Here is a nearly exact copy of the first truck I drove, way back in 1988. Notice, this is what we Americans refer to as a “single sleeper”. They don’t come any smaller than this:
Hmmm…just like any of the low roof cabs still running here today… 
north surrey haulage:
Oh god I wish I’d never looked at this thread now
Mal you need to calm down you’ll have another chest thunper if you get too excited
I know, sad aintr it Sean!
Cor, look at the width of that bunk. The only one that comes near that in width (that I know of), is the DAF XF.
The top bunk in a Scania Topline is pretty wide too, but the roof is too close to sit up in it.
Simon:
Cor, look at the width of that bunk. The only one that comes near that in width (that I know of), is the DAF XF.The top bunk in a Scania Topline is pretty wide too, but the roof is too close to sit up in it.
Stralis top bunk is pretty ■■■■ close…
Before I was driving legally, the bloke I used to help / hinder was quite forward thinking with motors. They had the same problem then as they do now to keep good drivers.
He was buying F86 and F88 Volvos, but he also got a 2200 Daf Drawbar and a 2600 artic, they were proper sleeper cabs in 1968/9
One bloke though asked for and got a new Leyland Mastiff with a V8, It was his pride and joy, and he slept in a home made bunk across the steering wheel and seat tops 
Wish I had taken some pics of them
My first sleeper was a Seddon with a Motor Panels cab (similar to a Big J ) & a 220 Roller engine The seats and engine cover were just about level and the curtains were the Daily Telegraph (much bigger and warmer than a tabloid) With this I was contracted to Merryfasters and usually spent all week running in and out of their various depots, Dover, Southampton, Felixstowe & Immingham to name a few.
I then had an A series ERF with a pidgeon coop stuck on the back and a 240 Gardner straight eight engine. With this I first went to Ireland and later on Germany and Holland. Parked up and doing customs at Venlo between a Volvo & Scania guess who’s truck would be photographed most. Altough Dusseldorf was my usual destination I did get down to Ulm and Munich in it once.
After a 9 year leave of absence I returned quite shocked to see my old truck still there (it’s there now) but ended up in a LHD ERF B series again with a straight eight but this time blown to a massive 300 hp (I think 20 of the horses were dead) This was a double bunk sleeper with enough room to stand upright in the passenger well Turning over in bed was a little difficult.
The A & B series trucks can be seen On my webpage along with a few other vehicles that I’ve called ‘home’.
A few memories after looking at all the posts,
Just come from the pub so in nostalgic mood.
Big Acky, 47mph up hill and down,
■■■■■■■■ and David Brown crash box,
Wipers on inlet manifold,slow and fast depending on revs,
Stuffing paper in air filter and lightiing it to start on cold mornings,
White smoke for ten minutes
No power steering
Foden eight wheeler two shunts to get round many a roundabout,
Sleeping on ropes and sheets,
Blankets on engine cover,having to move all to check oil level,
freezing cold in winter, red hot in summer,
Brakes crap, air assisted■■?
Ratchet handbrake
Rember the dead man
Maybe its not so bad after all
Pete
eting
Pete,
Stop it! Stop it! You’re making me weep. I remember all that but one thing you didn’t mention because you’re too young (so am I believe it or not) is the tales the ‘oldies’ told to me of everyone turning out of the transport digs before breakfast in the morning to start all the motors. A long piece of rope was employed then all hands put their backs into pulling the starting handles of each wagon in turn. Then everything was left ticking over whilst all tramped back into the warm for breakfast.
You can imagine the pall of smoke which lingered over that spot for most of the morning!
Is there anyone on here to actually remember this?
Also the woolly gloves, army great coats and pulled down flat hats used to survive those ‘luxurious’ cabs?
Salut, David.
Also the woolly gloves, army great coats and pulled down flat hats used to survive those ‘luxurious’ cabs?
Sorry driver, you cant come on site without a flat cap
I was in the Hollies the other day and it still looks like they cater for those old motors and rat infested rooms
Luxury? kids today don’t know they are born!
Ghinzani,
Nothing wrong with that mate, good kipping cab, just a little bit of packing on the seats and a nice flat bonnet!
Come on, put me out of my misery, it looks like an Atki except for the dash which smacks of Leyland. Maybe an earlier version than I am used to. The window with it’s little locking catch is Atki but if it is where is the electrics panel usually on the back of the cab?
I think some coach built Seddons had wrap around screens like that.
The screen’s not big enough for an Invincible, the bonnet too low and the dash not near posh enough.
All in all, my vote’s an Atki.
Well?
Salut, David.
That’s a KV ERF isn’t it?
ghinzani:
Correct - its an ERF, more pics here:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … highlight=
Yes, you can tell I was never a big ERF man. Just spotted it on your ebay thread. Do you remember the ones with the curved short bonnet out in front run mainly by Leonard Green in Sheffield? Their nickname was something sexist wasn’t it? Sabrina? Marilyn?
Salut, David.
Spardo:
ghinzani:
Correct - its an ERF, more pics here:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … highlight=Yes, you can tell I was never a big ERF man. Just spotted it on your ebay thread. Do you remember the ones with the curved short bonnet out in front run mainly by Leonard Green in Sheffield? Their nickname was something sexist wasn’t it? Sabrina? Marilyn?
Salut, David.
Yes that was a Sabrina - I think a few survive, theres some great pics in the late Pat Kennets excellent ERF book. Sabrina was a somewhat pneumatic 50s film starlet. Cant imagine anyone naming a truck a Jordan these days tho!
ghinzani:
Spardo:
ghinzani:
Correct - its an ERF, more pics here:
trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic. … highlight=Yes, you can tell I was never a big ERF man. Just spotted it on your ebay thread. Do you remember the ones with the curved short bonnet out in front run mainly by Leonard Green in Sheffield? Their nickname was something sexist wasn’t it? Sabrina? Marilyn?
Salut, David.Yes that was a Sabrina - I think a few survive, theres some great pics in the late Pat Kennets excellent ERF book. Sabrina was a somewhat pneumatic 50s film starlet. Cant imagine anyone naming a truck a Jordan these days tho!
A couple of Sabrinas from the ERF site
erf.com/News/Photogallery/Im … 27_lrg.jpg
erf.com/News/Photogallery/Im … 40_lrg.jpg
"ghinzani
A couple of Sabrinas from the ERF site
quote:
Thanks G, I’ll check them out tomorrow. One minute I like those Sabrinas the next I’m not so sure. Don’t suppose it made much difference to the drivers though - I bet there was still a lump sticking back into the cab.
BTW I’m old enough to remember Sabrina, sort of a rival to Diana Dors as GBs answer to Marilyn Monroe. Mind you none came close to BardotSalut, David.
Spardo:
"ghinzani
A couple of Sabrinas from the ERF site
quote:
Thanks G, I’ll check them out tomorrow. One minute I like those Sabrinas the next I’m not so sure. Don’t suppose it made much difference to the drivers though - I bet there was still a lump sticking back into the cab.
BTW I’m old enough to remember Sabrina, sort of a rival to Diana Dors as GBs answer to Marilyn Monroe. Mind you none came close to BardotSalut, David.
Found this - happy days indeed! sabrinastuff.com/main.htm
Apparently she suffers from a bad back nowadays… like thats a revelation!“Like two ERF’s fighting in a sack” - does it have the same ring to it?
Actually I’ve always been a big fan of the “like scammell wheel nuts” line…