DAF super comforts for 28°° ME HAULS
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AT THE TOP of the DAF list, as the option to end all options, comes the Supercontinental designed for Middle East and other overseas operations—although DAF have found that many operators want this model for less dramatic routes.
The mechanical basis of this driver's home from home is a lefthand-drive 3.1m wheelbase DKS. Saying the cab is merely converted to the "super" spec is an understatement as it is rebuilt internally to incorporate the following: "The truck with everything including the kitchen sink", DAF's luxury Supercontinental was designed with Middle East operation in mind. Sink and water supply with 3x7 gallon containers and a hand pump.
Two-ring grill butane gas cooker. Refrigerated food store.
Mirror and shaving mirror. Personal luggage locker. Hanging wardrobe.
Eating table.
Air conditioning unit.
Laminated tinted glass all round. Externally the cab has auxiliary front grills to protect the radiator and the lights. Before tilting the cab it is necessary to unhook these grills as they would otherwise foul the bumper as the cab went over.
The fridge operates off the truck's own 24V electrical system with the current supply being controlled by the master switch. As the refrigerant is in a liquid form care must be taken before the
cab is tilted. If tilting is carried out without switching off the fridge the refrigerant pump may be overloaded and eventually burn out. The motto here is: "Switch off before tilting the cab."
With regard to the gas supply to the butane cooker, the obvious safety precaution applies in that the gas should be turned off at the bottle when the cooking is finished.
Although the Superoontinental cab is equipped with the standard heater system, many drivers spend the night in their cabs in sub-zero temperatures in spots like the Turkish mountains. Because of this a Webasco auxiliary heater running on normal diesel fuel has been included to provide heat when the vehicle is parked up. The heater is plumbed in to the engine cooling system where the heated water is circulated through the engine and through the cab heating element. The air fan is then used to blow warm air into the cab. The sequence of operation is as follows: a) Pull switch on dash waitfor approximately three minutes for heater to activate.
b) Set thermostat to required temperature.
c) A light on the time clock shows when the heater is operational.
d) The fans start when the heater reaches operating temperature.
It is necessary to stress certain points in relation to the use of this cab heater. Running the fans drains power from the batteries at approximately the same rate as using all four headlights.
DAF Trucks recommend that the driver does not use the heater for periods longer than three hours continuous running without running the engine. The recommended practice is to balance the periods of heater use with occasional operation of the engine at around 1,200rpm.
On the performance side the Supercontinental is geared for a maximum road speed of 100km/h (62mph) in eighth overdrive (or "thirteenth" if you prefer it). The maximum gradient which can be climbed at a steady speed grossing 38 tonnes is 1 in 3 for crawler and 1 in 4 for first gear. Stopping and restarting from the rest, the equivalent gradients at the same gross weight are 1 in 4 and 1 in 5.7 respectively,
Externally additional spot lights are built into the front bumper.
For Middle East operation, the fitting of a cast iron fifthwheel is recommended as it has been found that the usual pressed ones bend under the arduous conditions found on such routes.