John Comber

Some very good reading of your thoughts and experiences, having boots in a variety of vehicle related hobbies , the question is raised everywhere , and more so ,is it dying because new blood is not interested or allowed an insight ? it's easy for those of us with vehicles to encourage our families, and I think generally if children are weaned off SMA and baby oil straight to EP 90 they will catch the bug:laugh: . Some clubs are offering apprenticeships to children to get involved so the future of their hobby is just not down to the family's who can pass their equipment onto the next generation, that should be applauded and thought about in the MV movement, even if it's inviting an interested nipper to climb aboard behind the wheel or sticks, those experiences will stay with them for years especially if they are as I was and mesmerised by all machinery, that is all it might take to catch another future recruit!

The Dixon Bate Landrover conversion was a proper mini tractor unit and well built from memory, we had them locally at Lingfield racecourse. The Nissan version looks like the American 'Gooseneck' type connecting in the pick up bed, I have also seen these with air brakes here. A local contractor had one who was rear ended whilst loaded, it wrote the Nissan off as it buckled the chassis at the gooseneck connection point!! I believe they all just scrape in legally on a car licence however that is with the caravan empty,if we had one my family would add another 1000kg's of non essential clutter!!

Yes worth checking, years roll by too quick, and before you know it anti freeze looses its magic touch!! I thought I had done well with 10 years between changes and still effective !! But we had a few -12 air temp last year even in sunny Sussex.

All home safe thanks Andy:thumbsup: Thoroughly enjoyed your company.

Wonderful photos, thank you for sharing, any ideas what the tractor is ? That scene is great with an empty horse drawn cart head to head with the tractor, I would love to be taken back in time to whiteness the pub talk when it replaced the horse.

Sundays the day Andy, 0900 assemble depart from 1030 kettle will be on!!

Well done for promoting Andy, are you going ? , Team Comber will be, funny they all seem deaf tonight I asked nicely who wants to grease the explorer with me, total silence!! How can bake off compete with my offer no contest in my mind.

Nice picture of a great universal truck between two nicely modified traction engines.

Ha, I'll take that as a compliment to the Scammell marque, and for those who know me even greater laughter with my passion for steam competing with the diesel in my veins!!

Question please to those with knowledge of the Rubery Owen brake system ,our stores trailer has air over hydraulic on the front axle and air / linkage to the rear, there is three line air on the drawbar , service and emergency either side of the towing point and coming centrally from the drawbar the third line which I assume is parking brake. Does this operate the front axle , rear or both on application? Any advise welcomed to assist thanks.

Rosie, we could deliver for free on their way back,If Team Cubed bought the whole load, best cuddle up to that man tonight then .

Here's a picture I took this week I thought I would share which made me chuckle, after shuffling vehicles about at home I was making my way to head off in the GMC, to be hit by the size comparison, so I took the photo.

A nice little load leaving Sussex on Thursday night, twilight by the time left here, so only you night owls may of seen!

And if you had £145 quid to blow on a Jeep back then, you'd be considered wealthy..........:cool2:

Tony that's correct, to give comparison in 1947 we were building two bedroom bungalows for clients in their gardens for £1200 ready to move into! Eight jeeps at today's prices would get about half way there if you are lucky.

It's the gross vehicle weight you need to take into account, I.e. it's designed weight including potential load, this puts a CCKW over the allowance on your licence, unsure however if there are any loopholes in the law which may assist you!, I am sure further advise will follow mine though.

Now that's what I call a proper game of Jenga:nut:

Here are a few shots of a Diamond I had not seen before on the rally circuit, sounded Cummins powered and looks a monster!

A few pics the wife took of us in the play pen for the Pickfords display.

Yes the show had a major shuffle up, being a commercial vehicle exhibitor for a long time it has been interesting to watch the growth and change ,not all for the best if you are a preservationist and not a music reveller!

I was amazed at the space the MIlitary section had and their own display ring, whilst in the commercials the number of entries was cut by over 150 vehicles, and we seemed to be pushed right out the way in the farthest corner, thank goodness for bicycles, it was 1.2 miles to the far side of the play pen from commercial camping!!

Whilst the main attraction was a world record steam roller display, a Pickfords heavy haulage vehicle display had been organised, I hope there are some videos of this.

Will try to upload some pictures soon.

That's a mighty fine restoration Howard, enjoying your thread, thank you.

Best to double check its weight we have an early mollycroft 30' living van and I was shocked when it tipped 9 tonne on the weighbridge.

When I put the GMC through my workshop last winter she span slowly on cranking, on inspection of the starter and discussion with Rex Ward, an inexpensive starter brush kit made a huge difference along with refreshing the bright work tarnished in the starter, I also note some of the 6 volt batteries people use are not large enough, Lincoln batteries do a 21 plate 6 volt, and that is well worth inverting in.

An excellent show, well organised and easy going, great vehicles, good company, and the bonus of some of the longest BBMF displays I have seen made it for us all, for me the best bit was the look on my wife's face when Brian Carter unhitched his Pioneer off the front of the Scammell train of lady drivers and challenged her to have a go with our Explorer, well done Lucy.

Hi Pete, thanks I assume these are non return valves ? In having another look yesterday I see the emergency line letting air back a little once disconnected which it should not, was going to purchase some WD 40 in liquid form to pour down the lines and blow through first , I recall on my old sentinel trailer I used to have to do that to stopped sticking valves.

See you at Dorset, going to run down on sat afternoon and meet Bonzo to run together the last leg, be a good photo two Constructors coming over Coombe Bisett !

Question, help please!

In finishing my trailer and putting air through the system, the air over hydraulic front brakes operate as soon as the emergency line is opened, so I assume we have a stuck valve somewhere , just got off my back after wacking all valves with a hammer in frustration, does anyone know or have a layout drawing of the valve blocks?

As you will know storage heater bricks are designed as a heat bank storage , but not direct flame. My kids had a camping party last night and I circled out the camp fire with old storage heater bricks!!! Mainly to stop my son expanding it to a 10' beacon, we had a good fire with a proper bottom if you know my meaning and after 5 hours of fire they put up with it quite well no cracks or breaks, hope this helps, John .