Scania Truck n Trailer Choices - Advice Please

[MrLion]

Hi folks, I'm looking to buy a truck and 40' trailer for transporting containers in East Africa.

I've been told Scania is the brand of choice due to availability of parts and mechanics' familiarity.

Any advice and pointers on where to find them and what to look out for?

Appreciate the truck will have 750 000km+ on it and probably offloaded by previous owner before something major goes pop (same as my company car where the lease company won't change cambelt at 75k miles, prefer to take the risk on a fleet, I guess).

Any advice gratefully received.

[martin mrt]

Are you buying over here?

From what i hear the africans are not big V8 fans, how true this is I'm unsure, but it came from the mechanic of a chap who exports ALOT of Scanias to sunnier climates

Top choices for them are straight sixes with low roof apparently.

If it were MY money 6x2 tag lift with the 420bhp engine, bullet proof compared with a neglected 470/480bhp straight six

Definitely a tag for me, traction and manoeuvreabilty is far superior to a mid lift, the former may be an issue in africa

[Magictrousers]

I'd go for the configuration above too!

[MrLion]

martin mrt said:

Are you buying over here?

From what i hear the africans are not big V8 fans, how true this is I'm unsure, but it came from the mechanic of a chap who exports ALOT of Scanias to sunnier climates

Top choices for them are straight sixes with low roof apparently.

If it were MY money 6x2 tag lift with the 420bhp engine, bullet proof compared with a neglected 470/480bhp straight six

Definitely a tag for me, traction and manoeuvreabilty is far superior to a mid lift, the former may be an issue in africa

Thanks for the informative reply, confess I need to learn the lingo.

Yes, I plan to buy over here, sort a trailer and ship on over.

6x2 is the axle configuration, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor_unit, does tag lift refer to undriven axle on light load/no trailer that can be raised? Makes sense to improve traction.

Straight V6 with low roof, what's the low roof, a moderate bhp eg 420 bhp?

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

[Chipchap]

Which country are you looking at ? Is it RHD or LHD ? What are the restrictions, many will not let you bring in trucks over 7yrs old. I have sent hundreds of trucks to various African nations and the requirement is different to Europe.

You need as simple a truck as possible as diagnostics are thin on the ground out there and parts are scarcer depending on the make. as we are about to enter 2013 and it would be 2013 by the time a truck arrived into a port, then you need to be looking at a 2006 or thereabouts.

Avoid any trucks with any type of exhaust aftertreatment or catalytic convertors, avoid automated shifts on the gearbox. A Scania R124 420 is a good choice but few and far between in 6x2 tag axle configuration as 6x2/4 midlift has been so popular here for so long now.

You might be lucky and find an ex fuel company ERF 6x4 tractor still hanging around, a few of the straglers had Cummins 11 litre engines and ZF 16spd manual boxes. Nice simple tools.


Best Regards


Allan

[martin mrt]

MrLion said:

martin mrt said:

Are you buying over here?

From what i hear the africans are not big V8 fans, how true this is I'm unsure, but it came from the mechanic of a chap who exports ALOT of Scanias to sunnier climates

Top choices for them are straight sixes with low roof apparently.

If it were MY money 6x2 tag lift with the 420bhp engine, bullet proof compared with a neglected 470/480bhp straight six

Definitely a tag for me, traction and manoeuvreabilty is far superior to a mid lift, the former may be an issue in africa

Thanks for the informative reply, confess I need to learn the lingo.

Yes, I plan to buy over here, sort a trailer and ship on over.

6x2 is the axle configuration, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractor_unit, does tag lift refer to undriven axle on light load/no trailer that can be raised? Makes sense to improve traction.

Straight V6 with low roof, what's the low roof, a moderate bhp eg 420 bhp?

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

I will make this easy for you


This is a Scania 6x2 topline with a midlift


This is a Scania 6x2 standard height roof with a tag lift axle

I'm sure by just looking at the two pictures the differences will be obvious. Tag axle is my default choice for any 6x2, I simply think they are head and shoulders above a midlift in terms of use ability

[Truckosaurus]

MrLion said:

I've been told Scania is the brand of choice due to availability of parts and mechanics' familiarity.

When I visited Tanzania literally 99% of the big trucks were Scanias, so you'd be foolish to get anything else.

(My other African observations were that South Africa had much more variety, with Mercedes and Freightliner Argos (with machine-gun sounding exhaust brakes) being popular, and Swaziland had a lot of '80s era British trucks (ERFs and Fodens etc.)

[MrLion]

Thanks for all the input guys and pics to clarify.

Tanzania is the destination and it's RHD, and definitely Scania are the popular option.

My next question is where to source a Scania (up to 10 yr old I think is okay) 6x2, 420 bhp and a trailer suitable for 40' containers. Hints and tips gratefully received.

[martin mrt]

I have sent you an E mail with some information that may be of use to you

[4key]

I know a couple of people in Tilbury docks who will be able to source and ship the sort of things that you are looking for, their main trade is Lagos but I doubt other areas would be a problem for them. Looking at your profile you're not exactly local though.

[MrLion]

I'm based near Bristol at the moment, got a bit of a roving role just lately.

With the excellent advice above I've been able to surf the internet and identify a few possibilities.

My next challenge is to source a suitable 20/40' trailer, again any advice appreciated, and maybe a quick run-down of the pros and cons of different types.

Should be suited for African roads etc etc.

[martin mrt]

45' Flat trailer with twist locks, easiest and most versatile trailer to have IMO

Skeletal trailers are fine if its ONLY containers and ISO tanks etc your moving

[Chipchap]

MrLion said:

I'm based near Bristol at the moment, got a bit of a roving role just lately.

With the excellent advice above I've been able to surf the internet and identify a few possibilities.

My next challenge is to source a suitable 20/40' trailer, again any advice appreciated, and maybe a quick run-down of the pros and cons of different types.

Should be suited for African roads etc etc.

To be ideally suited for Africa, you would ideally want the heavy framed truck as supplied to Africa/Aus/Ireland etc. Also consider a new radiator core as the one in it could be 7yrs old and the rusty sludge too. New thermostat never goes amiss either. Having lived in sub saharan Africa for 15yrs UK trucks do sell there but are far from ideally suited. Fuel tank brackets are too light, everything is mounted too low on the chassis, we use pressed 5th wheels, Africa uses cast 5th wheels etc etc etc.

They can and do work as in a past life I sold loads out there but be prepared for lots of niggly failres. Oh and 40 tonnes = payload not gross out there. 60 tonnes + Gross combination is normal, hence why a good cooling system is essential.


A