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Winning the game on aggregate
00:00 24 May 2000
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For a German truck, MAN's lightweight 26t 6x4 tipper chassis, the
26.284DFK M2000 to give it its full title, had a rather unusual
start in life. Faced with a gap in the UK range for a lightweight,
six-wheel tipper, but with nothing in the official factory line-up
to fill it, MAN Truck and Bus UK's resourceful engineers decided to
create their own.
By taking an existing 260hp four-wheeled 17-tonner with a suitably long wheelbase, and adding one of Hendrickson's rubber-suspended rear bogies, the Brits came up with the 26.264. Following its launch at Tipcon '97, the home-brewed machine was soon successful enough to come to the attention of the MAN high-ups, who decided that perhaps it was a good idea.
The concept has now become part of the official factory line-up and is even available to our continental cousins, who prefer to use it as a general distribution dropside and tilt truck. The 26.284, as it now is (that's 26t GVW, 280hp and Series 4), has undergone a few changes along the way, notably more power from the 6.9 litre engine and new rear suspension. The power output has been boosted from 257 to 276hp and the all-important torque figure has climbed from 1,000 to 1,100Nm. Peak torque is now available from 1,200rpm, that's 200rpm lower than before, up to the same 1,700rpm.
Transmission is through a direct-top Eaton box, having eight "normal" ratios and a crawler, with a 4.11 final drive ratio giving a theoretical top speed of 72mph. If your work is more byway than motorway, an optional 4.62 ratio geared for 64mph is available, as is a 16-speed ZF box.
The original rear suspension set-up has been replaced by an in-house design, using a two-leaf inverted steel parabolic spring on each side. The same MAN single reduction axles as before are used, and are located by a pair of A-frames mounted to the differential casings. Front suspension is also steel-sprung, with an MAN dropped axle. Brakes are discs at the front and drums at the rear, with the option of ABS. The other main options are a 2.5m longer wheelbase and a drawbar trailer towing package.
We tested the MAN around Commercial Motor's standard tipper route, a circular course to the south and east of Birmingham, which consists of the whole range of road types, from motorways to congested town centres. Just to make things interesting, it also includes the challenging climb up Sunrising Hill, near Banbury.
Far from being a test special, the MAN came fully equipped for the job, fitted with 2,120kg of Charlton Tiplite Groundhog, insulated body-lifted by Meiller/ Harsh front-mounted tipping gear, and sheeted by a Dawbarn Evertaut Rollover system.
The only extravagance was the set of Speedline alloy wheels, about which an operator would have to make his own decision. Even with steel wheels the MAN chassis-cab has a body/payload allowance of 19t. As tested, with a full tank and a driver, it takes to the road with a genuine net payload of just over 17t.
Although designed for 21t, the rear bogie is plated for 19t, which, combined with a 7.5t capacity front axle, means that running at full GVW leaves just 500kg leeway. If axle overloads are to be avoided, conscientious loading will be required to gain full productivity. Our evenly distributed maximum load of sand put the rear bogie right on its limit.
If you've noticed worsening fuel consumption over the past year or so, don't be too hard on your drivers or fitters. While the latest ultra-low-sulphur diesel on the market still complies with same standard as before, its density is right at the bottom of the permitted range. What this means for operators is that, as fuel is sold by volume and not weight, you need to spend more to obtain the same energy. The bottom line is a fuel consumption penalty of anything up to 10%.
With this fact in mind, the MAN's overall fuel figure of 9.19mpg is still more than respectable. More important to many tipper users, though, are journey times, if it means squeezing an extra load into the day. Here, in theory, the 6.9-litre 280hp MAN looks at a disadvantage in a category where outputs of 300-320hp from capacities between nine and 11 litres are common, but in practice its overall 39.2mph still has the edge on the competition.
Like all new MANs, the 26.284's initial cost includes the first two years 'Triple A' repair and maintenance package, which should ensure no nasty shocks to the cash flow. It comprises round-the-clock Europe-wide roadside assistance, all scheduled maintenance and inspections and a guaranteed replacement if the truck is off the road for more than 24 hours. The warranty is one-year unlimited mileage with a second year up to 200,000km on driveline components, while cab corrosion is covered by an unlimited mileage five year warranty. MAN currently has 68 dealers in the UK.
D aily checks are no problem, with coolant and engine oil levels checked from the nearside rear corner of the cab and the screen wash visible in a transparent container behind the driver's step. A simple but effective fold- down step under the no-nonsense steel front bumper gives a leg-up for screen cleaning. Any casual passing low-life will be deterred by the standard locking fuel cap and padlock brackets on the battery box.
