Dougy FV432

Hello All, Yes it is a tracked vehicle and here she is......... It is what I use the lowloader for...... Propably won't get chance to touch it again till the weekend, be glad when it's done. Truck next !!!!!!! Dougy

It was somebodies idea that we paint one of my trailers at the bank holiday weekend, unfortunatly she had the biggest one in mind. We started Good Friday morning with this........ And Monday night we only got this far.............. Got the left hand side rubbed down and 2 coats of primer, half way down right hand side. Rubbed down and primed the metal work on the bed and gave the bed boards 1 coat of B&Q fence paint (Forest green of course). Still got lots to do and haven't touched the loading ramps. Used 10 litres of red oxide paint, worn out 2 wire wheels for the grinder, had to take the nato green paint back because it had reacted in the tin. And I still managed to deliver an artic load of salad bowls to Tamworth with wrong address, Go on an Easter egg hunt with the boy (and find the most) and the girlfriend managed to look after her horses 20 miles away. Glad to be back at work for a rest. Dougy

Hello all, When it comes to computers I am just as stupid as I am with military vehicles. But Help, Can any tell me how to resize a picture. When I take a pic and download onto my computer if I have taken it in a high quality setting the size of the "jpeg" can range from 1.5 to 3 MB. When I want to E-mail one or upload one to my photobucket page it seems to take an eternity. First of how do I get it down to approx 500kb so I can upload quicker and how to make it smaller dimensions so it fits on these forum pages better. I have tried altering settings in microsoft photo editor or I have something called FinePix which gets the pictures from the camera, which is all I do with that, it can probably do more than that. Oh while I am at it why do pictures I print always come out a different colour from that viewed on the computer. When I say different, for an example I printed a pic of my girlfriend's horse for her and there was a brick wall behind it and on the screen it was brick colour and on the print it was very "orange", the wall that is not the horse. If it makes a difference I have windows XP home edition with plus/digital package added Thanks in advance Dougy

In all fairness to my local VOSA hgv testing station, they are a good bunch and are nearly on this planet. I do go there a lot and even though it was still a stressfull day. It only takes the tester not to like a tyre or think that something worn a bit too much and I would have had minimum bill of £100(and that would have been if 1 had failed) . Especially as I was doing both unit and trailer there was a lot to go wrong. Even on the morning of the test I had 2 side marker lamp not working on both unit and 2 on the trailer, luckily it was only bulbs. Dougy

Hello All, Think this is as good a section as any, but the reason for the title was that my tractor unit and lowloader that i use to take my 432 to shows was up for MOT today (tuesday). Have spent the last few weeks doing all the jobs to get it through and today was the big day and they both PASSED! Yippee. Anyone who has taken HGV for test will know what a relief it is that it is all sorted. Dougy

Already had a set back, chap I was in negotiations with about parts has sold the engine. DOH!!!! Tempted not to deal with him with rest of bits I need. We might be seeing a xr250 coming up for sale on e-bay soon, shame as it seemed a good project to get stuck into. Is she worth the trouble Tim, Do these people you mention just do engines or cover the whole bike. Have you got a contact no. for them. Regards Dougy

Hello All, Has anyone out there had any experience with these bikes. Recently acquired a partially stripped one and now that I have tracked down some of the parts needed (price depending), looks like a full restoration maybe on the way. Unless I see sense first. Dougy

Hello all, I have just bought one of these wire wheels in the last couple of weeks to clean up an air tank for my lorry. It did as well as I expected and made the whole job quicker and easier. Totally agree with the goggles. Have had to have metal dug out of my eyes with a needle twice now through work, not a pleasant experience. the only thing that was worse was having to go back a week later to have the rust dug out. Never again!!! Dougy

Hello Berni, Going to try and make it this time. As long as I get the air tank fitted to my lorry so I can couple up to the lowloader, so I can get to my lightweight to get it going as it hasn't moved in nearly 3 months. Then get my boy on Sunday morning from the Forest and all being well make it to Gossington. (that is the layby outside where the Bass brewery depot was?) Oh and maybe squeeze a trip to Scotland to have a look at a replacement for my Discovery van and do some jobs on my disco for mot if the bits turn up. Dougy P.S. My entry form for North Nibley was finially posted the beginning of the week.

Hello All, I currently have a stripped ex-mod Honda XR250 on Milweb. (with a price) I have had a couple of enquiries for it. One has been going on for about a month and he says he wants it but can't get round to collecting it. I have since contacted him and said unless he gives a date to collect I will sell to whoever gets here first. I have also had the ones who have said they want it without even seeing it and will get their importer to arrange shipping. If only I send them my bank details!!!!! Then there was the one this weekend who sounded perfect. He as a similar bike that he has written off and needs a frame. Ideal. I sent him pictures and we arranged for him to come and see it, only he didn't want it because it was to much work to change the frames. Surely he had an idea of the work involved to change frames. As for Milweb, the ads take a day or so as they seem vet them first. At least they are free if you don't have a pic. Dougy

