Oh hellooo....what's all this. A strange truck and an even stranger story...it could only mean one thing. yes Biglorryblog's 'Good Man in Africa' jerry Burley is back with more bizarre tales from the Dark Continent....and he says: "BLB, I think the midday sun is finally doing it for me, but let me squeeze out one further missive before checking in for my on-going Friday pm elbow-flexing therapy. After a 9 months 'gestation period', followed by a long and difficult trip along the 'delivery canal', our Tatra 815 has finally arrived here. It has been a long wait.....
"But first 'Nature Notes'", combined with a bit of an OIA moment, and the back of a slightly strange minibus. Owned by two Ugandan ex-national team rugby players I have known here for years, who run this surprisingly successful mobile disco business, under the name of PlatinumDJSug - as you would! 'Uganda's Illest' is some claim, believe me, although they may actually not be too far off the mark...Now click through hee for the full story on the Tatra...
And here's is the complete story starting with the 'before' bit of the Tatra...
"It started life with the Czech military as a rough terrain crane, " says JB, "But has had the superstructure removed and since been fully rebuilt as a fifth wheel tractor unit, destined to be mated up with our fourth and final M747 trailer....
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And you can see just how much they 'stripped it back too'...and note the trade-mark classic Tatra centre spine chassis...BLB
Right back to the bare cab in fact... before they put the two bits back together again....
JB continues: "It had been parked in a military base in CZ, before being sold and pulled apart for a total overhaul.and had only done 6000kms from new---so the major mechanical components didn't need too much intervention...
"...but it was repainted, retrimmed, rewired and new tyres and fuel tanks fitted amongst myriad other jobs. "
Where the hell do you get a 1990s replacement Tatra seat from I wonder...?
And here you can see the fifth wheel fitted...only JB,if you're planning to do some heavy haulage with it..shouldn't have a bit more flitching or a subframe around it? Not that I know much but it just seems a bit wimpy for what you want to do with it...? Anyroadup JB carries on to say:
"And then it was onto a trailer to the port in Europe, by boat to Mombasa, where, worryingly, OB snivelled into the act with a bunch of his degenerate mates..."
"....who can be seen here preparing to get up to no good in Fort Jesus, in the historic part of Mombasa old town...." And I spy OB with he baseball cap on looking very cool too..." It seems the mighty Tatra wasn't the only thing Jerry was waiting to have delivered. Indeed he reports: "We had a Foden Multi-drive..
"And for one of BLB's infamous, invisible pies (shall we call them Dodo pies, as there is a similar chance of you actually ever encountering a real one), What exactly is the red cabbed truck seen snuck in next to the Foden, formerly owned by O'Neill Heavy Haulage (the name plus the horseshoe insignia leads me to believe they may be anm Irish outfit?), that is now one of the FFK fleet in Mombasa? Have a look at the end of this piece for a full photo of it which may help (and I've also found not one, but two, Tractomas' in Mombasa, but that's for another day)".
" and an Iveco prison van (a first-time-ever appearance on BLB for such a vehicle? And destined for an interesting new life too) "
plus three Toyota Land Cruisers coming up in the same convoy,"
"...all of which had to battle their way out of port through the waiting masses of other trucks - about 1000 trucks a day leave Mombasa to travel as far away as Sudan, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi, round trips that can take 2 months or more when the weather and roads conspire together..."
And that's the story of the arrival of the 815. Its having its fifth wheel moved back at the moment as it was incorrectly positioned at the factory and the Oshkosh wont currently couple up, and some genius has already managed to jack the cab through the front towing eye (why oh why didn't they open the bonnet first?!) so that too has to be repaired but otherwise green for go.....almost. Maybe.,,Regards JB."
Well at least you got the windscreen cleaned mate so stop complaining and as for that mystery truck here it is...
Well the yellow bit ( subframe ) looks solid enough, as long as it it is well attached to the black bit ( spine or chassis) there should not be any embarrassing moments. Just wondering how that air cooled engine will enjoy a diet of African locusts and dust.
Jerry, you seem to be getting a more interesting fleet every week! No doubt you plan to enter the Tatra in the next Dakar Rally as they have a great reputation in that event. What is the bhp of that V12?
Tatra have had an amazing history and I think they were about the third company in the world to make cars (after Daimler-Benz and Peugeot?)
Hi Brian, The ERF 8x4 tractor looks very much like the one operated by J.B Rawcliffe the Lancs based Heavy Haulier. It has their own pattern ballest box that they fabricate in-house Rgds Bob