On the subject of Scammell names, remember back when the T45 Roadtrain was about, i drove a Leyland Constructor regularly (best offroader i ever drove, bloody thing went everywhere the track layer could get to), but was the difference when it was badged Scammell please?
Totally agree with you there and I have fond memories of the Crusader too. 
A 1973 Scania 80 artic was the most disappointing lorry I ever drove. The following week I was given a Ford D-series artic and basic though they were, it was more satisfying to drive than the 80 and pulled better! Robert
adam277:
I’m surprised so many rate the MAN so poorly. I always found the cab larger then most and quite comfortable. Only bad thing for me was the autobox.
The simply baffling error codes they come out with every couple of hours or so make me chuckle… “Boss, I’ve got a 45-731F here, I can’t go on…”
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Whilst on the subject of bad trucks and the Scania 80,I think there was a firm from Essex called Hudson? who ran a lot of these Scania 80’s but the amazing thing about there Tilt trailers was they only had a ONE BEAM chassis,anyone remember these trailers.I presume it was something to do with the unladen weight?
Gardner6LYT:
Whilst on the subject of bad trucks and the Scania 80,I think there was a firm from Essex called Hudson? who ran a lot of these Scania 80’s but the amazing thing about there Tilt trailers was they only had a ONE BEAM chassis,anyone remember these trailers.I presume it was something to do with the unladen weight?
first instruction you got when given one was ‘you never u turn one of those’, the front wheels could buckle under the chassis and you ended up with a big repair bill from hudsons. i never liked puling them to be honest, it was hudsons own design and they were an early air suspension design.
very few could make the job pay on the chris hudson scania’s . used to spend to many hours/days waiting for a trailer in felixstowe .
tony
tonyj105:
Gardner6LYT:
Whilst on the subject of bad trucks and the Scania 80,I think there was a firm from Essex called Hudson? who ran a lot of these Scania 80’s but the amazing thing about there Tilt trailers was they only had a ONE BEAM chassis,anyone remember these trailers.I presume it was something to do with the unladen weight?first instruction you got when given one was ‘you never u turn one of those’, the front wheels could buckle under the chassis and you ended up with a big repair bill from hudsons. i never liked puling them to be honest, it was hudsons own design and they were an early air suspension design.
very few could make the job pay on the chris hudson scania’s . used to spend to many hours/days waiting for a trailer in felixstowe .
tony
Yes i remember those Chris Hudson monoframe tilts, one single centre chassis rail which the suspension pivoted out from (bit like the rear suspension on a Triumph Herald), turn it too tight and the wheels got closer together as the trailer raised and suspension pivoted upwards, fully loaded very easy to turn over on a U turn.
I’m surprised the Renault Premium hasn’t had a mention…talk about lack of storage space grrrrrrrr. Probably OK for a fleet motor but no bloody good for tramping.
And MAN getting a kicking?? Up until I jacked in driving 9 months ago I’d had a TGX for 4 years. I loved it. Loads of room inside.
And going back in time a bit, the old Merc SK series. ■■■■ me talk about gutless…I once got overtaken by a pushbike crawling up Jubilee Way 
Blunder Man:
ANY ERF especially if it had the bloody awful twin splitter, they should have driven them straight of the assembly line and set fire to them.
Just shows how we all differ. Drove an ERF with a twin splitter back in the 80’s and found it fine.Was it the truck or gearbox you did not like blunder man? Or maybe both. 
Gardner6LYT:
Whilst on the subject of bad trucks and the Scania 80,I think there was a firm from Essex called Hudson? who ran a lot of these Scania 80’s but the amazing thing about there Tilt trailers was they only had a ONE BEAM chassis,anyone remember these trailers.I presume it was something to do with the unladen weight?
Got any pics?
Lonewolf Yorks:
I’m surprised the Renault Premium hasn’t had a mention…talk about lack of storage space grrrrrrrr. Probably OK for a fleet motor but no bloody good for tramping.
Maybe that’s because most people didn’t have very high expectations from them, so weren’t disappointed when they got one, 
In fact most, including myself, quite liked them, but yes the storage space was a problem, especially if you were tramping in them.
Lonewolf Yorks:
I’m surprised the Renault Premium hasn’t had a mention…talk about lack of storage space grrrrrrrr. Probably OK for a fleet motor but no bloody good for tramping.And MAN getting a kicking?? Up until I jacked in driving 9 months ago I’d had a TGX for 4 years. I loved it. Loads of room inside.
