Truck manufacturers mistakes

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
81

Sidevalve:

Trev_H:

claretmatt:
Interesting no-one’s got a bad word to say about Volvo :slight_smile:

I only had 2 minor niggles with the FH, the seat padding was a bit thin, which might be because I’m a big guy :open_mouth: or it was a fleet spec truck ?
The other was that the mirrors were one hell of a blind spot, other than that it was ok.
Top marks for the exhaust brake and the I shift box.

Agree with the mirrors, I’ve had more than one near miss because of that blind spot; I find the seats good. Inside the FM flat-top cab which I generally have , the biggest annoyance was with tacho placement; the new ones (post 2002) lost the two most useful overhead lockers, never understood why they couldn’t have put the digi in the dashboard instead of wasting all that space. The cup holders have progressively gone downhill too; the original ones were excellent,although I daresay expensive to make, the later ones flimsy but useable but they did make the dash rattle; the latest design is simply bloody useless, hit the slightest bump and yer brew goes flying.

That apart, I like the FM; we’ve got a day-cab Renault as well and whilst the driveline’s great the cab is absolutely pants. Confusing switchgear, hate the lights on the indicator stalk, and for every day I drive it i get two days worth of backache. I’m praying my long-awaited new motor’s a Volvo!

Interesting you should find the backache problen on the Renault, sidevalve. For the last two years of my working life I had the pleasure (!) of driving a Premuim after my old Eurotach finally succombed to the rot. I had an aching back for two years! No matter how I tried to adjust the seat and steering wheel I just could not find a comfortable position. The driveline was as reliable as anything else we ran and the fuel consumption was decent but I just wish that those bl**dy Frogs had either learnt how to build a cab or left it alone altogether and imported someone else’s.

82

dew:

mazzer:
In the latest Scania nightheater feeder pipe doesn’t go to bottom of the diesel tank, hit the red and you’re in for a cold night!!! :cry:

Common sense actually, last thing you want is for it to run out of fuel because you’ve had the heater on all night!

aye fair one but on the twin axle twin tank version you’ve roughly 300 litres left when it hits the red it’s a night heater not a jet engine

83

COOKiEEES!!:
Although I like the DAF CF, there are 2 things that really ■■■■ me off…

Access to the dipstick for a manual oil check being somewhere that you actually need to tilt the bloody cab just to do it.
Partition on side window which obfuscates a good clear 100% view of o/s mirror.

This can be sorted by changing the position of the arm, then use a torx driver to correct the angle of the mirrors.

84

mazzer:

dew:

mazzer:
In the latest Scania nightheater feeder pipe doesn’t go to bottom of the diesel tank, hit the red and you’re in for a cold night!!! :cry:

Common sense actually, last thing you want is for it to run out of fuel because you’ve had the heater on all night!

aye fair one but on the twin axle twin tank version you’ve roughly 300 litres left when it hits the red it’s a night heater not a jet engine

:slight_smile: :slight_smile:
Also, who brims their tanks with 900 quids worth of diesel then parks up for the night!!

85

Not sure if it’s a mistake but my CF will go out of the green band above 50mph. It’s an 02 reg, 310bhp with 8spd (4 over 4). We do mostly local, s/c work so perhaps it was specced for this? They’ve got an 09reg CF 8w aswell, same gearbox but with the 360bhp motor.

86

Muckaway:
Not sure if it’s a mistake but my CF will go out of the green band above 50mph. It’s an 02 reg, 310bhp with 8spd (4 over 4). We do mostly local, s/c work so perhaps it was specced for this? They’ve got an 09reg CF 8w aswell, same gearbox but with the 360bhp motor.

Biggest mistake with yours is the axle it’s missing to be a proper tipper! :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :laughing:

87

mazzer:

dew:

mazzer:
In the latest Scania nightheater feeder pipe doesn’t go to bottom of the diesel tank, hit the red and you’re in for a cold night!!! :cry:

Common sense actually, last thing you want is for it to run out of fuel because you’ve had the heater on all night!

aye fair one but on the twin axle twin tank version you’ve roughly 300 litres left when it hits the red it’s a night heater not a jet engine

Our 8 wheeler carries 300 litres full stop, let alone on the red!

I still think the point is right that the heater shouldn’t be able to run the tank out, it’s just the exact quantites that are up for debate!

