Volvo FE

As mentioned last week when I saw a Volvo FL rigged as an RV, Volvo produced the FE tilt cab for North America. They were popular for fire apparatus for a time, (in fact I don't think they sold too many non-fire units!).  Custom  manufacturers, like Spartan could provide a fully tilting crew cab, but Volvo and the other commercial manufacturers never did, and soon withdrew from the fire apparatus line, and from the COE and low cab forward market completely.

Trenton, Nova Scotia ran this 1993 Volvo FE42 chassis with Anderson 1050 /1000 pumper as engine 19-01. It was sold in 2017 to Gore District. 2011 photo.

An unusual service, called Clean Heroes, offers a mobile bunker gear cleaning and sanitizing service out of Stewiacke, NS.

They run this Volvo FE with Metalfab walk in rescue body modified for their use. It has an independent crew cab. September 25, 2018 photo.

The Canadian government in one form or another had a number of Volvos on their rosters, especially the Department of Transport, which provided fire fighting at many airports.

The Almonte salesmen weren't trying too hard to sell this rig, since it had already been bought and paid for by the taxpayers. 1994 photo.

Halifax Airport had this unit, also built by Almonte, on duty in 1996. There are some slight differences with the unit above, but it is essentially the same spec, with the high reach Snozzle foam monitor. Snozzle is a Pierce trade mark.

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Seeing Red - Part 1 - Chev and GMC

Back when General Motors built a steel tilt cab (1960 to 1981) they marketed Chevrolet and GMC versions that were virtually identical, with only one slight revisions in trim over the years. Sometimes called the L series it had a 72 inch BBC measurement. Never as popular as its direct competitor the Ford C series, or even the later International, it did see many sales to fire departments until closed crew cabs became the norm.

I spotted one survivor of the series today:

Now in the hands of a collector and possible restorer, this Chev ended its working career with a hog farmer in Canning, NS, but is likely a veteran of some Annapolis Valley fire department. The steel cab appears to have survived well. It is the only one I have seen recently, but back in the 1980s and 1990s I saw plenty:

Most of the trucks I saw of this type were straight trucks, but Seagrave built this tractor perhaps in 1965 to tow a 1952 Seagrave tiller steer trailer. Note the "tilt cab" on the trailer - it tilts sideways to access the aerial ladder. Hanover Fire Department, Newark, Ohio ran this rig.

Hantsport, NS had this GMC / Thibault on their roster in 1983.

Annapolis Royal, NS ran a GMC / Pierreville pumper/tanker in 1985.

Chester Basin VFD had a GMC / King-Segrave version in 1987.

 Chatham, NB had a pair of these tilt cabs in 1985, one a GMC/ Thibault running as engine 1,

and the other a GMC / Pierreville as engine 5.

Not all red trucks were fire trucks. Esso Petroleum Canada operated this 1970 GMC refueler at the Halifax airport for many years.

Kelly's Towing from Grand Pré, NS operated a Chev in 1986. The elaborate pinstriping hints at a fire department history for this truck. The theme was repeated on the tow body, which appears to have been the survivor of a previous truck.

Of course not all fire apparatus is red.

 Les Eboulements, QC still had this lime Chev / Pierreville in service in 1996. [see their current pumper tanker in my September 8, 2018 post].

Nowadays when every other truck is painted factory white, a white truck doesn't stand out, but at one time there were several departments that ran white apparatus.

 In 1997 Dickinson, NY VFD had this handsome GMC on their roster. Note that it is a high mount cab (maybe to accommodate a diesel engine?), with canopy extension. The centre console pumper tanker is by Thibault (yes they exported to the US and overseas too) and dates from 1970.

 That arrangement necessitated a longer than normal wheelbase.

I posted more photos of these Chev GMC tilt cabs back in 2010 see: http://truckfax.blogspot.com/2010/03/chev-gmc-tilt-cab.html


To be continued.........

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RVs on the way out

The hoards of European RVs are heading back home after their North American odysseys. A few linger for a day or two before shipping out, but most go directly into the terminals and I don't see them.