Three hundred-hp plus may be the norm for the class, but the MAN's 280hp is no handicap in the real world. Whether on motorway or A-road, it takes a significant hill to demand a gear change, and when it does find a challenge it revels in it. Sunrising Hill was stormed in 2min 15sec, an excellent time whatever the power. At the proving ground, we literally ran out of test hills. The steepest hill available, one-in-three, was shrugged off leaving us wondering just who would need the shorter axle ratio.
The 26.284 puts those 20 extra horses to good use, trimming nearly six seconds off the 0-80km/h standing start, putting it on a par with most of its higher powered contemporaries. Speeds through the gears have also improved, thanks to the broad spread of torque, which means that nine gears are perfectly adequate and make the MAN an easy truck to drive economically.
The steel suspension rides surprisingly well, coping easily with most surfaces, although some of the worst sunken trenches could cause the front suspension to crash out. The large steering wheel looks rather old-fashioned and controls a relatively slow steering box, which is the limiting factor to progress through the twisty bits, there being very little body roll. Most roundabouts can be negotiated comfortably with just two downshifts.
The nine-speed Eaton gearbox has the first four of its everyday ratios arranged in a conventional H-pattern. Changing to high range is achieved by slapping the lever to the right of the neutral plane, and to the left to change back down. Once the strength of the slap is learned, the change is easy but a degree of concentration is initially needed to avoid bouncing out.
A dashboard warning light illuminates when high range is safely engaged. No doubt all conscientious urban tipper drivers will make full use of the cruise control's speed hold device, effectively a driver-controlled speed limiter which allows them to forget the speed cameras and concentrate on driving.
Although the brakes performed perfectly adequately on the road, a test track emergency stop from 64km/h revealed some locking up of the rear brakes and led us to think that the ABS option is worth considering. The MAN comes with a standard exhaust brake, which works well if a couple of downshifts are made to provide adequate revs. The position of its operating button, on the floor way behind the driver's left foot, is rather awkward, but unlike on earlier models it now only needs to be pressed once and then stays on until released by another press or by pressing the footbrake.
Austria's Steyr operation provides the MAN's cab, which is also used as the basis for ERF's ES range. Here, it comes in two versions - the Urban day cab as tested or the optional Urban sleeper. The main feature of the Urban cab is its compact size, freeing up valuable space and weight for earning money rather than providing continent-crunching interior space. Cab access would be easier if the doors opened the full 90¼, and the set back lower step means shin pads are advisable. Once inside, though, even the broadest driver should find enough room to work. A comfortable driving position is ensured by the air-suspended seat with a full range of adjustment, and a tilt and slide steering column.
D espite the rather thick quarter light frames, the low level windscreen and deep side windows ensure excellent visibility. The big sun visors can slide from side to side to eliminate gaps in the middle. Unfortunately, central locking and electric windows are items reserved for the more glamorous members of the MAN range. While the upper half of the cab and the seats are trimmed in an attractive but durable cloth, the floor is covered in an easy-to-clean moulded rubber mat. The front of the engine hump is lowered, making cross-cab access fairly easy.
Each door has a large, three- compartment bin with three more bins and two coat hangers at the back of the cab, and a pair of decent sized shelves above the screen. The only other storage is the space behind the seats, enough for a coat or a dinner bag on each side. In-cab entertainment is provided by the quality RDS radio cassette unit, mounted above the screen next to three pop-out cassette holders - cab noise levels are never high enough to make radio listening or normal conversation difficult.
MAN's traditional dash layout may be looking a little over-familiar now, but is still a paragon of efficiency, with clear, well-marked instruments and handily placed controls. The rev counter and automatic two-man tachograph flank the warning light panel with the minor gauges below.
The right hand panel houses the various switches for the lights and the panel dimmer, with those for the heated mirrors and beacon to the left. More switches on the central panel control the cross-axle and inter-axle diff locks, speed hold, engine brake over-ride and headlamp levelling.
A cigar lighter and two DIN sockets provide auxiliary power for accessories. The steering column stalks are MAN's usual robust items and operate wipers, dip and indicators on the left and cruise control on the right.
An unusually thorough set of heater controls provide a fully variable mixture of fresh and re-circulated air, with a separate control for the side window demister vents, although the controls furthest from the driver require a fair stretch. The heating system includes a three speed fan and two pairs of face level fresh air vents
The MAN 26.284's 260hp predecessor quickly gained a reputation as a high potential earner, and the latest model only serves to improve it. Its payload and fuel economy are just about as good as it gets but they are now supported by enough performance to make sure it keeps up with the traffic.
