Commer Q2: Truck, 15-cwt, 4x2, Van

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Page from a RAF vehicle data book, courtesy of Ted Angus. He wrote the pre-heater van had a 10ft wheelbase and the heater fan was driven by 3 V-belts driven by a PTO on the nearside of the gearbox.

"Aircraft Pre-Heater Van on Commer Q.2. 4 x 2 chassis"

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[Davdberg]

Does anyone know what the actual difference is between the Q15 and the Q2 GS model?

Seems Q2's have a single glass piece front window, or am I mistaken?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Davdberg

Does anyone know what the actual difference is between the Q15 and the Q2 GS model?

A Q15 had a 4 cylinder engine, and the Q2 had a 6 cylinder engine. Wheel sizes differed too.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Davdberg

Does anyone know what the actual difference is between the Q15 and the Q2 GS model?

Seems Q2's have a single glass piece front window, or am I mistaken?

Hi David,

Like Richard says the Q15 has a 4-cylinder and the Q2 a 6-cylinder engine. Single glass front window was early/mid, the two piece window was a late feature from what I can see.

I have this spare parts list: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...162#post274162, plus a postwar Q2 maintenance manual. Happy to look up info you are looking for.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Does anyone know if there were two different widths of front fenders? Sometimes it looks like the Q15 has narrower fenders when compared with the Q2 and Q4.......or is it just the beefy wheels of the latter two that make it look like the fenders are wider?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Good point Alex. Vanderveen lists a width of 78 inches for both Q15 and Q2, but I have the same feeling that the Q15 is in fact narrower.

Ref. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...121#post137121

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Does anyone know if there were two different widths of front fenders? Sometimes it looks like the Q15 has narrower fenders when compared with the Q2 and Q4.......or is it just the beefy wheels of the latter two that make it look like the fenders are wider?

Alex,
The Q15 had 7.50-20 tyres and the Q2 had 10.50-16, so front wings are likely to be different due to the tyre widths.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Alex,
The Q15 had 7.50-20 tyres and the Q2 had 10.50-16, so front wings are likely to be different due to the tyre widths.

Thanks Richard. Just out of interest...Did you see any wartime Commers some through the workshop in your REME days? Or were they allready sold as surplus in favour of Morris C8's, Bedford QL's etc.?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Thanks Richard. Just out of interest...Did you see any wartime Commers some through the workshop in your REME days? Or were they allready sold as surplus in favour of Morris C8's, Bedford QL's etc.?

Sorry Alex, I must have missed your message! Only the Q4 4x4 trucks from early 1950's. I did overhaul some engines for these.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Page from a RAF vehicle data book, courtesy of Ted Angus. He wrote the pre-heater van had a 10ft wheelbase and the heater fan was driven by 3 V-belts driven by a PTO on the nearside of the gearbox.

"Aircraft Pre-Heater Van on Commer Q.2. 4 x 2 chassis"

“Ground crew of No. 3208 Servicing Commando, insert collapsible tubes from a pre-heating van into the air intake and radiator of a Hawker Typhoon Mark IB in the snow at B58/Melsbroek, Belgium. The tubes fed hot air into the Napier Sabre engines, which were notoriously difficult to start in wintry conditions, and required this treatment at regular intervals to maintain serviceability.”

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[KevinHann]

Commer Q2 pickup somewhere in the Western Desert...

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by KevinHann

Commer Q2 pickup somewhere in the Western Desert...

That's a new one to me, thanks!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

As posted over on HMVF: https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/45701-somet...t-follow-amos/

LarryH57: This Commer Q2 has a base coat of M.T. Special Shade No.2, (the RAF version of SCC.2) but instead of Brown Dark (MT) 1A or Paint, P.F.U., Black Matt, it has the camo as Green No. 3

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RAFMT: You need to be very careful trying to judge shade from period colour film as it is notoriously crap actually picking up what is in front of it. Having said that, depending on when this vehicle was painted, and when the image was taken, there could be any number of reasons it doesn't fit right in. For a start, while the paint for canvas and those for wood/metal were colour matched as closely as possible they will weather differently and if the canvas needs to be replaced they wont necessarily repaint the whole vehicle just to match the newly painted canvas.

To me, that's a Brown, Special, No.2 with Black, Quick Drying, Matt Finish, which has, a: fade slightly; and b: the faded colour shows up funny on the old colour film.

[KevinHann]

There do seem to be quite a few period images of RAF Q2's. You never know, there maybe survivors hidden away somewhere. We have a wartime airfield near to us still with in situ pillboxes etc, would be nice to take a truck like this there.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some scans of Commer vehicles in the RAF AP2782/ AP2782A publication:

"The recording and publication of RAF MT Vehicle data in a dedicated document does not appear to have been undertaken until the middle of WW2 when AP2782 was issued" - read more here https://www.rafweb.org/Vehicles/AP27...1P_General.htm

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[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by KevinHann

There do seem to be quite a few period images of RAF Q2's. You never know, there maybe survivors hidden away somewhere. We have a wartime airfield near to us still with in situ pillboxes etc, would be nice to take a truck like this there.

Hi Kevin, I started this thread to collect photos of the Commer Q2 15-cwt Van. If you have any more, please share them here.

There is a certain quirkiness about the Q2 Van which I fancy. As far as I have been able to ascertain to date - see https://hmvf.co.uk/topic/15212-joe-h...ard-molesworth for example - there are no survivors.
I have a long term plan to restore/ reconstruct one from a chassis/cab as I think it would be a great tribute to the many aircrews which it carried to aircraft to undertake their dangerous missions. And also because I find that RAF vehicles are a little underexposed.

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