SCANIA R113-360
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IPrice as tested: £30,850 (see text). Engne: 11.0 litres, 357hp (266kW). GCW: 38 tonnes. Payload: 23.75 tonnes. Average speed: 68.2km/h. Fuel consumption: 7.66mpg (36.91it/100km).
Haulage is not the most profitable of businesses—few would argue with that—and it pays to save money wherever you can. So why not start at the sharp end, and save a fair chunk of the cost of a vehicle by buying used? The latest trucks may be flashy and attractive, but a saving of twenty or thirty thousand quid certainly has its allure, and buying used need not be too much of a gamble with most manufacturers offering "approved used" vehicles.
To put the theory to the test we'll be evaluating a series of used vehicles to see if they can still earn their keep, kicking off
with an N-reg Scania...
cania has been making much of its used truck "Drive and Buy" roadshow in the past couple of months. The scheme offers part-exchange and leasing packages along with a good selection of approved used vehicles. The firm has always been proud of its trucks' residual values, and schemes like this can only help.
Clearly, large fleet orders mean large fleet disposals (and often buy-back deals) a few years down the line, so it makes sense to control the flow of used vehicles onto the market.
But is a used vehicle a false economy? Does it perform well enough to justify a place on a mainstream fleet? Scania rose to our challenge and located a well-used vehicle that we could test for fuel consumption and performance round a representative route.
PRODUCT PROFILE
The Scania we looked at is currently working with Securicor's Omega Logistics arm. Omega has a fleet of 800 vehicles, and around 250 of them are Scanias.
Our test vehicle is an R1r3-36 o MAR: a lift. axle twin-steer 6x2 variant of the last-generation Scanias, with a mechanically fuelled Euro-r engine and the 14-speed GRS900 synchromesh box.
Glass's Guide quotes a retail price of £30,850 for an N-reg vehicle like this with an "average" distance of 380,000km—this one had 342,000km under its belt. It's been in operation with Pura Foods travelling all over the country largely on temperature-controlled work, and is reaching the end of its life with Omega, which generally only operates tractors fill-time for three years or so.
The R-cabbed 3-Series Scania still looks good despite the introduction of the relatively futuristic 4-Series. In fact, the 4 was first shown to the European press as early as r995, with right-hand-drive examples reaching British soil early in 1996, so this 3-Series is one of the last of its breed. But with that heavily-barred grille and its squared-off cab it certainly looks like a "proper" truck.
The Euro-1 DSC11-23 engine features eighthole injectors and a compression ratio of r7:i (earlier models ran at IG:i).
It puts out 357hp (26 6kW) at n9oorpm, with the peak torque of r,63oNm (i,202,1bft) at nroorprn. The torque curve is typical of a mechanically controlled engine—it really is a curve with a peak, rather than the straight-line climb/plateau/drop-off that we take for granted from most of today's electronically controlled engines.
Its sister engines were the 320hp DSCH-2/ and the EDC-equipped 380hp DSCH-22 which had a very different torque curve, but the 360 was much the most popular choice.
The engine was matched to the ro-speed GR9oo gearbox as standard, but this truck had the optional GRS9oo with a splitter on the upper range. Overall ratios are the same. with a direct-drive top gear.
The R113's standard CRr9 cab is a sizeable double-bunk affair, though the high-roof Topline version is an option which commands a premium of around ft,5oo. Chassis suspension is steel at the front with two-bag air on the lift axle and four-bag air on the drive axle. Judging by its 52,-tonne design GCW, this vehicle is built for strength.
PRODUCTIVITY
We can draw direct comparisons with a Scania 360 that we tested new six years ago (CM 17-23 lune 1993); that was also a lift/steer 6x2 with the straightforward double cab and the then-new Euro-r engine. We were thoroughly impressed by its performance: it managed class-leading fuel economy at every stage of our test route to give an impressive 7.66 mpg overall.
But times have moved on, and now we expect more from our trucks. The advent of the Euro-a emissions regs did not seem to damage fuel economy (as was feared), but drove manufacturers towards tighter fuel control—our record for the Scottish route (albeit with a 4x2 tractor) now stands at over 8.5mpg.
The remarkable thing is that this vehicle managed precisely 7.6 Gmpg around our truncated Northern route (see the box on page 39 for details). True, this route doesn't include the gruelling A68 section, which flatters the results somewhat, but the A-road and motorway sections are directly comparable.
The Omega vehicle was ti tted with the standard 3.40:1 drive axle, while the truck that we tested in 1993 had the taller 3.27:1 option and returned slightly better fuel economy on both A-roads and motorways (roughly 5% better in each case). Some of that difference might also be due to wear and tear on the driveline. Average speeds were a little slower too, but this is more likely to be due to increased congestion than a drop-off in performance—the Mi8 and MI hilldimbs were both completed in almost the same time as in 1993.
The Scania's payload was hardly remarkable in 1993, and it's no more impressive D
now: however, this is an area where even the latest trucks have room for improvement.
Fuel costs apart, there's no reason why the 113 should cost much more than a new vehicle to run: spares prices are coming down, and Scania quotes the cost of a basic annual service contract at a thoroughly reasonable £2,460. However, the annual servicing time of 27 hours is far from state-of-the-art (the first year of its life demanded only 15.5 hours) so downtime could be a concern.
ON THE ROAD
Driving the 3-Series was a useful lesson in how far trucks have come in the past few years. It didn't feel primitive—far from it— but it lacked the electric-motor power characteristics of some of the latest electronically fuelled diesels. It was important to be aware of the revs all the time, or drive could be lost on a sharp hill.
It was also important to plan gear changes well in advance; particularly range changes. We found the range-change ponderous six years ago, and it hasn't got any better. The gearlever was rattly too—but then it probably started out that way.
