New job!!! Back steering some fun stuff.

So the daf made it comfortably to Coffs Harbour.
I then swapped her out for a second hand k-wopper

Sorry to say I think I prefer the daf lol

I dont doubt that for a minute, I went for a ride along in a almost new KW conventional a year or two ago and to say I was dissapointed with the ride and comfort level would be a understatement

When you pay the sort of coin they cost I would expect it to ride like a Caddie

Paul

The DAF's are made in the Leyland factory, Lancashire, and to think that DAF started out using Leyland engines. Gone (almost) full circle.

mammoth wrote:

The DAF's are made in the Leyland factory, Lancashire, and to think that DAF started out using Leyland engines. Gone (almost) full circle.

Haha well there ya go, I didn’t know either of those bits of trivia so thanks for that..

And yeh the new kw’s aren’t bad but definitely not moving forward at the same pace the euro stuff is.

Even things like cruise control buttons and the like seem like clunky afterthoughts.
The doors are still woeful and at 6ft3 I find em cramped..

That being said, to look at they are tough but I previously drove a g480 twin steer Scania for many years and it was leaps and bounds ahead.

Looking at the DAF website it seems they have bits built everywhere with final assembly in UK. Hard to pin it down but it looks like the engine and at least some cabs are built in the PACCAR/DAF Dutch factory.

They have factories in 7 countries including Bayswater in Australia but how much they do could range from just getting it out of the box to major assembly and even base construction.

The UK operation looks after RHD trucks as well as some others such as Diamond T branded trucks exported to USA. I believe that DAF assembly in Aus will be stepping up a few gears over the next year or so. Maybe PACAR are hedging their bets on the KW.

i noticed a new DAF tipper in Karremans fleet ..previously all Mack.

Well I must take back some of what I said about Kenworth.

Picked up this k200 and I was pleasantly surprised…
Actually a nice cab to be in.
Some of the switch placement I found odd but overall a nice truck to drive.

They have a HUGE cab and could hold a party in there if need be. The only negative thing I found with it was it certainly is a real mongrel of a thing to climb in and out of. The one I climbed into you had to climb up the steps behind the wheels then shuffle along and open the door and then get in.

cobbadog wrote:

They have a HUGE cab and could hold a party in there if need be. The only negative thing I found with it was it certainly is a real mongrel of a thing to climb in and out of. The one I climbed into you had to climb up the steps behind the wheels then shuffle along and open the door and then get in.

Yep you are spot on…
I’m 6ft3 and had plenty of room in the cab…
But with size 14 boots I found shuffling along those steps very frustrating and can only imagine in the wet it wouldn’t be hard to slip