On the sunny Sunday we returned back home ,about 300 Kms north-east and stopped in a small village close to Chatillon sur Seine.
michel:
Thank you for the “Young” boy ,Saviem, but I’am more than 64 years ild. We took part at this rally in May with 3 Berliet and my son’s Willeme. It was so nice to eat during two evenings in the “Bel-Air” which re-opened for us with the family cooking and serving.
Well, you’re younger than most on here Michel… 
What lovely lorries you have, do you have pictures of the inside of the cab, and the engines please ?
A few vans that were so popular in France.
Bonjour monsieur, tachograph s’il vous plaît…
Ah oui…errrrrrrrrrrrrrr ummmmmmmmmmmm oooops
Here’s a lovely beast…I know someone who has the Berliet version of this V8…might get a drive one day … 
And an F88…got to be late '60’s or early '70’s…
Fergie47:
Bonjour monsieur, tachograph s’il vous plaît…Ah oui…errrrrrrrrrrrrrr ummmmmmmmmmmm oooops
Oh! and do you by any chance know where M. Fergie lives we 'ave 'ad a european arrest warrant sent for 'im from Englandterra about none delivery of Brie and Rouge for 3 years running now and the poor recipetent is out about 18 euros which includes paying carriage to someone in Leatherhead.So don’t bugger about go and feel 'is collar !! I won’t hold my breath as I don’t trust French justice,he’ll just be bought off with a bottle of beajolea or similar 
Fergie47:
A few vans that were so popular in France.
This little Froggie used to belt up and down the M5 absolutely flat out every day without a murmur of complaint.
Very interesting thread gents, most of it from well before my time but informative nonetheless.
Following on from Robert’s mention of bus dwelling, I spotted this fine camping-car conversion at our local Clovis workshop whilst having my tyres regrooved. Not a truck, but at least it has the ‘right’ badge on the front, and the rear.
This impressive beast was inside the workshop being fettled. Looks to have a narrowed Club of Four cab. Monsieur Saviem may enlighten me as to its background.
~ Craig
Bewick:
Fergie47:
Bonjour monsieur, tachograph s’il vous plaît…Ah oui…errrrrrrrrrrrrrr ummmmmmmmmmmm oooops
Oh! and do you by any chance know where M. Fergie lives we 'ave 'ad a european arrest warrant sent for 'im from Englandterra about none delivery of Brie and Rouge for 3 years running now and the poor recipetent is out about 18 euros which includes paying carriage to someone in Leatherhead.So don’t bugger about go and feel 'is collar !! I won’t hold my breath as I don’t trust French justice,he’ll just be bought off with a bottle of beajolea or similar
Dennis Bewick…deeply hurt and disappointed, I spend a lot of time and effort (and it’s not been easy ) getting the best deals on Brie ( 12€ per ton) and Rouge ( 0.05€ per case ) then arranging shipping by villains that YOU recommend (only because you love the sound of those Detroit Diesels) then blame ME when it doesn’t get delivered (I’ve seen the
e-bay adverts for the said items that all appear to come from the Leatherhead area) The local gendarmerie has called around, but has been bribed with some Marmite and custard creams…arrest warrant has been lifted
One last go at getting the Xmas cheer to you, I have taken the liberty of finding a reliable haulier from the Southampton area, Davis International, who deliver door to door, let’s hope they give a better service than your “so called D.D. mates”.
Look out for this wagon and driver ( he looks shifty, but I’m assured he won’t eat and drink everything, the horse that is, not sure about driver ) Please let me know when it arrives.
Some more from the rally that Michel recently attended near Rochport.
First one is for maggieD and Angie
Evening all, been quite a day, the old “sciatica”, has been playing up…always happens when there is work to be done! So used a little tractor today…too little for the job in hand…and ended up with the poor little thing standing on its nose in a deep, (and dank), ditch, full of muddy water…that did not help the sciatica…or my temper! Do I never learn?..No of course not!!!
!
Craig 111, that is a very smart conversion to mobile home, the cabinet work is superb. Those MAN 2156 powered Saviem buses could really motor along, and whosoever planned that conversion did it well, and with skill. A much better “home from home” than one of those overpriced, under engineered mobile coffee machine dispensing machines coming from Uncle Sam, in the USA…and the Saviem would be economic, smooth, and go around corners like a real vehicle, and not a Tea Clipper!
The EDF 4x4, has a later version of the Saviem, (MAN)798 serie engine, coupled to a PRP 4x4 drive, via a ZF 6 speed. That auger on the back is impressive, the whole outfit conceived, (originally), by SINPAR. The same company produced the 6x2 front wheel drive versions, often used as mobile shops, or machinery carriers. Yes that is a modified Club cab, but as you know these little single seat cabs were once very common in France as Steel carriers. That lorry has a bit of age in her, but looks fit and well.
What got you down to Agen? I had friends at La Croix Blanche, on the way up to Villeneuve. And I used to stay with other friends in Moissac, who I met originally when EDF were working with us on their site near Golfech. We were “pushing” the 150 tonne Saviem, (really Austrian OAF), articulated earth moving combinations, that were used on the extension of the Nice airport runway…long time ago now!
