Lorry cab/chassis advice pls - MAN and Merc for 7.5 tonne

[bigboyrocky]

Ours is a Merc and its AMAZING... its a B reg (yes, very very very old!!) and we've had it 4 years now and all its needed is a couple of new tyres, and the springs for the ramp need sorting... So we're very impressed. We were so gutted when we had to advertise it, so both me and mum are both vv happy that we've been able to keep it (even if it is wayyy to big for what we need, but its v economical so we dont mind. Did about 700 miles round trip in it to the NSEA champs and it only cost about £120 in fuel)

Eta, its never ever not started... we left it (very naughty i know!!) from the PC champs in August this year, till 30th December, and it started 1st time with no issues what so ever - like there had been no freeze and it was driven the previous week - we were amazed!

 

[horsemankent]

Iveco is the way to go I think. Same engine as the daf in the later models. The new Eurocargo looks great 2004 onwards. I use meridian motors in kent. www.meridian-motors.co.uk. Never had a problem. Just make sure you choose a nice chassis for your box otherwise you will regret it later on.

 

[kerilli]

thanks horsemankent, do you mean that the '04 Eurocargos onwards are good, or the '05 ones?
Since I'm about to spend £10k replacing the engine on an '04 Eurocargo which committed suicide shortly after a full service, I'm anxious to know...!

 

[Mike007]

Firstly whatever you do don't google "MAN parts" unless you want to see things you really didn't want to know about. I got caught out by that one

 

[scribble]

I had a K reg Man 8.150 eco and while it was powerful and good lorry when running it was a sod to start. would alwasy start but needed persuasion. parts cna be pricey, lasted well but has gone to lorry heaven as i think it was just canned before being a box. did give a nice ride. told by my mechanic Daf are good, NMercs good but i have had one and can roll more than others and heavier.

 

[racingdemon]

haven't read all the posts, but sounds like the turbo may been the cause of your problems, I have a Merc, & parts are only mega expensive if you use main dealers, (which i used to do) but now have a V good local guy who does it for a lot less, & when it doesn't matter i doesn't use Merc parts.... merc wiper blades are no different to normal ones....i'd be blindly paying through the nose for a sticker of a star!

(FYI.... i had a new turbo 2 years ago, as i noticed i was losing power, someone i know with the same age & model of lorry had the same problem, let it carry on, & the turbo blew the engine up!)

I've also heard good things about MAN,

 

[kerilli]

haven't read all the posts, but sounds like the turbo may been the cause of your problems,

Nope, turbo was the very first suspect, and it was absolutely fine, no damage at all to that. would have been a lot cheaper if it had been...

thanks though.

 

[angelish]

hi i can't offer anything helpful really just wanted to say good luck and hope you get it sorted for the season and everything goes well as i can remember your lousy lorry reports and it sounded like a nightmare

oh i do have an old (m reg) daff that i love dearly and has been reliable so another vote for daff

 

[kerilli]

hi i can't offer anything helpful really just wanted to say good luck and hope you get it sorted for the season and everything goes well as i can remember your lousy lorry reports and it sounded like a nightmare

oh i do have an old (m reg) daff that i love dearly and has been reliable so another vote for daff

thankyou. it's due to be done by the end of the month, but it's costing £10k which was this year's new horse and competition budget, total nightmare. all the mechanics incl those at Iveco headquarters just cannot work out how it can possibly have done what it did, it makes no sense at all.

 

[spacefaer]

I've got a Leyand Daf 45/150 - 1998 chassis - and love it - it's fast, stable and ultra reliable. Only had to do standard plating work for the last 6 years I've owned it

I've driven several MANs and find them underpowered, slow, heavy and really wallow-y to drive.

My DAF goes up hills with 3 horses on and I only have to drop one gear - the MANs were in 1st halfway up.

I do know the 130 bhp DAFs are good for local driving but slow compared to the 150bhp - mine is an amazing motorway lorry - really easy and economical - gets to Blair from Gloucestershire on a tank and a half of fuel.

 

[laa666]

D A F everytime, cant fault them, good for parts. My old one was a K reg and only upgraded to a 54 reg this year, hardly every had to get it repaired and allways started.

 

[NeilM]

thankyou. it's due to be done by the end of the month, but it's costing £10k which was this year's new horse and competition budget, total nightmare. all the mechanics incl those at Iveco headquarters just cannot work out how it can possibly have done what it did, it makes no sense at all.

