Markheliops

Excellent Mike - If you are not travelling with us lot from Beltring - see you there. Come over and say Hi. Markheliops

Have to agree with Marks comments above. The pageant was a great day out - weather was glorious and it certainly attracted the crowds. A small gathering on the green stuff - Ferrets, Land Rovers, a rather nice RL Wrecker and RL Cargo, few Jeeps, Volvo Command Car to name a few. I always try to make this event as I have been attending for years - even before the green stuff with the Lotus cars - Yes I know you pay to exhibit - but a fiver is not going to break the bank. I met my mate Ky at 0630hrs at the farm - wise to have someone in the top when you have a 60 mile round trip. Left at 0730hrs and arrived at 0930 hrs - with a 30 min stop it took us 90 minutes - not bad really in an FV432. Parked up and said my hellos to Mark and Lisa, CW and PW. After that I didn't really stop - anything Armoured usually interests the crowds and the 432 was no exception. Was at it for the whole day. Metroman arrived with camera about 10am - said he would get me a coffee - and didn't see him again. Um - enough said young man. The 432 came away with 1st place in the Best Military cat - a nice glass bowel trophy and £75 prize money. I discussed the matter of awards with Mark - it's very nice to get something - but there were much better vehicles on display. However - saying that - I did talk to the judges and their reasoning is that my vehicle was open for the public to "experience", information boards showed what the vehicle was and what it did - Both me and my mate hung around and answered questions and that was why it received 1st place. Of course it is always worth remembering these local shows are not Military Shows and as such the vehicles on display are not being judged on condition, etc. Anyway, had to leave sharpish at the end as the organisers were a bit miffed at the track marks on the grass!!!! They were perfectly polite but not chuffed. All in all a good day and worth going - just one thing - someone bring a kettle next time. Markheliops Oh - the 432 only won 2nd place last year and the Ward won 2nd place the year before that. So the first place this year was a ................................ 1st.

Above is correct. A spec lift is part of the vehicle (permantly attached and made for a sole purpose of transporting another vehicle in the recovery role) and as such is taken into consideration when working out vehicle weights, axle weights, etc. Spec lift is as legal as an underlift fitted to heavy commercial wreckers. Vehicles carried on a spec lift have no legal requirement to be braked. It makes sense to use the causaulties own braking system but is not a legal requirment. Laws relating to recovery vehicles and operations are somewhat different to normal commercial rules and regulations. For example - when I worked in heavy recovery I had to recover many "bendie-buses" in Central London. Legally as a commercial vehicle I was over length but not in relation to recovering a casualty as long as I was operating a "recovery vehicle" - i.e a vehicle made for the sole purpose of moving broken down vehicles and not capable of being used to convey cargo. Markheliops

Hey Jack ole man - I have friends in very low places ya know.

Thanks Lee - same size as last year and I do expect to use all of it this time. I shall be on site Friday 17th at the latest. Snapper - you are most welcome as discussed.

No worries chevpol - civi or military tents - doesn't matter.

Hi Tugger - I have sort of unofficially adopted a HMVF plot for this years Beltring - It's my usual place opposite the helicopter and Lee - Your most welcome to pitch your tent and Landie - I think so far the people occupying the said area are - Myself with Ward la France / FV432 / Champ / Brockhouse "love" trailer / Ben Hur / Chris and his Champ Snapper and his Mutt Tootallmike and Vince with Ward la France / CVRT / Halftrack possibly David and his Ferret. My friend Hans from Germany with his Gamma Goat. Area is open to all - space permitting - and we have no vehicle / camping preferences - come as you are, etc, etc. Markheliops

Agree with Lee - CVRT has no more restricted vision than HGV - how to you see out the back of an artic when it's pulling a 40ft box trailer. I would complain to the testing station - just make sure if you win you have a different examiner -

Talking of teasing Jack - have you seen picture of the week....................

Are you sure about that Lee - I thought you had to be accompanied by a full H licence holder? Agree with you asking him to put in writing the problem with the vehicle - Mike and Vince took their tests in CVRT.

Many thanks Clive. I'll have a bash as you suggest. Push comes to shove I shall purchase a trailer board with 15 metres of cable - actually - thinking about it - it would make sense having a wrecker so if I need to tow something I have lights, etc. Ah, the powers of thought.

Hi all. Could one of you knowledgable chaps point me in the right direction in regards to what the numbered wires refer too when looking at the NATO wiring plug for a Brockhouse Office trailer. One of these things below. I need to wire it to a civi connector so I can attach it to the Ward La France. I have taken the end of the connector and all the wires are numbered - I have no information or EMERS on NATO electrical connectors so am a bit lost. My Ward was never fitted with an electrical socket so I had to fit a civi one. I couldn't believe it at the time but when I finished fitting it to the Ward - it actually worked!!! I am to the world of automotive electrics what Gordon Brown is to the Labour party - if ya know what I mean!!!! Many thanks for any info supplied. Markheliops

I'll see you at Beltring young man...........................

Good boy - you know it makes sense ya plonker. lol

There you go Rambo - http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?t=11898

Doesn't look good Howard - be okay with a total strip down. Happy dismantling mate.

