B-DOUBLES& LHVOPTIONS
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The most stable and driveable alternative Given the five main 22.25m-long/60-tonne LHV variants being touted around Europe, CM remains convinced the', the B-Double based on a tractor hauling a short 'A' or link trailer with a fifth wheel over the bogie onto which is hitched a conventional semi-trailer -is by far the most stable and driveable of LHV combinations (see B).
Its well-spaced pivot points are in marked contrast to those on a typically Scandinavian-spec LHV (see 0), based around a 6x2/4 rigid towing an A-frame converter dolly onto which a semi-trailer is attached via the dolly's fifth-wheel. On the {atter, in high winds or rutted roads, the semi-trailer can occasionally 'wag the dog'. But throughout our day's driving, especially on narrow, twisting country roads, the R 730 B-Double outfit never put a foot wrong, with the B' semi-trailer tracking the front link-trailer and tractor impeccably. We didn't need to look in the mirror to know exactly where the rearmost bogie was.
Where the B-double is more likely to be challenged, however, is on operational flexibility. While its tractor can tow the shorter A-trailer into urban areas, the rigid prime mover in the Scandinavian-style 25.25m combination will doubtless appeal to operators looking for loading flexibility and urban compatibility. Meanwhile, for artic fleets after a quick route to LHV operations, there's the third option a short (around 8m) centre-axle drawbar trailer (see A) towed behind an existing 16.5m artic, which could also be pulled by a rigid in the same fleet. However, across those European countries currently trialling LHVs, this option appears the least popular with operators so far,