They’re far from the best but as a startup owner driver you can’t necessarily have the best from day one. I am often away all week in my 52 plate premium and although it isn’t ideal I manage. There are lockers at the top at the front and storage under the bunk too.
As far as the ages you are looking at, an early 06 plate will still be a Renault underneath and also be Euro3 and so not suitable for London after early 2012. Anything late 06 onwards is a Volvo underneath and therefore Euro4 so better if you need to go into London. The slight downside is the Volvo based ones are, I’m told, about half a ton heavier than the Renault ones. On bulk work half a ton is a couple of thousand quid a year off your top line.
Just also like add that I’ve had a man auto again an 8 wheeler and I much prefer the the premiums auto gearbox over a man auto. The mans seem to get confused as to what gear to select when giving way at junctions and roundabouts. The model that I have also has a better retarder, When getting off the motorway and the sliproads about 200 meter long just move the retarder down 2 positions and she’ll slows you down great for the junction ahead. My only fault that I’ve got with the premium is you gotta watch you don’t turns the lights off when your operating the indicators, as the light switch is the twisty type and could do with being harder to twist to turn the lights on being on the end of the indicator stalk.
spoken to a few drivers who haul into the mill & all have been happy with theirs & they’re away all week , the only critisism is the outside lockers are only good for one pair of gloves at a time & the brakes dont seem to last & are being regularly relined ?
I’ve spent weeks out in both the old and new Renault Premium.
I worked for a company who run Premiums of all ages on on full weight work onto farms, into forrests and building sites. The trucks can take the punishment, although a few bit can be vunarable front bumper and steps. The interior is a bit fragile, but mostly it’s abuse from the drivers that causes the damage.
The new Renault Premium is a really nice truck to drive. Seats are comfortable, it’s a lot quieter the the old one, really does pull well and the auto gearbox is great, (Renaults version of Ishift I think). I’m 6ft and can stand up on the engine hump. There are a few cubby holes in the new ones to put pens and things and cup holders, can even get an underbunk fridge and a bit of underbunk storage.
However the outside lockers are dire although you have one each side now. I think the most I got was about 15 sets of straps in them. But no room for much else, one answer would be a locker box on the chassis if you have room. A mate of mine who’d been driving a Premium got a job driving an XF. He found the seat XF far less comfortable and the auto gearbox was far worse and I’m sure he said he couldn’t stand up in the XF, but he did like the bunk and the storage space.
It’s not a top of the range truck and then you aren’t paying top of the range money for it.
At the end of the day it’s a fleet truck, and people should remember that. If you want to compare a Renault against another make for space, then buy a Magnum.
The new version is in 460 bhp mode, so more than ample for the job when pulling. Yes the interior is too light, and prone to dirt, but other than that for a fleet truck, you’d be hard pushed to find better. The sound system is the best standard fit one on the market imo. That could be because the speakers are in the roof and pointing towards your lug holes, instead of some that fit them into the plastic dashboard which makes them sound tinny and vibrate. Coupled with the fact they’re probably cheaper to buy, and do the same job if your an o/d, then it’s a no brainer, and I’ve driven them from the 385 bhp variant up to the new 460 bhp and I have to say I’ve driven worse. A lot worse.
Incidentally.
The Volvo FE which is the rigid, is a Renault as I found out when I took one into Volvo about 18 months ago, and they said they didn’t have the part to repair it and would have to order it. I then asked if I should take it to Renault who would probably have the part in stock, and the clerk huffed and puffed and said that this is a Volvo, not a Renault, to which I replied, whatever…
Quinny:
At the end of the day it’s a fleet truck, and people should remember that. If you want to compare a Renault against another make for space, then buy a Magnum.
The new version is in 460 bhp mode, so more than ample for the job when pulling. Yes the interior is too light, and prone to dirt, but other than that for a fleet truck, you’d be hard pushed to find better. The sound system is the best standard fit one on the market imo. That could be because the speakers are in the roof and pointing towards your lug holes, instead of some that fit them into the plastic dashboard which makes them sound tinny and vibrate. Coupled with the fact they’re probably cheaper to buy, and do the same job if your an o/d, then it’s a no brainer, and I’ve driven them from the 385 bhp variant up to the new 460 bhp and I have to say I’ve driven worse. A lot worse.
As mentioned above in posts ive knocked the lights off when indicating,it has a low front and has been known to catch the front splitter on high kerbs but we run 8 older models and the odd bumper and step gets replaced now and again too,i got a large storage box put onto the chassis of mine to hold straps etc,but overall i rate it over a Daf and if i was starting out on my own id buy one,same as a volvo only cheeoer!
I had a 07 plater, then I had a brand new 11 plate in March. We have a lot of Premiums in the fleet and the others are Volvo FMs. I did a week in an FM and I was glad to be back in my own. Yes the front bumpers and steps are prone to cracking (one new bumper so far and cracks in both steps, but the concrate post did not help ).
Me personally, i’d get another XF DAF, from 07 onwards they dropped the engine hump down creating more room. The premiums are narrow cabbed so that limits storage, and the one i had on demo a few years ago, (so this might not be so for the newer model) never had much dash space for accessories like the Dafs,
ie; your t.v at night… But thats just me.
ps, it wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, but that was before volvo sorted them out.
I’ve a 60 plate 460, and I’ve been suprisingly impressed by it.
There is enough room in it to be out all week, althoughmore outside storage would be nice.
