Funny how we take the ancestry of truck components for granted! Nice detail, Gingerfold, thank you. Robert
Well, the Mk5 Bollekens cabs probably remain the best '60s AEC option over the water. I do remember reading somewhere that the ‘Ergo’ cab was a bit of a disaster in LHD form, which probably explains its rarity. I know a Romanian company ran an Ergo sleeper-cabbed Beaver, and there is a day-cabbed example on this thread. Looks as if the Mk5 sleeper has it, then! 
Robert
tiptop495:
Hey,AEC Ergo cabbed Belgian Mandator.Eric,
Nice! I can only imagine that, as cabs became more sophisticated towards the end of the '60s it became more imperative that forward planning included provision for LHD versions. Presumably, some cabs lent themselves more easily to translation from right to left-hand orientation than others (gear linkages, steering linkages, engine shapes etc). (I strongly suspect that the reverse occurred with the ERF NGC!). Robert
Very relevant to this thread - ‘Mandator’ has just announced news on another thread as follows:
For your information, this week passed away Leopold Van Gaever at the age of 97! He was the founder/owner of the Belgian hauling company of the same name. Famous for her AEC fleet and the continental link for Ackworth. RIP.
Robert
robert1952:
Very relevant to this thread - ‘Mandator’ has just announced news on another thread as follows:For your information, this week passed away Leopold Van Gaever at the age of 97! He was the founder/owner of the Belgian hauling company of the same name. Famous for her AEC fleet and the continental link for Ackworth. RIP.
Robert
Thanks Robert, read it in the news paper, he had a nice age, not everyone given.
Eric,
On the 6 speed box, I thought it was the original 6 speed available during the 50’s on AEC Mk 3’s as an option and when ACV took over Thornycroft they started building and improving the AEC box. As for AEC i.e. Park Royal etc. building sleeper Mk 111 or V for the UK market you must remember it was illegal to have sleeper cab until the late sixty’s early 70’s. Prior to Ackworths becoming the UK partner with Van Gaever Suttons had been a UK partner, see the ERF pulling the Van Gaever Trailer, these trailers would load coal or Margerine it didn’t seem to bother the Belgiums they also like to swap the decent tyres on Suttons trailers with worn out one from their own trailers and when we sent a brand new low loader over there they sent it back with the cable on the winch all cut up…Tony.
Suttons Tony:
On the 6 speed box, I thought it was the original 6 speed available during the 50’s on AEC Mk 3’s as an option and when ACV took over Thornycroft they started building and improving the AEC box. As for AEC i.e. Park Royal etc. building sleeper Mk 111 or V for the UK market you must remember it was illegal to have sleeper cab until the late sixty’s early 70’s. Prior to Ackworths becoming the UK partner with Van Gaever Suttons had been a UK partner, see the ERF pulling the Van Gaever Trailer, these trailers would load coal or Margerine it didn’t seem to bother the Belgiums they also like to swap the decent tyres on Suttons trailers with worn out one from their own trailers and when we sent a brand new low loader over there they sent it back with the cable on the winch all cut up…Tony.
Don’t forget there is the all important photographic evidence of sleeper cabbed MkV Mammoth Majors in Ashley Coghill’s “Long Haul Pioneers”, these were Tillotson cabs rather than Park Royal but still British built for a British customer.
acd1202:
Suttons Tony:
On the 6 speed box, I thought it was the original 6 speed available during the 50’s on AEC Mk 3’s as an option and when ACV took over Thornycroft they started building and improving the AEC box. As for AEC i.e. Park Royal etc. building sleeper Mk 111 or V for the UK market you must remember it was illegal to have sleeper cab until the late sixty’s early 70’s. Prior to Ackworths becoming the UK partner with Van Gaever Suttons had been a UK partner, see the ERF pulling the Van Gaever Trailer, these trailers would load coal or Margerine it didn’t seem to bother the Belgiums they also like to swap the decent tyres on Suttons trailers with worn out one from their own trailers and when we sent a brand new low loader over there they sent it back with the cable on the winch all cut up…Tony.Don’t forget there is the all important photographic evidence of sleeper cabbed MkV Mammoth Majors in Ashley Coghill’s “Long Haul Pioneers”, these were Tillotson cabs rather than Park Royal but still British built for a British customer.
Voila! Robert
I’ve found online a couple more pics of the LHD Bollekens cabbed Mk V AECs - the subject of this thread! Robert
Here’s a new pic I found online. Looking at the fleet numbers of the Bollekens AECs in this fleet, it seems that they had quite a lot of them. Anyone know how many? Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Here’s a new pic I found online. Looking at the fleet numbers of the Bollekens AECs in this fleet, it seems that they had quite a lot of them. Anyone know how many? Robert0
Hey Robert,
You can not Always count on the numbers of Belgian truck, lots continue with their number, as the number they have bought in time doing haulage.
