Edd

The manufacturer's data plate fitted to the vehicle will state it's maximum towed load. This is the one that the police will go by if you are pulled over. On my 110 it states 3500kg or 4000kg with linked brakes. There is a guideline that you should only go to about 85% of the towing vehicle's mass but this is only a guideline. Would you tow 1000kg behind a ferrari???:idea: HTH Ed

Would be interesting to see which of the scammells it is. There is at least one person on the forum at the moment who is after a pioneer. Ed

Would this be the new support vehicle for mouse? For anyone who wants an idea of gentle jaunts in Russia have a search for Ladoga. I've got the video's from the last 2 years and it is well worth having a look! Enough mud, deepwater etc.... to keep even scammell owners happy!:cool2::-D

Assuming something like an Ifor williams trailer then you are looking at 1000kg for the trailer and about 1500kg for the car. Discovery has a towing limit of 3500kg so well within it's capacity and the law. Assuming that you have the old style licence. Ed

For me it has to be the Rushmoor Arena shows. My parents used to be on he organising comitee and so us kids got roped in to help. Used to be a giant playground for us helping to set-up and take down. Huge showground, superb facilities (grandstands and onsite showers etc....), superb layout and lots of interesting exhbits. Still remember the year that the REME lot brought along a scammell commander and their conquerer recovery!:yay: Dunsfold used to bring along some of their collection as well. Still by far and away the best showground I've come across for a steam rally or a military vehicle show. Shame the army increased the rent they wanted too far and all the facilities fell into disrepair and were taken out. The other show that always used to be fun as well was the one at Knowl Hill. Not much military but a big line up of steam and they used to bring out a few of the vehicles awaiting restoration. Also used to have free ploughmans lunches and firework display for most of the years we went.

I'm guessing that the one you have in mind is the one that was on milweb earlier today for a couple of hours? Looked quite nice and a very good price, was getting qute tempted! Assuming it is then from my limited knowledge this type all started off as Portee's and were then converted later on to towed. As a portee the unladen weight is 4 ton 9 cwt, laden is 4 ton 19 cwt. A friend used to own both a portee and a predictor. The predictor we took over to France. Only two problems, no weather protection at all and nowhere to put any booze to bring back!:stop: With the portee you do need to wrap up very warm! No matter how hot a day it is you will still need at least a fleece, very thick trousers and flying googles!:-D In the wet I'd suggest a wet suit!:-D:yay: HTH Ed

You do have to be careful with stating that certain things on a vehicle are wrong. A friend used to have a Morris Predictor, he spent ages trying to find any photos or indication of what the predictor part should look like. When it was out at the first show someone started to tell him that it was all wrong. His reaction - "good, can you tell me how it's supposed to be?":) Needless to say the person walked away quietly!:-D So long as the vehicle isn't permanently modified so it can't be returned to original then I can't see a problem. A lot of vehicles were heavily modified over their life and can be returned to anyone of a dozen different specs and still be correct! Although I did draw the line at a recent show where there was pioneer that had been restored to it's civilan spec by the recovery company that still owns it. Looked fine from a distance, but when you got close you could see that they had painted over the winch ropes! Makes you wonder at the rest of the restoration!:sweat:

Nice to know you think the Clan is a classic!

I've just found the wheels & tracks articles which helps fill in some of the info. There was one of the 4x4 pioneers built and this was last seen in use by the fairground family Roses in 1970. Of the 6x6's there is no definite number but the article seems to suggest a minimum of 3 of the early type and 1 off the explorer prototypes. The author suggests that either the one explorer prototype was rebuilt a number of times or there may have been 2 or 3. At one point fitted with a Gardener 8LW. Of the earlier type it mentions photos of both civilian and military prototypes climbing up the factory wall. That would lead me to think that there were at least 2. Then it mentions would prototype for the Indian army in 1929 and then another one for the british army in 1930. The second one originally had the square bodywork. It was then rebodied to become the gun tractor 6x6 that is in Breakdown. The 4x4 had a forerunner of the explorer front axle but the original 6x6 had a completely different axle. I would love to know where either one of the 6x6's or the 4x4 is! Ed

The 6x6 gun tractor was a rebuild of an earlier 6x6 prototype. Probably one with the square body work. There was a very good article in wheels & tracks on the both the 6x6's and the one-off 4x4. Shame I can't find my copy of it! Ed

Does anyone have a digital picture of the 6x6 pioneer climbing the side of the factory wall? Or alternatively the 6x6 gun tractor on trial? Thanks Ed

The 980 originally had a Hercules in it. British army converted the ones they had to the Rolls Royce engine. I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than me will be along shortly to say years, types etc.....!

There were at least two pioneers that lasted into the late eighties/early nineties. One is in the REME collection and came back from somewhere like Belize. Also I remember seeing a pair of them parked up at one of the aldershot military bases into the mid nineties when we went by on the train. Used to live outside and moved around the yard. Not sure what they were there for! Ed

Took loads of photos but sadly very few heavies. There was the bedford mine truck and then 3 unimogs. Lots of landrovers & suzuki's being silly but no scammells. Ed

Does anyone know details on spectating? Is there parking nearby, any entry fee etc..... I'm going to be in surrey this weekend and thinking about popping along. Thanks Ed

Iveco also includes Saurer. Visted their technical centre with work a few years ago.

Withams have listed the recovery Foden under direct sales. Price guide is £35k and it says that a few bits have been removed!!!:shocked: Looks like they are going by it being the first one out and people prepared to pay silly money. Ed

I did hear of a friend of ours who used to park his stolly on his drive. The neighbours complained and the council told him it had to be moved. At which point he had an idea. :idea: Take one Abbot and park it on the road. Neighbours complained and the council came out. :argh: Then they got the police out. Very nice police officer checked the vehicle details and pointed out that it was perfectly legal to park it on the road and nothing he could or wanted to do about it.:-D After all the officials had left the neighbours asked if he'd like to park the stolly back on the drive! :-D:-D

I lost count of the number of times we measured that gateway! :-D Seemed to be we'd be walking out and then someone would suggest that maybe we should measure it one more time!:idea: At least it's nicely tucked away and injuries to helpers I think is just restricted to me! Was only a skinned shin though. Ed