Hello All. I suppose it is easier to think as each set of wheels as a wheel station. If you were to have 6x6, 1st number normally means it is a 6 wheeler (3 axles) and all 6 are driven. Easy. Then you can get a 6x4 which again 6 wheel stations but normally back 4 driven, like the tippers you see going around. Still easy. But they can also be tractor units with double drive for heavy haulage or onsite use where traction is needed. Then there's your 6x2 which is what I have got for transporting my fv432 about. Now it can get confusing. Mine is a 6 wheeler tractor unit with rear axle drive and the front 2 axles are steered, but the 2nd axle is in front of the drive axle. Often refered to as a twin steer, unlike the 6x2 which can be 1st axle steered, 2nd axle driven and 3rd axke can be either trailing, lifted or steered. And all that before you even think about including steel suspension, air suspension combinations. chinese sixes, midlifts and tags. Hope thats confused you even more and thats not mentioning trailers. Dougy

Hello All, When I went to buy my first sankey trailer from MVS in Lichfield about 8 years ago they would not let me couple up to it with my lightweight, because they said the trailer didn't meet certain standards. They said the indicators needed to be on the outside (as has been mentioned), plus the rear triangle reflectors had to the complete type not the ones made up of individual small round reflectors. A brake away cable needed to be fitted and the number plate had to be in the middle. At the time they had 100's of trailers and when i said I wanted one they told me I could have the one they had in their yard (and not allowed to pick 1 of the 100's)and I would have to trailer it away and not tow it. In the end I went somewhere else and picked the one I liked handed over my cash, coupled up and drove off. Regards Dougy

Hello All, I'm another Footman and James customer. When I tried to insure my lorry that i use to transport my FV432 around, Roadsure wouldn't cover it because it wasn't ex-military and not old enough, F&J no problems and quite reasonable. Dougy

Hello Ian, There is a copy of a wiring loom at the back of the lightweight handbook, I know it's not a 109 but it shouldn't be that different. Have you got a particular fault. Have you thought about fitting a weber carb instead of the Zenith (if not done already), meant to improve fuel consumption quite a bit. Dougy

Hello All, Started with a 9x9 landrover tent with full liner, ( liner makes a whole lot of difference, well worth the effort). 9x9 can be put up single handed and in the dark when you arrive at a show at midnight, but don't those poles make a noise at that time night. Then we got the 12x12, loads of space, but what a pig to put up and thats without a liner. Spend alot of first nights at shows in lorry nowadays normally to knackered to put tents up, have been tempted to go the wimps way and get a caravan. Dougy

How you doing Paul any luck on the job front. Just as a matter of interest what did you do. I have felt for a while that the country is heading down that slippery slope and people are relying on the value of their houses too much. Seem to hear about lots of company take overs and then the get rid of half they no longer need, or firms can no longer compete. I work for a family haulage firm who started in 1855 and we wouldn't be surprised if the owner came in and told us to weld the gates closed on the way out. Have been made redundant twice in my career, once in 1986 when I was a 3rd year apprentice and then in 1996 when I was of sick with a broken collar bone, both couldn't have been at worst times. Good luck anyway, Dougy

Thanks all for input No I didn't disconnect the drives, probably should know better after recovering lorries for nearly 20 years. Does it state why you need to disconnect. Does it put unacceptable load on the steering box or is it similar to a lorry and it is to protect the gearbox? Dougy

Hi Richard, Have heard now that the ABRO at Warminister is all but closed down. Did you get to play with all different types of vehicles, when I went round the one at Warminster, it seemed that it was a dedicated team that rebuilt the Drops. Hi Chris, Thanks for the elec manual link, going to try to download it when I've finished hear. I have had a couple of goes at tracing this charging fault, looking at the litrature I have on the subject, it is a very complicated system. I did find the fuse blown that is in the rectifier, I was very disappointed when that didn't cure it, then I found one of the plugs at the powerpack junction was not connected properly. Still no joy. Haven't really had any time lately to look at, getting lorry through it's MOT is priority. Dougy

Thanks for the dates Mark. Had tried looking for their website. Thanks Graham, have been to your website before some interesting pics there. Think I have spoke to you before about going to the Great Dorset Steam Fair, it does seem worth the visit. Silly question, but where is it held Dougy

Hi Berni, Got my entry form today, thanks for that. Will try and fill it in at the weekend. Thanks again, Dougy

Hi Berni, I've had another go at PM you hope you get it this time. Thanks for the advise Graham, think it will be a Sunday afternoon recce see what it's like. Have you got any details of the Much Marcle show? Cheers Dougy

Hi Berni, Hopefully you should recieve a PM of my details. Don't remember seeing the sabre last year, but we didn't turn up till late on the Sunday and i think Dave had taken it home. I will have to speak to either Graham or Terry to see which way they get there, will probably bump into them at Stoneliegh tomorrow. Look forward to getting my forms, let me know if you didn't get the pm. Dougy

Hello All, Has anyone got any idea of the Dorset Steam Fair dates this year? We do fancy giving this show a go this year, have heard it is very good. Do find that at the steam fairs we tend to get alot of interest in the vehicles. It has been common for it to take over and hour to unload as people so fasinated in the military vehicles. Thanks in advance Dougy

Hello Richard, ABRO.......Sounds like the perfect job. Did apply to the one at Warminster, glad I didn't get in, now that they are laying 100's off. Don't suppose you came across any common charging faults on Fv432 Mk2s in your time there. Dougy

Easy to show circle. You can just see some writing overpainted infront of circle, almost could be a phone number. Another marking on mine I have always wanted to know what it stands for; are a big P on the front and R on the back, both hand painted and I asssume are related to when they are cast. I see it a lot on all types of vehicle at Withams Have been to 432 web site, although quite informative doesn't seem to get updated. Dougy