MilitantGraham

The GDSF website is at http://www.gdsf.co.uk/ but it's still under reconstruction at the moment. I organise the Diesel Heavy Haulage section at GDSF. Last year we had several ex-military vehicles. Three Rotinoffs, a Thornycroft Antar with 50 ton Dyson Trailer, a Scammell Amazon (big Crusader) with a Centurion ARV on a semi-trailer, a Diamond T plus a couple of Scammell Constructors. This is not just a static show, the vehicles spend the five days of the show towing trailers or eachother around the playpen, a large fenced off area shared with the steam heavy haulage. Not only is it the only opportunity to see three Rotinoffs in one place (there are only six in the country) it is the only place to see the bigger trucks grossing over 100 tons up a 1:12 hill. I've put a few pictures on my website at http://www.aecmilitant.co.uk/gdsf/home.html although I could do with updating it.

Berni, is that Pete's Samson ? If so, I'll be bringing it on my trailer and he'll be bringing my SnowCat on his 7.5 tonner. I'd better post my entry off soon if it's filling up. Doug and anyone else with a big vehicle. If you are coming from the South via wotton under Edge there is no problem. If you are coming from the North via Stinchcombe it's a bit tight turning right in to the lane off the B4060, even without a trailer I need a shunt with the Militant. I don't know what the steamer low loaders do, but I think I will be going 50 yards past the turning and reversing down the next road on the left by the pub, then coming back from the other direction. A couple of maps. http://tinyurl.com/c3fr2 http://tinyurl.com/d9mmp

Did anyone get a picture of the Samson on the trailer ? It was dark by the time we loaded on Saturday night, still dark when we left on Sunday morning and dark again when we got back on Sunday night. I forgot to take a picture before we unloaded at the docks and I didn't want to hold everyone else up who was waiting to help us back out on to the road before we left, so I never got around to taking one myself. If anyone has got a picture could they either post it here or send it to me please.

110, 101 and Sankey - home (Worcestershire) Militant, 10t trailer, Bv202, car transporter trailer - friend's yard (Shropshire) Land Rover ambulance and BV202 projects - friend's farm (Gwent) Various other Land Rover and Matador projects and parts and the remains of another Bv202 - friend's farm (Herefordshire) Land Rover parts - friend's farm (Monmouthshire) Finding storage space for the bigger stuff is always a problem. Being a truck mechanic with my own breakdown truck helps. All the people who's land I have got my stuff parked on own either historic or modern working trucks. They don't mind putting up with having my scrap abandoned in their yards so much if when I call round they can say "We've got a bit of a problem with the lights on the trailer. I wonder if you could have a look at it while you're here..."

Thanks for the info. The Snow Trac is well under 4 tons but the steel bars are actually channel section with the wide flat face against the rubber belt and the two narrow edges touching the road which are well under 13mm. It's looking more and more like trying to find some sort of rubber tracked, road legal plant we can hire for a day is the best option. Tracked dumper or the like.

A friend of mine intends to buy a CVRT soon. Another friend has just bought an Aktiv ST4 Snow Trac which is registered for road use. A few of us would like to take our cat. H test in the Snow Trac, but we're not sure about the current rules on steel tracks. The tracks are rubber belts with steel cross bars for grip which also form the links for the sprockets, so they can't be removed. Under normal use, the only part touching the road surface is the steel cross bars. Is it legal to use a vehicle with this type of track on the road ? If not, we will use the CVRT although there may be some delay if he buys an unregistered one and it would just be a lot simpler to take the test in the smaller vehicle.

Hi Jon A friend of mine has got a 404 which I have driven once. From what I remember the main gear lever has got 4 forward and 1 reverse gear. Pulling it all the way to the left puts it in low range from where it is only possible to get 1st, 2nd and reverse, giving 6 forward and 2 reverse gears in all. This should be a good place to ask for help. http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Unimog-uk/

I put a heated screen on my 110. The one I bought was 12v and had only two connections. I wired it via a relay and 30 amp fuse. When that broke I got a 3 wire one. I wired it with -ve to the centre and +ve to the two outer connections. It warmed up quicker than the old one, but kept blowing the fuse. I am currently using just the drivers side until I get around to running a heavier cable direct from the battery lead. I would guess the idea of the three connections is to make it dual voltage. Parallel for 12v, series for 24v.

