I had my present motor a 56 plate fh13 520 for five years now.
Apart from a few problems with the wiring she has been spot on.
Thing is,I can’t decide what to get next.
I don’t buy new these days,so I reckon on spending no more that £50k.
Trouble is after being cramped up in my globetrotter XL i have it in mind to buy an actros mega space.
I’ve seen a few rated at 440 bhp for sale,anyone got an opinion on these?
Is it worth getting one fettled? As 520 bhp does make the job easy.
My last motor was a DAF super space which was a cracking truck, but it keep hearing so much that is negative about the DAF that I’m put off them.
What should I do?
Being an owner driver any truck you buy will probably last and perform better than one driven by an employed driver , so do not listen to the badge snobs !!! , if I had the choice I would have something which was uncomplicated manual gearbox etc and a good aftercare service just in case !!! [ go for DAF ].
The DAF’s are a good motor, I have been driving an XF for a while now, the only things I notice are that it blows lots of bulbs for some reason, earlier one had to have the cab mounts changed but this one has air all round and no such problems, manual box which is a delight but I could live with the auto, much more comfy than the Merc, I had one on hire a while back and it was like driving Fred Flintstones car compared to this. A real pleasure to climb back into the DAF.
Choice is yours and as you have to spend so much time in it you need to get it right, try a few before writing the cheque.
Have they sorted out the bottom bunk on the Actros yet? I found the first series Actros 420 faultless. Reliable,good on hills,first class brakes,good on juice. Only fault & it used to be a terrible blind spot on the front NS cab,& the silly shape bunk.
harry:
Have they sorted out the bottom bunk on the Actros yet? I found the first series Actros 420 faultless. Reliable,good on hills,first class brakes,good on juice. Only fault & it used to be a terrible blind spot on the front NS cab,& the silly shape bunk.
Yes,I agree with you about the first incarnation,the bunk was pathetic.
I had a version 2 on demo a few years ago,to be honest I didn’t want to give it back.
They’ve come along way since the ‘Revenge’ models.
The most powerful mp3 Actros v6 is a 480,considerably less grunt than a 520 volvo. You can get them remapped but they are still lazy and like to rev a bit harder to pull well this is not the way the auto box is programmed so you need to use manual a lot. An mp4 would be nice seriously good fuel returns and an armchair on wheels. 
Inknow someone running 460 &480 actros
The 480 he says got bit more grunt not much but much worse on fuel
He reccomends the 460 all day long and the 450 on the new ones
He only had 2 480 and 6/7 460’s
ellies dad:
The most powerful mp3 Actros v6 is a 480,considerably less grunt than a 520 volvo. You can get them remapped but they are still lazy and like to rev a bit harder to pull well this is not the way the auto box is programmed so you need to use manual a lot. An mp4 would be nice seriously good fuel returns and an armchair on wheels.
Yes, that mp4 is looking like a good bet for fuel and they do look the dogs.
The problem for me is the price.
An Ex demo mp4 will set me back over £70k.
I don’t know,I would really like a DAF again,but some of the things I’ve been hearing recently makes me nervous of spending 40 or 50 thousand on one.
Hi
I run 29 DAF XF’s plus a couple of MAN’s and 18 Renault Premiums and 2 new Renault T Ranges.
Had everything over the years including 7 ‘11’ reg Volvo FH13 520’s until recently.
DAF are undoubtedly the truck for me all things considered - reasonable to buy, good on fuel, Super Space has a strong residual (space cab not far behind), reliable as hell, parts prices not the worse and drivers love them.
The Euro 5’s have been available for reasonable money but trying to find a used one with low k’s in like trying to find rocking horse ■■■ - Euro 6 a lot more dosh.
£50K should buy around an ‘11’ reg SSC, but there ain’t many around.
ROADRANGER:
I had my present motor a 56 plate fh13 520 for five years now.
Apart from a few problems with the wiring she has been spot on.What should I do?
Keep it?
chaversdad:
ROADRANGER:
I had my present motor a 56 plate fh13 520 for five years now.
Apart from a few problems with the wiring she has been spot on.What should I do?
Keep it?
+1
D G Taylor has a nice 61 plate 510 ssc with low km,s on it, reckon it’s ex munfords, it’s under 50k… I would of thought it would be main dealer serviced and genuine…
Lrm
Thank you all for the advise.
Keeping the truck is one option that’s for sure, but, she’s a 56 plate with 730000km on the clock.
There comes a time when you start to think that you have had a good run with a truck,and that’s how I’m feeling now.
I just come off the phone from a mate who recently bought himself a nine plate xf 105 with 500000km on the clock.
It’s been dealer maintained from new,he’s had it about three months and he cannot stop spending on it.
He has spent over £5k already and after the last service has been told it’s going to cost a further £1100!
I used to run a mixed fleet a few years ago,( DAF VOLVO SCANIA) and I found the DAFs to be on par with the other two.
I purchased all the DAFs new but the first one was an S plate and the last one a 51 plate.
Has something changed with the DAF?
VOLVO make a good truck no doubt,and I should have no hesitation in replacing this with another,but,I have never got used to the bone shaking ride.
Personally I wouldn’t get in a DAF without expecting something to go wrong at that sort of mileage.
Volvo on the other hand is as you’ve experienced a reliable motor with few niggles.
Scania in my opinion is over priced and has nothing to back up the extra price tag at that age.
The Actros offers a brilliant cab, good fuel numbers and a fair reliability.
My choice would be between Volvo and Mercedes with a slight preference to the Volvo but that’s mainly because I’m happy in a Volvo currently.
Have you considered a MAN or a Renault or do you have a bit of badge snobbery? One of my old places used to run renault’s and regularly maintained, never let us down. The MAN xxl is a massive cab with a decent bunk and plenty of power. The only thing that let’s it down is the auto box.
I`d stick with Volvo, plenty of life left in her yet, I bought an FH12 460 last year @ 800k [one owner/FSH], still going strong, very little hassle with it, if yours is now paid for, time to relax and enjoy the dosh it owes you…
And, just think about having to build up relationships with new suppliers, you have 5 years worth of “knowledge” regarding your local dealer, that takes some beating IMO… [that`s if you use your local Volvo dealer]
The last time i had any dealings with my local Merc dealership, the experience was`nt for the feint hearted 
I would bare in mind the difference you have to make up towards the cost of your replacement truck. Having a Volvo to trade in against a DAF or MAN and so on, you’ll get more for your money, possibly. If you don’t get on with it and you look to trade it back in for a Volvo or the other Swede you will provably have a bigger shortfall to make up. I would tend to stick with your current marque.
That’s a fair point about the local dealer. Out local merc dealer are ■■■■ poor. We’ve had loads of work off them at my garage, they quite mental prices for work that’s not needed and mugs pay it.
Not sure if I can out their name up so I won’t.
Or…
Scania in hull/Grimsby have some V8 560,s, new and registered, euro 5, ready to go cancelled ordered bargains at only £104k, go on, you know you want too…
Them volvos an dafs are for hairdressers…