Sean N

Not enough information - depends what you're trying to do, how much you have to spend (noting limited budget), how involved you want to get, whether you want WW2 or post-war, and so on.

I would say this though - R types are great trucks, fun to drive, very capable and the bit of extra speed makes all the difference. If you're on a limited budget they're more affordable than a Matador, and if you still regret not buying one it sounds like unfinished business.

I may be biased though:

1 hour ago, Adrian Dwyer said:

Indeed I was: Feb '86 to Aug '87: TC 4Tp, 64 Amp Engr Sqn.  A period in my life when all was well with the world!  Were you there in the same period?

All the best.

A

No, but we had this for a while:

Was 24 BT 94

On 8/5/2023 at 8:27 PM, Adrian Dwyer said:

It was only years later, via the diving store at 28 Amphibious Engineer Regiment, that I learned of the restorative effects of oxygen . . .

Adrian, an aside, but were you in 28 Amphibious Engineer Regiment?

Does anyone have a part number or source for the canvas cover for the cab roof cupola / hatch on post-war vehicles?

Also, does anyone recognise this GRP version, or have a part number for it? The label has what appears to be an NSN (2503-97-118-275) but it's partly obscured and I can't get a match for it. It's also got an ERM on it which appears to be 86 KF 64, which is an MJ fuel tanker.

Photos? Location? Price?

Keeping the cans together, I've got a couple of these that came with some WD gallon and quart oil cans. Maker is J. T. Laver of London, dated 11-43 but no WD mark or broad arrow. Are they anything specific or just a nice can?

I also have some of the gallon oil cans Alistair and Richard were discussing at the start of the thread, and some of the smaller quart cans, if anyone is after one. 1950s and 1960s dates.

This just popped up for sale on Facebook, thought it might be of interest here for those who don't do FB

https://www.facebook.com/groups/859603390775800/permalink/7187431067992969/

Sean

Thanks Clive. I wasn't going to start stripping panels to confirm my memory!

Richard, I checked mine today. It's just over 2 metres wide x just over 4.8 metres long internally. Didn't check the height, but I can stand up straight in them with room to spare and I'm 6'2".

LIke you I've never understood the braking system either, can't see why they couldn't make the whole thing either air over or full air both axles, but no doubt there was some reason for it.

Not sure if modifying the system would get you into all sorts of approval and testing problems?

2 hours ago, Scammell4199 said:

I didn't realise there was a wide track and presumably a narrow track version. Do they both look the same with the mudguards etc?

There were two different generations of these style of trailer. The earlier ones had a narrower track and don't have the wheel arch extensions / mudguards; the arches are flush with the body.

2 hours ago, fv1609 said:

Mine was manufactured already insulated with fibre glass wool. If you tell me the exact description of the trailer I may well have the full FVRDE Spec.

Clive, I think my office trailer has rockwool insulation as well, but I couldn't remember and wasn't sure if all box body types had it, so didn't want to say definitively.

Mine is Office, Trailer Mounted, 2 ton 4 wheeled Rubery Owen contract WV5478, code no. 6240-0735, CES P/33918/4. The body is FV605923 (and it's had the first five mod strikes applied!). Can't remember the trailer FV number - 2505?

Keeping in the theme of this thread I'm still looking for front axle brakes for mine - it's all original, as it came straight from MoD, but the brakes had been cannibalised so I've got nothing inside the drums!

Richard, I might be able to measure my Rubery Owen field office trailer this weekend. It's the later wide track type like the one in the original post, but with windows.

Steel frame, steel sheet cladding on the outside, hardboard panelling on the inside and as I recall either insulated between or certainly space for insulation.

You're not too far from me so could come and have a look if you want to for reference, though it is full of junk at the moment.

2 hours ago, Ron said:

 Engineers use mm. Dress makers use cm😆😆

😄 I've just been looking up parcel deliveries and the websites kept telling me my parcel couldn't be carried - then realised I was instinctively putting in mm dimensions and the site wanted cm!

Alastair, that looks and sounds great - congratulations, you must be very pleased.

Will it be at A&E in June? 😉

Having missed 2022 I'd really like to attend, or at least help out if I can or hitch a ride or spectate, but can't find any details except the Facebook page, and there's no registration link? How do I sign up?

On 3/24/2024 at 10:37 AM, ruxy said:

No.  The  Lucas 488 type was a vintage range of lamps ...

I really meant that body style rather than 488 per se, but might have been better not to confuse things.

Having looked I have around 50 cans, 1940s to 1990s dates but most are 1950s and 1960s. There are a handful of civvy ones but pretty much all of them are military and the earlier ones have the war department stamp and broad arrow as well as makers' name and date. I'd think about selling these as a job lot at the right price if anyone was interested.

Funnily enough I was just looking at this thread as well as I was trying to recall whether there was a specific name or FV number for the older style hook and latch type trailer hitch that came before the NATO hitch. The ones I have are marked FV245820 but I suspect that's only the number for the hook casting / forging itself.

They fit any Lucas 488 type light with the military screw lens adaptor, but whether they will fit a particular vehicle depends on the vehicle as they're quite big lenses - on some vehicles the lights are too close together, or there is some bracket or bodywork in the way, so they will clash.

I may have a spare wheel if you want it. In Dorset.

Two Austin K9s, a very early one and a very late one (not deliberately, just the way it worked out), and a Bedford RL, though they've all been parked up for years rather depressingly. Might be for sale soon. I'll see if I can find some photos.

The early K9 is interesting as it has what's basically the civilian Loadstar cab, though with the wheel arch extensions, and lots of detail differences to the later K9s. I think it was only the first few hundred that were like this.

I have a number of jerry cans available, good, bad and downright ugly, 1940s to 1980s date stamps. Message me if interested.

I've got a number of oil cans available. Most are the square one gallon can that fits in the oil can holder on British vehicles, but there are some that are more rectangular and some small ones, look like probably a quart. Various conditions, 1950s and 1960s dates, most in deep bronze green, some in olive drab. Send me a message if interested.

10 hours ago, ruxy said:

Offhand - I can only think of Diana Carver  ?

I thought of Rosie, but a quick check shows her last post was seven years ago ...

To be honest I'm guilty as well, as life and struggles have taken me away from things and I haven't been in for a while; but I've posted a couple of things in the last few days I'd have thought would get some response and nothing.

I just noticed a post from Ron from August last year, "Far fewer people are responding to my restoration thread in "motorcycles".  What with FB ... I fear this is another dying forum."

I do worry that Facebook is taking everything over; I've just posted some stuff for sale on another forum with little response, though there is lively trade on the Facebook group. I'm not a FB member, and I don't think it's any substitute for the richness and depth of knowledge and information you get on a forum.

Is it just me, or are things a lot quieter on the forum than they were a few years ago? Has Facebook cannibalised HMVF as well as everything else?