By the late seventies, European long distance trucks had reached a very acceptable level of driver comfort and ergonomics. They all had cab and seat suspension, good ventilation and heating; and engine noise and heat were sufficiently banished to the background. In real life, it meant that if you were a professional truck driver you were no longer physically worn out by the time you turned 55, give or take a few years. And you actually had not lost most of your hearing by that age.
So, the basic needs were fulfilled. Now the time was right for the secondary needs, more living room (literally), a bit more joie de vivre; extra comfort items. In other words, it was time for a real “house on wheels.” There was one major and crucial problem though: the overall length restrictions in Europe. A cab can of course easily be lengthened to make it bigger, but in the context of overall length restrictions that immediately means less cargo. If the cab is not allowed to grow longer (or wider, for that matter), then it can only grow taller. And that’s exactly what happened.
Berliet Le Centaure with a 356 hp (obviously) 15 liter V8 turbodiesel
Of course, there already were trucks with higher roofs at that point (I clearly remember the German Büssing cabovers from the late sixties and early seventies) and there may have been conversions done on a small scale, but the first European factory trucks with substantially raised roofs combined with extra facilities and comfort for the driver were the 1978 Berliet Le Centaure from France (speaking of joie de vivre) and the 1979 Volvo F12 Globetrotter from Sweden.
Interior of the Berliet Le Centaure
The Berliet Le Centaure was based on the truckmaker’s TR350 long distance tractor. Berliet was taken over by Renault in 1974 and later on, Renault used Berliet’s cab on its R-series of heavy trucks until 1996.
Volvo F10/F12 series, as introduced in 1977 (Courtesy Volvo Trucks)
The Volvo F12 Globetrotter was based on Volvo’s F10/F12-series, introduced in 1977. The letter F stands for Forward control and the number reflected the engine displacement in liters. The F10/F12-series was the successor of the F88/F89 cabovers; the latter suddenly looking like collectable vintage trucks upon the introduction of the former.
First-gen Volvo Globetrotter (Courtesy Volvo Trucks)
Both the Frenchman and the Swede offered extra interior room, extra storage facilities and optional extra equipment (like a refrigerator, a water tank, a sink and a kitchen) that no other truckmaker could offer in the late seventies and early eighties.
Interior pictures of the Globetrotter, as shown in a Dutch brochure (Courtesy Volvo Trucks)
The big Volvo became an instant commercial success, that’s why many people think that the Globetrotter was the very first Euro-Motorhome-truck. Initially, the Globetrotter was intended as a “mobile hotel” for drivers from countries behind the former Iron Curtain.
DAF 3300 tractor with the regular sleeper cab
But after its introduction, it immediately caught on in Northwestern Europe. All long distance drivers wanted a mobile hotel, regardless their homeland.
Same DAF model, now with the big Space Cab (Courtesy DAF Trucks)
Ghost view illustration of the Space Cab (Courtesy DAF Trucks)
After some hesitation, DAF followed with the 1985 Space Cab version of the 2800/3300/3600 series. The 2800 series was introduced in 1973 and the later 3300 and 3600 models were basically the same truck.
DAF’s current top model, the XF-series with a Super Space Cab
And then, in the years to follow, all other mainstream truck makers started to build their own long distance models with raised roofs and a cabs as long, wide and tall as (legally) possible. Huge cube-shaped cabs, about 12.5 feet tall these days, are not uncommon. Another advantage of such height is that you can actually stand up straight and walk through the cab, since most top models also have a (nearly) flat floor.
Renault AE Magnum, introduced in 1990
Also absolutely worth mentioning is the 1990 Renault AE Magnum. Not so much for its raised roof, but for its revolutionary new design and setup. The cab was completely separated from the chassis and its floor was perfectly flat; it “floated” on top of the chassis. It had a set forward front axle, just like big American cabovers, therefore climbing in and out rapidly was a bit of a trick you had to learn.
The interior of a Renault AE Magnum. Or as we say “Living as God in France”
At one point the top model AE Magnum was available with a Mack V8 engine. And why not, since Renault owned Mack back then. In 2013 the last Renault Magnum left the factory. Meanwhile, Volvo took over Renault Trucks and is therefore also the current owner of Mack. With the driver sitting high above the ground, as a King on his air suspension throne, the cabover sleeper cab with a raised roof and as much Home-Sweet-Home equipment in it as possible is the norm for today’s European long distance trucker.
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I never knew and this is a really informative and interesting post, thanks for sharing!
A caption for one of the pictures says ” The interior of a Renault AE Magnum. Or as we say ‘Living as God in France’ “. Guess it is something lost in translation? Here in the states we use to say “Living High Off The Hog” or another ditty I can’t repeat here for family viewing but has something to do with fertilizing crops 🙂
In any event the interior is stunning!
Yes, …”Living as God in France”…, an old and almost daily used expression. Living the good life, a Burgundian life style. To have enough money, live in a big house and let the good times roll. “Leven als God in Frankrijk” in Dutch.
I think they use similar expressions in other countries too.
Just like the German advertisement for the Citroen CX shown in an article last month that read: “Drive like God in France!”
You see, there you go !
Look at the interior of the Berliet Le Centaure, again: “Living (and driving…) as God in France”.
And then the interior of the Volvo: roomy, practical, extra equipment, but also rather IKEA-ish.
When I was a kid, the father of my friend across the street drove truck for a living. Quite often he would have his truck, a 50s or early 60s Mack, parked in the driveway or the front of his lawn, so Pat and I would check it out. The bunk in that narrow little cab was so short my 12 year old self was cramped in it.
