• Mercedes-Benz currently has the most comprehensive tipper line-up on
Page 22
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
the UK market, running from the 3.5-tonne Ti 410D to the 38tonne 2538 6x4 tractor. In between there is at least one model in every weight category But the eight-legger market is a relatively new venture for Mercedes, and after less than ten years the German engineers are only now coming to terms with the British haulier's obsession with power and payload. As a result the world's largest truck manufacturer is stuck way down the sales league,
EVOLUTION
When Mercedes-Benz entered the UK eightwheeler in August 1985 it was sailing into uncharted water. It was not producing an 8x4 for its domestic market so it took the nearest model it had to it, a 6x4 rigid, and left its Saurer factory in Switzerland to add a fourth axle and additional hydraulic steering pump. A Z-section flitch was incorporated in the 1111 chassis to cope with the extra six tonnes; the necessary extra power came from the naturally aspirated 14.6-litre N teeeight which gave 8.23hp/ton. The result was a strong, heavy but relatively powerful vehicle for the time, with an exceptional ground clearance and approach angle that few hauliers outside the muckaway fraternity could fully appreciate.
The 3025K arrived in the UK with the small steel S-type day cab which is still used today. This helped contain the weight although it was still more than 500kg heavier than the equivalent Foden.
An M-type short sleeper cab could be specified as an option but most buyers stuck to the day cab. Hub-reduction axles and its sevenspeed synchromesh gearbox came straight off the six-wheeler chassis.
Merc's first eight-wheeler had a run of five years before being superseded by the 3229K in January 1992, The main changes were a small increase in power from the naturally aspirated 15.0-litre 0M422 engine and a manually operated version of Merc's own 16-speed range-change transmission as standard in place of the 16-speed ZE transmission which had previously been offered only as an option. To match the heavier design weight it had bigger brakes and a stronger steering box.
Earlier this year the 3229K was replaced by the 3234K with another increase in power, courtesy of the smaller, lighter 0M441 LA 11.0-litre charge-cooled Euro-1 vee-six producing 340hp (250kW) at 1,900rpm and 1,0701bft (1,450Nm) of torque at 1,200rpm. A high-pressure injection pump has been added and the compression ratio raised to 16.75:1 to meet current emission standards. A road speed limiter and chassis lube have also become standard fitments with a nearside electric widow.
ABS braking is not a requirement for eightwheelers but the same electronic package can provide traction control.
OPERATORS
The 3229K we tested in 1991 is one of three now in service with Ecoclear: to find out how it's getting on we spoke to tankering services controller Tony Jeffery who runs a fleet of 13 vehicles on sludge and industrial waste collection from the company's depot in Newhaven.
Ecoclear began operations in 1990 and leases its trucks from Top Mark, another part of the Southern Water group. Purchasing policy has varied so the fleet includes lvecos,
Mercedes-Benz, Scanias, Seddon Atkinsons and Volvos. This puts Jeffery in a good position to make comparisons, and he says: "There is not a lot of difference in the cost to us." All three Ecoclear 32291(s run with 4,000gallon Whale vacuum tanks. "They run loaded for about 75% of the time but the work varies quite a lot," says Jeffery At worst they return about 5.5mpg and at best 8.5mpg depending if they are working in hilly areas or not and how much pumping they have to do. For our type of work the power is ideal. We expect to run them for up to six years. Servicing costs and spare parts are covered by the leasing agreement but we use local dealers like Scantruck of Henfield who are very helpful and do the work out of hours. In our busy period we can be working day and night with the change of crews.
"We had a Mercedes-Benz dealer even closer," he adds, "but they went down the tube about 18 months ago. Now the nearest one is at Worthing, which is not too bad. There was a problem with the steering box and they were replaced on all three vehicles under warranty. The turning circle is still a lot worse than any other eight-wheeler we have. Springs are no problem. We get some break but not as often as on other makes. The vertical exhausts rattled to pieces but Eminox was very good and replaced them the following day. Tyre life was very poor but we changed to Michelin and now get 20,000km for the front and 25,000km on the rear. The brakes pass the MoT, no problem, but the drivers feel that they could be improved. The cab is small and the trim is basic but on the whole they like them. The 3229Ks haven't caused us any major problems. We still run at 30.49 tonnes gross and with a live load the stability is good.