And going back in time a bit, the old Merc SK series. [zb] me talk about gutless…I once got overtaken by a pushbike crawling up Jubilee Way
I think MAN get the kicking mainly because Arsetronic innit, if the disillusioned had taken the time to learn the ratios and adopt manual driving making use of the considerable low rev lugging ability of the engine (which arsetronic didn’t allow in auto) they would have found it to be a completely different beast, Traxon has made a big difference on the latest models though.
One small criticism, i’d like to see Traxon have the same multi task ability as the Scania box programming, ie where you can trigger changes manually but with the the box staying in full auto mode, best of both worlds.
Each to their own though, we all like or get used to different things, like you i found the recent MAN i had a decent enough vehicle which apart from the well reported cooling issues on the EGR engine was a good motor overall, comfortable reliable handled well economical and pulled well, and it didn’t apply the brake lights when using exhaust brake alone which sadly the new gen Scanias still do.
Juddian:
One small criticism, i’d like to see Traxon have the same multi task ability as the Scania box programming, ie where you can trigger changes manually but with the the box staying in full auto mode, best of both worlds.
Not sure what box the one I drive has fitted Juddian. It’s an 18 plate so I’d assume the latest incarnation tbh. I can keep it in full auto and intercede manually with the stalk if I feel the need to and it will revert back to auto after a couple of seconds. Similarly I could select manual if I so desired and it would stay in manual until I switched the ignition off.
To be fair to the box though I can say it is without doubt the best auto box I’ve ever driven (not tried the Volvo tbh) and I rarely intercede apart from perhaps when empty and accelerating and I’ll manually skip a gear or two as I so desire. The
Actros I last drove for three years was driven completely in manual except when on clear and free flowing major roads where I’d select auto to gain advantage of the eco roll feature.
the maoster:
Juddian:
One small criticism, i’d like to see Traxon have the same multi task ability as the Scania box programming, ie where you can trigger changes manually but with the the box staying in full auto mode, best of both worlds.Not sure what box the one I drive has fitted Juddian. It’s an 18 plate so I’d assume the latest incarnation tbh. I can keep it in full auto and intercede manually with the stalk if I feel the need to and it will revert back to auto after a couple of seconds. Similarly I could select manual if I so desired and it would stay in manual until I switched the ignition off.
To be fair to the box though I can say it is without doubt the best auto box I’ve ever driven (not tried the Volvo tbh) and I rarely intercede apart from perhaps when empty and accelerating and I’ll manually skip a gear or two as I so desire. The
Actros I last drove for three years was driven completely in manual except when on clear and free flowing major roads where I’d select auto to gain advantage of the eco roll feature.
Is gear switch on the dash or on the same console as hand brake ?
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the maoster:
Not sure what box the one I drive has fitted Juddian. It’s an 18 plate so I’d assume the latest incarnation tbh. I can keep it in full auto and intercede manually with the stalk if I feel the need to and it will revert back to auto after a couple of seconds. Similarly I could select manual if I so desired and it would stay in manual until I switched the ignition off.To be fair to the box though I can say it is without doubt the best auto box I’ve ever driven (not tried the Volvo tbh) and I rarely intercede apart from perhaps when empty and accelerating and I’ll manually skip a gear or two as I so desire. The
Actros I last drove for three years was driven completely in manual except when on clear and free flowing major roads where I’d select auto to gain advantage of the eco roll feature.
Assuming the gearbox switch is one the dash then almost certainly Traxon box the efficiency you describe Maoster (MAN won’t call it Traxon but if you look at the box you’ll probably find that very word cast in), like you i’m impressed and that small criticism of the delay in returning to full auto if you trigger a manual change whilst still in auto is the only annoyed finger i can point at it.
Scania will allow manual input but stays in full auto unless you press the button to change it into manual.
I’m pleased MAN have kept the driver choice of permanent manual mode, unlike DAF which reverts to bloody eco after a couple of mins whatever mode you select, a right PITA, i’m also pleased the driver can switch off the sodding eco roll ■■■■■■■■ on the menu so has the choice of standard cruise, that eco roll thing is ok on uncluttered roads (when you can find one) but its a bloody nuisance on crowded motorways when you find the vehicle’s lost up to 8kph approaching the brow of a hill and you’ve inadvertantly triggered yet another soddin elephant race 
…can’t turn the GPS controlled action of cruise off on new gen Scanny, one of the most annoying things i’ve discovered yet.
