Hauls, Backhauls and New Hauls

 A tremendous amount of machinery has been moving through the Port of Halifax recently. It would be impossible to track all of it, but this is what I have been able to catch by chance.

This morning Atlantic Tiltload had a pair of John Deere timber forwarders, model 1910G and called out their  Freightliner number 18 and International HX number 19 for the work.

 Both tractors are equipped with an extra axle and at least one of the trailers is a Talbert.

The Earl Paddock company from Stoney Creek, ON specialize in transporting military vehicles and are seen here often with both wheeled and tracked vehicles from General Dynamics for export. They are usually in and out so quickly that I don't get to see their well kept fleet of Kenworths.

 

Many of these military vehicles have passed outbound though Halifax recently.

Today I did spot Paddock Kenworth number 512, backhauling a Liebherr L 580 wheel loader.

 Speaking of loaders I saw this big Komatsu WA600 ready for the road, but no sign of the hauler.

Another operator of well kept Kenworths is the oversize load specialists Transport Watson from Quebec. In 2020 the QSL (founded as Quebec Stevedores Ltd) acquired Watson + Sycamore from Groupe Robert, but have retained the Watson identity so far. Their trucks are well known in Halifax for hauling aircraft components imported by Bombardier. I recently spotted what appeared to be a pair of new Kenworths:

Unit number W3913 is ready for a wide load with flags in place. It is a T880 model with mid-rise sleeper.

Unit W3912 appears to be built to a similar spec (but with a bull bar), and a large headache rack equipped with storage compartments.

What I think is a new name to the Halifax area is Sunbelt Rentals (a huge North America wide operation with 1,1000 locations.) I recently spotted their Peterbilt tilt deck, bearing Alberta plates.

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Still more

 It now seems that there are a lot of domestic RVs on the scene, but they have a definite European air to them.

This ancient shorty Sprinter, from British Columbia, has many of the attributes of a stealth vehicle, but the roll up awning is a giveaway - maybe the surf board too.

When Chrysler had to give up the Sprinter, they came up with the Ram Van (which is a lightly disguised Fiat) and this 2500 model is a worthy replacement. The raised roof version gives it RV capability.

The big German RV maker Hymer, inserts their own logo on Fiat vans. Although common in Europe, this is first domestic Hymer I've seen - it carries Virginia plates and could almost be mistaken for a Dodge (especially with the hood up: How do you get spare parts for a Fiat?
Just follow another one around..)

 The RV season  must be coming to a close very soon, as cold weather is arriving and even the hardy Germans and Swiss are unlikely to want to be here in the winter.

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Inter extra

 Total Transport and Rigging, the heavy lift and oversize load carriers in Halifax, have been busy recently with some big moves. For this they neeed big trucks and the Navistar International HX seems to be a favoured model. The company carries a lot of material in and out of the port area, and I sighted this extra axle HX recently at Fairview Cove.

The truck has lots of extra lighting and chrome too, including the extra large bumper.

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More Mercs

 The Mercedes Sprinter is a favourite amongst RV owners, and not just the van model, but the  Mercedes running gear too. Among the latest RVs that I have seen, several are Mercedes or Mercedes based.

This long wheelbase Sprinter is not exactly a "stealth" van, but the heavily tinted windows certainly give it a slightly sinister "armoured car" look.

I don't usually see the need to post photos of both sides of an RV, but this one is an exception. Tilt out vent windows were ajar on both sides.

The little "Ruff Rider" mascot lightens up the tone somewhat.

This RV is from Austria (in case there is any doubt) and was built by Hymer on a Mercedes dually chassis.

Even Winnebago is getting in the act, and building on a Sprinter cab/chassis

 

At first I missed this one, since it was in the same parking lot as the previous one, but it is definitely different. 

 

The 30 week tour map on the side is certainly an impressive achievement for this Swiss Merc Sprinter dually.

 

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Still on the road

 Despite qualifying as an antique auto in most jurisdictions, this RV is still on the road today and has made it all the way from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia. 

The "Bounder" name wasn't a clue as to its origin, but fortunately a "builder's plate" mounted on the side gave me all the information I could need.

It is a Fleetwood, Model K, built in Riverside, California in August 1989. I suspect there aren't many 33 year old RVs still on the road - and in what appears to be its original paint. (Fleetwood apparently had a copyright on the paint scheme!) 

There are a few signs of wear here and there, but still, it is in remarkable condition. I wonder how long some of the current types will remain in service in view of their "gas guzzling" habits, such as this late model Chev / Citation Supreme.

 or this CanaDream / Ford E-350:
 

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They're Back - continued again

 One more European RV showed up after my last post, and this one is built by Hymer, one of the largest Geman RV makers. They build a wide range of RVs of various sizes. They all seem to use Mercedes components. Some use the Sprinter cab and others the Sprinter chassis - called the B-Class - with the Mercedes emblem on the hood.

Interesting features on this unit include a driver's door and a narrow side door on the offside, but well to the rear. I could  not detect a model number anywhere. It certainly appears to be a high end rig, but not brand new. It wisely carries a pair of spare tires on the roof since its wheels are probably an odd size.

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They're Back continued

 Even more European RVs appeared on the streets today. I am wondering if perhaps these are arrivals - in time to see the fall colours, then head south for warm winter weather. In no particular order:

Dakar Ready Looking like a refugee from the famed North African off road rally, this M.A.N. beast looks ready to take on any kind of terrain.

It is big enough to rate two pictures.

The tilting crew cab, giant fuel tank and lots of brighteners give the rig a distinctive look.

Carado Reisemobile from Germany re-badges the Fiat cab/chassis with their own grille logo on this T-Series unit.

At the lower end of Carado's range of RVs, this one is priced at €54,198 - which looks like about $72,000 CAN.
 

Citro Vees Those upside down Vees are enough to identify Citroën without the need for wording - in Europe anyway. The evolution of that logo has taken another step in 2022 - see: CitroV

Pössl on the other hand plasters its name on all sides of their Vario 545 model camper van conversion. It is also available on a Fiat chassis.

Another Citroën of unknown conversion was partly shaded. It is based on the "Jumper" model delivery van.

 The shadow was created by its neighbour (Jumper next to Sprinter)

 

This high clearance Merc is an Iglhaut Allrad  AWD conversion from a standard two wheel drive Sprinter. The horns are an interesting touch - they do not appear in Iglhaut's literature - but would likely scare the daylights out of any wayward cyclists. Not so sure about moose or elk.

I notice also the high breather on the driver's side A-pillar - maybe the Sprinter is also a Swimmer?

 

I see very few de-mountable pickup based campers from Europe, mostly because European car/truck manufacturers are not noted for their pickup trucks. Enter Japanese pickup makers such as Nissan, who provided this truck for a Tischer camper.

This one appears to be the winner of the "Sticker Competition". I spotted Jasper and Lake Louise stickers and the Newfoundland and Canada flags. I believe I also detect the Greek flag.

Of course there are also well appointed domestic RVs on the roads, such as the Canadream Ford in the background and some unusual "Canadian" trucks too - such as this imported Suzuki RHD steroidal motorcycle pickup. I'd love to see a camper converison on this:

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