"We had one in a crash," says Jeffery, "and the leasing company opted for a new chassis. It was off the road for six weeks which was a disaster for us. 1 think Scania probably give the best back-up and I would rate MercedesBenz a close second but I don't think we will be getting any more. The company's policy is to buy Leyland Dafs in the future."
Also on the South Coast, Mick Magill is depot manager for HT Hughes, the transport arm of KP Hoar Contractors of Fareham. The fleet includes 22 eight-wheel tippers.
"We inherited five 3025K Mercedes-Benz when the main company took over Hughes to run the vehicles and plant side of the operation. We are not buying Mercedes," says Magill. "The vehicle price and spares prices are too expensive. We have just bought some Fodens with the Cummins L10 engine. We do a lot of heavy muckaway work as well as servicing our own concrete and topsoil recycling plant When we break a propshaft I don't have to ask which vehicle; I know it's on a Mercedes every time. Rear springs wear away to nothing on the slippers and have to be replaced every MOT. The tyres are not bad for wear and the brakes last quite well. Shackle pins and king pins seem to wear faster than on any other vehicle.
"We don't buy trucks to resell them," he adds. "If it needs a new engine or gearbox to keep it running, then that's what it gets. There is a Mercedes-Benz dealer on the other side of the trading estate but as often as not we end up running up to Milton Keynes to get parts in time for the workshops to fit overnight. I don't think you can beat the Hino for tipper work. Its very strong and will go anywhere but it is slow and heavy, "We are just in the process of uprating our vehicles to the heavier weights," he concludes; the new ones will run at 32 tonnes. "I don't think their tipper models live up to the Mercedes-Benz reputation but they are always in with a chance if the price is right."
David Wilson operates six Mercedes-Benz eight-leggers in a fleet of 33 vehicles he runs with his brother Alan out of Endmoor on the edge of the Lake district.
After holding off for the past four years he is looking at replacing the 3025s, but he intends to buy Scania 320s and Volvo 320s rather than the latest Mercedes.
"We had a lot of trouble with cracked crossmembers," he explains, "in particular the one that's under the gearbox. After some discussions with Wentworth Park, Mercedes came up with a heavier one that they use on the tractive units. Mercedes fitted a few and we fitted a few and we had no more problems. Now they tell me that they have redesigned the eight-wheeler chassis. I looked at it and they have come back out with the cross-mem
her that gave us heaps of trouble in the early days. I asked for a demonstrator four-months ago but haven't had one yet and now I think I will have to wait to see how other operators get on with them over the next few years.
"We have nearly gone through the fleet replacing cracked header tanks," Wilson adds, "and we had no end of trouble with the seven-speed box, They stood warranty for the best part of four years and some we had in for repair half a dozen times. We just gave up in the finish and fitted second-hand 16-speed 2F boxes. None of the vehicles we bought with I6-speed boxes ever needed to be repaired. We have a problem at the moment with the spring saddles breaking up. They have brought out a heavy-duty version but within a week of fitting its cracking up again. The problem there is that the axles are allowed to move sideways.
"We have uprated all of these Mercs to 31 tonnes," he says. "They won't go any further than that. We can just get 19.8 tonnes on them—they're heavy. The Scanias running at 32 tonnes will give us a payload of 22 tonnes. One of the big downsides for the Mere is fuel consumption, Running laden one way, mainly on motorways, we get 7mpg at best. Over the past three years when I would have liked to sell a few trucks I couldn't give them away, but now there is no trouble selling them.
"Backup depends on the dealership," Wilson adds."We don't get that good a recep tion from the Carlisle branch but we are working a lot down in Birmingham and _ . whenever we have been in the dealership down there they bend over backwards to help us. The one good fact about the Mere eightwheeler is the engine. We haven't had many troubles with them but if one does give you a problem it's extremely easy to work on. You can replace a piston easily in a day."
