I’ve got a friend of a friend who works for a company who are updating and getting rid of a 2012 Volvo FH.
It got me to thinking…
Could I buy a tractor unit to use purely as a private vehicle? It wouldn’t be pulling a trailer. It would be used as a hobby type thing to refurb and drive to shows and such like.
So my questions -
Could I park it on my drive?
Yes, I have a massive rear drive that could fit several units so no issues on space.
Operators licence?
Do I need one?
Insurance?
I’m guessing other guys have older units that don’t do work and have some sort of social and domestic use insurance
Tacho?
Presuming I used it for pleasure, would I need to insert my card?
Licence category
I’m class 1 so no issues on that front.
You can park it on your drive in theory. In practice, your neighbours might have an issue with it. You’d have to read your tenacy agreement carefully if your renting.
For example, my Dad tried parking his Caravan on the drive and got forced to remove it by the housing association. Even if you own your house you might want to make sure your neighbours arent a issue.
Tacho I dont think you need one but you’d still be under the EU driver hours rules. (or UK now lol). Might make sense just to keep the tacho incase you got stopped as proof.
You’d also need your limiter calibrated how ever often that is.
As for insurance, god knows. Thats just a niche area but I am no doubt you’d find some.
Most people who consider doing this often end up changing their mind.
It’s just too much hassle and grief.
Tractor units aren’t much fun to drive solo.The ride and handling are abysmal.Probably a liability most places you’d want to go privately.
The rest follows from that.
Lots of aggro for not much return in driving enjoyment.
First and obvious question would be…WHY?
A Mondeo would be much cheaper to run.
Anyway each to his own
And is a 2012 Volvo the right vehicle to take to shows, would something a bit older and a bit more classic (and maybe cheaper) not be more appropriate?
Look for info on the Oldies forum where some do own and show older trucks.
.
But doesn’t it depend on what the V5 says?
With no fifth wheel and registered as a private vehicle would it really need tacho, limiter, etc?
Seem to remember recent law changes regarding registering vans as motor homes, too? But that may be irrelevant.
The speed limiter will have to stay in use .
The op may struggle with insurance as cheaper classic insurance doesn’t normally cover vehicles until older than 15 years old.
It’s only just in recent yrs I’ve been able to stop putting a card in but I can’t remember if that was when my lorry got to 25 or 30 yrs old .
You can park it on your drive in theory. In practice, your neighbours might have an issue with it. You’d have to read your tenacy agreement carefully if your renting.
For example, my Dad tried parking his Caravan on the drive and got forced to remove it by the housing association. Even if you own your house you might want to make sure your neighbours arent a issue.
Tacho I dont think you need one but you’d still be under the EU driver hours rules. (or UK now lol). Might make sense just to keep the tacho incase you got stopped as proof.
You’d also need your limiter calibrated how ever often that is.
As for insurance, god knows. Thats just a niche area but I am no doubt you’d find some.
Most people who consider doing this often end up changing their mind.
It’s just too much hassle and grief.
There’s no requirement to have limiter messed with as long as it works ,calibration stickers stopped when ecu s were invented,only the set speed is to be displayed.
It’s all complicated.
But yes it would need a limiter.
Vehicle classes are done on weights.
It’s completely irrelevant if a unit has a 5th wheel or not.
You might get a big shock when it comes to any repairs or maintenance that might be required.
I get the fact that you would not be working the truck so it is unlikely that you would wear out any heavy mechanical parts but I can assure you that it will not be like running a domestic vehicle.
I find that electronics and sensors can cause some of the most expensive and difficult to fix issues regarding maintenance and you need to consider that inactivity or standing idle is more likely to bring trouble with these kind of problems than actual working daily.
For example, has this Volvo had the exhaust aftertreatment system deleted or more likely is it still all intact? You could easily have to spend a grand or two if the truck derates into limp home mode because the dosing module fails or a NOX sensor starts playing up.
I presume it is fitted with an I shift transmission.
Sure, a reliable gearbox but there again there a lot of sensors and complex air actuators, etc.
