IVECO goes under cover

 There were no brand markers on the truck or RV body, spotted July 6 after clearing Customs at Fairview Cove. Thanks to a helpful Facebook reader, the truck has been identified as an IVECO Eurocargo. The RV body maybe a Bliss Mobil.

One observer asked "don't they know we have roads?" wondering why such rugged off road units are so popular with European visitors to this continent.

IVECO (Industrial Vehicle COrporation) was formed in 1975 when several truck marques merged: FIAT VI, OM, and Lancia VS from Italy, Unic from France and Magirus-Deutz from Germany. Although Italian based, it is a world wide company, with plants in China, Russia, Australia and Latin America. It is a subsidiary of a Dutch holding company Iveco Group N.V.

I guess it is so well known in Europe that name badges are not necessary.

Imports and Exports

 There seems to be no end to the RVs this year. I counted more than a dozen still to emerge from the Fairview Cove terminal, and with more due to arrive from Europe.

Among the ones I've seen recently were a small but rugged IVECO AWD from the Roth, Bavaria district of Germany:

 

I kept seeing the big Mercedes around town for a few days (see previous post) and finally figured out how they managed to get aboard.

The telescoping steps fold up under the door. There does not appear to be a railing.

Another small RV is a Dethleffs Globetrotter...

but I did not identify the cab/chassis manufacturer...

The map on the back includes Asia, Australia and the length of the western hemisphere, and certainly lives up to the Globetrotter label.

Not all vehicles moving through the port are imports. There is a large trade in used cars heading out to third world countries. There is the occasional truck too.

This Mack chassis concrete pumper arrived over the road from Sherbrooke, Quebec (that must have been gruelling trip). From the shape of the second steering axle mud guards I would say the chassis was prepared by Simard in Baie-St-Paul.

The pump is from Schwing, which makes many different models. Its North American operations are based in Minneapolis, MN. They aslo make fire booms and truck mounted conveyors.

.

 

RVs keep rolling in

 The flood of European RVs is at its peak with at least two dozen arriving this week alone. They arrive at the PSA Fairview Cove terminal on Atlantic Container Line ships and are lined up in the terminal awaiting the owners to clear them through Border Services.

Today's crop included a large Magirus, which I just missed, so I had to make do with a number of smaller rigs.

Mitsubishi Fuso is a rare choice for RV. This one appears to be a commercial van body conversion on a Canter cab / chassis.

FIATs are a popular choice and this one with a Euro Mobil RV body sports tandem rear axles.

 IVECOs are often used for the expedition / off road types.

 Some have made a small concession to aerodynamic streamlining, but most are just boxes with wheels.

For those with a more relaxed approach there is this nicely appointed Mercedes with Mirage Sprinter RV body.

All of the above were from Germany, and are likely to spend the entire summer in North America - some even heading to South America or Alaska.

.

 

 

Are you lost

 The annual invasion of European tourists and their RVs usually starts in the spring, so spotting a foreign RV in February is a bit unusual.  This funny little IVECO showed up on February 13, fresh off the boat.

The Iveco appears to be a 35-180 model, known as a "Daily" with nicely integrated box body and dual rear tires.

 

The rig carries a UK license plate indicating that it was licensed in Bristol and it is a 2017 model.

 

I hope the visitors were prepared for winter as we had a 10 cm snow fall the very next day.

.

They're Back

Many of those European RVs that migrated across the Atlantic in the spring are now on their way back home after venturing around North America - many to Alaska or other far corners of the continent. Some of those rigs are very unusual - and I have included a few from recent days.

Is it bigger than a bread box? Or is it a bread box? I guess if you are going to spend upwards of €250,000 (Euros) for a Morelo Palace Liner you will want lots of volume. Apparently available on an IVECO or Mercedes chassis from Morelo Reisemobile of Germany, this is the last word in luxury. I am not sure I would want to try to hold this thing on the road in a high wind with those tiny tires, but it seems to have stood up to to its North American tour. I am not sure this one does, but some can carry a smart car in the load bay at the rear end. There are side doors for bikes and a rear door/ramp.

Sorry I didn't catch your name. I am not sure who made this long wheelbase job.

The stylized map on ths side doesn't stand up to close inspection as it involves several aerial routes, but certainly suggests an ambitious itinerary.

Speaking of IVECO, this hardy specimen seems to be at the other end of the luxury scale.

Based on an IVECO Turbo Daily 40-10 4x4, this Swiss plated rig was fitted out by Behl Mobile from Germany. They offer a huge range of vehicles on many different chassis. This is an older one, but shares some of the features of the current models including the subtle air intake on the A-pillar, the heavy duty skid plate and built in winch.

From the array of stickers on the rear storage box, its owners also have covered considerable territory.

[IVECO = Industrial Vehicles Corp is a huge world wide truck producer - except in North America. It has 27 factories all over the world, including China and Russia, and is headquartered in Amsterdam.] 

And speaking of Mercs.

The elderly flower children that decorated this Merc seem content to operate what looks like a delivery van. More bread anyone? I could not see a brand name for the conversion, but there is a small badge on the engine cover that suggests Morelo - if so, certainly their low end.

