Call me perverse and foolish, but I’ve often thought that the old Iveco EuroTrakker would make a good long-hauler, say to Central Asia or the Middle-East. With its rugged good looks, the early high cabbed left hand drive version of the Iveco Eurotrakker short wheel-base 6x4 with a 14 litre engine and Twin-splitter ‘box might make an excellent long-hauler. It fell neatly into that brief, golden age of European trucks when high cabs coincided with big low-tech engines (420 bhp in this case, although 520 was available) and the final years of available constant-mesh gearboxes. Its superstructure sat well in its chassis and it had the advantage of a heavy-duty frame and beefed up drive-train, with impressively high ground-clearance and elevated driving position making it well suited to the Middle-East run. Here to start this thread off, is a drawing I made of (fantasy) EuroTrakkers with Astran. Robert 
Bumper-step assembly and ground clearance
Some observations and questions
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In general,
a. EuroTrakkers’ bumpers are higher, stronger and squarer with headlamps that are larger, squarer and set lower down while the steps are more basic and robust (as distinct from the standard wrap-round affairs on the Eurotechs & Eurostars). They always have stone guard grids covering the headlamps, as standard. -
In general,
a. EuroTrakkers appear to stand approx one foot higher off the ground than Eurotechs & Eurostars (more in certain cases — see c. below). This may partly be an optical illusion created by the shallower bumper assembly, the very bottom step of which marks where the deeper Eurotech bumper would be.
b. The EuroTrakkers’ bumper-step assembly is level with the top of the wheel trim (as opposed to the bottom as on the ‘tech and the ‘star — a matter of just over a foot, I estimate).
c. Some models appear to be jacked up a further 3 or 4 inches to the top of the wheel rim itself (as far as I can ascertain, these appear to be the all-wheel-drive 4x4/6x6/8x8 models).
d. Some models have a separate under-run piece added below the EuroTrakker bumper (rather like later F8 MANs used to), notably those on SIVI models. -
In general,
a. Eurotechs and Eurostars (including 6x4s of both) have standard wrap-round bumper-step assemblies level with the bottom of the wheel trim (as opposed to the top on EuroTrakkers).
b. However, the Egyptian ones ride higher but not like EuroTrakkers. I strongly suspect that they are on bigger tyres (or the local importer jacks them up). It is only a matter of a couple of inches, enough to take the bumper-step assembly above the bottom of the wheel trim but below the hub. This seems to apply to all Euro range Ivecos in Egypt, including Eurostars (it seems to apply to other makes like Merc and MAN as well). -
Australian 6x4s appear to be Oz-spec Eurotechs and Eurostars, but they all have the rounded bumper and normal ride. They also tend to have Detroit or ■■■■■■■ engines and Fuller 18 gearboxes. I include them in the folders simply for their appearance which, being close to European, can be used as realistic models for ultimate Middle-Easters. Surprisingly, they don’t tend to ride as high as the Middle East spec model. There is also a sort of hybrid model with ‘tech and ‘star characteristics combined.
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In certain countries like Iran and Argentine, EuroTrakkers all have the wrap-round bumpers, but ride about 6 inches higher than a ‘tech. The Eurotechs also have wrap-round bumpers. Because of this confusion, all pictures of this variant are stored separately, and the pattern is easy to see.
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The same may also apply to Iranian Eurotechs and EuroTrakkers, both of which appear to carry the wrap-round bumper.
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Interestingly, there appear to be two different categories of SIVI-Iveco heavy Eurostar 6x4s and 8x4s: one normal ride with wrap-round bumpers and one high-elevation model with the EuroTrakker bumper-step assembly. The difference in height is precisely the same as the difference between the EuroTrakker and Eurotech. One picture shows a 6x4 Eurostar med high with high ride and ‘Trakker bumper assembly that shows no sign of being a SIVI: might it have a TS ‘box and become the next holy grail?
Robert:)
For me, at least, a EuroTrakker would need to be left-hand drive to do TIR work. As for the Eaton Twin-splitter constant mesh 'box, well: we know it was available on British EuroTrakkers (especially tippers), but we also know that it was initially widely available across the Eurostar/Eurotech/EuroTrakker range with both RHD and LHD. I, for one, owned a Eurostar with an Eaton Twin-splitter.
I would be most interested to hear from bloggers about other Twin-splitter installations in EuroTrakker artics. Robert:)
This ‘family’ is continued in the next blog. Robert…
we had a 2 1996 eurotrekker 8 wheel tipper 340 BHP with the twin splitter go any were never got stuck also a eurostar with the twin splitter great motors till they got 7 years old 
EuroTrakkers with Cursor engines didn’t have the Twin-splitter gearbox option, of course - that finished in early '96 for Ivecos. Also anything from the SIVI (Iveco ‘specials’) factory wouldn’t have had a Twin-splitter. Robert
Hi Robert! Like your drawing! Dave Mackie had a Iveco of some sorth when he was one the goldmine job in Kazakstan. It was a midlift,but thats longhaul if you ask me;-)
Reg Danne
Italian EuroTrakker parked up waiting to board the ferry in Le Havre. I remember this particular evening well because I had been propping up the bar with Chris Hooper who was returning from the Gulf and I think I was coming back from North Africa. Notice how high the EuroTrakker stands - as high as my Eurostar. Robert
Very informative & well set out, Robert. As discussed on another thread, the Iveco “Euro” series were very under-rated, possibly due to them being Italian & therefore perceived to have dodgy electrics (not true) and prone to the rust bug (SO true!).
You are right there: they were much under-rated. My Eurostar, which I drove to the Gulf a few times and North Africa countless times, was up to the job. It had a 14-litre 420 and an Eaton Twin-splitter. The Alto cab was huge. The build quality of the cab was poor but the chassis and running gear was really strong. The EuroTrakker was much stronger! Robert
Dirty Dan:
Hi Robert! Like your drawing! Dave Mackie had a Iveco of some sorth when he was one the goldmine job in Kazakstan. It was a midlift,but thats longhaul if you ask me;-)Reg Danne
I think his was a Eurotech, but I may be wrong. Here are some more 6x4 sleepers before bed-time. Robert
Yeah i think you are right it was a eurotech. But i like the way you are thinking about the eurotrakker,cant say that i ever seen one here in Sweden but i could be wrong there…
These LWB 6x4s might even be up my street because the South Africans stick 9-speed Fullers in just about everything that moves! Robert
The following pictures I took myself of EuroTrakkers in Egypt. The Egyptians like these because they’re sturdy off-roaders. You will notice they come with narrow cabs, wide cabs, high cabs, medium cabs, sleeper cabs and day cabs. I suspect that after importation a lot of component swapping takes place before these vehicles hit the desert! Robert