This is the one that was on Sky a couple of years ago where I was interviewed. This year it's on 29-30/10/05 at avon Dassett Quarry near Banbury. Map I'll be there with my BV202 along with a few Alvis and Scammell 6x6s. Entry is £15 day / £25 weekend. free camping. More details, phone Will, 01295 690416 / 07760357958

I've noticed there are very few of the bigger British trucks turning up at shows nowadays. At Kemble there were only four 6x6s, two AECs and two Scammells. Beltring wasn't much better, 400 Jeeps, 400 Land Rovers, 3 6x6 AECs, 4 6x6 Fodens and a few Scammells. It's probably the fuel cost that's causing it, it's getting close to £1 a mile for me now. Tanks usually get appearance money, so do steamers. I think it's about time the bigger trucks did as well. I don't expect someone to fund my hobby for me, but faced with putting £100 worth of diesel in the Militant or £15 worth of LPG in the Land Rover it's tempting to take the cheaper option. Which one makes a better show ?

I've been wondering about this as well. A friend of mine is thinking of buying a Scorpion. He's got a yard and field to practise in. Can we just hire a mini-digger for the day and get the examiner to come out on site to do the test in that ? Do we have to take the test in a road legal vehicle on a public road ? He can register it first and I can transport it to the test venue on my trailer if we have to. The only information I have got so far is on http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/minimum_test_vehicles.htm. Any cat H vehicle can be used to take a cat H test, but no mention about it being road registered or where the test takes place.

Guess who was looking at the Militants and Explorers at Hanbury steam rally last weekend. :wink: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/drivers/special_licensing_arrangements_f.htm gives some useful information. Exemption L is the one you're thinking of. P looks good until you get to

I remember reading a book about wartime divers and midget submarines. At one of the pre invasion meetings, one of the army bods was worried about the risk of his tanks sinking in the sand on the beaches. At the next meeting the following day, the RN officer presented him with a specimen of Normandy sand to analyse to see if it would take the weight of a tank. Overnight he had sent a midget sub and two divers across the channel, on to the beach and back home again !

Hi Al I'm just down the road from you in Bewdley. There's a few military vehicles near Kidderminster already. There's another 101 ambulance in Bewdley, a Diamond T and Reo at Clows Top and a Jeep and Militant near Cleobury Mortimer. I've also seen a Jeep regularly parked by the Worcester Road. There's probably a few more in the area that I don't know about. Are you going to Hanbury this weekend ? http://www.shakespearesrally.com/Hanbury.htm I'll probably just take my 110.

They're good for removing a nut without damaging the stud, something which can be tricky with a grinder or hammer & chisel. They are also useful if you need to avoid heating nearby components. Again, tricky with a grinder and impossible with gas. The biggest problem is they tend to be a bit bulky. Sometimes you just can't get them on the nut.

Hi Paul. Nice to see another tracked snow vehicle owner on here. There was an Aktiv ST4 at Kemble last year and a Bv202 Mk1 at Beltring along with my Mk2. There's a few BV206s about now as well, but other than that we do seem to be a bit of a rarity.

The first picture was indeed taken at GDSF. Two Scammell Constructors on tow. At least one of them has got the brakes on. Phil Wallace runs the Mat & Milly club, I just do the website. As far as I know, everyone enjoyed the show and we will be back next year, hopefully with a few more examples of AEC's finest.

Hello everyone. I own a small collection of military vehicles, all post war British Army/RAF. AEC Militant Mk3 Medium Recovery. BM Volvo BV202E Mk2 Land Rover 110 V8 Land Rover 101 Ambulance I also run the website for the AEC Matador and Militant Owners Club, http://www.aecmilitant.co.uk and organise the Diesel Heavy Haulage section at the Great Dorset Steam Fair.

Hi Berni. It's always nice to meet you and Russ at shows. You did a good job of the commentry at Nibley. Graham