88

headlight switch placement on a Scania. If you are driving on cc with your feet up on the dash its too easy to turn the lights on or off with your heel :laughing: . Also if the seat is reclined right back you cant reach the e/window switch.

89

triple-tango:
Also if the seat is reclined right back you cant reach the e/window switch.

Thats a problem with the design of your arm, not the truck.

90

dew:

Muckaway:
Not sure if it’s a mistake but my CF will go out of the green band above 50mph. It’s an 02 reg, 310bhp with 8spd (4 over 4). We do mostly local, s/c work so perhaps it was specced for this? They’ve got an 09reg CF 8w aswell, same gearbox but with the 360bhp motor.

Biggest mistake with yours is the axle it’s missing to be a proper tipper! :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: :laughing:

Not having that extra axle’s kept me busy though! Having a muckaway body made of aluminium is “interesting” but at least with a payload between 16-16.5t it’s nigh on impossible to overload with most material (it has a weighloader too mind).
Why do Daf chassis creak so much though?

91

If I’m gonna be pedantic,DAF CF freezing in the passenger footwell with night heater on.

92

All we want is a SIMPLE to use radio and not be a NASA engineer to programme it with all its silly and usless buttons and switches, the same for night heater timers when the instruction manual is missing.On and off is all we want.

93

ThrustMaster:
Nobody listens to drivers.

+1

94

Putting fancy electrics in tippers; What works fine on motorways will probably get fed up being bounced around off road, and being covered in dirty water from wheelwashes.

95

Interesting post. I have to say that I have driven most of the recent (and one or two not so recent) makes of truck…

They all have good and bad points. But overall, none are as comfortable or well thought out as my car is…!!

WTF is that about!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

96

on the DAF the light switch hidden under the steering wheel which kills all interior lights

97

There are many mistakes which are common in truck manufacturing. First one is the frame design which is against the traffic rules in many trucks. Mirrors, seats and gear are also not in true position by many old designers.

98

focusdiy:
on the DAF the light switch hidden under the steering wheel which kills all interior lights

Yes, I’ve got in many mornings to find defect notes from hired drivers saying " no interior lights" on the Dafs , it’s always that switch :laughing: :laughing: , no idea why its fitted ?

99

Tuppence worth…
R series Scania, everything good about the 4 series,they ditched!! Crap bed and back breaking seat. And that godawful opticruise. Great visibility and traction though

Volvo FH, lot of niggly things spoil a good lorry, my main gripes were lack of traction and poky cab, rough ride ( but to be fair that’s the road’s fault) O/S mirror huge blindspot

Daf 105. Just got a new one…
1/4 windows, what’s that all about? It’s 2012 not 1972

N/S mirror/ pillar massive blind spot

Open the door or the window in the rain and you get a free shower

Cruise control buttons on the steering wheel, very easy to hit them accidentally, which is cool if you’re crawling in traffic and all if a sudden the nose lifts and your off like Schumacher, happened to me more than once…

No dipstick, and the dash display doesn’t work in the mornings, handy that!

Dummy spot lamps in the bumpers, but wired up, I know it’s some daft Dutch law but this is Britain, where incidentally my truck was built…

Radio… We’ll say no more about that, mine was replaced within a week with a decent 1 along with the speakers.

Blinds, front one leaves a gap at the sides, passenger one should be electric

Drivers seat very basic compared to scania/Volvo/merc etc

I have factory daf fridge, and its nearly impossible to slide back in, 2 hands required…

Had a little squint at the new actros demo, looks great from the outside, not so taken with interior, and side lockers designed for Hightower…, I’d need a stepladder, and I’m nearly 6’

Nobody’s built a perfect lorry yet, but they’re running out of excuses by now surely, just give us a Scania V8 driveline with an Actros cab exterior with a XF bunk, comfortable seats and decent cupboard space

Are you listening mr lorry maker? Lol

100

Bking:
Oh you poor poor darlings However do you he man truckers cope!!! For cryin out loud
Try workin on the bags of crap.

No rubbish bin,leaning over to reach a switch,water off the roof gimme a break FFS.

If you’re a “technician” you’ll detest lorry drivers, so what you doing on here?

I do both, and I never fail to be annoyed by the way I’m treated by everyone in main dealers, never judge everyone just because they’re a driver, some if us do actually have a brain, and can do other things too :laughing: