Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[LGP Eddie]

On 28/03/2019 at 23:13, monkeybusiness said:

There’s a lot of work in that Eddie - are the tracks longer too? They look enormous! 

I doubt you’ll be able to even see that bucket... 

Yes the Tracks have been lengthened.

 

It’s been built to a very specific spec as I wanted it to be exactly 2.9 metres wide with 700mm pads and rubber blocks for roadside work, so no movement order required making transport cheaper and more convenient.

Its going to put setups twice the money in the shade Roadside with 13 metre reach, Engcon and TMK with Turbo Ram and Collector coming together to produce a very fast setup for smaller material.

 

There’s another completely different setup for it being fitted today that will give it another dimension altogether.

 

When in full LGP mode with the 1200mm pads it works out just under 3.4 metres wide which is basically the same as my previous Kobelco. Experience has shown that’s the maximum you’d want to go to for a balance of ease of transport and generally accessing gates etc.

 

To achieve this and better vision working over hedges/fences or down slopes it’s had a 9” lift too.

You sit higher in this than the Liebherr with the cab down.

 

John and his team have done a fantastic job given the exacting spec and no there’s really little tolerance to play with!

 

Credit to Adrian at Cabcare for producing me a one off Certified Cab Guard for the JS145 with a top section of the front screen grille that can be unbolted for an unobstructed view when on Bucket work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eddie.

 

 

[LGP Eddie]

I should have written down all the various weights John quoted me for this Iveco, it certainly had me scratching my head, that this thing no bigger than a double cab Transit was ok for carrying 3.5 tonne?

Apparently it’s legal with a U35 Kubota on it!

Fair setup.?

 

No it’s not got a fifth wheel onto that trailer!

 

 

Eddie.

[Craig.]

8 hours ago, LGP Eddie said:

I should have written down all the various weights John quoted me for this Iveco, it certainly had me scratching my head, that this thing no bigger than a double cab Transit was ok for carrying 3.5 tonne?

Apparently it’s legal with a U35 Kubota on it!

Fair setup.?

 

No it’s not got a fifth wheel onto that trailer!

 

 

Eddie.

Looks like a 7000kg gross weight, so 3500kg should be possible.

[LGP Eddie]

40 minutes ago, Craig. said:

Looks like a 7000kg gross weight, so 3500kg should be possible.

Yes I believe it’ll carry 3.5 and tow 3.5. It’s size was something done in a nice colour could, with a dropside and flat floor kit, could literally be a daily drive too. 

 

 

Eddie.

[monkeybusiness]

7 minutes ago, LGP Eddie said:

Yes I believe it’ll carry 3.5 and tow 3.5. It’s size was something done in a nice colour could, with a dropside and flat floor kit, could literally be a daily drive too. 

 

 

Eddie.

Tachograph and possibly speed limited too though. And 6 week checks. 

[monkeybusiness]

9 minutes ago, LGP Eddie said:

Yes I believe it’ll carry 3.5 and tow 3.5. It’s size was something done in a nice colour could, with a dropside and flat floor kit, could literally be a daily drive too. 

 

 

Eddie.

Tachograph and possibly speed limited too though. And 6 week checks. 

 

And you can’t tow 3.5 tonnes with a standard licence, even pre 97. 

Edited March 30, 2019 by monkeybusiness

[LGP Eddie]

13 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

Tachograph and possibly speed limited too though. And 6 week checks. 

 

And you can’t tow 3.5 tonnes with a standard licence, even pre 97. 

Do the necessary and enjoy doing the job in comfort instead of dragging the arse out of a pickup with some trailer that’s never been maintained since the day it was built.

 

Not for everyone but an impressive compact solution.

 

 

Eddie.

[monkeybusiness]

It’d make sense as an addition to a larger truck fleet for bad access etc but to my mind if going down the operators licence/tachograph etc route on a small scale you may as well have a proper truck (12ish tonner) as not much bigger but could be a useful tipper/hooklift/hiab etc setup. 

It does look handy though! 

[LGP Eddie]

17 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

It’d make sense as an addition to a larger truck fleet for bad access etc but to my mind if going down the operators licence/tachograph etc route on a small scale you may as well have a proper truck (12ish tonner) as not much bigger but could be a useful tipper/hooklift/hiab etc setup. 

It does look handy though! 

This really is little bigger than a Transit, certainly a nice solution.

 

 

Eddie.

[monkeybusiness]

30 minutes ago, LGP Eddie said:

This really is little bigger than a Transit, certainly a nice solution.

 

 

Eddie.

Yeah, physically they are the same size as the 3.5 tonne ivecos, just built on heavier chassis and axles (engines/gearboxes etc are the same across the weight ranges AFAIK). Iveco Dailys are built like little trucks (unlike transits etc, which are built like big cars) and can all carry weight incredibly well, especially with uprated springs on the smaller ones.

Running the one you’ve pictured would be a sensible solution to many in our industry but brings with it a multitude of hurdles. Those prepared to jump over those hurdles can just as easily run any weight rigid truck and trailer combo, and the chances are if they are bothering to upgrade it’s because they need more capacity (volume as well as weight).

The ridiculousness of the situation is that anyone could buy that truck and downplate it to 3.5 tonne, thus not needing a tachograph/o-licence etc. It wouldn’t weigh significantly more than the official 3.5 tonne version so would have a similar payload (next to bugger all). Obviously it could then be used day to day in the same way as the majority of transit based setups are - grossing 4.5 tonnes plus when loaded etc etc (anyone suggesting this isn’t the case isn’t being realistic). Totally illegal but arguably safe as it’s designed to run at 7 tonnes.

They need to look at 3.5 tonne class vehicles in this country IMO as they aren’t really fit for purpose at present, something that will get worse as we are forced towards electric vehicles. It needs to be much more straightforward for people to run little trucks like the one you’ve pictured legally.