In a quite moment of wistfulness (OK boredom) Biglorryblog has been known to surf the internet and look at what's happening on the various manufacturers' websites. I must admit that I haven't been paying enough attention to the Volvo Truck Corporation website www.volvotrucks.com because I've just noticed the excellent 'Loading Ramp' mini-site within it. It's packed full of fun and games including Volvo trivia, the Volvo 2007 trucks calendar and the excellent Owners' Gallery which has over 576 entries. And guess what...? Each picture is ranked and at number three with a socking great 7 is Darren Wright's magnificent FH16.610 tag-axle Globetrotter tractor. And here it is in all its pristine finery. Well done Darren says BLB for keeping the plucky Brits in the picture--literally.
And here's another more nice picture from the image gallery....
It's an interesting one this as it's one of the very first specifically Volvo-developed products in the US following the Swedes' takeover of Autocar and White Trucks (it also later took on GMC's heavy truck business too to become White GMC before finally settling for Volvo trucks North America). It's the Volvo 'Integral Sleeper'. What's so special about that I hear you ask? Nothing much except that up until then--it was launched as I recall in the late 80s/early 90s---most long-haul bonneted US tractors had separate sleeper boxes--indeed most still do. I am sure my mate Martin Phippard can add more but as I recall this was quite revolutionary at the time and was based around the old White cabover sleeper but modified to take the bonnet. Though that's a very simplified description!
At the risk of being labelled a complete anorak (Oh alright I confess! I am ALREADY labelled as such)I can only add that the integral sleeper shown was introduced Stateside in the early 1980s and was the first of the New Family range launched by Volvo in 1980.
First came the Integral Sleeper followed in 1984 by the High Integral Sleeper that featured an air dam that doubled as additional cab space. I rather think BLB's picture illustrates the latter.
The comment that the idea of an integral sleeper was new is not entirely true. Most manufacturers had built a few over the years (White had their first in the 1940s) but certainly the separate "box sleeper" was more commonplace although I don't really know why. Cost, most probably. And of course let's not overlook the fact that until 1983 most long haul units were cabovers with integral sleepers anyway.