antar

Welcome to the forum from another Manchester area MV owner, RB44 sounds just like the right thing for you, plenty down at Withams with demountable radio pods which you could convert to camper pod.

I agree with putting the switch on the earth side, removing the earth reference is always best. One word of warning - make sure that the engine is completely stopped before you open the isolator, otherwise you'll fry your alternator. They don't like having batteries disconnected while trying to charge them.

 

Andy

Explorers have generators not alternators !

PM sent

thanks, i have a new single pole 1 lying about so ill use that

My recommendation would be to put it on the negative to earth. This way if you ever centre tap for 12v accesories they are isolated too.

There was a lot of them at leavesly internationals yard at Alrewas Staffs. There may still be one or two there but I have not been past lately.

All scrapped, this one is at Richard Tuxfords.

Quite a pity but seeing that was not original, so be it. What are you putting back? False economy, maybe? Good luck with the project, I see some more lurking in the back ground.

That would be a 20 ton Scammell Constructor ballast tractor.

Thats a great read .. Tell me did you have to give the tool box back??

Having done 100's of miles in a petrol Explorer during the 1980's I think he is a bit of a wimp about how uncomfortable they are. My now wife as a girlfriend then did once actually curl up on the twin passenger seat and go to sleep on the way back from the now imfamous Town and Country Festival in Stonleigh Warwickshire, (110 miles from Stockport). She did however learn on the first outing to always were a sports bra for any subsequent trips out in the Explorer !!!

Would it not be better backing it on keeping the front wheels well down the beavertail to keep the cab as low as possible, then lowering the Ward boom over the Foden cab resulting in lower overall height and no boom overhang ?

The supplier of the EXTREME in the UK do a fancy solar charger with a lightweight NATO IV plug on it. It is a bit pricey though ! They supply it to the MOD.

The terminals on Hawker batteries are made of brass not lead and they can be unscrewed from the top of the battery. I am going to repair a large conventional commercial battery which I have blown the lead post off with one from a scrap hawker I have.

lights are powered directly from the switch

Put a relay in the circuit, you will need a 24v one this time. This way the contacts in the relay carry the current (amps) required by the 2 bulbs, the contacts in your brake light switch then only carry the current required by the coil in the relay (a lot lower). Your switch should then last a lot longer.

Nobody seems in the slightest concerned about all those wire ropes under tension.

Do you have a suitable donor 432/434 pack, if not Ihave some nice ones for sale.

Combat Engineer Tractor x 2

Anyone have pictures of the CETs that were there ?

For the un-initiated, they ALL come from Withams or are under the control of Withams and it as previously stated has been going on for some time now. The last of the heavily pulicised 439s sold last year all finished up there and were chopped up. Believe it or not there are insufficient buyers to keep the value of 432s above scrap values, Withams do have to keep turning over the stock or there would be no more room in their yard, if they have to take on extra storage then they have to pay for it. The barely used track that has been sold recently on the auction site is all take off from these 432s scrapped at EMR.

Could the Tractor unit be an Atkinson Venturer?

It looks like it from the rear windows, what is more concerning is the trailer is more than likley a King TD35 (35 TON LOAD CAPACITY) what weight do you think it is actually carrying !

That trailer has no hydraulics, the neck was disconected by manually jacking the trailer bed, I know because I used to move my Antar on one, jacking that with a 24 ton load on was hard enough with 2 15 ton toe jacks.

Must be a catch-22 senario though Lee. If someone has a finite budget for fuel for their vehicle then, at some point, the rapidly escalating fuel prices are going to mean the range of movement for that vehicle is curtailed. As we can't get discounted fuel for the MV's (now theres's an idea for Jack to pursue - a discount on fuel from a supplier... ) then the range will get progressively snmaller until either the vehicle can't move or can only make localised shows. It will be interesting to compare vehicle numbers, especially the heavies, at W&P over the next couple of years....

 

To illustrate - the firm picking up my OT can no longer give a fixed price more than 3 days ahead of the job due to the way fuel prices are changing. A couple of months ago they could give a firm price for the Plains trip weeks, if not months, in advance!!

