Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 429 i Deals On Wheels Australia

I’ve been sweating my arse off cleaning. One comes to the realisation how huge the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show has become when attempting to book hotel or motel accommodation for event. Unless you’ve booked a year in advance, you’ll be spending the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in the surrounding towns, although there’s a good chance that accommodation may be booked out. The other option, of course, is sleeping in the truck’s cab, which many are happy to do. Those who made it a day trip, rolling up on Sunday, June 10, were greeted by a slight drizzle and a morning fog, not to mention the single-digit temperature. But that did not deter scores of owners and drivers trucks, utes and hot rods which filled the streets in the…

The MAN XXL Cab was unveiled for ATN at the Penske Commercial Vehicles facility in Brisbane on May 30, with the very first being handed over to an eager customer. Initially, the XXL cab looks much the same, but step inside and you’d need to be seven-foot tall to have headroom issues – this is a true walk-through cab. The XXL Cab offers 2,030mm of in-cab height, 210mm more than the XLX Cab and 490mm more than the standard XL Cab within the TGX range. A plus for the new model, perhaps even bigger than the cab itself, is an increase in engine power with the proven D38 now offered in Euro 6c 640hp (477kW) guise. The 640hp variant produces its peak torque of 3,000Nm from a low 930rpm, up…

I think it's the last frontier of collecting. Events solely dedicated to trucks from decades past are enjoying a growth period. Their prominence has increased to the point where they're close to outnumbering the traditional show and shine events. "I think its the last frontier of collecting," says Penrith Museum of Fire CEO Mark White. "Most of your old cars and rare cars have been taken up, but there's always an old Bedford in every paddock in Australia." The Museum of Fire is home to the annual Penrith Working Truck Show. However, it's in May when the commercial vehicles of the past have their day in the sun at the museum. On May 27, the museum celebrated its eighth annual Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. And yes, there were…

Larsen’s Truck Sales, in its role as major sponsor of the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show, is well known for showcasing an impressive array of prime movers in its regular position outside the charming Alexandra Hotel. This year, however, Larsen’s had something a little different on show, a Western Star 4800FXB, which was there to be won for anyone with a spare $100. A fund-raising initiative between Larsen’s Truck Sales and Penske Commercial Vehicles, monies raised in the Western Star raffle will go to Teen Challenge Victoria. Neil Meyer, executive director for Teen Challenge Victoria and himself a former truck owner-driver, says the idea for the Western Star fund-raiser came about through a casual meeting with Dave Larsen. “As a young man, David actually did some training with Teen…

The truck isn’t over the top with bling. It’s not always the beast at the front of the trailers that epitomises the custom creations you find on Australian roads. Often it’s what’s on and in the trailers that’s unique. Never is that truer than with Tekno Autosports’ 4800 Western Star. All the boxes were ticked inside and out when the truck was put on the road almost four years ago now, but it’s the custom cargo inside the custom trailers that sits behind the custom Star that really gets the motor revving, pun intended. The 2013 4800 Western Star is Tekno’s second Western Star. It’s one of those trucks whose overall subtlety completes the unit perfectly. The truck isn’t over the top with bling and it relies on a simple…

This wasn’t the first time Kirby Maxwell had driven his Oshkosh down from the NSW mid north for the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. What he didn’t count on at the 2018 event was meeting up with Bill Koellner, the truck’s original owner from the early 1970s. Bill bought the Oshkosh brand new in 1970, selling it two years later. With the Oshkosh he did quarry work out of Albion Park in the Illawarra region, hauling for Farley & Lewers. “We did the big works up over the mountain up Macquarie Pass and down Kangaroo Valley, and all the power stations down there,” he recalls. A friend mentioned to Bill that an Oshkosh was on show at Penrith. Knowing that the Oshkosh brand is a rare breed in Australia,…

There’s not another one like it in the world. Eamonn Cummins refuses to accept that children can no longer experience the captivating world of trucks, forklifts and diggers. “I think we can do it right and do it safe and minimise [risk], and still give an experience where it’s done in a controlled, safe environment,” says Eamonn, who owns T7 Plant Hire at Altona, Victoria. Growing up in the early 1980s, Eamonn regularly spent school holidays on Melbourne construction sites. “My father had a drainage business laying pipes in very deep trenches and hard rock. They used to blast with gelignite. He’d have us driving the machines. You’d be locked up now for it.” Eamonn isn’t suggesting we should let kids run wild on construction sites. His dream is to…

One of the keys to our success is the ability to adapt to market trends and plan in advance. Melbourne’s Trailer Stonestar is preparing for a big push into drop-decks , drop-deck wideners, water tankers, log trailers, side tippers and much more in 2019 to capitalise on the boom in infrastructure activity. Stonestar says identifying and adapting to market trends has been critical to the company’s success since it was established 20 years ago, initially wholesaling tyres and wheels. In that time the Dingley-based company has trebled in size; with the focus now firmly on trailer manufacture and supply of cranes and a wide array of large machinery. “One of the keys to our success is the ability to adapt to market trends and plan in advance. For example, this…

About 255 classic trucks traced the old Hume Highway from Melbourne to Albury for the fourth Crawlin’ the Hume road run on April 14. The biennial event has built up a strong following since it was first held in 2012. Some truck lovers raced against time to complete restorations for this year’s run. “The quality of the restoration and the money that people are doing now, the hobby has just gone into outer space,” organiser Rob French says. Unrestored vehicles were equally welcome and admired. To be eligible, trucks had to be at least 25 years old. The oldest truck entered was Geoff Brooke’s 1920 Model T. A 1993 Kenworth T950 was the newest truck on the run. Rob says rain throughout the journey “didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit”. “It might…