Stone

Secondly, you only need a CPC if you drive PROFESIONALLY for a living. If you own a private HGV and are not using it to carry goods or burden for hire or reward then you are exempt the requirement for a CPC. Hope this clarifies the situation.

How do they define professionally? It hopefully won't affect me for the next 5 years but is it any driving done while employed or only driving when employed to drive?

I'm an electronic engineer, the only reason I'm getting my licence is to move some of our kit from my workplace to trials sites. The kit just happens to be bolted to a vehicle - am I now 'driving professionally' or is it just that I happen to be driving while at work? The intent is clearly to ensure people transporting goods for a living have the training (and I can probably make work pay for it anyway) but it doesn't seem to be laid out that clearly.

Add the cost of attending training to the cost of a week off work for self-employed drivers and it'll add up to a big chunk of cash...

Stone

I always thought the Army never bothered with type-approval - they're exempt from C&U regs so it doesn't much matter to them. The FV432 isn't a bad example - lighting and rubber track pads to conform to C&U, but it's too wide to be legally road-registered! The fact that many of them end up registered anyway might give you a clue as to the joined-up-thinking behind many of these decisions - Neil's spot on, you can ring them up 5 times and get five conflicting answers.

All you can do is read the appropriate legislation and try your best to comply...but it's certainly a lot easier with a V112G.

Stone

I'm sure you will only be required to go through the 4 high ratio gears, as low ratio is meant for off road and heavy towing. I can't remember if you can shift from low to high on the move with the Bedford?

On the Bedford you can switch on the move but low ratio only works in 4wd. The current DSA test specs require you to use a standard road-use transmission, so you can have four-over-four, slap-over or whatever. You have to demonstrate block changing (when appropriate) in the test as well so you can't get away just using the highest 4!

(also, I've only driven an auto for the last 4 years, so that'll be fun )

What truck are you going to be training on?

No idea! Their website shows some fairly elderly DAFs so I doubt it'll be anything too whizzy.

I passed my class one back in 1993. Straight from a car to an artic.

It's a bit scary how quickly you can do it now if you want to, once you have your medical and get your provisional you can complete the theory tests and get a test booked within a fortnight!

Stone

Other than being proud of its manufacturing heritage I no longer admit any allegiance to Luton as it seems to have been handed over to the Taliban !!

We're not all bad

Stone

This is the thing Stone. It's all very well and good driving a truck that the civvy police thing is in the "service", but if someone ploughs into you and they turn up it may cause all sorts of trouble.

Exactly. You're probably driving without insurance too :shake:

Good luck with your training. I take it you don't drive the truck yet then.:cool2:

Thank you. Only on private land! :cool2: (and I have to learn on something with 'at least 8 forward ratios' which is a bit scary!)

I'll find out tomorrow

Stone

While Mark is asking, If you get C, does that cover you to drive C1 vehicles as well?

Yes, it does; see here.

C is described as 'Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg' so there is no gap in the entitlements.

I've been pondering whether you need to do B, C and C1 to drive the full range of weights. C seems to specifically start at 7.5 tonnes, which would mean I'd have a gap in my driving ability between car and 7.5 tonne.

 

I'm one of the folks with a new style license which doesnt include C1 by default.

The purpose of C1 is to allow young drivers to drive small lorries from the age of 18, likewise with D1 and minibuses - once you have entitlement for B and C you're able to drive anything from 550kg (the lower end of B1) up to a six-axle rigid at 44t! In reality you get B1 for free when you pass B, so gaining C actually allows you to drive pretty much any rigid-bodied vehicle, so long as it doesn't carry passengers or steer with tracks!

I passed B1/B in 2002 so I don't have C1 entitlement either - but once I pass my C test I'll be sorted :-D

Taking C is usually the best bet - in answer to the original question you could put ramps on your Bedford and carry a car on the back, but only if it was downplated and then your car would have to weigh less than 2000kg! It just ends up being way too complicated, far easier to just take the test and avoid being restricted.

Don't forget you only have until 10th September 2009 to pass before Driver CPC comes in - if you don't pass in time you miss out on your grandfather rights and have to take twice as many theory tests!

Stone

If the towing vehicle is over 7.5t (which it is unless downplated) then yes, you do need C+E. You might be better with a smaller towing vehicle (101FC maybe?) as C1E covers you up to 12000kg train weight so the 750kg trailer weight limit on C wouldn't be a problem.

HTH!

Stone

He told me that you DO NOT need an HGV licence because a "motor caravan" is NOT classed as an HGV. He said that the DVLA view is different to that of VOSA and the CU regs.

He's correct that the DVLA view it differently to VOSA and the C&U regs, but it's also seen differently by DSA!

You need a Cat C for any vehicle over 7.5t MAM (with very few exceptions which are listed here). The confusion arises because tax categories do not match licence descriptions, which don't match VOSA regs - your friend will not be in a happy place if he's ever stopped! The DVLA might well register it as a motor caravan but you still need the right licence.

(As an aside, registering as engineering plant means you're technically limited to 12mph on all roads, and registering as agricultural will drop you in it unless you actually own a farm - they've thought of most of the ways to dodge it already!)

