petop

The "Canada Problem" was known about at start of SV deployment to BATUS. I say Canada Problem as its not just the tyres but the clay/mud you get in BATUS. We didnt have any dramas during trials of SV until we got them out to Canada. THe tyres on all except the SV® are of a different type and profile. Not going into detail but we wanted the SV® tyres on the fleet wide. I have just come back from a 7 month tour of Afghanistan and all the SV fleet is performing well, SV® more so. I have seen SV's being brought back after IED strikes and the truck is wrecked to say the least and the guys inside have survived. Dont listen to stories about electrical gremlins!

Yes we are.

I saw those exact vehicles in Banja Luka about 2004. There was a Signals det with these Bae stickered vehicles outside their Corimec Offices.

Driven all the MAN variants, some more (1000km+) than others. As for HEMTT, had a good look round one but the PLS version is very inferior to our version. Yes it has a BIG engine, but the type of gearbox saps a lot of power and looses more importantly torque. The PLS has a payload reduction as soon as it goes x-country, which sort of defeats the object, certainly compared to ours. I have driven the Oshkosh PLS (slightly different to the HEMTT PLS and it is a good vehicle, and can carry full load x-country, but i would still opt for the MAN variant, just not the one we bought(!) but the SX version with full independent suspension. Im not fully clued up on the SV® as my area of expertise on the trials team was not this vehicle but others.

Someone mentioned the Commander in Aldershot. Its a Gate Guardian at Gale Bks. Now this has been told to me, but rumour is that they decided to see if it would still start recently and after a bit of checking it fired up. Been there for a fair bit as well.

The SV® does not have a 12 speed gearbox. The SV Cargo variants do, a 12 speed full auto or semi auto gearbox and very good it is as well. The SX variants, which the SV® is based on is a fully auto 6 speed gearbox. Not sure if you are mentioning SV® when you mention lack of room, but SV® has quite a bit of space and seating. The trials team were made up of ex-REME Reccy Mechs and serving, so what went in/on it was supported. I hear that the Aus Army are looking very closely at MAN trucks at the moment.

Been away from the forum for a bit and saw this thread. The MAN SV® will take on most other recovery vehicles and beat them. There are bigger (read that lift more) vehicles out there but then with all the additional equiptment and ease of use of the SV® then it puts it above them. It is out in Afghanistan and is getting used. I know how its getting on out there and there are things that are getting improved on as its being used, after all it was urgently required out there, so soon after getting into service so there will be teething problems. Bit overall its well recieved.

It is Perm 4 Wheel Drive. The big lever sticking out of the dash is the Hi and Low. The button, if i can remember maybe tranverse diff or inter axle.

They were to be replaced by Future Light Equipment Transporter (FLET). This is now on hold so the Sed Atk will soldier on a little longer.

Militant, The 6x6 Tanker variant you drove is the Unit Support Tanker with SX chassis..full independant suspension and auto gearbox. Not many of them and yes, they do use buttons to operate gearbox. The majority of the Tankers are 6x6 with HX chassis and rotary gear selector with semi-auto gearbox. There are 6x6 cargos, and between me and a few of us knowledgeable in the SV trials team...we should of bought more!!

The first one you did outside a civvy type garage appeared but others havnt

Reccy, you need to redo photos...not showing up

The buttons shown are.. all wheel drive front diff rear diff interaxle. The vehicle does has a PTO button but not near the diff buttons. The vehicle is actually this one.... Taken at TRL test track in Surrey at a Transport Select Committee demo. Was asked to take MP's around the track, managed to get a photo from one of the press photographers after the demo was finished.

All the SV MAN's have rotary gear selector apart from the SX and Recovery versions which have a full auto gearbox with button select gearmodes. The truck in the picture is a HX 9t with 6 wheeled drive.

This is what the MAN looks like inside. Although this is one of the 1st trial/prototype trucks we had. Hence the stickers on the switches i put on to tell me what everything did!!

Glad you like it, i didnt do much with it on the SV trials as it was someone elses bag, you probably know him (SB). But i was on a meeting other day and was told its going well in Afghan. One of the trials i did with the new FuelRack on back of IM DROPS and SV®. We were doing weighbridge stuff.

MAN do have a "garage" there and can do repair/PDI work. The ballistic armour is Austrian but the Bar armour is fitted by NP. The Bar armour involves a lot of drilling!! So it was maybe this that MAN were doing, like you said, prelimary stuff.

recymech, what you think of them?? OPSEC stuff aside.

One of the trial or training vehicles i think.

The view is restricted due to the Bar Amour. Its not the Ballistic Armour that makes it illegal, its the Bar that is bolted on. It restricts drivers view etc. They get low-loaded to training areas then are used on there. MAN with Ballistic Armour MAN with Ballistic and Bar....and its me driving it on a Press Day.

The armour is not fitted at Aschurch. Some of it is fitted at NP Aerospace. Low loaded everywhere. Its not just the armour that adds the cost, its the other stuff that makes it the "Operational variant" that adds to the price. Not too sure about the DVD story, i have been to the last 3 and didnt hear of it. It would of happened last year if it did, although its been around Millbrook on a few press days. But knowing the MAN Test Driver, i can well believe he managed to get it to do that!! I tried to keep up with him in a SX MAN 9t Cargo, which is a improved x-country version of the bog standard MAN truck, and i found it hard when he was in the Recovery version.

I can help. Ill see what i can do.

Yes you are right about them not seeing fully armoured SV® but the training required prior to deployment on any of the SV fully armoured means you get to drive them on certain training areas and never on normal roads. Its a training issue more than anything. I have been known to fre-quent certain TDU's!:drive:

Because they are too wide. When we move them we use mil police escort otherwise its a low loader. With all the grills in front of the windscreen, armoured glass etc its a nightmare to drive on UK small roads.

Just a shame you wont be able to buy it fully armoured as they are not road legal in UK!