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ERCEDESINI Actros1546MegaSpace6x: 1 The days when truck builders designed iround

30th May 2002, Page 29
30th May 2002
Page 29
Page 29, 30th May 2002 — ERCEDESINI Actros1546MegaSpace6x: 1 The days when truck builders designed iround
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the engine hump, placed a paperbin mattress across the back and relied in body heat for cab warmth are long i,one. Nowadays luxury is the name of the :me. If an operator is going to send his Irivers out for five days at a stretch he iad better make sure they have some ireature comforts.

In fact, most drivers must feel like hey have a fully furnished first-floor stufio to drive when encountering the Aercedes-Benz Actros MegaSpace con;ept for the first time.

Starting from the ground up, the drier has four steps to get up into the i.73m high cab. All kit and sleeping bags lave to be thrown on to the driver's seat tnd then manhandled onto the bunk vhen the would-be occupant reaches he entrance to the studio. However, the ruly flat floor makes cross-cab access a ioddle, particularly as the Telligent gear ;hift lever can be folded away.

hothead locker ;torage facilities are plentiful, including: ifront overhead locker with a couple of rays alongside; four trays above the ioors; a lockable 44-sized compartnent on the offside wall; a clothes rail vith a couple of patch pockets on the 'ear wall; and an almost unbelievable lye coat hooks. That's before you get to he 570mm-deep ventilated lockers ander each end of the bunk, the simiarly deep slide-out "Dalek" under the niddle, and the three aircraft-style ;torage units on the back wall which 'eplace a second bunk.

The headlining has a shelf that runs thove the front windscreen and the driver las a storage box with the tachograph and few switches above the steering wheel. [he door packets are deep and wide. For )ottles, pens and papers there's a central )onsole in front of the fridge. Once into the centre of the cab the space opens up. There's a fair few inches over the top of a tall driver's head. The bed initially looks quite narrow; you have to move the driver's seat forward with a button on the side. This can be a little awkward to get to by leaning over the top of the seat, but moving it forward while you're sat in it will only squash your knees into the dashboard.

The back of the passenger seat can be folded down or the seat can be swivelled into the centre. Once this is done the driver can pull the seats up and towards him to give himself an extra few inches width. This swivelling seat is an option, and it's a good oneā€”the only drawback is the slightly odd sensation of being blown fore and aft as the tall cab rocks and rolls in a strong wind.

The night heater can be operated from

several control switches above and behind the driver's head (there's no remote control for the radio, though). However, with your head at that end the sound of the night heater on full blast will drown out the passing traffic.

Summer curtains The summer curtains were clearly On show for the CM testers at this year's cab test as the sun shone through all too brightly at 06:00hrs. Worse, if the driver is caught short during the night, clambering over either seat and then scaling a flight of steps feels a little perilous. The test vehicle also arrived with no cover f the sunroof, which let in too much lig first thing in the morning.

The bunk itself feels slightly ol because the main part is quite hard, pE ticuiarly compared with the small hai mock-type affair that connects the m; tress to the back wall. It's r uncomfortable but it does take a bit getting used to. Still, at least M-B suppli a proper pillow, so top marks for that.

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