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• In 1981, when Ford was Ford and Iveco was just another Italian manufacturer, the first Cargo rolled out of the Langley plant. There are winners and there are losers: even Ford could not have known that the Cargo would not just be a winner but would dominate the entire two-ailed 6-16-tonne sector for the best part of a decade.
There were times when that level of success seemed elusive, however. Early Cargos were plagued by teething troubles which Ford could only regret had not been ironed out during the development stage. The company called it a learning curve and vowed it would never be repeated, On the production line the cab was welded by robots and painted in an automotive cathodic process. The tilt-cab concept was not new but this one was counterbalanced so the driver could lift it on his own and work safely on the engine beneath it unencumbered by a rear cab support.
From a styling viewpoint great strides had been made in reducing the drag coefficient by 25%—a roof-mounted air deflector and under-bumper air dam improved the situation further. Even the door-mounted spring-back mirrors had streamlined backs.
Greater use of glass in the doors and the deeper front screen improved visibility II
it„, significantly. Insulating the cab from the chassis
• using rubber mounts, might have added little in the way of suspension but the importance of ride quality had not been forgotten as a driver's suspension seat was offered as an option from the outset.
The general improvements in comfort included a marked reduction in noise levels81dB(A) was quoted as being the standard while added insulation could effectively halve the perceived noise levels to 77dB(A).
The lighter, stronger chassis was accompanied by wider track axles but power steering on the 6.5-tonne steer axle gave a positive advantage with reduced turning dimensions. The choice of engines was probably the widest for any 16-tonner ever built, Initially Ford had its 6.2-litre naturally aspirated "Dover" unit rated at 92kW (123hp), a slightly smaller bore 6.0-litre turbocharged engine rated at 119kW (150hp) and two veeeight units.
The Perkins 540 engine offered slightly less power but slightly more torque134kW(180hp) and 556Nm(4101bft)—than Cummins 504 unit developing 139kW(186hp) and 534Nm (3941bft), albeit at 200rpm faster at 2,800rpm. It had been despeeded from 3,000rpm to drive through one of several sixspeed synchromesh box options or eightspeed transmission choices.
Overall the design allowed an increase in the servicing intervals—upped to 9,6501m (6,000 miles)— while eliminating some items from the maintenance schedule completely
• EVOLUTION
In subsequent years more engines were added to the range. An air-cooled Deutz engine was picked up at the beginning of 1984, mainly for six-wheel tipper applications, but then dropped some years later.
More power in the form of the Cummins L10 engine, rated at 186kW (249hp), made the drawbar option more practical in 1985. Three years later more Cummins six-cylinder engines followed in the form of the 8.27-litre C Series at 151kW (202hp) and the lighter 5.9 litre B Series engine with an output of 127kW(170hp).
An even more powerful version of Cummins' 10-litre unit extended the power options to 208kW (280hp) in 1986 along with a nine-speed synchromesh and 12-speed Twin Splitter boxes from Eaton capable of handling the much higher torque inputs.
Soon after Iveco and Ford Truck merged in the July of that year the Iveco badge appeared on the grille for the first time. By November the following year all top-weight two axles rigid chassis were redesignated with the 17 prefix ready for the increase in weight to 17 tonnes in the April of 1988.
It was to take another year before the front axle was uprated to 7.1 tonnes. Up until the Cargo 17-tonner was discontinued in December 1992 Iveco Ford offered a wide range of power options in its two-axle rigids consisting of 1713, 1715, 1718, 1721, 1724 and 1728 models.
• OPERATORS
Andy Rowe is the company engineer for Swift Transport, based at Northampton, with responsibility for a commercial fleet of 716 vehicles from car-derived vans to 38-tonne articulated combinations. Of these 195 are in the 13 to 17-tonne rigid chassis category. Volvo is Swift's major supplier of 17-tonners but alongside the FL617s and FL618s the company runs Mercedes-Benz 1720s and Iveco Ford Cargos—the New Cargo is now under evaluation.
The company's association with the old Cargo started with the 1615 and has since moved on to the 1718: the fleet does not include the 1721 model. "We have no need for it, the 1718 gives us sufficient power. It's a good workhorse and the drivers like it," says Rowe. The specification incorporates a 2.9m (9ft 6in) curtainsided body and L5-tonne Ray Smith cantilever tail-lift.
