Have any of you drivers driven the new Scania with the grey bonnet? I would love to hear any reports on this motor. A new one in Corby Chilled livery passed me this morning on the M60, I slowed down to let him past so I could give it the once over… looks fab. Why do a lot of operators leave the bonnet the factory grey colour, there must be a reason?
Would love to know whether the improvements have impressed the guys driving them compared to the 4 series…
Currently Driving MAN TGA
Would love a new Scania!
CM:
The Grille is made froma GRP material that unless its coloured at manufacture will not accept paint without a lot of expensive preparation.
Down to a price as usual.
the paint cannot be that good cm m8, ive seen two or three with the paint coming off already, looks awfull,
Yes Terry not surprising! The colour coded ones have the colour all the way through the GRP they are made of, whereas if you paint onto GRP, which is plastic then the paint does not stick, and I agree once it starts to peel it looks terrible.
CM:
The Grille is made froma GRP material that unless its coloured at manufacture will not accept paint without a lot of expensive preparation.
Down to a price as usual.
the paint cannot be that good cm m8, ive seen two or three with the paint coming off already, looks awfull,
Yes Terry not surprising! The colour coded ones have the colour all the way through the GRP they are made of, whereas if you paint onto GRP, which is plastic then the paint does not stick, and I agree once it starts to peel it looks terrible.
I suppose the benifits are, if you ahem scratch it , you can get a fairly abrasive polish and polish the scratch out. Works for grp motorcycles anyway .
Whats wrong with the MAN TGA your driving now Wet Milk
i think another reason why some of the grills are left in grey because its an extra to get them painted in the colours.
CM:
The Grille is made froma GRP material that unless its coloured at manufacture will not accept paint without a lot of expensive preparation.
Down to a price as usual.
is that the same on the daf xf cos they never get painted. i think the trucks look better without them painting.
Jess’s Dad I would think that they are all made in the same factory like most automotive components regardless of which make and model they get fitted to.
Very true, CM…I used to drive forklift for a firm who made air filters etc. for cars…we produced stuff for Ford, Rover (although that was winding down thanks to rouble at Longbridge…and that was 7 yeasr ago… …sorry, I digress), Nissan, Honda, and a couple more.
We also made the Unipart versions…on the same production cells as the “real thing”…using the same parts, just moulded with a different number on…out of the same plastic…etc. Don’t ever fall for the “branded is best” thing…
the following was from a driver that recently took our new r series 420 opticruise out to germany and back.
Initial impressions good, but after a short drive had terrible back ache due to inadequate seat adjustment. Also, found it difficult for feet to find a comfortable spot. Sometimes found not enough to do, particularly for right hand, but great in slow moving traffic.
Struggled with the bunk set up on first night and got it a bit wrong, resulting in a restless night. After a couple of days settled into it.
Found the lower bunk good to use as a sofa when waiting to load during the day with controls handy and good view out. Folding zip-off cushion behind drivers seat awkward and possibly unnecessary.
An ‘Air duster gun’ is essential to keep switches on the dash and steering wheel free of dust.
By the end of the week I found the vehicle was quite pleasant attracting many looks from other drivers.
Bad Points
Seats sit in recess - dirt collects in recess
Smoke alarm badly positioned behind side sun visor
No folding cab access steps
Under-seat storage poor - 2 series pullout draws preferred
No removable door bin
Really bad place for ignition key … no knee room (knee hit key fob several times, activating buttons)
Magnetic catch on pouch inside clipboard zapped magnetic strip on fuel card!
Accelerator pedal too big/long and has sharp edges underneath - top of shoes scratched
Floor angles in near clutch pedal — (toe in!)
Not able to see opticruise control column with steering wheel straight
Wiper control vague (and difficult to see with steering wheel straight)
Mpg and turbo press not displayed together
Info and cruise control buttons on steering wheel need swapping (to disengage CC from right edge with right thumb)
No recess for mobile phone
Not enough rear adjustment on upper seat back!!!
