ERF A series sleeper extension - sheer luxury in plywood and glass fibre!
Mercedes 814 in 1990, this was a big step up from lying across the seats of a Leyland Clydesdale, these were the sleeper cab that were way ahead of most others at the time, two bunks, full curtains right round, well insulated, comfortable driving position, a heater that worked & even a tilting sunroof. I was out for a week at a time in mine, as it says on the top of the cabs I covered England, Scotland & Wales, and at the time I loved it
This was actually my unit,back in the days of AM CB’s,analogue tacho’s,speed restrictors being unthought of and heated mirrors being a mere rumour. Sid [Beckwith] had it sent away to have a proper sleeper conversion done-prior to this one,two others had the ‘pigeon-house’ conversion. No curtains,no night heater-but I didn’t give a hoot. This ole beastie had a 450 Cat lump-unheard of,back then. All the others [Sid had a fleet of Crusaders,plus one rigid AEC 6-legger] had 290 RR lumps. This little sweetie made mince of 'em when we would come out of Magor steelworks,get across the bridge,then ‘Big It’ in a flat-out drag up the hill toward Chippenham [last one in paid for all the teas].
I even out-pulled Alans Scania 143,up that long hill.
Split it down,keep the power steady,pull alongside him,split again,flatten the loud pedal,leave him trailing.
[not forgetting to make ‘innocent’ remarks about pansy Scanias over the CB,while grinning like a loon]
Yeah…good days. Not so many comforts-but we didn’t care.
We had CB radio,a 16 speed twin-split Fuller to ensure good average speed,plus a proper,comfortable bed.
Plus,in my case,a big Cat lump. Life was good.
Though,to be fair,the other lads were all pretty complimentary about their Roller lumps.
This is She…my unit.
puggybear:
…grinning like a loon…
Do you live near Leatherhead?
[zb]
anorak:puggybear:
…grinning like a loon…Do you live near Leatherhead?
I was so tempted to comment, but discretion being the better part and all that…
So many inconsistencies it ain’t even funny 
ramone:
I thought the Renault Turboliner was a good cab ,with the high roof very spacious
Got to agree … had R385 for several years … I used to sleep up on top bunk … took mattress out on the bottom … had several stacking storage boxes and my fridge on the floor.
Loads of room to move around the cab when parked-up.
Plus … it pulled like a train … playing tunes with the old B18 double -H gearbox 
puggybear:
This was actually my unit,back in the days of AM CB’s,analogue tacho’s,speed restrictors being unthought of and heated mirrors being a mere rumour. Sid [Beckwith] had it sent away to have a proper sleeper conversion done-prior to this one,two others had the ‘pigeon-house’ conversion. No curtains,no night heater-but I didn’t give a hoot. This ole beastie had a 450 Cat lump-unheard of,back then. All the others [Sid had a fleet of Crusaders,plus one rigid AEC 6-legger] had 290 RR lumps. This little sweetie made mince of 'em when we would come out of Magor steelworks,get across the bridge,then ‘Big It’ in a flat-out drag up the hill toward Chippenham [last one in paid for all the teas].
I even out-pulled Alans Scania 143,up that long hill.
Split it down,keep the power steady,pull alongside him,split again,flatten the loud pedal,leave him trailing.
[not forgetting to make ‘innocent’ remarks about pansy Scanias over the CB,while grinning like a loon]
Yeah…good days. Not so many comforts-but we didn’t care.
We had CB radio,a 16 speed twin-split Fuller to ensure good average speed,plus a proper,comfortable bed.
Plus,in my case,a big Cat lump. Life was good.
Though,to be fair,the other lads were all pretty complimentary about their Roller lumps.
This is She…my unit.