Fergie, do not worry, I have Dennis`s Brie, in hand…(so to speak)…he can get it from ASDA, home delivery…and it is" President Brie", as distributed by Galopin, and Massey et Boule…and as for the Vin Rouge, Andre Giraud has assured me that he will deliver 33000litres direct to Morecambe sea front, of .2 Euro" supermarche special". All Dennis has to do is a have 33000 Coca Cola bottles available…and a few hours,…or there may be a small demurrage charge!
Ah well, perhaps after a Bollinger the sciatica will subside…and the world may appear sunny again!
Cheerio for now.
michel:
On the sunny Sunday we returned back home ,about 300 Kms north-east and stopped in a small village close to Chatillon sur Seine.
hey Michel, superbe. Vous vous souvenez ancore!
Eric,
Saviem:
ers. Fergie, do not worry, I have Dennis`s Brie, in hand…(so to speak)…he can get it from ASDA, home delivery…and it is" President Brie", as distributed by Galopin, and Massey et Boule…and as for the Vin Rouge, Andre Giraud has assured me that he will deliver 33000litres direct to Morecambe sea front, of .2 Euro" supermarche special". All Dennis has to do is a have 33000 Coca Cola bottles available…and a few hours,…or there may be a small demurrage charge!
Thank you John… if he has to hire help filling those bottles, he may have to sell one of those
240 smokers to pay them…that’ll teach him…
Some more “everyday” camions :- Wouldn’t mind a drive in any of them, never driven a bonnetted wagon…
Now look 'ere Fergie I have no intention of ■■■■■■■ about with bottles,for a kick off there would be more spilled on the floor than went into the bottles !! So give me “the wire” as regards the ETA and I’ll pop along with this load of new DA 45 gal drums (205 ltr to you Dave !!) and I’ll have the tank transhipped in no time and with a bit of luck by the time we start tapping the drums all the crap you have slung into it will have settled to the bottom 
Cheers Dennis.
Fergie I see you have nominated me and “Carlos” for transportation of cheese and wine up Norf, this is all very well but you must realize the cost in shoes for "Carlos alone could make this prohibitive. He would need at least six sets of shoes to complete that run plus feed and a small consideration for me, shoe’s run out at £75 a set so that’s £450 for a start. All things considered I do think you would be better of using Palletline or some one like that as it would certainly work out cheaper. All the same thanks for the thought but I would make that Dennis come and collect the gear as it would be an eye opener for him as he only ponsed about in the UK when he was in the job, no offence meant of course, Buzzer.
Saviem’s mention of the word “demurrage” made me grin.
It’s many a long day since that word was used in the context of road haulage! The last time I used the word I was laughed at.
Two brushes with demurrage in a long career, ROF.
First was in about 1973. Spent 6 hours waiting to unload toilet rolls in Aberdeen. When I got back to Bowater Scott’s I said to David Heavyside in the transport office that I would have to charge demurrage.
His reply was that I could invoice them and they would pay, that being the decent thing to do, but I would never load again from Bowater Scott! Hmmmm…guess what!
The next time was a trip to Dammam. I waited 4 days at Turayf to clear customs while the consignee sent the duty up to the border - the money being more than the agent was willing to advance. It was summer and hot and miserable. Not helped by 2 Swedish lads choking me to death running their trucks for the Air conditioning late afternoon and evening. ( my F88 had fresh air ventilation).
When I got to Dammam, As I had run out of running money, I insisted on (I think) £450 demurrage before I unloaded. They even went to the money changers for the cash for me!
That got me home!
John.
Inside a Berliet TLM 10M2 from 1963 with the 2 gearsticks , one for the gearbox and the other for the split. At the rear,the sleeper…
Buzzer:
Fergie I see you have nominated me and “Carlos” for transportation of cheese and wine up , Buzzer.
John and Carlos… chose you for your honesty, and you’ve been honest enough to give me the full costings of the haulage, so I think Saviems offer of getting Giraud to deliver it in bulk to Morecombe Bay sea front will the way to go, let Den sort it out from there…
Bewick:
Now look 'ere Fergie I have no intention of ■■■■■■■ about with bottles,for a kick off there would be more spilled on the floor than went into the bottles !! So give me “the wire” as regards the ETA and I’ll pop along with this load of new DA 45 gal drums (205 ltr to you Dave !!) and I’ll have the tank transhipped in no time and with a bit of luck by the time we start tapping the drums all the crap you have slung into it will have settled to the bottom
Still looking to save a few bob then Den, don’t get the transfer pump for the Rouge mixed up with the diesel one you use to keep that old smoker of a car you’ve got going !!! mind you, the price you payed for the wine it probably won’t taste much different, a bit of red derv will add to the flavour… Please refer to Mr. J. Saviem for ETA as he’s a mate of Andre Giraud…PS. by my reckoning, you’re 9 drums short… 
michel:
Inside a Berliet TLM 10M2 from 1963 with the 2 gearsticks , one for the gearbox and the other for the split. At the rear,the sleeper…
Nice one Michel…please keep them comming…
John West:
demurrage
John.
Demurrage…a thing of the past John, along with log sheets,( long befor log books ) rope & sheeting, Tilts, drivers with sence, drivers that could drive anything, bosses that had done the job, 7.00am starts…6.00pm finishes, never paying for parking, and Digs, along side a thousand other things…