Scania R114 LA6x4
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• Crossed lines meant that we received the "R" sleeper cab rather than the Topline which competes directly with the other contenders. As a result, the Scania stands out here as having the lowest roof, so it should come as no surprise to hear that pulling your trousers on in the morning can be a bit of drowsy nightmare, The wraparound dash is fine out on the road, but it makes cross-cab access a little difficult. Ail in all, you wouldn't want to tackle your star-jumps and squatthrusts in this cab unless you want to beat yourself up.
Other than that it's pretty comfy. A wide and supportive bunk provides a good night's sleep with no evidence of backache in the morning (our tester couldn't blame his headache on the cab) and initial fears that the three-section mattress would prove to be uncomfortable were unfounded.
Heater controls are mixed in with an alarm clock on one handy portable console which makes programming them a little easier once you get your head round the buttons. But strangely the unit won't operate the heating directly unless it's attached to the base unit above the sleeper's head, so if you want to switch it on in the middle of the night for a few extra minutes you'll have to sit up and turn around unless you're particularly dextrous. Once on the heater is a little noisy but got us cosy in the middle of the night when the temperature dropped and we gave it a blast for a few minutes.
Each of the bunks has its own light on a flexible stalk which provides enough illumination for reading your Dostoevsky into the small hours. A common complaint among sleeper cabs is a lack of radio control from the bunk, and the Scania is no exception. Settle down with Janice Long on Radio 2 at midnight and you'll have to get up to switch her offence you've had enough.
There are some stowage bins underneath the bunk, three more overhead and an external locker. While this seems enough
for one, we reckon you'd have to vacuumpack your 14t if you were planning to run double-manned for any length of time.
The curtains draw easily enough, with one stage covering the windows and a second falling by the bunks. Enough light is cut out to keep you sleeping as day dawns but it might prove a little difficult to ignore the mid-day sun if you find you need a nap at this tme. During the day they are retained by rings on the door pillar, which can be fiddly to negotiate.
All in all the cab is good and comfy for its size, but if you want to live in the lap of luxury and have space to do the Foxtrot with your cab-mate then you have to think bigger.