MAN's offering may have a small engine and a small cab, but it has a big appetite for work. Its competitive price, excellent back-up and class-leading productivity make it a serious contender in the lightweight division.
By taking an existing 260hp four-wheeled 17-tonner with a suitably long wheelbase, and adding one of Hendrickson's rubber-suspended rear bogies, the Brits came up with the 26.264. Following its launch at Tipcon '97, the home-brewed machine was soon successful enough to come to the attention of the MAN high-ups, who decided that perhaps it was a good idea.
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The concept has now become part of the official factory line-up and is even available to our continental cousins, who prefer to use it as a general distribution dropside and tilt truck. The 26.284, as it now is (that's 26t GVW, 280hp and Series 4), has undergone a few changes along the way, notably more power from the 6.9 litre engine and new rear suspension. The power output has been boosted from 257 to 276hp and the all-important torque figure has climbed from 1,000 to 1,100Nm. Peak torque is now available from 1,200rpm, that's 200rpm lower than before, up to the same 1,700rpm.
Transmission is through a direct-top Eaton box, having eight "normal" ratios and a crawler, with a 4.11 final drive ratio giving a theoretical top speed of 72mph. If your work is more byway than motorway, an optional 4.62 ratio geared for 64mph is available, as is a 16-speed ZF box.
The original rear suspension set-up has been replaced by an in-house design, using a two-leaf inverted steel parabolic spring on each side. The same MAN single reduction axles as before are used, and are located by a pair of A-frames mounted to the differential casings. Front suspension is also steel-sprung, with an MAN dropped axle. Brakes are discs at the front and drums at the rear, with the option of ABS. The other main options are a 2.5m longer wheelbase and a drawbar trailer towing package.
We tested the MAN around Commercial Motor's standard tipper route, a circular course to the south and east of Birmingham, which consists of the whole range of road types, from motorways to congested town centres. Just to make things interesting, it also includes the challenging climb up Sunrising Hill, near Banbury.
Far from being a test special, the MAN came fully equipped for the job, fitted with 2,120kg of Charlton Tiplite Groundhog, insulated body-lifted by Meiller/ Harsh front-mounted tipping gear, and sheeted by a Dawbarn Evertaut Rollover system.
The only extravagance was the set of Speedline alloy wheels, about which an operator would have to make his own decision. Even with steel wheels the MAN chassis-cab has a body/payload allowance of 19t. As tested, with a full tank and a driver, it takes to the road with a genuine net payload of just over 17t.
Although designed for 21t, the rear bogie is plated for 19t, which, combined with a 7.5t capacity front axle, means that running at full GVW leaves just 500kg leeway. If axle overloads are to be avoided, conscientious loading will be required to gain full productivity. Our evenly distributed maximum load of sand put the rear bogie right on its limit.
If you've noticed worsening fuel consumption over the past year or so, don't be too hard on your drivers or fitters. While the latest ultra-low-sulphur diesel on the market still complies with same standard as before, its density is right at the bottom of the permitted range. What this means for operators is that, as fuel is sold by volume and not weight, you need to spend more to obtain the same energy. The bottom line is a fuel consumption penalty of anything up to 10%.
With this fact in mind, the MAN's overall fuel figure of 9.19mpg is still more than respectable. More important to many tipper users, though, are journey times, if it means squeezing an extra load into the day. Here, in theory, the 6.9-litre 280hp MAN looks at a disadvantage in a category where outputs of 300-320hp from capacities between nine and 11 litres are common, but in practice its overall 39.2mph still has the edge on the competition.
Like all new MANs, the 26.284's initial cost includes the first two years 'Triple A' repair and maintenance package, which should ensure no nasty shocks to the cash flow. It comprises round-the-clock Europe-wide roadside assistance, all scheduled maintenance and inspections and a guaranteed replacement if the truck is off the road for more than 24 hours. The warranty is one-year unlimited mileage with a second year up to 200,000km on driveline components, while cab corrosion is covered by an unlimited mileage five year warranty. MAN currently has 68 dealers in the UK.
D aily checks are no problem, with coolant and engine oil levels checked from the nearside rear corner of the cab and the screen wash visible in a transparent container behind the driver's step. A simple but effective fold- down step under the no-nonsense steel front bumper gives a leg-up for screen cleaning. Any casual passing low-life will be deterred by the standard locking fuel cap and padlock brackets on the battery box.