As an example of how weird it gets, our Bedford is registered on the V5C as a private HGV, is exempt from having a tachograph or plating / testing because it's 'not a goods vehicle' and has a tax disc that says it's an LGV! As the plated weight is 9650kg you need a Cat C licence to drive it, which is why I'm on a training course next week :cool2: As with all these things you can probably get away with doing it illegally for a while, but why take the risk?

Stone

Thank you

Stone

Army spec brake fluid - it's equivalent to Dot4.

Stone

Are all military registrations of the format ##SP## for 'special projects' (ie prototype) vehicles?

Saw one recently and was wondering what it was...looked a bit like a Bulldog but with more road wheels. Anyone able to look them up?

Stone

Thanks for the pics!

I'd expect the pump to be the hardest of that lot to fit - can it be done with the cab still fitted? If not I can see it turning into a right pig of a job as we don't really have any suitable lifting equipment around...

There might be some budget left over if our current trial goes OK so I might push for it to have a bit of money spent on it

Cheers

Stone

That's clever! BTW, what are 'cartrides'?

Nice idea though!

Stone

try L W Vass they sell a kit. They often fit them to vehicles they sell 01525 403255. Makes much nicer drive.

Wow, the guy they have on the phone is mega-grumpy! He just quoted me

Steering ram £615

+ bracket (£140)

Hydraulic pump £410

New drag link £420

Reservoir £120

So £1705 before you even start on hoses or my labour :shocked:

'But we might have some second-hand bits kicking around' - are they having a laugh?!

Stone

Have to admit - I found myself wondering what the MoD and its civilian contractors would have said were the same request to have been made over here!

"Foxtrot Oscar"

What a great story! :thumbsup:

Stone

Ah, thank you, that makes a lot more sense now!

I can take a couple of pics tomorrow of the old 330 powered one - they won't be as pretty as yours (that is one clean Bedford).

Yes please. I don't think it's really that clean, it's just been pressure-washed a few times and the green paint on everything (including all the hoses :argh:) masks a multitude of sins We've not really done anything much to it - it's a working vehicle so it's pretty much as-from-Withams. But thank you

Stone

- engine-mounted pump (comes with relief valve built in)

- oil reservoir (on L/H chassis rail behnd engine) and feed/return hoses

- Power steering ram/valve assy and hoses to pump

- drag link (probably different, I'm not 100% certain)

- mounting bracket for steering ram (fits top of chassis rail behind axle) - no idea if army chassis is drilled for this fitment

 

I'm pretty certain you do not have to change the steering box arm. Rams are readily available new / N.O.S. no problem, no idea on the other bits.

I spent a frustrating half hour under ours earlier for something unrelated, so here's a couple of pics of what we have...do they let you see if the fitting holes are correct? If they don't I'll take some more, I wasn't really taking them for this purpose so never mind

Couple of questions:

1) On which side does the ram mount?

2) What does the ram push on, the top of the drag link or further up the chain where the torque exits the steering box? Is the steering box still mechanically connected to the steering post-modification or is it completely isolated through the hydraulics?

3) How does the valve interface to the steering box? By the gear sticking out of the bottom-left side as you look at it?

4) I think I remember someone saying the engine block is drilled for mounting the pump - but how is the pump driven? Extra belt or by a gear?

Ta

Stone

Good to see someone else had to replace their Bedford door handle when the MoD didn't give them a key for it! :lol:

Stone

I thought you meant this kind! :rotfl:

Stone

but then - why parade them all in public if trying to hide the numbers????

From what I've heard the Russian parades tend to feature units going round the block several times to appear more impressive so you might not be far off the mark ;-)

Stone

With British vehicles the camouflage is done on a very ad-hoc basis - no vehicle looks quite alike, and deliberately so.

With Russian vehicles they go out of their way to standardise what they look like :cool:

Since there seems to be a standard, has anyone got a reference for how each vehicle is painted, or was this done just for the parade? :tup::

Stone

The x-mod come recommended, they sorted me out with some much-needed Bedford bits :thumbsup:

Stone

Yeah, it was good to see all the effort that had gone into getting stuff ready for the show. Saw a few people with HMVF stickers in the windscreen too

Bit heavy on the Landies, never seen so many 101s in one place! Not sure if Neil has sorted Maud's steering out yet either, was looking forward to seeing her trundle around, but maybe another time.

So yeah, top day out Thanks for putting it on.

Stone

2.75m is technically too wide for road use but 432s are wider than that :argh:

What's on the back other than the crane, a flatbed? (most I've seen have a box body...)

What are you intending to use it for?

Have a look at the V112G and see if any of the exemptions fit you - remembering that to claim exemption as an agricultural vehicle or mobile project vehicle it must be registered as that type of vehicle on the V5C! Using the age-related exemption (pre-1960) only allows you to use it unladen - and it's way too heavy to replate as <7.5t.

To be honest it doesn't sound enough of a borderline case to (legally) get away with - and do we really want 20t of Russian steel charging around with no way of knowing if it's roadworthy? (I know I don't in my Lupo! :rofl:) All the best sorting it though.

Stone