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Teshr's impressiat lveco has been on a bit of a
Page 56
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roll of late. What is probably its best UK product range ever is doing much to help overcome an outdated 'give a dog a bad name' heavy-truck reputation. Fortunately. this is not a problem that has ever affected the 7.5-tonne Eurocargo, now in the most recent of a succession of big-selling incarnations and with a slew of awards under its belt. In any high street, civil engineering firm, municipal or hire fleet you'll find the little Eurocargo. Its Bertone-styled-cab is a popular choice and lveco is currently in second place in the 7.5-tonne sector after Oaf.
Size is, of course, relative. Just a few years back any driver with a humble four-pot diesel under the floor would have felt shortchanged. Not any more. As previous tests of the lusty little 3.9-litre common-rail Euro-3 turbo-diesel have amply demonstrated, this is a powerful and flexible lump with enough oomph to cruise happily on A-roads.
Higher rewing than the MAN TGL, the lveco dropped to fourth on our road route hill. Given we were running right on maximum GVW with a five-speed gearbox, this was commendable. Coming back down we tried the exhaust brake, which proved powerful enough to take off some speed as long as we kept the revs over 2,500rpm but with such a small capacity retardation it is always going to be limited, and given that most 7.5-tanner drivers wouldn't have a clue how to use one, they're better off with the ABS disc service brakes. A nifty little mover with alight steering lock, the Eurocargo's brisk acceleration quickly whisked the tipper up to 40mph and beyond, while a wide torque band provided power across the rev range. Anti-roll bars, front and rear and a suspended cab contribute towards decent handling and ride on and off site. A vibrating tipper control, set, like the handbrake, by the driver's left hand, was a minor annoyance and while the plastic seats were practical it's questionable how durable they and the rest of the easily cleaned interior trim would be.
Other standard features include electric windows, a mechanically adjusting driver's seat and an outdated radio cassette. Even the Volvo bucket loader had a CD!
There are no cupholders on the fascia, but you do get space for a litre bottle in the driver's door pocket. In three-seat mode the centre back squab folds forward to provide storage and a writing/eating table. Door pockets, a bin on the rear bulkhead and shelves above the windscreen take small items but dirty kit will probably end up on the passenger-side floor.
Cab access is good, particularly the knurled grab handles and wide step, and ground clearance is excellent thanks (as with the MAN TGL) to larger 9.5 tyres.
The BritTip/Edbro dropside steel front end ram body with bolster comes direct from your friendly local lveco dealer as a one-stop package, including beacons and a tow bar. The tipper control comprises two levers; one for the PTO, the other to lower or raise. Most users will probably want to add the relatively cheap options of a steel bumper and headlamp protection as fitted to our test truck.
A radiator guard is fitted as standard. Overall, the 3.1m-wheelbase Eurocargo tipper proved a well thought out package, driver and fleet friendly, and comfortably on top of its unglamorous but essential tipping task.