But it was one of the biggest hauliers here in the '50 and '60’s, later it has been took by it planner as Bram Smits. Freddytrans was the son of Van Gaever, later he was manager at Onatra. So many big names have gone here in haulage, pitty most had a nice painting with a symbol on the doors.
In the '50’s AEC was one of the most sold heavy duties here, together with Henschel, but beginning the '60’s lost soon grond to the Sweeds and Daf. No new developments and a lek of service support outside the Benelux and a not customer friendly Leyland at the top.
Eric,
tiptop495:
ERF-NGC-European:
Here’s a new pic I found online. Looking at the fleet numbers of the Bollekens AECs in this fleet, it seems that they had quite a lot of them. Anyone know how many? Robert0
Hey Robert,
You can not Always count on the numbers of Belgian truck, lots continue with their number, as the number they have bought in time doing haulage.
But it was one of the biggest hauliers here in the '50 and '60’s, later it has been took by it planner as Bram Smits. Freddytrans was the son of Van Gaever, later he was manager at Onatra. So many big names have gone here in haulage, pitty most had a nice painting with a symbol on the doors.
In the '50’s AEC was one of the most sold heavy duties here, together with Henschel, but beginning the '60’s lost soon grond to the Sweeds and Daf. No new developments and a lek of service support outside the Benelux and a not customer friendly Leyland at the top.Eric,
An interesting post as usual - thanks Eric! Robert
Later on Freddy, son of Leopold VanGaever, indeed started his own hauling company Freddytrans (started with ex. Leopold Van Gaever lorries!) This outfit was succesfully sold to the CMB shipping company and renamed Tracto. Freddy then was Managing Director of the local airline Delta Air Transport (CMB Group) and left for Onatra in Marseille. Years later he came back and founded/managed several Belgian airline companies. The last was VLM in Antwerp.
Notice that in both these examples - one a Mk V and the other an ergo-fronted design - the rear of the roof is raised to allow headroom for the bunk(s). While we were making day-cabbed AEC Mandators etc to keep the unions happy, the Continentals were providing the same AECs but with sleeper cabs, and in the case of the Belgian Bollekens sleeper below sleeper cabs with headroom for the bunk! 
Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
Notice that in both these examples - one a Mk V and the other an ergo-fronted design - the rear of the roof is raised to allow headroom for the bunk(s). While we were making day-cabbed AEC Mandators etc to keep the unions happy, the Continentals were providing the same AECs but with sleeper cabs, and in the case of the Belgian Bollekens sleeper below sleeper cabs with headroom for the bunk!10
Well to my mind Robert it seems a crying shame A E C didn’t start fitting Bollekens cabs as standard/option. They had a proven lorry on their hands and with the times a changing a good motor to challenge the foreigners. So to take this a step further, assuming A E C could see the potential, would it be correct to say Leyland almost certainly wouldn’t allow it to happen. I’d imagine that would be correct. And could the lag behind foreign motors be laid at the unions door? Could the eventual collapse of the British lorry manufacturers be unions fault? Maybe too simple but food for thought. Maybe the answer will appear in the sleeper cab topic. Cheers Paul
coomsey:
ERF-NGC-European:
Notice that in both these examples - one a Mk V and the other an ergo-fronted design - the rear of the roof is raised to allow headroom for the bunk(s). While we were making day-cabbed AEC Mandators etc to keep the unions happy, the Continentals were providing the same AECs but with sleeper cabs, and in the case of the Belgian Bollekens sleeper below sleeper cabs with headroom for the bunk!10
Well to my mind Robert it seems a crying shame A E C didn’t start fitting Bollekens cabs as standard/option. They had a proven lorry on their hands and with the times a changing a good motor to challenge the foreigners. So to take this a step further, assuming A E C could see the potential, would it be correct to say Leyland almost certainly wouldn’t allow it to happen. I’d imagine that would be correct. And could the lag behind foreign motors be laid at the unions door? Could the eventual collapse of the British lorry manufacturers be unions fault? Maybe too simple but food for thought. Maybe the answer will appear in the sleeper cab topic. Cheers Paul
The best answers to your questions can be found on the thread called ‘Why did British Leyland fail?’ If you sort through the crap on there, you’ll find some of the finest debate and well-informed opinion on this forum. Here’s the link:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=65419&hilit=why+did+British+Leyland+fail%3F
Robert