Top bunk too narrow and too high. Ladder too steep, difficult to deploy, unstable and strains mounting when used.
No intermediate position for top bunk
Internal door release handle could be repositioned towards rear of door and operated while holding door in case of strong winds. (Perhaps this is deliberate for health & safety?)
What I would like
Adjustable width beds (with zip-off cushions) for choice between top and bottom — one front (above) one rear (below).
Specific ‘head’ end for beds — (would require lateral cab levelling control)
Lateral cab levelling control
Spare change holder
Pen holder
Central switch to lock/unlock pass door and/or drivers door
Easier access to in cab compressed air supply point
Internal cab temp gage
Daily driving timer
Auto headlights
Electric blind for roof hatch
Ventilated seat base (or leather)
Brake lights not to activate with descent hold
Drivers left armrest with opticruise
Good Points
Night heater control on dash
Folder in slot
Display and changeable units
Windscreen washers
CD player and speakers
Interior lighting
Elbow pads on doors
Fog/spot light switches
Mirror controls
Curtain hooks, rail and ties
Mossy net on roof hatch
Smoke alarm
Steering wheel
Bottle holder
alix776:
with the ignition off press the unlock on the fob twice quickly and it should unlock the passenger door
but what if you pull up to pick up someone from the kerbside, you then have to switch off the engine just to open the door, it’s not difficult just to put a switch on the drivers side that will unlock the passenger door even when the vehicle is in motion.
i also like the light checking sequence except that it also sounds the reversing buzzer but i can’t see the point of the panic button on the dashboard, a lot of drivers will never see a instruction manual and the button doesn’t really say what it does, all it will take is a driver holding the button in to set off the panic alarm then they won’t know how to turn it off.
you dont have to turn off the engine to unlock the passenger door with the keyfob, if you dont like the reverse beeper going off with the light test turn it off? i thought the bottom bunk set up was fiddly when i first got mine but not anymore, i leave passenger side set up & only takes ten seconds to do drivers side, never slept on top bunk, though i keep reminding myself to try, lol, i have opticruise & yes an armrest would be nice, i dont know how they could make it any easier to fit a duster gun, its there right under the handbrake? i have a fridge freezer in mine & its a proper freezer! all in all i am very pleased with my r series, maybe my one & only gripe is that when you have both seats forward with the bottom bunk set out its a pain to get out of the truck, but hey, i can live with that! storage is excellent, much better than the 4 series, i have an outside locker both sides which is a great benefit
i know the air is just under the handbrake but the pull out cover requires either long finger nails or a small pick of some sort to pull it out.
someone asked about what people think of the new r series and now you come back as if i’ve insulted your manhood.
scania could have done much better, once again they have failed to provide drivers with an easy to operate living area and rest place.
you will see that scania will change the new r series as time goes by thus rectifying the mistakes they have made.
it’s already started with the storage cupboards on the top at the front, the first r series trucks did not have the lower panel but had a shelf and things kept falling off.
the first r series did not display the cruise control speed setting on the dash or the hill hold speed setting but it does now.
you have an outside locker on both sides, that should be standard but it isn’t, it is an option that has to be specced on ordering.
still no flat surface to watch a television on, the fuse box top is too close to the passenger seat and folding over the drivers seat to make a table requires the driver/viewer to be sitting at an angle to the tv or sitting with their back against the door pillar, both extremely uncomfortable positions.
i like scania’s and would not swap for another truck on the market if given the choice but they have failed to address the problems of the old 4 series to suit everyone’s taste, i prefer the folding steps because they look better and they secure the washer bottle top from theft.
what scania should have done was put some of the testers out in the trucks at night for a week or so, perhaps then they may have a near perfectly finished truck for drivers.
i dont consider that ive been insulted, i was just giving my opinion based on my experience since i got my truck in november, i agree that theres some niggly faults that could be improved but then again the 100% perfect vehicle hasnt been designed yet
scratch it 
, you can get a fairly abrasive polish and polish the scratch out. Works for grp motorcycles anyway 
.
