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Transport -BIG Mistake

Well, I collected my new machine without any problem. The tail lift was a fantastic idea, which made life very easy.

Unfortunately I made the mistake of hiring an LDV van, which seemed to be powered with an old lawn mower engine -driving through a 200:1 ratio rear diff. I did see 70 miles an hour at one point, down a hill. It would do about 65 on the flat, but as soon as it went up an incline it was down to 50 and if it was anywhere near a slope it was down to 40. That was empty as well, with 3.5t in the back I don't know how it would move.

At the end of the day my ears were ringing from the noise (could only just hear the radio over the noise at full volume), all my fillings had been rattled out and I was knackered due to the extra time it all took at such a slow speed. Can't remember ever driving a vehicle that was so slow you just left your right foot welded to the floor all the time.

I'll never hire one of those again if I want to go more than 20 miles!

Regards Kevin

Reply to
Kevin
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Used to use one of those to go bike racing in Germany. Not the best van in the world but if the old man used to go over there in Lancaster's then who am I to moan about an LTD and fitted WITH a heater.

-- Regards,

John Stevenson Nottingham, England.

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Reply to
John Stevenson

Ah but did you try getting out of FIRST gear?? :-))

Peter

-- Peter A Forbes Prepair Ltd, Luton, UK snipped-for-privacy@easynet.co.uk

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Reply to
Prepair Ltd

Aren't they all automatic then? :-)

Mark Rand RTFM

Reply to
Mark Rand

Sounds like even 20 would be a stretch...

Regards, Tony

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

No wonder he thought it was noisy ;-)

Regards, Tony

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

I once hired a Transit to fetch something from Scotland (Crinan), the back axle was well on its way out, the experience was very similar to what you've just described. That was one *very* long drive!

Cheers Tim

Reply to
Tim Leech

I used to audit a small family firm who made transformers. They had a little Toyota van of some description for collecting and delivering things. I think it was a Hi-Ace or something similar. One weekend I needed to pick up a couple of engines and asked if I could borrow it. No problem said the boss and I drove it up to Scotland that weekend. Took me a while to get used to the column mounted gear lever but otherwise it drove just like a car. When I dropped it back he asked how it had gone and I said it was a fine little tub. Cruised very nicely on the motorway once you got it into fifth. "Fifth ??" he expostulated. "It's only got a four speed box!!"

I had to take him out and show him the gearlever. They'd been driving it for years and never got it out of fourth because no one had looked at the stick properly. He'd always thought the engine screamed along a bit at high speed but not given it much thought.

Reply to
Dave Baker

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