AECs and Albions

No sleeper cabs here

Got a few more if anyone's interested?????

Put them up if you want to Bruce-look forward to seeing more-thanks.

I have a Beaver with ergomatic sleeper cab and by amazing coincidence there is an article on Michael Wright, it's owner in 1980, in the current Owner Driver news paper. He bought it Melbourne.

These were a factory cab, but as was usual with Leyland it lacked development. To tilt the cab you tied a rope to two little shackles in the front roof gutter and pulled it with another vehicle. You can't reverse while in the cab or you will get crushed. I read this instruction after trying to improvise by lifting at the rear. It has a full roof lining, and mine has a fibreglass tropical roof which also serves as a sun visor.

Had Leyland raised the cab by 6" (to alleviate cooling problems) and marketed it properly they would have had it made. I think the real problem was more Leyland Australia than the parent company.
There were sleeper cab LAD's in Australia, I think made for an army contract.

No sleeper cabs here

I reckon you are right......
I've seen a lot of trucks in the UK

But never seen an Ergo Sleeper.

Must have been an Oz option only?

Cheers
RS

At the time in England it was illegal to sleep in your cab, so not much call for them. It was only when the Euro trucks, all with sleepers, came in numbers in the early 70's that the game was up and once again the poms were wrong footed.

That sounds about right.

Cheers
RS

I seem to remember the Dept of Supply had an LAD sleeper cab Beaver. Worked with a 2-stroke Commer both pulling close bogey trailers.
Leyland Aus certainly had a lot to answer for and your tilted cab photo shows the ERGO cab just wasn't right.
No access to the engine's right side and even when tilted (by Arny Schwarzenegger) the engine access was pretty poor.
Two old school oilbath air cleaners mounted in the hot engine bay.
And that "improved" RHS frame rear cab mount with the big tapered bolts, what an idea that was.
But back in the UK they were finally starting to improve, just about the time the whole show was flogged off.

Thanks Mammoth, that looks pretty much as I remember my Dad's 8x4 AEC cabin - I spent a bunch of time as a very young kid perched in that sleeper cabin, as my older brother used to call shotgun on the passenger seat all the time.

But it does seem to answer my question, that it was a Leyland "official" cabin, not a custom built one.

Many thanks

Mark

Roland a couple of Ergo sleepers from ye old England.


Loosley.

Roland a couple of Ergo sleepers from ye old England.

Loosley.

Thanks Loosley, so I am wrong.
Not exactly a 'head-turner' are they ?

I still have not seen one though..

Cheers
RS