The vehicles work out of 21 depots, mostly wholly owned but supplemented by some cus
tomer sites, covering 120,000-130,000km a year on a network palletised distribution system moving automotive related parts. The payload varies according to the body specification but with the roller-cage concept it works out at 9.2 tonnes.
We keep them for about eight years but change the work to suit as they become older. Most eventually go to auctions. The residuals are fair but vary from day to day. We would expect to get /1,500-12,000 and very few fail to meet the reserve. Most of the vehicles are maintained in our own workshops but for some we have maintenance contracts with Iveco Ford main dealers. We use high-grade Century oils and conform to the manufacturer's recommended extended oil change intervals. It hasn't presented any problems—we are getting 400,000 miles out of the engines.
"The clutch is a different proposition and one of our major expenses. They last a lot longer on the Volvos. We have had good response on warranties which is down to the local dealers, but we did have a problem about 18 months ago with the availability of parts. There was a breakdown in communication at local level. We run at about 60-70% of the time fully laden and get around 13.5mpg on a normal run at 50-55mph and that's without much in the way of aerodynamic kit. They only have a single blade deflector on the roof "Inside the trim stands up well; there is no velour so it's easy to clean. The driver has a suspension seat but otherwise its uncluttered. It's fine as a normal working day cab; it's good to drive, visibility is good and it's easy to get in and out of."
Rowe would favour manufacturers offering a basic specification to which the customer could add the extra items he wants to pay for. "A high specification is more expensive initially and it is mostly beneficial for the after market," he says. "We are quite interested in the new EuroCargo range. The cab looks good. If it turns out to be reliable and is driver friendly we will put more into the fleet".
If you think of removals, large or small industrial or domestic, one name which comes to mind is Pickfords. Today it is a group of companies covering a world wide operation and the UK-based Allied Pickfords, dedicated to international removals, has interests in Europe and further east, even into Moscow.
From his office in Manchester fleet director John Dixon, with help from three fleet engineers, looks after Pickfords' 1,450 vehicles operating in the UK. This includes 60 Iveco Ford Cargo 1718s of which a batch of 37 are just over a year old.
"I like the Cummins six-cylinder B Series engine but we also have a few 1724s fitted with the in-line C Series. I wouldn't recommend anyone buying a vee eight-engined Cargo; they were plagued with problems but the B Series is really first class We had a 1718 as a seed vehicle to try it out but the reason we bought a batch was because of their reputation for reliability and we got a good exchange deal with Iveco Ford", says Dixon.
"On average our 17-tonners cover 50,000km a year and compared with our Volvo FL617s and Daf 1900s they have been a good buy." That is not to say that they have been trouble free but Dixon puts the blame on assembly rather than faulty components. "There was not enough grease in the front wheel bearings. After three failed we examined all 37 and they were all the same. Excessive clutch wear on
two vehicles was put down to inadequate cross shaft lubrication. And we had three air failures which were traced to cracked olives on the outlet pipes from the compressors, possibly due to vibration. The model was near the end of its production run and these are problems that we should not be faced with. Brakes have an acquired feel, a bit on the hard side, but stopping power is OK and they last longer than the Volvo."
Pickfords specifies all its 17-tormers with 8.5mm thick GRP bodywork providing a volume of 67.2m3 within an overall height of 4.0m to take Pickfords-size containers or mixed loads. Based on a 7.2m wheelbase the Cargos are 12m long with a slope to the Luton box at the front and full side and rear access. On more recently purchased vehicles the company has dispensed with the Luton box over the Dab and rear step-down platform in favour of a roof-mounted air deflector and a uniform platform height.
Overall, fuel consumption ranges from 26.423.61it/100km (10.7-11.96mpg) which is better than either the Volvo or Daf models are returning. Dixon contracts maintenance out and while Pickfords' 1718,s are covered by a full warranty for two years and four years on the driveline, the standard of dealer backup varies from one end of the country to the other, says Dixon.
On the Continent sourcing of spares has been a problem. "The 1718 is an unknown animal when it gets into trouble outside the UK" Now Iveco has introduced a centralised parts stock for the Pickfords operation.