The beige interior marks easily, and the dash never seems to look really clean, no matter how hard I try, but our yard is a dust bowl and the motor is double shifted which doesn’t help.
At six foot I have no trouble standing on the engine hump, nor do I struggle to ■■■■■■ an hours kip on the bunk when delayed.
But the biggest plus is the fact that on 44 ton curtainside multidrop work, I’m getting an average of 9.3 mpg out of the thing, and even on local shunts we’re still seeing high eights out of them.
Nothing else on the firm, Scania, Volvo or Mercedes gets close on fuel, and from a business point of view thats vital.
gunnerheskey:
ie; your t.v at night… But thats just me.
ps, it wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, but that was before volvo sorted them out.
They have had a shelf above the windscreen on the passenger side for about 4 years now, where you can put your tv/microwave etc, and the last of the Renault engined ones, the 420 dci, kept up with most 420’s of the day. Or at least mine did.
BiggerBirdie:
But the biggest plus is the fact that on 44 ton curtainside multidrop work, I’m getting an average of 9.3 mpg out of the thing, and even on local shunts we’re still seeing high eights out of them.
Nothing else on the firm, Scania, Volvo or Mercedes gets close on fuel, and from a business point of view thats vital.
It is, and let’s be honest, if you were an o/d with a Megatrotterspacecab, you would be wanting your motor to do those sort of figures on top weight work.
When Renault brought out the new 420 dci like the one I used to drive, they guaranteed the fuel consumption at 10mpg, as they were that confident that the truck would achieve it. However, there were conditions attached as you would expect, and as we at the time were running 16’“2” double decks, then naturally they were excluded, but normal run of the mill size trailer operations weren’t, and that is probably the reason why so many companies bought them, which has probably continued today.
I think the ney sayers are probably the ones who have not tried the new generation Premium, and have probably got experiences of the old variant, but I think they’d be surprised, and I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at a one, having driven the latest type.
BiggerBirdie:
But the biggest plus is the fact that on 44 ton curtainside multidrop work, I’m getting an average of 9.3 mpg out of the thing,
I have gotten 9.6mpg out of mine over the first 60,000kms. The Volvo FM (lighter unit) are only getting 8.5mpg.
Paul
renault 420s are ok but they dont like hills i used to do a run from purfleet to limstead kinghills i was carring hot tar in container 20 footer she did not like hills it was fully kitted out pto compressor she is still running 52 plate ta
BiggerBirdie:
But the biggest plus is the fact that on 44 ton curtainside multidrop work, I’m getting an average of 9.3 mpg out of the thing, and even on local shunts we’re still seeing high eights out of them.
Nothing else on the firm, Scania, Volvo or Mercedes gets close on fuel, and from a business point of view thats vital.
It is, and let’s be honest, if you were an o/d with a Megatrotterspacecab, you would be wanting your motor to do those sort of figures on top weight work.
When Renault brought out the new 420 dci like the one I used to drive, they guaranteed the fuel consumption at 10mpg, as they were that confident that the truck would achieve it. However, there were conditions attached as you would expect, and as we at the time were running 16’“2” double decks, then naturally they were excluded, but normal run of the mill size trailer operations weren’t, and that is probably the reason why so many companies bought them, which has probably continued today.
Ken.
I seem to recall that it was you Kenneth that told us all that this was only possible because they weren’t actually putting out 420hp . As you know, I’ve driven my fair share of them and had one permanently when I was doing boxes and the 420s are “lethargic” to say the least. A 420 FH12 would wipe the floor with them. Admittedly I’ve not driven the later versions and with Volvo running gear they probably drive quite nice now, but I believe the Privilege cab is the same layout as the older versions except for a different colour and some new shaped buttons.
Rob K: I seem to recall that it was you Kenneth that told us all that this was only possible because they weren’t actually putting out 420hp
Ours had allegedly been down rated to 380bhp, a figure we could never prove, so I can’t speak for other operators who were running them at the time, but knowing the company I worked for, as they were that tight, it wouldn’t have been beyond the realms of possibility for them to insist that they were turned down.
BiggerBirdie:
But the biggest plus is the fact that on 44 ton curtainside multidrop work, I’m getting an average of 9.3 mpg out of the thing, and even on local shunts we’re still seeing high eights out of them.
Nothing else on the firm, Scania, Volvo or Mercedes gets close on fuel, and from a business point of view thats vital.
It is, and let’s be honest, if you were an o/d with a Megatrotterspacecab, you would be wanting your motor to do those sort of figures on top weight work.
When Renault brought out the new 420 dci like the one I used to drive, they guaranteed the fuel consumption at 10mpg, as they were that confident that the truck would achieve it. However, there were conditions attached as you would expect, and as we at the time were running 16’“2” double decks, then naturally they were excluded, but normal run of the mill size trailer operations weren’t, and that is probably the reason why so many companies bought them, which has probably continued today.
I think the ney sayers are probably the ones who have not tried the new generation Premium, and have probably got experiences of the old variant, but I think they’d be surprised, and I certainly wouldn’t turn my nose up at a one, having driven the latest type.
Ken.
Ken
We have a couple of vacancies for salesmen at the moment - Foward your C.V to Renault Trucks South (Reading) please - We need people like you
We have a couple of vacancies for salesmen at the moment - Foward your C.V to Renault Trucks South (Reading) please - We need people like you
Cheers
Steve
Is that a Rawlings motor in your avatar mate? Do you know what they are like to work for, I applied for job with them last year when I was out of work but didn’t hear anything back.
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