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The cab heater wasn't too noisy and its hum was quite soothing.
Page 31
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The MAN-ification of ERF is becoming ever-more apparent, and no more so than in the ERF ECT, full of hints as to its origin, such as the MAN coolbox. The cab looks much as one would expect from a German manufacturer—grey and efficient. But the hunk—the vital ingredient—looked plenty wide enough at 750mm, even though it was one of the shortest ones we had on test, measuring 2,000mm in length.
CM'sdeputy editor had never slept in a cab before but had been warned about the potential for night heaters networking, and, in the best Girl Guide's approach had definitely come prepared for a cold night. But, climbing into the cab after testing the night heater (see panel on page 38), she was rather astounded to be met with a wall of hot-32°C to be precise—air. So no worries about being cold to start with, then.
For someone who had never slept in a cab before, the apparent lack of space made cab living somewhat tricky. Where are you supposed to put your bag when it's not on the bunk? And where are the flat surfaces for putting stuff down? Our tester (notpictured below!) was also put out by the lack of storage, and the inability to lift the somewhat stubborn bunk up to get to the one storage locker below the bed; it can be accessed from the outside, but on a cold night that's hardly an appealing prospect. Small shelves above the windscreen serve to . ... __....._ carry the truck's handbook, but not a great deal more.
Drawing the curtains proved tricky for our novice sleeper, who found it difficult to get them to run smoothly round corners, although during daylight hours they are held together by a horizontal board above the bunk. Climbing into bed is fairly easy. thanks to the step, but trying to fold the passenger seat forward to give more space is a job better left to a contortionist than a truck driver—why does the driver have to stand in front of the seat to operate a handle near to the door? And it can't be done from the bunk—we tried!
Despite these niggles, our tester soon settled down for the night, only to decide that the camber was too adverse, and would need to "change ends. However this done we realised that there was now no reading light behind us—but the night heater and main cab light controls were now much easier to access than from the other end. Our only comment on this is that it would be a good idea to have the light switch permanently illuminated, making it easier to spy—and switch on—in the dark. Oh, and trying to switch off the radio was best not attempted from the bunk—a week later, we still had the the bruises to prove it.
But back to sleep... and our tester had a good night's kip, only waking at 5.30am when the cab became cold. However, the heater was easy to switch back on for a short burst of heat, and then came on as promised and pre-programmed at Sam. The temperature control was pretty simple too—a dial which you turn up or down depending on your heat tolerance. The cab heater wasn't too noisy, and its hum was quite soothing.
Overall, our rather fussy tester had a good night's sleep, and once used to the idea of living in a cab for a couple of nights a week, thinks it might not be too bad an option. But for more than occasional over-fighting, the tall option is pretty well essential.