• N THE ROAD
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,fter a short run with a full load up to a ,orth London hospital, Lavelle sat back as we
took the Actros back to base. We've yet to find a bad-riding eight-legger and this Merc is no exception, even when empty. Visibility from the full-width cab is fine, and with 35ohp on tap the unladen 3225K made short shrift of the London traffic, easily keeping up with the pack.
The double-H 'slap-over' i6-speed manual box does the job for us: it's simple and effective, although the bias spring on 5/6 plane could have been better; moving up into highrange it occasionally baulked. The steering is light with just the right amount of feedback; we were also pleasantly surprised by the big Merc's turning circle. However, turning left out of a tight -junction on an incline (and without unduly caning the engine!) we experienced that rearmost wheel-spin Lavelle had warne us about. Most peculiar, as common sens suggests that the weight transfer would put th most load over the back axle.