It is one thing to maintain a heavy vehicle as part of a business but you should think long and hard before doing it for fun.
If you are a diesel mechanic or even very knowledgeable regarding engineering and have a big enough workshop to do things yourself I guess it could work.
msgyorkie:
Chris Eubank drives around in an Amerrican tractor unit unit
I’d prefer to buy an old 80’s F12.Extend it to a rigid with a flat body.Fit a Fuller box.Ballast to around 12 t gross.No need for the limiter.
I had an F7, an F10,.and briefly an F12 which was a demo in the 80s,.all excellent trucks for their time as far as I recall.
A Fuller box was/is a good box if you knew how to use it, if you did you could run all day without even using the clutch, (apart from setting off) and play a tune with it.
However for those who could not use it properly, it was a cluster ■■■■ of crunches and grinding.
The Volvo box in those days was an excellent proficient smooth full synchro,.and if I’m honest easier if not better in a truck to drive…,akin to a car.
So come on Carryfast, and please no Google based fact b/s (I may regret this btw ) .speaking as somebody with experience in both type of boxes… Why tF would you want to fit a Fuller into a F12? …,.and especially for what the o/p wants to use it for, (however bizarre that may be.)
I think the best gearboxes are probably the most modern ones.
I-shift is fantastic. Scania’s is good as well.
Even DAF and MAN which I believe both use astronic gearboxes are ok. Even if the delays in shifts can be annoying.
I used to be against auto boxes. I am a firm convert now.
adam277:
I think the best gearboxes are probably the most modern ones.
I-shift is fantastic. Scania’s is good as well.
Even DAF and MAN which I believe both use astronic gearboxes are ok. Even if the delays in shifts can be annoying.
I used to be against auto boxes. I am a firm convert now.
Yep same here.
Nothing to prove anymore regarding manuals, , anything for a quiet and easy life these days.
Trucks today are just like driving big cars, you can just sit back, relax whilst running down the M.way listening to Def Leppard on full pelt.
adam277:
I think the best gearboxes are probably the most modern ones.
I-shift is fantastic. Scania’s is good as well.
Even DAF and MAN which I believe both use astronic gearboxes are ok. Even if the delays in shifts can be annoying.
I used to be against auto boxes. I am a firm convert now.
Yep same here.
Nothing to prove anymore regarding manuals, , anything for a quiet and easy life these days.
Trucks today are just like driving big cars, you can just sit back, relax whilst running down the M.way listening to Def Leppard on full pelt.
True.
Not that I do this… But it is nice to brake without having to put my coffee down just to change gear.
robroy:
I had an F7, an F10,.and briefly an F12 which was a demo in the 80s,.all excellent trucks for their time as far as I recall.
A Fuller box was/is a good box if you knew how to use it, if you did you could run all day without even using the clutch, (apart from setting off) and play a tune with it.
However for those who could not use it properly, it was a cluster [zb] of crunches and grinding.
The Volvo box in those days was an excellent proficient smooth full synchro,.and if I’m honest easier if not better in a truck to drive…,akin to a car.
So come on Carryfast, and please no Google based fact b/s (I may regret this btw ) .speaking as somebody with experience in both type of boxes… Why tF would you want to fit a Fuller into a F12? …,.and especially for what the o/p wants to use it for, (however bizarre that may be.)
Either way you need to match engine speed to road speed either to match the clutch and flywheel faces and/or to synchronise the gears during a shift.
Do that right with a Fuller you get a lighter faster shift than with the synchro.
Do it wrong then get lots of grinding noises, or wreck the clutch and the rest of the driveline eventually.
Don’t tell me that on the approach to a roundabout etc you just left the engine at idle dropped a gear then reengaged the clutch against the idling engine.
Also not much difference if you don’t match the engine speed exactly when you re engage the clutch.
So at that point might as well do that in neutral to synchronise the gears too.In the case of the Fuller among others the result was a more satisfying drive with the bonus that the thing was also much simpler to maintain/fix and more durable and you can still get the parts for it probably unlike the Volvo box.
…,.and especially for what the o/p wants to use it for, (however bizarre that may be.)