Saxon quandary
Page 52
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
T was fascinated to read on 'Commercial Motor's Any Questions page, that one of your readers was planning to convert a Saxon armoured personnel carrier to a camper van (CM 7-13 October).
My initial reaction was that it was a wind-up and doubtless this occurred to Jim Duckworth who provided a very detailed and accurate summary of the licence requirements in answer to the reader's query.
The Advanced Wing of the Army School of Mechanical Transport is responsible, among other things, for training all Saxon driving instructors. We do not allow the Saxon on public roads without a vehicle commander sitting in the top hatch connected by intercom to the driver. This is because the Saxon windscreen is very small and the view from it is considerably restricted. However the Saxon does meet all legal requirements in terms of its windscreen size. None the less we feel it would be unsafe and unwise to proceed on public roads without a vehicle commander. You may wish to contact the owner of the Saxon and appraise him of this particular drawback.
Incidentally, the Saxon has an unladen weight of 10 tonnes, not eight, as suggested by the owner. It returns about 8mpg on the road and is extremely noisy inside. Happy camping!
C Chambers Lieutenant Colonel for Commandant, Advanced Training Wing, Army School of Mechanical Transport, Leconfiekl, North Humberside