillar 550hp and this would be the engine I would want if I suddenly became 30years old again lol. The modern engines in the 500 to 600 hp range handle the triple configurations quite well its quite surprising , I geared my units to 90kmh and found that wasn’t a problem sure they got hot in the summer but the 12 or 1400 square inches of radiator handle the conditions quite well providing you switch the cruise control off and get back to the basics of driving.
By the way I.m a pom ex BRS many moons ago.
Cheers Dave
Interesting stuff indeed. Given that Mercedes’ have been very popular in the Middle East, from the round-bonnet types through to the NG/SK, I wonder how they cope with the high temperatures there?
It seems that 16+ litres and 500+bhp has been the standard, for three-trailer roadtrains, for some time. I can see why the US makes are popular, with the engines you describe available off-the-peg. Oddly enough, Volvo only sells its D16 engine up to 600bhp in the States, but Europe gets the full 750 and, I think, Oz versions go up to 700.
DIG:
50c+ ambient road temperatures are not uncommon in our north during the summer months , the Merc I had was a bit of a micro wave and absorbed heat from all angles , the a/c fitted in it surprised me and worked quite well but with a crank mounted fan it was always going to struggle keeping the engine cool although the Mercedes engineers had fitted a second radiator and thermo fan that was tucked up under the nearside in front of the wheel and at 96c it cut in and worked reasonably well but my experience with this truck was restricted to one trailer or float and I could see if you hang multiple trailers behind it its really going to struggle.
The modern trucks are more driver friendly and my last long distance unit was a Mack Titan and the comfort level was as good as any car I have been in obviously influenced by their association with Volvo, but Volvo and Scania have made a solid move into the road train industry here and are well respected units.M/Bs link with Freightliner is their road train unit and there own branded units are only rated up to b train specs here.
I have operated the big 3 engines over the years a K19 ■■■■■■■ fitted in an 80s model KW set at 525hp and the Mack originally had a 575hp EM9 V8 which although a nice engine to drive was to say at best troublesome so when if finally expired with a block split through the front cam bearing I repowered it with a C15 Caterpillar 550hp and this would be the engine I would want if I suddenly became 30years old again lol. The modern engines in the 500 to 600 hp range handle the triple configurations quite well its quite surprising , I geared my units to 90kmh and found that wasn’t a problem sure they got hot in the summer but the 12 or 1400 square inches of radiator handle the conditions quite well providing you switch the cruise control off and get back to the basics of driving.
By the way I.m a pom ex BRS many moons ago.
Cheers Dave
Interesting stuff indeed. Given that Mercedes’ have been very popular in the Middle East, from the round-bonnet types through to the NG/SK, I wonder how they cope with the high temperatures there?
It seems that 16+ litres and 500+bhp has been the standard, for three-trailer roadtrains, for some time. I can see why the US makes are popular, with the engines you describe available off-the-peg. Oddly enough, Volvo only sells its D16 engine up to 600bhp in the States, but Europe gets the full 750 and, I think, Oz versions go up to 700.
As I said I couldn’t fault single trailer operation and Mercedes reputation for excellence in engineering and reliability would have made it a favourite in the Middle East and Africa.
The 2624s hauled road trains here in the 70s with a coke can propping the bonnet up for maximum cooling and did a mighty job but the roads were mainly gravel so speed and timetable weren’t as important as reliability.
Hi Dig interesting information on the Mercs and other trucks in Australia. Would you say there is still a preference for American trucks there or have the Europeans caught up ? Tony
mercman123:
Hi Dig interesting information on the Mercs and other trucks in Australia. Would you say there is still a preference for American trucks there or have the Europeans caught up ? Tony
Good Day Tony
I would say that the European trucks have certainly caught up in most areas of operation but I would say that smaller operators say 10 trucks or so and owner Drivers still lean towards the American units mainly I would say because of custom builds when buying new and resale value when selling, the big 4 Kenworth Mack Western Star and Freightliner offer a variety of specs and power plants transmissions and diffs/axles where the European are pretty much off the shelf but they are having a bigger influence in most areas due to the amalgamation of various makes. Mack/Volvo Western Star/Man Freightliner/M/B. Paccar i.e. KW have affiliation with Daf I.m yet to see a Daf with more than one trailer and the modern M/B appears to be restricted to single trailer work here in the west.
I have been retired now for a while so I.m pretty much an outsider these days but most of the road train freight heading north passes by quite close so I get a bit of an idea but its still a personal opinion and heaven forbid if I decided to do it all again I,m afraid my choice for long distance would be a yank tank with a bonnet lol.
Cheers Dave
I did my apprenticeship at the local MB dealer jim Russell’s in Norwich ,
Just caught the end of the sk’s , I remember Bernard Mathews had a small fleet of 1834’s (always covered in chicken ■■■■ ) unfortunately the last run of them had a machining problem with the cam gear and we had them back and the gearboxes out of them under warranty ( that was a happy summer in the sun pulling gearboxes out ) hoyer had a few doing they’re tanker runs , Derek cooper ran a pair of 1850 v8’s with euro cabs , and a local firm called bct had a mid lift with the aero kit on it ,
Wierdest one was m w whites had an early un Turbo’d v8 , it came in with weaping cylinder liners , it had the engine rebuilt and then promptly got made their shunter !! It’s probably still there !!
Must admit I hadn’t seen one in a very long time and I thought they’d all gone , but I spotted the one at truckfest and was literally over the moon , keep the pictures coming
Loved theses old beasts
Hi Rob great pictures as usual . Do you live in Germany ? From the pictures you have posted the Mercs are very popular as fair / circus vehicles . Here in England ERF and Foden are very popular mainly due to the fibre glass cabs and engines that are easy to work on and they are pretty cheap to buy . Tony
Those NGs look like new. I get the impression that typical GB fairground vehicles are polished turds, but the Germans seem to keep their vehicles in top condition.
) hoyer had a few doing they’re tanker runs , Derek cooper ran a pair of 1850 v8’s with euro cabs , and a local firm called bct had a mid lift with the aero kit on it ,