DEALERS
The John Hewitts Group acquired the Mercedes-Benz heavy truck franchise for Devon and Cornwall from Spartrucks in 1991. It covers the region with four parts vans which make daily deliveries to operators from the main dealership in Exeter; a sales and service satellite at St Austell; and a service and parts outlet at Barnstable.
Sales manager Tony Corrick says: "I would be glad to get hold of an eight-wheeler of any description right now. We get a lot of enquiries for second hand four and six-wheel tippers but there isn't a lot of movement in eightwheelers at the moment—good second hand kit is virtually non-existent in this area. With the construction industry yet to come back there isn't even much interest in new vehicles. The area that is active for eight-wheelers right now is in waste.
"Mercedes-Benz was a bit slow getting off the ground with the 3025," says Corrick. "It was a bit of a disappointment to the network. They took their time in sorting out the problems; I remember we had difficulty in getting the body lengths right for bulkers and the seven-speed gearbox wasn't really the right tool for the job, It gave us a little bit of trouble but M-B put it right. They increased the surface area of the brakes and changed the spring material so they are not a problem on the later models.
"Then they brought in the 16-speed ZE which made it a brilliant tool," he adds. "Although it was listed as an option for the first 3025s it wasn't readily available. A cross lock was only available as an option but operators tell us they can go in and out of off-road sites where other vehicles need the diff-lock engaged as soon as they go off the kerb. It's a magic off-road vehicle.
"The 3229 didn't really happen for us but the new 3234 is a nice bit of kit," he says. "It's got the power and it's not too heavy. Its the best off-road vehicle there is. Down this part of the world operators tend to keep their trucks for six or seven years. Some of the early 3025s that were sold to ECC are still running in their colours all over the area today.
"The day cab is the one every one goes for," he adds. "It's small, but it's sprung so nine out of ten don't go for a suspension seat and if need be you can stick in a power hose without doing any damage. Being mounted up high has its advantages, even for bulker work. It stays a lot cleaner outside too.
"The used vehicle operator has become much more particular what he will buy," says
Corrick, "but if it's good clean kit and you can offer a good package he will pay good money for it. If you could find an 89 on a G with a 16speed box and the right sort of mileage, about 300,000km, it would fetch £26,000 to £27,000 with an alloy body. If it's insulated so much the better."
Former Yardley Commercials director David Higgs started up on his own four years ago at Hartlebury in the West Midlands and specialises in used Mercedes-Benz trucks although he handles other makes too. At any time he has up to 35 vehicles on site from 7.5 tonnes upwards, but right now eight-wheeler Mercedes are few and far between.
"There weren't that many sold, "says Higgs, "and the ones of the right age, under four years old, that did come onto the market went off to Cyprus. They are very difficult to come by. The Mercedes 3025 is a good strong lorry but it got left behind at 250hp," he adds. "It was underpowered and overweight but it was a good reliable tipper. I saw one the other day operating in south Wales with over 700,000 miles on the clock, behaving as good as gold, working hard on coal. The cab is small but I don't think that matters on tipper work. The new 3234 with the extra power will be a better truck?'
SUMMARY
In the secondhand market late used eightwheelers of any designation are a rare commodity. If you're looking for a Mercedes-Benz you're more likely to find an example of the 3025K than the later 3229K. It's heavy but has good ground clearance for off-road performance.
The big naturally aspirated vee-eight lump is solid and reliable. By current standards it is down on power but if need be it is an easy engine to work on. The seven-speed box is to be avoided. Springs apparently continue to wear; spring saddles may also give problems and in some applications propshafts have proven to be vulnerable.
Time will tell how the latest 3234K will fare on the secondhand market. Replacing the sturdy 15.0-litre unblown vee-eight with a 340hp 11.0-litre charge-cooled vee-six should answer the dual complaint of too much weight driven by too little power.
The standard auto chassis lube might also extend spring life, but with operators hanging on to their new vehicles we wouldn't expect to see may 3234Ks in used truck lots for some time to come.
In any case someone must like the older Merc eight-leggers: in researching this report we didn't find one advertised for sale.
CI by Bill Brock