And a parcel shelf to sleep on 
, as opposed to building a bed over an engine cover.
Never had one myself, but all I heard was good from the lads who drove them.
And an infinitely variable windscreen wiper to suit every kind of wet weather. Even now in my Peugeot I have to keep changing between slow and mid with nothing in between. And yes, I had a bed in it too, only problem was the cab shape which meant the curtains did not hang close to the windows. A small price to pay for a different world.
If any of the British manufacturers could have come up with something similar who knows what could have happened
The Rolls CV12 powered Commander would have been the only one with commonality with the Challengerā¦
The WW2 Cromwell and Comet and post war Centurion used the Meteor, a derated Merlin petrol.
The Antar used a V8 diesel loosely based on the V12 Meteor petrol.
Then Detroit 8v92 powered Oshkosh after the Commander.
The Crusader and S26 used the Rolls Eagle but wouldnāt have had the weight capacity to haul the Chieftain or Challenger main battle tanks on or off road with the armyās artic configuration outfits.
Iām sure I read once that the early Antars were petrol-engined and did 3 gallons to the mile!
I donāt know but I think someone, apart from Mt Google will know.
@maoster ?
I never fancied an F86 for one reason ----- the wheels had smaller diameter stud holes so the wheels were not interchangeable with the UK spec wheels. The F88 was the same so until Volvo decided to conform I was never interested.
I recall that Bill Pattinson who ran a couple of tanks out of Marchon back in the 60ās running one of those flat fronted Mercs which IIRC was āDā reg 1966.
My old pal Harry Fearon eventually bought Bill Pattyās two tanks and Harry was a big user of F86ās back in the day. He used to sell them on to Burnholme at Penrith who well known as āhard shoulder haulageā back then !
Last I heard of Trevor Brown years ago now was he had married a well to do farmers daughter over near York and they had a son who I beleive was brought up by his granddad and probably inherited the farm which was a big one from memory. Cheers Dennis.
Yeah i remember my dad getting one and they couldnāt use other wheels on it.I couldnāt remember why.
Luckily no one had the idea of an L60 powered transporter to create commonality with the Chieftain.Broken down transporter trying to get the broken down Chieftain back to the workshop.
Les is correct. The first one I drove was indeed petrol engined. The ones before that had two gearsticks that you had to operate with both hands simultaneously. I donāt think that driver facing cameras were a thing then!
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Iād have been asking to drive the 240 Atki Bewick rather than the 86.Gutless car engine size screamer with awful synchro box and that was just the F7.
I can remember some banter between us and the armyās boffins at MVEE when the Commander was being tested.We were joking about a race between their CV12 running solo and our 16v71 Detroit loaded.
Nowt wrong with F7s mate, a good little truck in their day from a drivers pov.
I have also driven an Atki, itās like comparing driving a car with a combine harvesterā¦not that I have driven them, but you get my drift.
The Atki Borderer as good and reliable as it was for operators maintained the 50s technology right up to itās demise inā¦was it 76 when the S.Atk 400s came out?
The F7 was MUCH more modern and driver friendly.
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CF my Son you couldnāt drive sheep with a good dog 
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How come you are still pontificating form Leatherhead and not directing troops in Ukraine ?
Trump has F----- A---- on you !
Oi! Thatās my line, I have the copyright on it and you have mangled it. 
It is,ācouldnāt drive sheep with a pair of prize dogsā. 
However I cannot disagree with your sentiment. 
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Iām just trying to picture the scene of you trying to pull an A triple across Oz with an F7 day cab because a Brit told you it could just about drag 30t from London to Bristol and back before it blew up and he went home.
Iām just loading up the Challenger on the S26 ballast tractor and trailer for the run down there Bewick.Told the MOD to shove the Oshkosh artic.
Maoster has volunteered to drive the tank into Russia Iām on job and finish to the Polish border then heading for a long holiday in Switzerland.
I went from driving Bedford TMās to Cummins Atki gritters on the council and didnāt mind the driving the Atkis at all apart from the primitive wind up handbrake and an F7 on Carryfast and absolutely hated the F7 with a capital H.
Gardner 240 and Fuller would have been more than acceptable v the F7.Even the Atki cab had more room than the F7 day cab.
Trouble is CF that you will return from Switzerland !