Dunno what these fancy new cruise controls are actually called, just give me the bloody constant speed i asked for already
Have you noticed you can’t turn off AEBS by the way Maoster?, not as i would cos leave yersen open to a dry shafting if summat goes pear shaped.
One thing i didn’t check, can you still turn off the fairy lights (DRLs), hope so.
Juddian:
Have you noticed you can’t turn off AEBS by the way Maoster?, not as i would cos leave yersen open to a dry shafting if summat goes pear shaped.One thing i didn’t check, can you still turn off the fairy lights (DRLs), hope so.
Blue estate the gearchange switch is as Juddian described on the dash, so it looks like it is one of the new boxes. Juddian i can actually turn the AEBS off but I’ve only done it on one occasion when it was ■■■■■■■ down with rain and I was stuck in a jam for an hour travelling no more than walking pace and it kept throwing up false positives and diving on the brakes even with 10 or 15 feet distance to the vehicle in front. Otherwise it stays on and lane departure goes off.
You can, and I indeed have disabled the DRL’s via the dash. One irksome point I have found is that on occasion when I’m on a bay and sat in the cab but with the keys handed in is that the radio only plays for around 10 minutes before switching off and you have to turn it on again for the next 10 minute session, whereas the Merc would stay on for one hours with the keys out.
the maoster:
Blue estate the gearchange switch is as Juddian described on the dash, so it looks like it is one of the new boxes. Juddian i can actually turn the AEBS off but I’ve only done it on one occasion when it was ■■■■■■■ down with rain and I was stuck in a jam for an hour travelling no more than walking pace and it kept throwing up false positives and diving on the brakes even with 10 or 15 feet distance to the vehicle in front. Otherwise it stays on and lane departure goes off.You can, and I indeed have disabled the DRL’s via the dash. One irksome point I have found is that on occasion when I’m on a bay and sat in the cab but with the keys handed in is that the radio only plays for around 10 minutes before switching off and you have to turn it on again for the next 10 minute session, whereas the Merc would stay on for one hours with the keys out.
Much obliged to me learned fiend, pleased the DRLs are driver controlled, and yes the Scanny switches the radio after a few mins too if the keys are out, though as we don’t ever have to hand our keys in at a delivery point that isn’t an issue for us.
Wasn’t aware the AEBS could be switched off on these new MANs, i’ll have a poke nose about just for the hell of it when i get to drive one again.
Despite the annoyance of the lane departure cobblers i don’t switch it off just in case, hopefully i’ll be retired before the next generations of MAN and Scania start interfering with the steering when lane departure tells it too, what could possibly go wrong one might wonder
One interesting thing Scanny does is that once you have put your digi card in, the radio comes up with all your personal presets and settings, now that is impressive 
Juddian:
One interesting thing Scanny does is that once you have put your digi card in, the radio comes up with all your personal presets and settings, now that is impressive
I agree, that is impressive. Especially given as my current steed comes with the epic DAB radio with 18 presets and it’s obviously a requirement for any night driver to delete them all before parking the vehicle up ready for me to get in it! 
mick palmer:
After having a fleet of Merc Actros 63 to 65 plate …rubbish gearbox ,ride , poor steering need I go on .
Was looking forward to a new fleet of DAF CF 450 ( International Truck of The Year 2018 …how bad were the others? )
I’m 5’7 in height ,average build and 13 stone but my right arm is right up against the door , I cannot feed the wheel thru my hands because of the stupid angle my arm has to be at to avoid the bloody door , the sun visors are hopeless ( wrong way round for RHD ? ) absolutely guttless …dropping gears on hills with an empty 13m fridge , it has 450 engine it should be flying up .
It seems to me that truck design is going backwards …its funny how lots have already said give me back the old truck I used to drive .
DAF CF ITOtY 2018 …oh dear oh dear as The Chuckle Brothers would say .
I’ve have a 68 plate XF SSC 480, which pulls like a 180, dangerously slow when fully freighted and the harder you try to make it go, the harder it fights back, woeful! But it’s very good when you are parked up!
Absolutely the worst ever…Ford D series and Bedford TK , a day cab DAF with a back to front crash box - although i am going back a bit…
The best have always been Scania and Volvo’s
I loved my TK but the low screen top gave me neck ache
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