0 ur first hands-on experience of the Maxter came in
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an 8x4 group test at the beginning of 1993 in France But it was not until the end of that year that we were able to take the opportunity to borrow one from Whale Tankers, equipped with a sophisticated 4.0m-high SAJ Huwer waste tank, for our first test in the UK. The following year Yorkshire operator Ken Longthorne lent us one of his Maxter tippers. Both vehicles had rear bogies running on factory-fitted Hendrickson Norde rubber suspension. We thought it was a good choice for predominantly on-road use where the fuller articulation of a steel suspension was not required Vertical repositioning of the brake chambers increased ground clearance to 320mm and for good measure both were fitted with vertical exhausts. Specified for hilly operation, the tipper used the slower of two final-drive ratios and fuel consumption fell back to 784mpg from the 8.11mpg we achieved with the tanker geared for motorway operation. Above 1,000rpin the engine pulled well but any slower required a drop down the box. Specifying the simpler and lighter nine-speed transmission had only a slightly detrimental effect on overall journey times.
Its rigid suspension minimised body roll and combined with light steering it produced positive handling, but the ride was harsh. Service brakes were not the most progressive we had encountered