"We keep them for up to eight years, unless they are contracted back. I am happy with the residuals. It has the same driveline as the ERF. It's not a cheap old Ford any more. Compared to other vehicles in the fleet its proving reliable; its been a good buy. Running cost are 1.3p per km". Pickfords has ordered 16 New Cargos at 15 tonnes but then that could be another story.
In the Bristol area the S and A Stone Group dates back more than 150 years. One of its companies, Municipal Hire Services, operates a fleet of 214 Leyland Dafs and Iveco Fords.
Of these 100 are Cargos operated from 75 tonnes up to 32.5 tonne with drawbar trailers. The largest proportion are 13.13 rigid chassis but the fleet also includes about 25 1718 chassis used for tipping or jetting applications.
Managing director Chris Stone's policy is to replace the vehicles after four years use."Rental work is a hard environment for vehicles. There is not too much plastic bodywork on the Cargos. they are robust. Annual mile ages can vary from 32,000km for a 1718 tipper working around town to 80,000km for a 1724 on trunk ing work" he
told us. "Residuals are better for the Cumminsengined 1718 than for the 150hp model but they are all good. The second-hand market is buoyant for newish vehicles—'89 registered trucks are fetching good money."
MI-IS does all of its own servicing. All of the vehicles are equipped with autolube greasers so spring bushes don't need replacing until the third year. Oil changes are carried out at 12,00km intervals. Brake linings may need replacing at 40,000km if used on stop start work but can last as long as 65,000km on motorway operations. "Backup is good. The Iveco Ford rep calls on us regularly" Stone prefers the 1718 to the 1715 "The Ford engine is ok but it is really a blown 130hp engine and it gets very wet as it gets older. The 180hp Cummins engine does not have much external piping and stays very dry."
He has very few complaints of the Cargo range in general, with the exception of the 7.5 tonner's rear disc brakes which have a tendency to stick on and catch fire. However he does not like the look of Cargo's replacement and is switching to the Leyland Daf 45, 50 and 60 series. " We thought we would give them our support now they have got over their difficulties".
• DEALERS
From September Iveco Ford Truck main dealers CD Bramall of Bradford and Archbold Truck Sales and Service of Leeds will merge. George De Relwyskove, used truck sales manager told CMthat Archbold was first associated with Fiat in 1973 then Iveco and since the merger in 1986, Iveco Ford: "The 1718 was the main model outselling the less powerful Ford engined vehicles. The 1721 found its own niche market and was used for drawbar work or specified where a large bodies were fitted but for the majority the 1718 with the smaller Cummins engine gave enough power for both long haul and distribution work.
"The 1715 will do the job but it has to work a lot harder. As with any make, good clean and tidy second-hand examples will fetch a good price and are good value up against vehicles of similar age. They don't command as high a price as the Mercedes or Volvos. A lot
of customers would prefer to buy a good second-hand vehicle than a new one but condition, as price, depends on how and what they have been used for and what useful life is left."
Brandrick Trucks is an independent dealer in the Birmingham area which usually has a stock of 60-80 vehicles on site at any one time.
"We even have a few Cargos," Warren Cole says, "but late H and J-reg ones are not that readily available. Older 1718s and 1721s are easier but the residual begins to drop off after about three years. "They are cheaper than either Mercedes or Scania but then that is partly down to the price when new. "Inside the cab is fairly plain and that is why drivers often go for a foreign truck If there was a rust problem the factory finish has put it right for later models. The panel below the front screen is prone to rust on older models. Besides selling quite a few Cargos we run some on our rental fleet. A round figure for a 1718 on a 1990 G-plate used on a mixed operation would be £10.500-.£11,000."
• SUMMARY
Reliable specification and relatively lowly priced the 1718 seems to be the answer to an operator's dream. Glass's give the retail price for a 1990 G-registered curtainsider with 320,000km on the clock as £15,650 if you can find one.
You would be looking at another £2,000£2,500 for a Scania or Mercedes-Benz of the same age. It is not unusual for a first life with an operator to be as long as eight years so a late one can be expected to give service for a few more years without major expense.
For the driver there are models that offer more power and have a plushier cab but from a practical point of view the Cargo's entry, vision ride and comfort are hard to beat.
E by Bill Brock