Hi Kknapp - Don't know much about the Hotchkiss but you seem to have covered everything on the ignition side so I would suggest you turn your attention to the fuel side of things. Check the carb settings, mixture, etc then get a gauge to measure the fuel supply to the carb - is it in limits. Also check to see if any air is entering the fuel supply, carb gasket, inlet manifold, etc. I presume the timing is okay as it runs fine cold. Hope this helps. Welcome to the forum anyway and someone here will be able to give you some advice specific to your jeep. Markheliops

Neil - stop being a big girls blouse and drive the thing. In full agreement with Antarmike in that if you have a vehicle which you don't want to drive - sell it and get something else. For those who are lucky enough - or silly enough to own WWII vehicles, the issues of breakdowns are both costly and unfortunately for me - frequent. Lets be honest - vehicles built in the 1940's were not expected to have a long life span. Certainly not to last into the 20th century. (Should that be the 21st century - oh well you know what I mean). It is only due to some good friends on the forum that my vehicle has been repaired as many times as it has. I have had some major failures in the last three years but surely this is what our hobby is all about - isn't it? I have a major headache in when something breaks on the Ward Lafrance, spares are a major problem. I know of only one dealer who sells WLF spares in Europe. However, I use common sense when planning what shows to attend but I won't let the thought of my truck breaking stop me from driving it. If anyone has seen me arriving at a show with the Ward Lafrance - you will notice I am normally sporting a very large grin - often referred to as the "Ward Lafrance grin" to those in WLF circles. Won't get one arriving on a low loader. The cost of fuel is something I have to think about but will still drive to a show rather than pay silly money for a low loader. If a show is far enough away for me not to drive the WLF there - then common sense says I shouldn't go. In short - yes I scared silly when I take the Ward out - but if I couldn't drive it - scares me even more. Markheliops

Sorry Maverick - not been to either show.

I don't envy you - having done it once. I'm glad you confirm what I thought in relation to the nylon washers as I didn't fancy changing them all. LOL. Went back to the farm to day to complete the job. Done what Norman and Chris suggested and re-torqued the pads to 70 lbs. Strangly enough some were over-tight and some not tight enough. I suspect as the day went on and I'm became more tired - I lost a bit of concentration. Good job I checked them all as I had cross-threaded a couple of pads and the bolt threads needed re-doing. Otherwise would have lost two pads on route. Thanks chaps.

Odd about the nylon backing washers. The manual was very specific when it stated - re-use the original backing washers unless they are cracked or damaged. I hope I don't start losing pads! I have a full set of these as all mine were okay and I re-used them.

Hi Simon. I now have 180 VERY worn pads - but to be honest the majority were down well past the limits but if you need some drop me a line. If you are going to War and Peace my barn is literally 2 minutes up the road. I used new nuts and washers - until I ran out of the washers with about 20 pads still to do. Strangely enough I had exactly the right amount of nuts!!! You can buy pads individually but to be honest that is an expensive way of doing it. A full set (180 pads) can be brought for £500 or less if you shop around. I do know someone who had a set made. Markheliops

Norman / Chris - Thanks for you thoughts chaps. Shouldn't take too long to loosen them off and re-torque to 70 pounds.

Hi all. Decided to give the FV432 a new set of shoes yesterday. I've been putting it off for a while as it's one of those jobs I didn't really want to do on my own but needs must as I wanted to take it to Bromley for the pageant. It's not a hard job but there are 180 pads to change and thats a lot when you are on your own. Anyway, went to the farm after finishing the night shift and started about 10am. OH MY GOD!!!! Had to do it in the middle of the yard as the compressor lead wouldn't reach the barn. Don't know what the temperature was but lets just say - I FRIED!!! Well, I finally completed both sides and arrived home at 11pm - absolutely cream crackered and filthy. I done a proper job though - wasn't just off with the old and on with the new. I took off the old pads and thoroughly cleaned the track links, inspected each nylon slip to ensure they weren't cracked and checked each bush on the track pins. They were in pretty good shape. Anyway - happy with the finished result. Still need to tension the off-side track as I have some sag but the other side is good. I have a question to anyone who has changed pads on armour before - The manual states tighten the pad bolts to 70 pounds. Now for ease I used an impact gun as there was no way I was going to remove and replace 180 pads using wrist action only. If you look closely. the ends of the pads are bending out slightly where the middle and only securing bolt has been tightened. Now do I: A) - Use it as it is and the pads will bed down B) - loosen each bolt off and re-torque to 70 pounds. I don't want to damage the pads nor loose any on the journey. Your thoughts please chaps. Many thanks Markheliops

FV432 will be making an appearence as long as everything is okay with the beast. Haven't had it out since Beltring last year. Not taking the Ward for a number of reasons: Why put £150 in the fuel tank of the Ward when the FV432 tanks are full and the fuel doesn't cost me anything? Also - if something were to break on the Ward - it would only give me three weeks to sort the problem before Beltring. Have a couple of jobs on the Ward to do before it ventures out again anyway. See you there. Markheliops