What do we see here? 3-ton trucks with GS body moved forward

[rob love]

I played with the contrast and color a bit and agree they are 20" wheels. The dish of the wheels are the giveaway. As well, if you look at the diameter of the spare compared to the 3 ton cargo box, the tires are much higher than a 16" tire would be.

Hard to understand why they would go to all the trouble to remove the spare tire carrier and move the box forward. The weight saving is negligible.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Rob

I understand it that not all CMPs were equipped with spares if they had RUN FLAT tires, I have some 10:50x20 and 10:50x16 with dates from 1941 and 1942 marked RF4 which are extremely heavy and have thick side walls. I remember reading that trucks with the Run Flats only every 3rd or 4th truck would originally carry be equipped with spare.

Now I'll have to go back through the handbooks and Bill Greggs books for the source of the information.

Now back to these trucks equipped sand tires which were by nature much softer and subject to puncture, carrying a spare or two would be logical.

As to removing the hood and side panels to help cool the engines. While it might help with engine cooling it sure does not help with cooling the driver or co-driver. I've driven my Pattern 12 in 90F+ air temperatures with out the side hood panels and it was miserable. Same temps with panels and hood on doors open on the hooks and the windscreen open halfway was semi tolerable. No doubt in my mine Patter 13 is much better.

But even the Pattern 13 in 80-90F temperature the air in the drivers footwell can hit 124F+. I now have a thermometer under the dash to remind me when it is getting to hot. The truck is fine I'm the one passing out from the heat.


Cheers Phil

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by rob love

Hard to understand why they would go to all the trouble to remove the spare tire carrier and move the box forward. The weight saving is negligible.

I forget which of the LWB bodies it is, but at least one (likely more) was designed with long wheelhousings to permit mounting either forward without a spare tire carrier or rearward with one.
Agreed about 20" wheels, obvious on the 13 cab in the foreground and a bit less so on the 11/12 cab in the background. I think the background trucks are most likely 11/12 cab based on the positioning if the post at the front of the door and general proportions of the truck nose but am not good enough to tell if Ford or Chev on any of the trucks.

[rob love]

From my time working in Kandahar, I doubt it would make a whole lot of difference wrt the heat from the engine being blown towards the driver. During the summer there, any breeze or wind felt like standing in front of a Herman Nelson heater. At least it helped evaporate some of the sweat. 90° would be a very cool day there in the summer time.

[Ganmain Tony]

Four 11/12 Cabs.

Wheelbase 134 inch either 30cwt or 60S? (I think they made 12's in S configuration... happy to be corrected). Definitely 20 inch rims.

My line of logic for the 60L body would be for more cargo area. When youre out in the desert... I would think any extra room for water/ammunition in a forward area would be invaluable.

Place a spare around the side and youre good to go.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

F30s? Or are these are 158” w.b. 3-ton trucks with roofless Cab 13 and the GS body moved forward with the spare wheel fitted to the side of the body?

Seeing this F60L in Dutch civilian postwar service working on the beach reminded me of this thread.

It offers a good view of what the 3-ton GS body looks like sitting more forward after the spare wheel holder behind the cab was removed.

I am now convinced these are 158” w.b. 3-ton trucks with roofless Cab 11 or 12 and the GS body moved forward with the spare wheel fitted to the side of the body.

332001677_497543099225973_1067846959529266972_n.jpg

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I am now convinced these are 158” w.b. 3-ton trucks with roofless Cab 11 or 12 and the GS body moved forward with the spare wheel fitted to the side of the body.

And I am now pretty sure the LRDG Heavy Section did not alter the body, but that these trucks were delivered as such:

85342833-2723-44D0-ACE0-A487B8997DC2.jpeg AEDB_vol5_basic bodies_superstructures.jpg