You must know Mick Cable Puggy, he drove for Beckwith, as did another freind of mine, Steve Burner. Mick drove a day cab Crusader i think, and i remember steve saying that he have a probation on a Borderer before he got one the Rooler Scammells.
puggybear:
This was actually my unit,back in the days of AM CB’s,analogue tacho’s,speed restrictors being unthought of and heated mirrors being a mere rumour. Sid [Beckwith] had it sent away to have a proper sleeper conversion done-prior to this one,two others had the ‘pigeon-house’ conversion. No curtains,no night heater-but I didn’t give a hoot. This ole beastie had a 450 Cat lump-unheard of,back then. All the others [Sid had a fleet of Crusaders,plus one rigid AEC 6-legger] had 290 RR lumps. This little sweetie made mince of 'em when we would come out of Magor steelworks,get across the bridge,then ‘Big It’ in a flat-out drag up the hill toward Chippenham [last one in paid for all the teas].
I even out-pulled Alans Scania 143,up that long hill.
Split it down,keep the power steady,pull alongside him,split again,flatten the loud pedal,leave him trailing.
[not forgetting to make ‘innocent’ remarks about pansy Scanias over the CB,while grinning like a loon]
Yeah…good days. Not so many comforts-but we didn’t care.
We had CB radio,a 16 speed twin-split Fuller to ensure good average speed,plus a proper,comfortable bed.
Plus,in my case,a big Cat lump. Life was good.
Though,to be fair,the other lads were all pretty complimentary about their Roller lumps.
This is She…my unit.
surely a wind up?
andrew.s:
surely a wind up?
The pic came from here:
heavygoods.org.uk/images/Bec … ammell.JPG
STRAIGHT EIGHT:
You must know Mick Cable Puggy, he drove for Beckwith, as did another freind of mine, Steve Burner. Mick drove a day cab Crusader i think, and i remember steve saying that he have a probation on a Borderer before he got one the Rooler Scammells.
When I 1st started with Sid,ALL the crusaders were day cabs,but he got some converted to the rabbit-hutch version,then decided it was easier to haver proper sleeper cabs fitted. The only other person I can remember really well was Johnny Plant,who bought a unit via Roy,Sid’s son,and pulled for them as traction only.
At the time we were doing loads out of the London Brick Fields in Bedford. Then he got the contract to haul the steel,and we were running to various steelworks in Wales. The ONLY driver at the time who had a speed-limiter fitted was a chap called Robin…who for some reason was known as Marigold.
At the time I drove for him,Sid didn’t have any Borderers. He did have one 6-legger AEC,which did constant London Brick Co work,but all the rest were Crusaders. And yes,mine was the ONLY one in the fleet with a Cat lump. The rest were all Rollers or ■■■■■■■■ That’s despite people knowing better and making snide comments about ‘inconsistencies’. Friendly site this.
Crusaders with ■■■■■■■ and CATs?
The Rustler:
ramone:
I thought the Renault Turboliner was a good cab ,with the high roof very spaciousGot to agree … had R385 for several years … I used to sleep up on top bunk … took mattress out on the bottom … had several stacking storage boxes and my fridge on the floor.
Loads of room to move around the cab when parked-up.
Plus … it pulled like a train … playing tunes with the old B18 double -H gearbox
I’ve still got a 385 Turboliner - Great Cab IMHO
Lawrence Dunbar:
This was the first sleeper cab we had & IMO was good, Regards Larry.0
A proper lorry
Dear Mr Bear, or may I call you Puggy.
I’m not saying you didn’t have a Cat powered Scammell that was really fast, as I wasn’t really paying much notice to your situation at the point in time. But given the sharpness of the photo you have posted and the fact that it doesn’t have a background it looks a lot like a photo of a model truck.
Jeff…
I also wonder about speed limiters as the Crusader was exempt as it was out of production long before lorries were legally required to have one, yet one was limited. Twin Splitters never had 16 speeds, a 143 Scania seems a little before its time in the company of Crusaders, the steelworks were Llanwern, not Magor and the first hill after the bridge is up to the M5 junction, Chippenham is at J17 and it’s flat to there, the last hill being the pull up to J18.
However, this is all possibly due to a fading memory over the passage of time.
Stranger things have happened than a CAT going in a Scammell.
The Fuller may have been experimental like the engine.
The 143 could’ve been a 141 or 142.
