1996 VOLVO FH Globetrotter XL C ompared to the normal Globetrotter,
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the XL is higher and has a flatter floor. This results in NERIZIEDI.93in of headroom on the engine tunnel, the largest of all, and a lot of useable floor space. The Compared to the normal Globetrotter, the XL is higher and has a flatter floor. This results in NERIZIEDI.93in of headroom on the engine tunnel, the largest of all, and a lot of useable floor space. The
luxurious cab has leather seats, wooden panels and lots of interesting extras.
Usefully, one can shift away the whole steering column for access to the bed. Better still, the passenger's seat folds up and slides right up to the dashboard, giving 60cm of standing space—plenty for dressing and undressing.
The XL's shape means there is not much space in the top of the cab, and the front lockers are rather shallow, though the header rail doesn't intrude too much. The XL also lacks a wardrobe. Still, storage space is acceptable. The under-bunk drawer has a volume of just 54 litres, but the rest of the space is accessible from the outside. It's easy to put a fridge here, as long as you don't mind getting at it from outside the cab.
The eye-level lockers have ingenious nets that hold items securely but accessibly, and there is a useful cupholder by the driver's seat.
The lower bed is just about acceptable, with a sprung mattress and a washable quilted cover. But it is not large enough, or suitable for a heavy person, and Kroon judged the Scania better —the Volvo would last for five years at most. The upper bunk? For use "in emergency cases" only.
The XL is a worthwhile improvement over the original Globetrotter—the flatter floor has transformed the feeling of spaciousness. Build quality is superb, and there are plenty of nice details. Its fine for one, but with double manning becoming more popular, the XL could soon feel rather small.