Working as a fire truck, that was the intended career for this all-wheel drive DAF truck. But alas, the body manufacturer went belly up and consequently, the chassis-cab was returned to its maker in Eindhoven. After a wheelbase extension and additional metal work, the still brand new truck was put to work by a nearby hauling company, once it was registered in January 1994.
The wheelbase was extended from 4.00 m to 4.55 m (14’11”), a Hiab grab crane was mounted behind the cab, and the LeeBur company supplied the roll-off cable system. The end result was a highly versatile vehicle and clearly, the weight distribution is as good as it gets for a chassis with two axles. The DAF’s registered gross weight rating is 18,600 kg (41,000 lbs).
The on- and off-roader is powered by a DAF HT-168 engine (168 kW/228 DIN-hp), an inline-six turbodiesel with 8.25 liter displacement.
Delivering sand and gravel was the DAF’s main job. And during the winter seasons, it was also used for deicing the regional roadways.
Recently, owner Verschuren has lent his perfectly maintained truck to the DAF Museum. Much better than putting it away and hiding it from the public!
The history of this distinctive and oh-so classic DAF cab goes back to late 1969, when the truck maker had completed the development of their first tilt cab, internally known as the F218; the letter F for Frontstuur (cab over engine), the number 218 for its width in cm. Apropos, it’s all too obvious that the tilt cab design was an evolution of the 1962 DAF 2600-series’ cab.
Initially, the F218 cab was used on a wide range of medium-duty trucks and tractors, from the F1600 to the F2200. Both a day cab and a sleeper cab were available.
The original version, here in the form of a 1977 DAF F2000 4×2 truck, which also happens to have a roll-off system.
The interior, as highlighted in a DAF F2000/2200 brochure from the seventies. The transmissions were sourced from ZF and Fuller.
One can say that these cab shapes -the bigger F241 cab included- marked the end of truck maker DAF ‘as we knew it’. In early 1993, DAF filed for bankruptcy, yet was revived in the same year. At that point, a completely new truck and tractor range was all set to hit the European market.
The new range, with an in-house cab design by Bertrand Janssen, was marketed as the 65/75/85-series. And once again, it looked distinctive. Mr. Janssen also designed the 1997 DAF 95 XF (a thorougly updated 95-series) and made a career move to the commercial vehicle division of Daimler/Mercedes-Benz later on.
The 65/75/85-series evolved into the CF model range, still offered outside Europe, like this splendid CF 8×4 truck from New Zealand. The final edition of Janssen’s cab design for sure.
Leave a Reply