Companies did fit limiters themselves.
Magor and Llanwern are next door to each other, so locals may refer to it as Magor.
If you were really travelling then Chippenham ain’t that far from the Severn Bridge.
Or it could all be a load of ■■■■■■■■.
Let’s not get on the case too fast, it may be a fading memory after all… 
Blimey I was still at school when that thing was registered but if I was going to make up a load of bollox about a Crusader I’d have had the sense to at least have had the only 8V71 T powered Crusader with a 13 speed fuller in it which really would have sorted out a 141 but it probably still wouldn’t have had as much room in it’s cab. 
Good to see you back geoff ive been worrird about you.
There was an article in T&D this month about a bloke who restored a crusader sleeper and it doesnt look bad for domething of thar era.
Carryfast:
Blimey I was still at school when that thing was registered but if I was going to make up a load of bollox about a Crusader I’d have had the sense to at least have had the only 8V71 T powered Crusader with a 13 speed fuller in it which really would have sorted out a 141 but it probably still wouldn’t have had as much room in it’s cab.
barringtondieselclub.co.za/8 … iesel.html
According to this, your engine has only 340bhp at 2,000rpm, against the 141’s 375. The 8v71t develops 960lbft at 1,400, the Scania 1100lbft at 1300. You would not “sort out” a 141 with that engine, unless you were on the bunk, asleep, having your happy dreams.
Jelliot:
Dear Mr Bear, or may I call you Puggy.
I’m not saying you didn’t have a Cat powered Scammell that was really fast, as I wasn’t really paying much notice to your situation at the point in time. But given the sharpness of the photo you have posted and the fact that it doesn’t have a background it looks a lot like a photo of a model truck.Jeff…
Look,I do apologise. I was just mooching through a website of trucks that were once common on British roads and was very happily surprised to find a picture of the AEC I mentioned Sid having. Then,I found a pic of one of his Crusaders and it was one I actually drove. No,I didn’t take a photo of a photo then try to upload it,I transferred the pic I found on that website to here because I thought it was amazing to find,plus interesting as it WAS the opnly Crusader I’ve ever known to have a Cat lump…plus I knew how to.
Me trying to take a photo of a photo then try to upload it,then try to transfer it…well,I thought that one was much sharpwer and more professional than my one as it isn’t cluttered with old pallets,etc. I just didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition for using a pic of a unit I once drove rather than the slightly blurry one I have that is now approaching 28 years old. Yes,I drove THAT Crusader for Sid Beckwith. Head for Little Waltham from Chelmsford;get past the hospital turning,our entrance into the drive up and around to the pumps then into the yard was on the left. The yard is still therte-tho today I believe it’s marked for development.Yes,I did the brick and the steel runs. Yes,I outpulled Alan’s Scania-yes,I made a mistake,you are correct,I will flay myself alive as penance for not noticing I didn’t spot the error-it was a 2 NOT a 3. Yes,ONE vehicle had a limiter and that was driven by Marigold. Yes,ONE vehicle had a Cat. Yes,it had a 4-over4 range-change Fuller box,with splitter.
I had no idea you were all so determined to pick holes in everyone who isn’t you.
I also drove for HeavyHaul,Welch’s,both the Keyes brothers,and George Martin.
Right now,I drive a ro-ro w&d for Veolia. It’s a Volvo FM. I swap the skips on council amenity sites.
Ok-get started. You MUST be able to pick more holes.
I apologise for disturbing your mutual admiration society.
Again,I apologise for causing you all so much consternation for using a picture of my old unit that I found on an old trucks sight. I was just so chuffed to find it that. I didn’t even know there WERE any pics of Crusaders on the web. It never occurred to me. Ok-I am sorry you all have felt the need to gang up.
I can’t do anything about that,other than leave. Having just found the place,that’s sad,but c’est la vie.
All I can say on departing is;if any of you find a pic of the 89 I drove for HeavyHaul-don’t tell me.
Pics of units you’ve actually driven only lead to arguments. Apparently.