Jump to content

New 2008 Army Wrecker


Recommended Posts

The Man 8X8 has been around a while in various forms with various forces and is available (for a price) on the used market.

I'm sure the spec has been updated, but talking a few years ago, to an owner at a show at Weston Park, the towing spec was something like 100 tonnes and 50tonnes on the winch, for tank recovery.

Looking over the vehicle I was very surprised to find it coil sprung all round. Unusual at the time for a heavy haul vehicle.

 

http://www.leavesley-international.co.uk/images/Products/MAN/Wrecker8x8/MAN%208x8%20Wrecker.pdf

Edited by Stormin
added link to used supplier spec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without getting into the nefarious realms of the "P" word - We COULD build something like that, probably better.

 

What we don't have any more are the companies to be able to do it as they were nationalised by one mob then sold overseas to Foreign companies by another. And unfortunately UK employment laws make it easy for these Foreign companies to get rid of the UK side of things when times get sticky. Been on the receiving end of this myself.

Compound this with a mob who think the sun shines out of Europes behind and a Defense mob who buy the cheapest kit going wherever possible

 

If the likes of Scammell, Bedfiord, AEC etc. still existed and could rely on Gov't funding for MoD projects I believe the products would be far superior to whats in current use.,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you've skirted neatly round the politics ban because procurement, privatisation and all that gubbins has been royally cocked up whether the front door is painted red or blue and you've just about covered it. I am guilty for the initial notion anyway, so my moderators profit share will have sunk a few sheckles this week..... I suppose we should just hope that Our Boys and Girls get the best kit, regardless of nationality, and not make do and mend.....

 

MB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A British made heavy recovery vehicle equal in size and capacity to the MAN, was being trialled, as far back as 1992. It was made by Unipower, a company that took over where Scammell left off. There is a bridging version of their truck in service and it was intended at the time to procure a family of vehicle for different roles base on this Unipower. As is so often seen, it was dropped :-(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, Richard, I followed those Unipower trucks closely, and thought the range would secure their future and at the same time provide the forces with really good wheels.

 

But I guess it is all down to comonality of components on the battlefield, hence MAN and Stewart & Stevenson (US) trucks - British industry has to take a back seat!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From personal experience I find MAN vorsprung unreliably overcomplicated.

 

 

Tony,

 

That is the same with most trucks, etc. everything nowadays. I recently had to move an in-service Mowag Piranha APC, and it defied all logic when you got into it. Even the Foden EKA recovery used at present has quite a complex electro-hydraulic layout for the recovery equipment and that is nearly 20 years old now. :???

 

Gone are the days of fixing by the roadside with get-you-home methods, if the "logic gizmo, or whatever" has gone down then that is the end of it :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Better question might have been what if some nutter lets off a Nuke - irrespective of size as even if the vehicle is far enough away not to be affected by the temp and blast the EMP wave will fry the computer!!

 

 

When the Leyland DROPS trucks were first introduced, I was sent to SEME on a 3 week workshop course. One week alone was dedicated to the fault finding and repairs of the ZF auto transmission. The electronic box controlling it was in a nuclear proof box in the cab, so that the gearbox would be unaffected by EMP waves. My question was what about the rest of the vehicle and crew?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
The MAN bit may be German, but the recovery equipment is designed and built by a BRITISH company, EKA.

This is the third generation of recovery vehicles EKA have supplied to the British Army-Scammell, Foden and now MAN.

 

 

EKA was a Swedish company, the first one of their recovery units used by British Army was a Volvo 4x2 in Berlin. The Foden had both Atlas and EKA equipment, Atlas being a German parent company. From experience, most of the components were made in Europe.

 

Good equipment though :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...
Knowing a bit about the MAN trucks now in-service, the feedback from the lads using the Recovery variant is that its a pretty good truck and a massive improvement on the Foden.

 

Do you happen to know the cost of one, I believe we have aquired 280 or so of them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...