One particularly aged Volvo from France did hang about for a time earlier this month:
 

The FL6, Volvo's smallest truck, was produced between 1985 and 1997 in Europe, and a similar version called the FE6 was sold in North America for time, using the same cab, but with different engine specs.
FL stands for Forward cab Low level cab.

This one also has a very low level box body, with unusual skirting all round. The hydraulic ramp is likely intended to carry bicycles, and in fact the unit may only be a mobile bike repair shop and not an RV at all.

With the offshore RVs going there are still tons of domestic RVs on the road, but mostly the usual suspects, built on North American chassis. A few oddities do pop up however:

 The Toyota Townace van was available with a fibreglass RV body and pop top, built by A'm craft Co Ltd. Marketed as "European" and in RHD version only, the 4WD rig is still popular if the sales ads are any indication. There is also a busy market for imports from Japan.

This one, bearing British Columbia plates, is in "original" condition - at least on the  outside.

Another Japanese van (in original condition), with a high top on a standard van body, is this Mitsubishi Delica, with Utah plates.

Also a 4WD its is called a "Chamonix" model, built especially for skiers.

Just in case they decided to convert to water skiing, there is a breather extension mounted above the water line.

That may be a solar panel on the top - a recent add on.

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Straight trucks with sleepers

There are few straight trucks with sleepers on the road - at least in this part of the world, so when I see one I grab a photo.

This F-liner shows up on the waterfront from time to time with supplies for cruise ships. Clipper Ship Supply is based in Montreal and obviously includes perishables amongst the products it will supply to ships.

Once likely a hot shot type delivery truck, this Inter has taken on a second life as a pumper. Its job appears to be pumping out restaurant grease traps. A fairly unpleasant job, and no doubt the sleeper has been converted for other uses. The long wheelbase and short body gives a distinctive appearance.

A giant high rise aerodynamic sleeper hardly seems necessary for a guard rail post digger, but here it is. The Pete must have had an over the road career to start, but that big box probably serves a a crew cab. If the digger body is readily de-mountable, the truck could hit the road again if needed.

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Road Report - Big Truck Version - Finale

Kenworth has always been a big favourite in Quebec, and they are probably one of the most common trucks on the road. Getting a photo of one sitting still is always the challenge.

 Bertrand's Unit 12-05 with an RV for a long haul tow, takes a quick truck stop break.

Garage Bertrand in Lévis operates a fleet of big wreckers and works all over Quebec and beyond into the US. They also have an interesting web site with an album section showing their older trucks back to the 1980s. http://www.remorquagebertrand.com/ENG/index.html


Another Mack popped into view, and a classic offset cab R model. Used as a water truck by a road construction company it probably has very low mileage.

These rugged units are still in daily use as transit mixers, dump trucks and other uses.


Many of the smaller brand names don't attract much attention, even though there are many units on the roads. The late lamented Sterling brand can still be seen, usually in vocational vehicles, but the odd time it pops up in other places. Daimler shut down its Canadian plan in St.Thomas, ON in 2009, but there are still Sterlings to be see:

This Acterra chassis serves as a village fire tanker in Les Eboulements, QC.

Built by Camions Helie Inc of Joliette, QC - see their excellent website: http://www.camionhelie.com/


I didn't see too many Peterbilts on the road trip - or at least ones that stood out from the crowd. Petes were once very rare sights in Canada but are now right up there with the other big brands for over the road. They have also made their mark in the vocational field too.

This short hood Pete may be a model 348 which is engineered for a variety of applications.It will distribute its load via a set back front axle and a second steering axle from Simard Suspensions.

Western Star makes its own twin steers and this one is waiting at the Halifax dealer.

Freightliners are everywhere these days, and a few samples jumped in front of my camera

This handsome unit, seen at the New Brunswick/Quebec border appeared to be waiting for some assistance due to a sagging load. The truck runs for TCF Express of Pierreville, QC.

I saw several Freightliner COEs - but only a few were stopped.

Fueling at Woodstock, NB, this drom unit is a very rare sight, although Packers Logistics of Stoney Creek, ON likes them for their LTL work.

A classic FL COE - with straight stacks was taking a break in Amherst, NS, some distance from its home base in Sussex, NB.

