C&U-approved Mercedes Adios eight-leggers won't be arriving in volume until
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next spring, but M-B UK is keen to give British hauliers a taste of what's in store— hence CM's early appraisal of an Irish-spec tipper. It's big, it's beefy and it looks competitive, but how driverfriendly is it? Thanks to the owner, London-based FM Conway, CM has been able to find out.
eres monster uckshifter
• by Bryan Jarvis Mercedes-Benz UK has seen the fouraxle tipper market separate into distinct light and heavy-duty sectors, and under pressure from some of its dealers it isn't prepared to wait any longer for DaimlerChrysler to produce a true "UK-spec" lightweight Atego eight-legger.
Instead it's decided to promote the heavier Actros eight-logger for the demolition and muckaway operators.
UK Type Approval and general availability isn't expected until next spring, but curiously enough the 3235K has already won Irish approval and by some strange legal quirk this makes it acceptable in Northern Ireland.
So providing you register such a vehicle there, it can be deployed on the UK mainland too.
That the very path along Mich London contractor FM Conway has purchased a brace of heavy-duty Actros tippers, one of which has kindly been made available to CM.
Both were supplied by Sparshatts of Sittingbourne, Kent and bodied by Thompsons of New Addington, Surrey. The package includes an insulated allsteel Loadmaster 6.1rn body with doubleskinned floor, Binotto underbody tipgear and HMF 1144 crane with clamshell loader. With Groeneveld auto-lube, its unladen weight comes to 15.9 tonnes.
Although our 3235K Actros was on a standard alm wheelbase, its Irish spec includes some unconventional additions, such as Telhgent electronic control over the all-round drum brakes, and a15-tonne rated front bogie (the UK limit is 14.2 tonnes), Conway has also opted for heavyduty Michelin 315/801:1 22.5s at the rear, which add 200kg to the bottom line. Other detail differences include a heavyduty clutch with a gear-oil-cooled PTO; headlight grilles; a dust fl Iter in the fuel tank neck; and a revised air cleaner.
Otherwise the Actros 3235K eight
legger is fairly standard, with the 354hp (264kW) 12-litre charge-cooled DWI:11A V6, and a manual Mere 16-speed synchro box without the expected Telligent electronic shifting system. Instead, Mercedes uses hydraulic shift assistance powered by a small pump at the rear of the engine.
Front axles are 7.5-tonne straightbeamers; at the rear are HL7 hubreduction double-drives with a 19-tonne bogie design rating. Brake chambers are mounted vertically over the rear, out of harm's way.
Cross and inter-axle diff-locks are the norm but, while Irish rear axle cliff ratios have the higher 4.330:1 ratio, the UK gets 3.977:1 as standard, cutting the theoretical top speed to 65mph but boosting rolling gradeability to 41% at 32 tonnes gross and 32% at 40 tonnes. This vehicle is, of course, limited to 56mph for UK use.
The all-steel suspension looks beefy enough with parabolics at the front, twospring packs over the driven axles and double-acting shockers and anti-roll bars all round.
While many tipper operators anxiously await the narrower, lighter Atego-cabbed eight-logger, those in the muckaway business will appreciate the sheer practicality of the rugged-looking Actros S-type day-cabbed 3235K.
Around the front there's a steel bumper with a swinging bottom step and three fixed steps up to the high cab.
The interior is a pleasant blue and grey mix with hard-wearing cloth seats, and the vinyl trim seems durable. CM likes the plasticised floor and engine covering—it makes it easy to wash out!
Verdict
Replacing the familiar 3234K seems a natural progression, even if DaimlerChrysler seems hell-bent on making UK operators hang around for an Ategocabbed lightweight. The heavy-duty 3235K will be with us by April.
A lot depends on how much discount you can wring out of the £61,000 retail price, but from our short drive of Conroy's irish-spec tipper, the Actros eight-logger is sure to appeal to operators and drivers alike.
It might be a bit short on payload but it seems like a rugged performer so suppliers of current heavy-duty favourites—like MAN, Scania, Renault and Iveco in particular—had better start planning some damage limitation before this one hits the streets.
• UK SPECIFICATION Engine: OM501LA 12-litre chargecooled V6 with constant throttle exhaust brake.
Max power: 354hp (264kW) at 1,80Orpm.
Max torque: 1,276Ibft (1,730Nm) at 1,08Orpm.
Gearbox: G210-16 16-speed synchromesh, range-change with splitter; hydraulic actuation.
Ratios:14.2-0.83:1.
Clutch: Single dry plate, air-onhydraulic, 430mm-diameter.
Axles: Hub-reduction bogie, 3.977;1 differentials. Cross-axle and inter-axle diff-locks.
Brakes: Drum brakes on all axles, ABS, air dryer. Telligent electronic control is deleted for the UK.
Wheels & tyres; Michelin 295/80R 22.5s (X7Ys front, XDYs rear) on 9.00x22.5in steel rims.
Fuel tank: 300 litres, aluminium. Retail price:261,000. • IMPRESSIONS To discover how the Atego eight-logger handled, CM collected the vehicle with its 15 tonnes of sand from Sparshatts and drove it around the Sittingbourne region, taking in the 1-in-11 Detling Hill with its nasty twisty bits.
Getting behind the wheel is easy enough: handy rails and evenly spaced steps make it a straight climb to the driver's seat from where there are extremely broad views.
A quick glance around shows the usual Actros instruments and controls, including the slotted tachometer and the cruise and exhaust brake stalk to the right of the steering wheel. The stalk on the left looks after indicators and washers. Electrically adjustable mirrors proved handy too.
With more than 1,730Nm of torque available at 1,080rpm and a docent spread of ratios, the half-laden tipper pulled away with real gusto. Jumping from 2H to 4H felt rigid—with a quick slap across the gate we were able to take another hike to 6H before climbing in single cogs to cruising speeds. Should you meet a long gradient, it splits easily and the cruise control resumes its work.
The hydraulic gearchange shifts nicely too. There's no heavy resistance or sloppiness, just a firm movement from the longish gearlever.
Tackling roundabouts at a steady speed brought none of the graunching noises associated with older chassis, Even with the high HMF loader, the tipper's steel suspension worked quietly with hardly any noise below the cab and chassis level.
With barely 1,000km on the clock the engine pulled strongly up Detling in 6H at around 1,450rpm, but much more noticeable were the amazingly law noise levels inside the cab. Descending the hill with an appropriate one-and-ahalf gear down-change, the two-stage engine brake made the foot brakes almost redundant. However, having Telligent braking control over the highly effective drum brakes will keep Conway's drivers alert; the pedal is ultra-sensitive and drivers need to educate their right feet to get the best out of the brakes.
Unlike many smaller cabs it's not too restrictive in the footwells. With the steering wheel raised and the seat lowered you can slide across the low engine cover quite easily, wall and two shelves with Masticated retainer straps in the header rail. It's a bit short on stowage though; just two deep trays on the back