DRIVERS' VIEWS Owner-driver DAVID GODFREY drives a Oaf 85 330
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on contract to Nansens so he's quite familiar with the cab, which is also mounted on the 75 Series 8x4 rigid chassis over the smaller
9.6-litre engine. "It's a bit lower than on my 85," he told us as he settled in
e behind the wheel. "I
like this cab because there's plenty of room for my feet, which are quite large. My truck is six years old now but this one doesn't seem to be much quieter. I have a 12-speed Eaton TwinSplitter transmission which is well run in—this gear change is quite a bit stiffer." As we accelerated up to speed he commented: "It pulls away from a standing start as well as mine but the engine has to be revved a little higher between gears; to 1,800 instead of 1,600, but it's not bad for a 320. The accelerator pedal is riot bad; they can be very heavy. I can't fault the visibility—it's marvellous on building sites. I could sit in this seat all day but I'd want air suspension."
has almost 40 years' experience in tipper operation as an owner-driver. "This cab is higher than on my ERF E8 6x4," was his First remark. "but the handle is in the right place and the steps are OK. The gearbox gate groups the gears very close to one another but the engine seems to have plenty of power. "With the load the ride is very good." he added. "I should have liked to try it empty. It's as quiet as mine was when that was new. The vertical stack is noisy but at least It's on the nearside. The brakes pull up well. I like the layout inside the cab but the trim might be a bit of a pain to keep clear of dust. I'm not bothered about a roof hatch but I would like air conditioning...it would help my hay fever. The four-spoke steering wheel gets in the way of the instruments when turning, but I could back in anywhere with these mirrors."