7.5T Truck for racing car transport

[MagicalTrevor]

Currently we transport our racing car using an estate car and an open trailer. It would be nice to keep most of the tools and spares in a truck with the car either being in the garage or in the back of the truck (if parked securely).

Now, I've seen loads of 7.5T Trucks that look suitable but I have no idea about the ongoing costs!

Say we buy a truck for £3k that's got mega miles on it and going forward, we'd only be putting low miles on it.
Naively, I'm looking at this like a car but I realise that I'm definitely going to be missing something!

I appreciate this might have been asked before so I'll happily accept a pointer to a useful thread.

cheers

[iguana]

Bit like cars really, trucks can be lucky or unlucky, It's entirely possible you could but a decent 7.5t with fresh MOT straight out of service & 6 wk checks etc & spend next to nothing for a year or 2, & on the other hand just get it a bit wrong with the luck & have to spend a few £k on odds & sods, even without anything major needing doing.

[MagicalTrevor]

Thanks for that, at least I learnt about 6 week checks

[powerstroke]

Remember trucks are built to do huge distances , the main thing that will be an issue are brakes seizing and discs rusting with lack of use.. consumable parts not bad but some parts esp electronic bits can be horrendous!! ..anything after 2001 will be limited to 56 ,,,fuel my merc atego did about 22 mpg , if you can fix cars it won't be a problem to keep one running however something thats out of test and been layed up can cost to get back on the road !!!, forget about milage just look for something tidy and tested.....

[ZX10R NIN]

We use trucks (admittedly artics now) but the trick on a 7.5t is to get them reclassed as a mobile home this means yearly MOT's etc fuel wise our Renault when loaded with Four Bikes all the kit wheels tyres etc & three people would do about £70 in diesel to go from Brands to Birkenhead sitting at 65mph.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/race-truck-motorhome-tim...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Race-Truck-Motorhome-For...

[MagicalTrevor]

Are there any alternatives that I should consider? Luton box vans tend to be too small and also comparatively more expensive than a 7.5T. There is no way I need the full 7.5T (as nice as it would be!) but something that was a Luton but with a 4.5m-5m container would maybe be a better option?

[MagicalTrevor]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

No problem building a platform above the arches. The car only weighs 450kg and then the ramps would slide underneath.

Any idea what that model is? Looks ideal if it's long enough

[MagicalTrevor]

Master Luton LoLoader is the answer

[daydotz]

What about a ivceo daily the do some big vans which would carry a car ?
Fiat Ducato Citroen relay peougot boxer

Edited by daydotz on Thursday 29th October 10:01

[spikey78]

I've just sold my 2003 7.5t iveco because I wasn't using it.. I only had an FF2000 in it, but even with a 20 ft box I used all the space up with spares, bench, Genny, ez up, bikes etc. A 3.5t Luton would never have been big enough.
I loved the convenience of it, and having somewhere warm to sleep too. It was a bit juicy, but not prohibitively so.
I bought it with a blown head gasket (which was a piece of cake to fix) but aside from that I had to do various steering joints and bushes, two batteries, some air compressor pipes and an injector pump over 3 years and probably less than 10k miles. I never left the park brake on while it was stood for any time because it would seize.
Overall it liked having it, but not using them makes them unreliable and you need some heavy duty tools to fix them!
MOT'S are a pain too, and expensive.
I would have another, but be prepared to get your hands dirty is my advice

[Getragdogleg]

I needed a small truck to cart my old cars around, to shows or if they break or are off to get painted.

Found an old Iveco Cargo at an auction, ex scaffolding lorry, beaten up and rusty. Paid £126 for it.

Brought it back and found a good cab on ebay for £300, then took the body and cab off, needle gunned/painted and sorted out bushes and brakes, reassembled as a chassis cab and painted it then sent it off the Shawtrack services for a beaver tail body to be built with winch and tow bar so I can pull a trailer. a set of light bars and spotlights finished off the body. Then we got it signwritten and tested, went straight through and has done every year since.

Total project cost of about £8000, yes its an M reg truck but its mint and reliable and is perfect for me because I specced it ! Also, the body which was the largest part of the build is removable so I can take it from truck to truck if I need a newer chassis cab.

Edited by Getragdogleg on Thursday 29th October 12:04

[renorti]

you can get a 6.5t merc sprinter or iveco/renault mascott. these carry nearly same weight as 7.5t but are much closer to vans in terms of running costs.I have a 4.6t sprinter car transporter{carries 2.2t payload} and does 30mpg at 56mph {limited/tacho} with a car on the back.around 23/25mpg urban use.

[theshrew]

If you go the 7.5 route go for one that has a mechanical fuel pump and injectors.

I doubt very much Weather any van will be big enough to put a car in.

What about a van with a trailer. Keep the costs down and still keep your gear in it.

[GC8]

Youd still have to keep it all below 8.25 tonnes, unless you have an (Ive never seen one) C1+E licence without restrictions.

[MJK 24]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Must be the way you drive them. I have three MAN TGL 7.5 ton trucks. They've averaged just under 19mpg running at 11 tons. Without the trailer they'll do 23mpg.

That's over 750,000kms on the highest mileage one and 680,000 on the lowest mileage example.

[Ilovejapcrap]

Can you not get a transit with transport body ? Lot more mot style stuff with a 7.5t

[matlockscot]

We use a converted Mercedes Sprinter for carrying ff1600's. It was a former Walkers Crisp van so hadn't had to haul a lot of weight.

Photos on the website www.gt-rt.com

[hidetheelephants]

Do you not need an 'O' licence and have to deal with the appalling pantomime that is running a hgv in 21st century britain?

[spikey78]

Not for private use. Or a tachograph. .

[ZX10R NIN]

As I said earlier if you get it re-classed to a Motorhome you don't have to have Tacho or have an O License our 7.5 ton trucks are classed as the above which also means we can cruise at 70mph which is very handy when you have to catch the ferry