monkeybusiness

If it was my own kit on my own jobs earning money for me I’d be considering running without a tacho in the knowledge that the vehicle wasn’t a hazard as was running within its design parameters. Probably different if sending others out knowing they are running bent though….

Apparently there are people regularly converting the crafter/tge vans to 4.1 (I think) tonnes as when converted to campers they are generally overweight. You can order the uprated front axle from the factory to 2.1 tonnes (I think that’s what it is from memory, I’m not checking vin plates now!). I’m not sure of the legalities and general hoops of doing this for commercial use though, but the vehicle is technically designed for it.

If you want to stay under the tacho radar I think you are knackered then (if running legally)… I’ve not loaded much weight into this but have towed plenty, with some really heavily nose-weighted trailers pushing 4 tonnes gross(!) and the suspension still looks ‘right’ (if that makes sense?). I spec’d it with uprated suspension/axles on the dealer’s advice (2.1 tonnes front and rear according to the vin plate). I’ve no doubt that you could put your big mower in the back and it would look fine (even if legally too heavy). I've been dragging sheep around in it, took a chipper on a 400 mile round trip to do a job down south in it in a day this week, have slept in it on a site next to a traveller camp for a couple of nights so my other kit didn’t walk, taken my kids to school/parties/football matches etc - it is fast/comfortable/relatively economical/comfortable. It’s genuinely better in every way so far than my Hilux (which was top spec new in March all-singin-all-dancing etc) - I’d get rid of the Toyota before this van. I absolutely love it!!!

How heavy and how wide is the machine? I’ve just bought a 3.5 tonne MAN TGE (same as the Crafter) and it’s max payload is approximately 1 tonne. There is a 5 tonne version but not sure if it’s available as a ‘normal’ panel van (might just be chassis cab).

And take a battery angle grinder with you on every job!

Put it on a tractor you aren’t in any way precious about if going into anything other than clean virgin woodland, they will find every bit of wire/rebar/old mattresses/chain-link fence/fire extinguishers/wheels and tyres and use them to beat the living daylights out of whatever is powering them….

Followed your link - where are you going to do your shopping now eggs?!..

PM me the details of the chipper and who the insurers are - I might be interested in buying it off you/them depending upon what it is.

Sell it after you’ve bought it off them obviously. But yes, I’d imagine there is also a good chance the claim is being investigated…

You don’t have to keep it though, could always sell it on for profit.

I’m sure I had a set of top trumps with one of those in years ago!

I’d offer them a low-ball figure for you to buy it back off them (a price that’s a no-brainer for you to buy it). They’ll either say yes and you come away with a cheap chipper, or they’ll make a counter-offer and you can decide if it’s worth buying or not. They will obviously incur costs collecting it and sending it to auction (with no guarantee of getting a decent return) so may well be happy to sell it to you cheaply…

Lee - I’ve got a hydraulic Oxdale splitter you are welcome to borrow to see if it works on your Sherpa before you spend your hard-earned on one mate.

You spelt moronic wrong…

If you want a dropped kerb then it is time to get the spade out…

I’m about to install a large flat roof on my house and am going to follow this thread with interest. TATA have a product called colourcoat urban (I think) but it doesn’t work on the limited pitch you are aiming for apparently.

I had these (for a couple of hundred miles before I sold it) on my last Navara, so couldn’t comment on the current availability. They’ve been sitting in my shed for 12 months… Warranty-wise, the truck has been into Toyota twice (once for warranty work and once for a 10000 mile service) and they’ve not had an issue. I do think they hurt economy tbh (it is very thirsty, but it does a lot of heavy towing and I’ve probably got a bit of a heavy foot…). Lift-wise I don’t think it’d be more than a couple of cm max. I’ve still got the OE tyres - if I think on I’ll take a pic with them against these tomorrow to show the difference in overall size.

Saying that - I’ve just had a look and spacers will mean that the tyres will extend a bit beyond the mudflaps (which would inevitably lead to a dirty truck even more quickly!). hi

I plan to, yes. Spacers should actually help the fitment as the tyres are currently closest to suspension arms (not touching though!).

285 60 R18 - they go straight on with no rubbing (even though I was told they wouldn’t fit by a couple of tyre places). I don’t think you could go any bigger without mods.

Standard colour - I think it’s called Tekuma (or Decuma) grey possibly? I still need to powder coat the gypsy-chrome roll bar (that I didn’t even order, the dealer added it due to a cock-up at their end).

That is a fact. The standard wheels are nice but definitely need pushing out a bit. Mine is on slightly oversized Bfg all terrains (285 I think).

Yes and no - if the move had been booked well in advance and lorry movements planned around it, and then an 11th hour change of plan from the customer (which the haulier appears to have attempted to sort at very short notice) is thrown into the mix then I can see why they would want to charge for their standing time. I guess it all comes down to the initial quote request details.

Stihl were demoing a new battery groundsaw at the APF - apparently it’s a total gamechanger/is the next big thing! Size and weight-wise it’s pitched at the Husky 560 market (though I personally thought it felt a lot heavier ‘in the hand’ - I’m not sure how the figures stack up). What a total joke of a machine - it was crap when compared to anything with an engine (which is how they were pitching it)!!! I felt embarrassed for the lads doing the demo in honesty. There are obviously certain applications where battery kit is advantageous (we own quite a bit of battery gear now) but you cannot get close to replacing the power and convenience of an engine and combi-can however much you try to green-wash your customers.

How far ahead of your Tuesday lunchtime loading conversation had you instructed the transport?