Three hundred-hp plus may be the norm for the class, but the MAN's 280hp is no handicap in the real world. Whether on motorway or A-road, it takes a significant hill to demand a gear change, and when it does find a challenge it revels in it. Sunrising Hill was stormed in 2min 15sec, an excellent time whatever the power. At the proving ground, we literally ran out of test hills. The steepest hill available, one-in-three, was shrugged off leaving us wondering just who would need the shorter axle ratio.
The 26.284 puts those 20 extra horses to good use, trimming nearly six seconds off the 0-80km/h standing start, putting it on a par with most of its higher powered contemporaries. Speeds through the gears have also improved, thanks to the broad spread of torque, which means that nine gears are perfectly adequate and make the MAN an easy truck to drive economically.
The steel suspension rides surprisingly well, coping easily with most surfaces, although some of the worst sunken trenches could cause the front suspension to crash out. The large steering wheel looks rather old-fashioned and controls a relatively slow steering box, which is the limiting factor to progress through the twisty bits, there being very little body roll. Most roundabouts can be negotiated comfortably with just two downshifts.
The nine-speed Eaton gearbox has the first four of its everyday ratios arranged in a conventional H-pattern. Changing to high range is achieved by slapping the lever to the right of the neutral plane, and to the left to change back down. Once the strength of the slap is learned, the change is easy but a degree of concentration is initially needed to avoid bouncing out.
A dashboard warning light illuminates when high range is safely engaged. No doubt all conscientious urban tipper drivers will make full use of the cruise control's speed hold device, effectively a driver-controlled speed limiter which allows them to forget the speed cameras and concentrate on driving.
Although the brakes performed perfectly adequately on the road, a test track emergency stop from 64km/h revealed some locking up of the rear brakes and led us to think that the ABS option is worth considering. The MAN comes with a standard exhaust brake, which works well if a couple of downshifts are made to provide adequate revs. The position of its operating button, on the floor way behind the driver's left foot, is rather awkward, but unlike on earlier models it now only needs to be pressed once and then stays on until released by another press or by pressing the footbrake.
Austria's Steyr operation provides the MAN's cab, which is also used as the basis for ERF's ES range. Here, it comes in two versions - the Urban day cab as tested or the optional Urban sleeper. The main feature of the Urban cab is its compact size, freeing up valuable space and weight for earning money rather than providing continent-crunching interior space. Cab access would be easier if the doors opened the full 90¼, and the set back lower step means shin pads are advisable. Once inside, though, even the broadest driver should find enough room to work. A comfortable driving position is ensured by the air-suspended seat with a full range of adjustment, and a tilt and slide steering column.
D espite the rather thick quarter light frames, the low level windscreen and deep side windows ensure excellent visibility. The big sun visors can slide from side to side to eliminate gaps in the middle. Unfortunately, central locking and electric windows are items reserved for the more glamorous members of the MAN range. While the upper half of the cab and the seats are trimmed in an attractive but durable cloth, the floor is covered in an easy-to-clean moulded rubber mat. The front of the engine hump is lowered, making cross-cab access fairly easy.
Each door has a large, three- compartment bin with three more bins and two coat hangers at the back of the cab, and a pair of decent sized shelves above the screen. The only other storage is the space behind the seats, enough for a coat or a dinner bag on each side. In-cab entertainment is provided by the quality RDS radio cassette unit, mounted above the screen next to three pop-out cassette holders - cab noise levels are never high enough to make radio listening or normal conversation difficult.
MAN's traditional dash layout may be looking a little over-familiar now, but is still a paragon of efficiency, with clear, well-marked instruments and handily placed controls. The rev counter and automatic two-man tachograph flank the warning light panel with the minor gauges below.
The right hand panel houses the various switches for the lights and the panel dimmer, with those for the heated mirrors and beacon to the left. More switches on the central panel control the cross-axle and inter-axle diff locks, speed hold, engine brake over-ride and headlamp levelling.
A cigar lighter and two DIN sockets provide auxiliary power for accessories. The steering column stalks are MAN's usual robust items and operate wipers, dip and indicators on the left and cruise control on the right.
An unusually thorough set of heater controls provide a fully variable mixture of fresh and re-circulated air, with a separate control for the side window demister vents, although the controls furthest from the driver require a fair stretch. The heating system includes a three speed fan and two pairs of face level fresh air vents
The MAN 26.284's 260hp predecessor quickly gained a reputation as a high potential earner, and the latest model only serves to improve it. Its payload and fuel economy are just about as good as it gets but they are now supported by enough performance to make sure it keeps up with the traffic.
MAN's offering may have a small engine and a small cab, but it has a big appetite for work. Its competitive price, excellent back-up and class-leading productivity make it a serious contender in the lightweight division.
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