THE LAUNCH of Bedford's TL lacked the razzmatazz of Leyland's
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Roadrunner, but this model has been quietly helping Bedford haul its share of the 7.5-tonne market to over 21 per cent.
Perhaps mindful of driver comfort and the technical advances made by the latest 7.5-tonners, the company has recently revised its non-hgv TL range, which is four years' old.
For 1985, the TL750 is offered with five engine options: a 62kW 183hp) 3.5-litre petrol and four turbocharged diesel units with outputs from 65 to 101kW (87-135hp). Six wheelbase choices are available from 2.92 to 4.90m (115-193in) allowing operators to fit bodies up to 6.71m (22.0ft).
The familiar TL tilt-cab has not been changed much outwardly since it was introduced in 1980, but has been given more driver appeal. Power-steering is now standard, along with Bostrum T102 seats equipped with head and arm rests.
The Ts interior has been retrimmed and the dashboard and facia revised; its comprehensive array of instruments now includes a colour-coded rev counter. Like Dodge, Bedford fits a Bowdenflex clutch cable to reduce pedal effort, and the previously optional engine noise insulation pack now becomes a standard fitting.
Late last year CM took one of the new TL750s equipped with the most powerful 5.4-litre 101kW (135hp) turbocharged Red Series engine and optional 3.89:1 rear axle around our 210-mile Welsh route, where it returned a creditable 17.98 lit/100km (15.71mpg) in blustery weather.
The 135hp TL750 is effectively an 8.64-tonne-gvw TL860 downplated to 7.49 tonnes by Bedford, which changed the 860's 9.5R x17.5 tubeless tyres to 8.5R x17.5 radials, deleted the larger model's additional five helper springs from the standard nine-leaf rear-spring pack, and rebadged the vehicle as a 750.
With the 5.4-litre engine, Bedford fits the T5A Spicer direct
top, five-speed gearbox as standard. Coupled with the 3.89:1 rear axle (standard ratio is 4.38:1), it gives the TL a theoretical maximum geared speed of 61mph, although on downhill M4 gradients • our test vehicle touched 67-68mph. Not surprisingly at maximum speeds, the Red Series engine revving at 3,000rpm operated way outside the green economy band marked on the rev counter, which ends at 2,000rpm. What is surprising, however, is that at 67mph, the in-cab noise levels are a mere 70-72dB(A), lower than in the ultra-quiet Mercedes-Benz 814. This quiet interior ensures that even long motorway journeys in the TL should allow the driver to remain calm and relaxed.
Judging by the TL's fuel economy and journey time around our test route, the need to specify 130hp plus engines on a 7.5-tonner with a dropside body once again appears to be questionable. As the fuel consumption histograms show, no 135hp engined 7.5-tonner tested at the revised speed limits has so far managed to break through the 16mpg barrier, even when fitted