Neil,

Is it not possible to pay the fuel element of the transport to Beltring now to your transport company and them hold in stock your fuel in their bulk tank until July ? then just pay the ballance at the time which will cover things that are more stable such as vehicle depreciation, drivers wages and proffit on the job. Im going to try the same thing tomorrow with the company who I hire the low loader from for Beltring week. Incedentally my fuel bill for Beltring at todays prices is going to be £520 working on a round trip of 550 miles at 6.5 mpg. + £100 per weekday for the low loader hire.

John

Hi,

 

That one is not mine as it has an Elefant stencil on the front and mine has yet to be painted on! It looks as though the picture was taken at the dealer that I got mine from (Jacksons). At the moment I am trying to get all of the bits and pieces for it, i.e. gun ring, pioneer tools, guns, camo netting, Eberspacher coolant heater and bits that go in the holders in the cab - I haven't got a clue what these are yet - I could do with a user manual or an email from someone that uses them!

this link shows mine on the way back from the dealer via fuel stop! Currently going through the age relating process with the MVT, then the next battle will be with the DVLA - I can see it now, won't register it unless it't tested and never heard of a vehicle built and used outside C&U! That's without telling them it's 3m wide and as far as I am aware there is not a test station that will test a 3m wide axle track... Something to look forward to

 

In the picture of your Ward Le France - have you taken off the outer tyres on the trailer? If so how comes?

 

Regards,

 

Mark

Nice video clip, yes the picture is from Jacksons some time early last year. Outer wheels are off the M747 trailer as they are 11'6" across outer tyres but only 10' across the bed. Tyres sticking out 9" each side is a bit of a hazard (It is not a steering trailer like the Faun) Have you tried Sindorff in Holland for a user manual, they had 50 complete outfits which they sold. Give Clark Sindorff a call he speaks perfect English and is always happy to talk to MV collectors, they have a vast and varied collection.

With regard to registering them have a word with someone at ALE (Abnormal Load Engineering) at Stafford, they bought 4 or 6 Elefant tractor units last year, they may have UK registered some of them. "Contractorman" on this forum works for them so he may be able to give you a contact name there to speak to.

Best Regards

John.

Is this yours Mark ?

It is genuine, I have photos of it from where it was sold. But I am away at the moment so cannot scan them. It was bought by a farmer to transport items on a farm, looks like it is in a farm shed in the photo.

It has a very complicated transfer/drop box arrangement. From what Irecall there was a standard transfer box driving the front and rear prop shafts as on a normal TM 4X4 but mounted to the front of the rear axle was another purpose made transfer box which took drive towards the front to the middle axle. It was also steered on the middle axle as well through a mechanical linkage. Would perhaps have been produced as a potential replacement for Stalwart but clearly without amphibious capability.

Will search for the pictures when back home.

Thanks guys pretty much what I thought .

Where are the pictures ?

no mine now has an eaton 4 over 4...but there is serious problems with it..I want to change, a 9 speed fuller would be ideal I reckon...with pto? what price...

PM sent

it certainly needs something as changing gear is a pig, it crunches like an old crash box nearly, once she is running and warm things get easier but I suspect something is wrong with the box, was thinking of putting the auto box out of the leyland daf ,as there are a few about...but its a bit too much of a job for my gang right now...so I think a simple bit of adjustment for now before I go on the trail of a new box....the lights are bad and the speedo broken, all will be sorted in the next few weeks...

I have both 9 and 15 speed Fullers which will go straight in there to replace that horible Foden unit, PM me if interested.

John.

I once contacted the curator of the now defunct Beverly collection in regardes to the M5 based half track they had on display asking if it was origionaly a M14 or a M17 variant. He replied that it was a M3 Halftrack.

 

I replied that it was not, that it was defently a IHC due to the mud guards and rear body and asked again what variant it was.

 

He replied angrily that it was defently a M3 Halftrack and that he should know because he drove them in the Army.

I replied that he should look up what he has in the museum as it is a IHC m5 based Halftrack, and put the phone down.:mad:

 

Am I expecting too much from people to know what they have on display or is it just me being too finniky?

Jon

Yes you were being too finniky, Wally Dugan was a hell of a nice bloke, he had enough of a job trying to keep the place open to the public for as long as he did without people winding him up.

Supprised someone else hasnt put this one in;) Any one recognise the guy with the long vehicle sign? Anyone guess the weight?

Anyone fitted a new clutch in it yet ?...