It's called 'the malevolence of inanimate objects' (well, not quite inanimate in this case) basically, it means some machines and things are just plain wilful (just like some horses). In the end, no matter how you try and straighten them out, they will fight you.

I had a friend who's motorbike engine used to try and kill itself on a regular basis. I'm a pretty accomplished motorcycle mechanic, and some of the things this engine did I would have said were impossible, except his engine did them.

If your engine decided to kill itself, you are better off without it, it's just the timing of the suicide that's cr*p.

I know nothing about lorries, but good luck with your search...oh and with your season.

 

[kerilli]

Thanks Neil, actually that makes me feel much better about it, in a bizarre way... at least it happened only an hour from home with no horses on (just dropped one off), so it could have been a LOT worse - fully loaded on the motorway miles from home en route to an event... no thanks!
That's the first time I've felt positive about the whole crappy situation since it happened, so, thankyou!
it's getting a new everything btw, Engine management system, the whole caboodle, not trusting any of the old stuff to talk nicely to the new stuff in case the vile gremlin does it again.

 

[NeilM]

it's getting a new everything btw, Engine management system, the whole caboodle, not trusting any of the old stuff to talk nicely to the new stuff in case the vile gremlin does it again.

Yes, I'm afraid that is the reality of modern engines. Even with the old stuff I like to work on you can never trust that all is well because you have found a fault.

I once restored a 1969 Ford Mustang (mmmmmmmmmm), and found that it tended to blow headlamp bulbs. The diagnostician in me did not trust that it was a simple fault, especially not on such an old (American) car. Sure enough, I ended up rebuilding the whole wiring loom, as there were some impressively melted wires in there.

If you don't know where the original fault lies, then the little gremlin that caused it could be anywhere, even something as silly as some corrosion on a little wire, which is something I found when working on a BMW motorbike (nice mechanics, shocking wiring).

Must have been 'interesting' when the motor went into grenade mode. Actually, it sounds bl**dy scary.

Better luck with the new one.

 

[kerilli]

thanks. good luck with your riding this year. btw, the lovely big coloured horse is still here (and fit enough to canter and jump now, and being a super good boy!) if you want to come and put us all through the 'how to fall' bootcamp again...

 

[NeilM]

Ohhh, love that big boy.

As for bootcamp...you really want me to come back? Wow! Gluttons for punishment or what?

I have just started a new job, but I'm sure we can find a date when I can come back again

 

[kerilli]

Ohhh, love that big boy.

As for bootcamp...you really want me to come back? Wow! Gluttons for punishment or what?

I have just started a new job, but I'm sure we can find a date when I can come back again

I'm sure we could drum up more willing volunteers. Did you buy that climbing mat thingy, btw, I think that would help a lot tbh.
Crash test dummy time again, great...
New job, congrats.

 

[LBertie Wooster]

When we where looking for a lorry (7.5t only!!) we tried to stick to DAFs as dad is a HGV fitter on them so knows pretty much everything about DAFs. we looked at a lot of them but ALL had an anormouse amount of rust and the chassi and underside was in appauling state. Dad was VERY concerned about how they managed to get an MOT with all the other things wrong it it!! We ended up buying an Merc 814 and it has done us very proud! Merc parts arnt actually that expensive (bad publicity) and they last for pretty much ever!! We have a wooden body on our 7.5t

know im going to say what dad said about DAFs when we where searching .. they are very bad for chassi rust, you struggle to get parts like headlights etc etc, and he said LFs are known for having some BIG troubles, there was other stuff but im going to shh know .. He also said stay away from ivecos as they have alot of trouble.
but I suppose dad is coming from a HGV fitter point of view but tbh I still feel it should apply to Horse Boxs aswell as everytime dad does down to MOT stations he pretty much always hears complaints about how bad horse Boxes are .....

 

[Stroppy Mare]

We recently bought a 1994 L reg MAN 8.153. Previously had a Bedford TK, however sold for obvious reasons! Anyway, we test-drove ivecos mostly actually, felt ok to drive but were rust buckets. After reading replies on here we decided to avoid ivecos and aimed for MAN and DAF. Funnily enough, didn't find many suitable DAFs but found a stunning MAN with minimal rust and only 3yo conversion. Test drove it - apparently nicer than iveco to drive also.