Karrier K6

[REME 245]

Does anyone know the specific reason why the winch equipped Karrier K6 was produced. I am assuming that it is the only British produced 3 ton winch Truck.

 

Were they allocated to LAD's or some other specific role. There must have been a reason to make them.

[Runflat]

The Bedford QLB (bofors tractor) was also equppied with a winch.

[Richard Farrant]

Does anyone know the specific reason why the winch equipped Karrier K6 was produced. I am assuming that it is the only British produced 3 ton winch Truck.

 

Were they allocated to LAD's or some other specific role. There must have been a reason to make them.

 

As far as I know, they were the only British 3ton 4x4 GS truck with a winch. (The QLB was a gun tractor so does not count, but the QLT Tipper did have a winch). My understanding was that they often served with Royal Engineers so perhaps they were useful in bridging work.

[REME 245]

It would be useful to see some pictures in use showing markings but probably unlikely.

 

Off the top of my head only 3000 were build of which all apart from about 300 were winch equipped.

Some were also air portable by splitting the cab. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for such a limited requirement.

[Richard Farrant]

It would be useful to see some pictures in use showing markings but probably unlikely.

 

Off the top of my head only 3000 were build of which all apart from about 300 were winch equipped.

Some were also air portable by splitting the cab. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for such a limited requirement.

 

The government would have been foolish to put all their eggs in one basket by going for the Bedford QL, so the Austin K5 and Fordson WOT6 supplemented supplies of 3 ton 4x4 lorries, as did the Karrier. Development costs of the Karrier would not have been great as it shared a lot of its mechanical components with the gun tractor and armoured car. The cab looks like it was knocked together one night on overtime . The production numbers might be low because the factory was concentrating on Humber Armd Car production. The government were telling the manufacturers what they required from them.

[ted angus]

The government would have been foolish to put all their eggs in one basket by going for the Bedford QL, so the Austin K5 and Fordson WOT6 supplemented supplies of 3 ton 4x4 lorries, as did the Karrier. Development costs of the Karrier would not have been great as it shared a lot of its mechanical components with the gun tractor and armoured car. The cab looks like it was knocked together one night on overtime . The production numbers might be low because the factory was concentrating on Humber Armd Car production. The government were telling the manufacturers what they required from them.

 

My Dad was on that night shift-LOL-- I think the Karrier 3tonner might have predated the QL ?? From what he told me it was just a rebodied gun tractor hence the winch; The Humber arm car was to be called the Karrier Arm car but to prevent the overuse/ confusion with the many differing Carriers, Rootes chose Humber. My Dad was one of only a few who could operated a huge lathe which played some part in machining turret rings, he retired dec 1979 from the factory and that lathe was still in use for occasional jobs. For some reason it was marked property of the Air Ministry/ Min Aircraft Production.

He was alo involved in building the proto Commer Q4 4x4 post war-- but I digress

 

TED

[Degsy]

Yes you're right Ted , according to Vanderveen the Karrier preceded the QL by about 2 months.

[Jimmy F]

_{My mate built one of these and states it was built to a particular brief: They were designed to do/be everything, a troop carrier, a gun tractor, air portable, so on and so forth. They had a winch purely so they could be as useful as possible. That is a very brief version of his explanation.}