.

All sorts

 The European RVs keep rolling in. They range in size from a BMW station wagon (I saw it today, but there were people with it and I didn't mant to invade their privacy) to full scale Dakar Rally inspired expedition trucks. Here's a sampling, just from today:

 

Mercedes / Bimobil

Citroen / Bürstner Ixeo Time 30 Edition
 

 

There is a crawl through from cab to container style cabin...

...and a crane to unload the bikes.

Iveco AWD cab chassis

.

EuroRV invasion

 The toursit season for European RVs is in full swing, and typically many unusual looking trucks (not to mention RV conversions) can be seem coming through the gates at the Fairview Cove terminal. The vehicles arrive on ships of the Atlantic Container Line and this week's ship, the Atlantic Sky probably had between 25 and 35 RVs from what I could see.

 Outside the gates this morning, after clearing Customs, there were about a dozen more of all shapes and sizes:

Fiat van with Rapido V55 camper conversion.

 

Toyota pickup and ExKab 5S "drop on"

 

Mercedes and Nova LaStrada conversion.

 

Iveco model 55S 17W with Bimobil expedition body.

 

Nissan extended cab pickup with Tisher drop in camper.

Citroen raised roof van conversion.

Some of these trucks may have dealer support in North America, but I suspect most are very far away from service. Many appear to be new, but warrantees don't stretch across the Atlantic. 

Some vehicles don't appear to be RVs exactly, but this Swiss offroader, equipped with a heavy skid plate, immense driving lights and high breather looks ready for some serious back road travel. I hope he finds someplace to ski.

.

 

RV Catch Up

The yearly influx of RVs from Europe continues, and I was able to catch a few of them during the summer.

Mercedes Sprinter types remain favourites including this very North American looking LMC Liberty.

A rare MB100D small van dates from 1992-1995. Note the two handled side door.

Ivecos remain popular too. This much travelled unit, sports a Mobilvetta Icaro 510 RV body.

Carado rebrands their RVs, at least with the radiator badge, but the hubcaps still have the Fiat name.

Not all RVs are from Europe. The North American visitors, often from the US, are usually fairly typical, but there are occasional odd balls.

 

Isuzu "stealth" RV from Oregon sports a tiny exhaust stack. The small side window is a bit of a giveaway, but so is the tail board with bike stowage and propane bottles below. It looks like there might be some solar panels on the roof.

Back in May I caught this early season visitor an unusual Merc "dually". Not sure I've ever seen a double rear axle on such a small vehicle, but it does serve a useful purpose for a light suspension chassis. And yes those rear axles have single tires -not duals.

.

Iveco not going to Alaska (with an update)

According to the route map posted on the passenger door of this German French Iveco, the unit has made a straight bee line across North America at about the 49th parallel. The map shows that much of Europe, southern Asia, Australian and New Zealand have been visited and that it came up through Central America after crossing the Pacific by ship. 

The sticker on the back shows that it has been a certified for New Zealand with a self-contained sewage unit for visiting protected areas. The cautionary "left hand drive" warning sign may also be required in New Zealand and Australia.

It turns out this unit visited Australia and New Zealand in 2015, and in fact DID visit Alaska this year and are now on their way home to Germany.
The truck was delivered by ship to Buenos Aries last October and has since done the Pan-American tour. That is described on another map, posted on the "stern".

.

Tourist Season

The annual arrival of RVs from Europe has been going on in a small way for a few weeks, but the delivery of a dozen or more of these vehicles by ship last week marks the real beginning of the tourist season.
Since I do not get to the north end terminal as often as I used to, I tend to wait for them to come to me now.

This IVECO Daily 4X4 showed up in the south end of town this evening, bearing a Bimobil EX358 camper body. I think this is the first RV I have seen here that claims Finland as its home.

IVECO is now a wordwide brand with large market shares all over Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and factories in China. It is essentially FIAT, but includes many once well known brands in the truck, bus, construction equipment and firefighting.

IVECO however is largely absent from Canada and the US as a brand name, although its engines are sold here.

.

Happy Spring

With a winter that does not bear remembering, I welcome spring with a return to normal postings on Truckfax. 

First up - those wonderful traveling Germans are back with their variety of off road and on road motorhomes of all descriptions. Every week ships of the Atlantic Container Line bring in several of these intrepid visitors. Here is a sampling of recent arrivals through the Port of Halifax.

Team Tinkerbell from Anvil Aerospace arrived with this Merc Unimog U4000. I'll let you figure out the model year (and it isn't 2772).

A more streamlined ride is this VW with  Autark camper body. See:http://www.woelcke.de/

Somewhere between the two, but still in gunmetal colour, this LandRover has an ambitious map traced out on its spare tire rim.

And now for something completely different. An IVECO chassis and Carthago M-Liner camper van body, has lots of storage space for smaller vehicles in the cargo bay. 

And finally:

Although it is a Mercedes, it is wearing Canadian license plates, from British Columbia.  The body is from Leisure Travel Vans and it is a Unity model.

.