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MANY companies using top weight rigid tippers have tended towards

28th May 1983, Page 64
28th May 1983
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 64, 28th May 1983 — MANY companies using top weight rigid tippers have tended towards
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longer distance deliveries in recent years, and this has created a demand for vehicles more suited for this type of work. If you are intending to replace your ageing eight-wheeler and want this kind of performance, you should not overlook the ERF C-Series with its optional RollsRoyce E265L engine.

We tested this ERF on the Surrey test circuit.

The route consists of a circuit of 20km (12.4 miles) along main roads around the Bagshot/Camberley area in Surrey plus a short, roughtracked section which is deeply rutted and gravel strewn.

This route was covered several times to simulate typical short-haul deliveries and the ERF 31R4 test vehicle returned a creditable 52.50 litre/100km (5.38Mph) overall average fuel consumption.

Adverse camber on some of the severe gradients and descents required quick and positive gear changes which the Fuller box easily provided.

The Rolls-Royce E265L turbocharged 194.5kW (260.8bhp) 12.17-litre engine is the most powerful of the three engines offered in this chassis, comparing with the NT250 Cummins at 182.8kW (245.1bhp) and the Gardner 6LXCT at 166.7kW (223.5bhp). It also delivers maximum Nue of 1,101Nm (812 lbft) at 200rpm.

Rolls recommends that for )rmal driving the engine speed kept below 1,700rpm in the ghest gear possible to obtain le most economica erformance, and drivers lould only run above that gure into the orange sector on le rev counter on long hill imbs.

The ERF certainly showed an bility to lug down at around 1,100rpm mark on some limbs, which effectively 3duced the number of earchanges and helped to give good fuel consumption.

The constant-mesh box has n overdrive top gear of 0.74 to ne, which permits a top speed f 99.8km h (62mph) at ,85Orpm.

The off-road section of our .oute called for a lot of ;witching from high to low .ange and vice versa and )rovided a thorough test of this

Fuller's "double H" range change system which takes a little getting used to.

Gearchanging was made a lot less wearying than it might have been by the fairly light, airassisted hydraulically-operated clutch and a light accelerator pedal return spring.

The quiet, well-controlled ride afforded by the Norde rubber suspension was most notable, especially when traversing the deeply rutted stretches of the off-road section. This suspension also gives a slight weight saving over ER F's optional non-reactive semi-elliptic springs, and is virtually maintenance-free.

ERF seems to have got its calculations right with the steering and suspension because even quite hard cornering failed to produce any excessive roll from the laden allaluminium Tasker body. Despite the rough terrain there was no heavy mud around the circuit so the double-drive axles were never pushed to their limit of traction and the diff lock was not required.

Although the wet weather prevented some tests being carried out at Mira, the ERF held very comfortably on the one in four hill, though restarting from the same hill was "touch and go".

A slight time lapse in the release of the spring park brakes allowed just the right amount of delay to let the vehicle pull away with slight clutch slip. In spite of the rain and the winds which were gusting at over 20mph, acceleration and gear speed checks were carried out, but track brake tests however, would have been meaningless.

Considering that the vehicle had only covered a few miles since it had run through the very muddy water splash at the end of the road test, the braking effort was fairly well balanced and the resulting efficiency quite high.

On the road, the vehicle's brakes responded extremely well.

Throughout the test, I was impressed by the quality of the ERF's C-Series cab. It is not excessively sumptuous but has a reasonable level of comfort that is designed to relieve any driving fatigue.

The cab is claimed to be the only one of its kind made of sheet moulded compound (SMC), and is a combination of SMC panels built around a steel cab frame.

Impact damage can usually be rectified by the replacement of these panels, which are noncorrosive and said to be 25 per cent lighter than steel.

Entry into the cab is made easy by its redesigned step panels, the lower of which is illuminated. Wider opening doors than the previous B-Series cab and well placed grab handles will make jumping in and out of the cab when operating the tailgate on sites less of a chore.

The driver's suspension seat is very comfortable, with a range of adjustments to suit the majority of drivers.

All-round vision is excellent because of the large windscreen, side windows and quarter lights. Large and substantially mounted mirrors give a good rear view although a small kerb mirror on the nearside would help.

When the rain began to fall, the two-speed three-arm windscreen wipers, ably assisted by three well-spaced screen washers, kept the glass clear. An intermittent sweep action would he welcome though.

The cab-heating system is very efficient, giving a combination of hot and/or cold air in many directions. The heater demister is especially effective once the driver has perfected the control settings.

ERF's 500mm (19.7in) diameter two-spoke wheel allows a complete view of the panel which houses the gauges and instruments. Lighting switches are on a panel to the left of the wheel, within easy reach. Beyond these are the heater control switches.

There are a number of additional features such as the storage panel at the back of the cab (useful for invoices or other documents) and the flask or bottle holders alongside, all within the driver's reach.

Noise is kept to a minimum by the undercab insulation, the deep-foam lining for the cab roof and the carpeting over the engine cover. The noise level hovered between 70 and 75dB(A) for most of the test and was at its loudest — 78dB(A) — when lugging on hills. Despite these figures, I thought that overall it was an exceptionally quiet cab.

The SP3 cab tilts to 60 degrees. Once the cab is tilted, it offers very good access to all the major chassis components.

ERF has enlarged its front-liftup cab panel and now gives sufficient access for checking the engine oil and radiator coolant level and topping up the power-steering pump.

It has also retained the means to carry out a full electrical systems check from the Natotype plug system built into the vehicle's wiring harness. By using the test unit developed for ERF by Thomas Electronics Ltd, a skilled operator can carry out a complete check of the electrical system in less than half an hour. These sockets can be seen under the front cab panel on the nearside.

Summary

The Rolls-powered ERF gave an impressive performance. It's a powerful competitor in the 30-tonnes gvw tipper market section.

ERF's April 4 price increase has taken the retail price of the Rolls-powered C31 up to £37,280. The Gardner 6LXCT and Cummins NT250 engined models each cost about £350 more but surprisingly the price goes down to £36,950 when the Cummins LT10 is specified.

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Locations: Surrey

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