There's no cruise control that was confined to the electronically controlled 38ohp variant) but the 360 is a relaxing drive all the same. No doubt 340,000km of running-in helped, and the engine was certainly very smooth. The handling and ride were exemplary too, and needed no excuses: by now the suspension must be almost friction-free...
And there was another blast from the past: a pullout knob to shut off the engine! Easy to get used
to, but it fell off at Barnsdale Bar and we had to stall the engine to stop it. To be fair, that was one of the few reminders of the truck's age.
CAB COMFORT
Every time we climbed into the Scania, we did the same thing: reached for the seat-belt, only to find that it wasn't there. Of course, it is only very recently that HGV seat-belts have become common, but it's remarkable how quickly we've become used to them.
Otherwise. the 113 was as comfortable as a well-worn shoe: the steering wheel was worn smooth and one of the sun visors was loose, but there were no serious signs of wear or abuse. The upholstery was clean and the dashboard mouldings were all very solid. We were especially impressed by the pot-pourri in the ashtray!
Non-standard fitments included a CB rig with extra speakers and a Severn crossing tag in the windscreen.
Back in 1993 we complained about having to slam the doors to overcome pressure build-up in the cab, and this truck showed the same tendency—still, after three years' use it must be a good testimony to the quality of the door seals.
SUMMARY
Why buy new? It's a good question, when you consider the overwhelming advantage of paying half-price for a used tractive unit. Of course, few will be as well-loved as this one, but choosing a driver's favourite like the Scania must improve your chances.
The Rtr3 is not as sophisticated as a brand new Scania: service intervals are shorter, fuel consumption is not as good and systems such as the brakes could be better. However, with the right driver the 3-Series could be just as capable on the road as a 4-Series.
We were suitably impressed by this vehicle. It seems that the Rii3 really was built to last.
• by Toby Clark
SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL
Scania Fi113MA6x2R-360 twin-steer, centre-lift tractor. Design GVW: 22,500kg. Design GM: 52,000kg. Manufactirer: Scania (Great Britain). Tongwell, Milton Keynes, MK15 8HB.
1=3
Scania DSC11-23 charge-cooled, direct-injection, four-stroke turbo diesel.
Cyllinkrs: Six, in-line.
Bore/stroke: 177x-145mm, Capacity: 11 litres.
Compression ratio:17:1.
Maximum net power: 357hp (266kW)
at1,90Orpm.
Maximum net torque: 1,630Nm
(1,202Ibft) at 1,000rpm.
TRANSMISSION
016590014-speed synchromesh range-change, splitter.
Final drive: 3.27:1.
Clutch: Single dry plate with air assistance, 430mm diameter.
BRAKING SYSTEMS
Full-air, dual-line with load sensing. Air reservoirs: 2x1611t; 3x271it. Parkkg Spring brakes on axles two and three.
Most Butterfly.
Brake &Pensions: Drum diameter, 413mm; shoe width, 178mm (front), 12/mm (second), 254mm (drive); total braking area, 5,240cm2.
MEI
SH41R01 recirculating ball with integral power assistance.
CHASSIS
Pressed steel channel with riveted cross-members.
Side-members 270x90x9.5rnrn. Suspension: Front, parabolic with ant-roll bar; second steer two-bag air with trailing quarter-elliptic steel arms and single-bag air lift; drive axle, MI air. Double-action telescopic shock absorbers on all axles. Wheelbase: 3,975mm.
Axle design weights :Front, 6,500kg; second, 6,100kg; drive, 10,170kg. Wheels and tyres: Continental HS45 1216 22.5 tyres on first and second steer axles; Dunlop SP431120 22.5 tyres on drive axle; 8.25x22.5in steel rims.
Fuel talk 4001it (8Bgal) steel.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
24V negative earth. Battery: 2x12V,160Ah. Alternator; 55k
TEST TRAILER
Tandem-axle York curtainsider on steel springs.
TERMS OF WARRANTY
One-year unlimited distance and liveyear cab corrosion cover, sui*ct to inspection and re-treatment
DEALERS AND SERVICE POINTS
Scania has a network of 44 service points in the UK.
DRIVERS' VIEWS
• TIM SIDDAti is very content with the Volvo FH12 380 he drives for WR Cross out of Bicester, but he agreed to reacquaint himself with Beanie's 113-360 at the BP Truckstop at Crick. "The door opens wide and the long door handle gives a good grip to close it—the one on the nearside makes a good towel rail. It's not as roomy as the EH, and the engine runs out of steam fairly quickly," he noted at the first hill. "My extra 20hp makes all the difference. The gearchange is easy and the clutch is light, but the brakes feel spongy. I don't think it's any noisier than mine and the ride is comfortable."
• LAWRENCE VAREY drives an ERF EC14 MO for EV Transport out of Northfleet in Kent. "This takes me back," he said, finding he could operate the exhaust brake with the brake pedal. "It doesn't pull badly either but the gearchange is too slow," he added, beating the splitter while changing down. This lever has a familiar rattle but three inches of cycle inner tube will fix it! The ride is pretty good. The brakes are a bit soft but they stop OK," he concluded.
• IAN OAKLEY also works from LV Transport's depot at Milnthorpe and drives an ERF EC14 380. "I like to sit with a straight back 'above the wheel and this column adjustment makes it better for me than on the ERE," he said. "My eyeline is just below the header rail so visibility is not as good. I like the cockpit styling; it gives a better view of the instruments and controls. The trim is in pretty good nick and with the extra bunk there is plenty of stowage space. The brakes are a bit juddery," he added, braking firmly as we entered the lorry park.