There was something for everyone in this trio of chip haulers. Low rise, mid rise and high rise sleepers, and a mix of traditional and more modern styling - two Petes and a Binder. The two red trucks are 2018 models, with license plates only ten digits apart. The blue Pete is a 2012.

That's the end of this road trip report.

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Kenworth for Akita

Akita Equipment and Auto Transport , Mount Pearl, NL had a mighty big Kenworth and a mighty big trailer in Halifax today.

I could only fit the combo in by tlting the camera, while I held up traffic. I guess I would not want to be a moose in Newfoundland with this rig bearing down on me.

The trailer is a Scheltema, built in Woodstock, ON.

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More MANs

A small fleet of MANs arrived by ships recently, and they are being ferried to Ontario by Earl Paddock Trucking. I have featured the well kept Paddock fleet here before. Based in Stoney Creek, ON, they specialize in oversize and large loads, but also in transporting military vehivcles. We used to see them in Halifax frequently when they delivered Saudi military LAVs from General Dynamics in London, ON to the Port of Halifax. The Saudis moved their operation but LAV deliveries have dried up, so Paddock trucks are rarer here now.

 

The new MANs appear to be 6x4s, with large single tires on the drive axles, and a long wheelbase. However these truclks are available with selectable hydrostatic front wheel drive.
This one is a TGS  33.400, and the other five appear to be the same, as seen from a distance.  It has the M  cab (day cab),  TGS signifies heavy duty  and the 33 stands for 33,000 kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) and the 400 stands for 400 hp.

 

Hauling these vehicles is the job of one of Paddock's many excellent Kenworths:

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RV Roundup - plus Labour Day Bonus

Road trip over - for me - there are still many others out on the road in a wide and wild variety of RVs.

An unusual van, with a German Hymer RV fit out showed up today with Connecticut plates. Based on the Fiat Ducato Professional, and bearing Hynmer's own Hymercar logo on the grille, this one would not be remarkable if it was carrying German plates. However is carrying Connecticut plates and Dodge hubcaps with the Ram logo.

I guess a European / American cross of some sort.


Three axle arrangements are not common on RVs of any sort, but to see two in two days is a bit of a coincidence.

This one, more or less fresh off the boat is based on the Mercedes Sprinter cab, with Bocklet expedition type RV box. Boklet Fahrzeubau GmbH of Koblenz builds a full range of RVs up to and including full tilt Dakar types.

 

 

 This one was obviously too big for just two axles, so a third (trailing) axle was added.

 For three "axle" units however, there is nothing to beat the traditional GMC Motorhome:

 This classic is one of the most prized RVs in existence. Built entirely by GM, using the Oldsmobile front wheel drive engine from the Toronado, it has an extreme low floor as a result. To minimize wheelwell protrusions, the non-drive rear wheels, were dualed in tandem.

The RV frame is aluminum and the body panels are fibreglass and aluminum, and therefore extraordinarily durable. That is why so many of the 13,000 built are still on the road. Production was from 1973 to 1978!

Speaking of GM, this new GMC T7500 cab forward has been fitted out for fifth wheel hauling:

 A complicated boat rack and launching system spans from front bumper to box body, without touching the independently suspended cab. The front frame is hinged on the bumper, so must be movable to tilt the cab.

 The body comes from Intercontinental Truck Body (ITB) of Coaldale, and Calgary, AB and Surrey BC. The company builds all sorts of specialized and custom truck bodies. It also has a US subsidiary TriVan Trucks of Ferndale, WA.

Not to leave General Motors completely, this RV lives in Halifax, and is not on the road very much. 

It carries a well worn Chevrolet "bow tie" over the front grille, hinting at a Chev undercarriage and mechanicals. There is no manufacturer's name on the van body, which is most unusual. It's rear window appears to be an early hatch back.



September 3 
It's Labour Day so I will save the effrot of making a new post, by adding this one:

This giant MAN from France is a TGM 18,290 model. (M meaning medium duty.)

The crew cab option is one of three cabs avaialbe in this model.

 (Day cab and sleeper are also offered). 

It would take a certain type of agility to get in and out of this rig.

I am not sure about who made the RV box - I couldn't see a label from the front, but it looks like a conversion of a standard cargo body.

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