Johannes, I am truly enjoying this series of truck articles. You have very thoroughly explained the “why” on the proportions of these trucks, proportions that are so unusual to my eyes. I look forward to more!
Thanks for the encouragement. It’s rather time-consuming, but it’s great fun writing them ! And it also keeps my English in good shape.
Trucks around here, especially the big ones, evolved very rapidly in the seventies and eighties. More comfort, bigger cabs, more power. I saw it all happening up close as a kid/young guy.
Yes, thank you!
Johannes, I’ve been a bit tied up with some pressing matters, but I also want to chime in – if a bit late – with a hearty thank you. An excellent look at European tall trucks, and a great addition to our growing truck archives.
Great article.
Great write up!
One of those automotive things I never knew about. I always just wondered why they were all cab-overs, never knew about the above cab sleepers.
This is an excellent article.
Truck driving is an art. I have huge professional respect for truckers. i think my biggest problem would be staying awake.
When driving my car I like to make it as easy as possible for truckers to pass, and when i pass them i give them a lot of room before I turn in their lane in front of them.
One thing I like to do and which gets inceasingly more difficult is using the lights to communicate with a trucker. That’s a problem with the automatic head lights of my Vibe.
In Europe it is customary to flash the high beam day or night to tell a passing trucker that he has cleared my vehicle and it is safe to turn into my lane.
In the US you can do that too, but only in day light conditions. In the night flashing the high beam signals a warning: it is not safe to change lanes. Here it is customary to briefly turn the headlights off and back on to signal “clear to turn”.
Those stupid automatic lights don’t let me turn the headlights off!
If it is safe I position myself so that the trucker sees only my right headlight in his mirror. That way he can tell he has completely passed me.
I love it when they signal a “thank you” for a courtesy that they did not expect from the driver of a car.
I flash my high beams day or night and when I had a pair of Hellas I flashed those instead. Different opinions I guess.
If a tractor trailer or other large vehicle passes me at night or during the day and puts on the turn signals I’ll flash my lights so they know it is safe to move back into the right hand lane. Sometimes I do not have time to flash the lights before they move over (sans turn signal) and sometimes the driver moves over too soon nearly cutting me off, but I rarely toot the horn. I’ll even flash my lights at city buses waiting to merge back into traffic since most people try to cut around them despite the law.
The first time I flashed the light at night to signal “clear to turn” the driver of the truck was startled. After I observed other truckers turning their lights off and on I followed this practice. I grew up in Germany, so that qualifies as a cross cultural experience.
Still the best way to show that they are clear is to position part of the car behind the truck or bus so they see only 3/4 of my vehicle in their rear view mirror.
I don’t like to toot either but yesterday I had to. My horn is so wimpy that I need to upgrade.
I’m with you on the wimpy horn, Wolfgang. In my case, I drive a Mazda 3. My daughter has the same problem with her Honda Jazz.
I wonder if the problem is that the Japanese, being a polite people, feel apologetic about using the horn? It hardly qualifies as a warning device, to my ears.
You know, Italians do it better. Start them early too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh2wqIa80wY
I have low-high horns out of a Volvo waiting to be installed. You-pull to the rescue!
While in Greece decades ago, I saw drivers beep at everything they drove by. I assume it was an “I’m Here” notice, & if so, it’s a good thing. I think we should do it while passing cyclists at least, for anyone who’s ridden a bike should know you can’t hear much if you’re at speed.
I’m just afraid they’ll take it the wrong way, though, but sometimes they drift outside the bike lane & it makes me nervous.
Johannes, I believe European-spec Mack F and FM 700s offered a higher roof even before Renault and Volvo, and it was a factory option as such. If I am not mistaken, those were reasonably popular in the Benelux countries as well as in France. Here’s one on Wiljan Derks’ site: http://mackmuppet.skyrock.com/1337730178-Mack-FM-700-France.html
I remember those Macks very well, in the sixties they were even assembled in a town nearby. But the roof was only raised above the sleeper-section, not above the driver’s compartment. So no extra storage room (or the ability to stand up straight) etc. there. Kenworth K100 cabovers often got the same treatment, a partly raised roof with some nice little windows. IIRC these were called Aerodynes.
Macks were indeed pretty popular back then, whereas other US brands were ultra-rare.
You must recognize this one !
Oh yes, sadly mostly all gone now…
Another fun fact of the Renault AE Magnum is that the truck is designed by Marcello Gandini, no less. I don’t know if he made the entire concept with interior and all, but he did the exterior. That’s why the design itself is so well integrated. It’s a really neat design, and it looks modern to this day though it’s almost 25 years old now.
Wow the interior color scheme of that Renault AE Magnum is depressing compared to the interior color schemes of the other cab overs. Regardless of that though the evolution of the European Cab Over is impressive. How much driving do truckers do in Europe since the countries are smaller?
Somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 miles a year, for a one-man-show
(=one driver on the truck). Driving is driving, in small and big countries. The miles on the clock are adding up in both cases.
The peak when it comes to long distances was in the seventies-early eighties.
Like driving from Northwestern Europe all the way to Persia (Iran).
Long distance driving is now mostly done by truckers from Eastern and Central Europe, lower wages you know. They cover the entire continent.
Not only wages, much of the trucking is outsourced to countries with lesser restrictions. A flag of convenience, of sorts. It’s a a real hassle, as for example, in Sweden trucking is extremely regulated. There are restrictions on time, the drivers has to take rests at certain intervals, and so on. Outsourcing means the companies don’t have to care for nothing or nobody. And you really don’t want truckers out there that has been driving for seventy hours straight. It’s a real problem with drunk drivers, and so on. And a lot of accidents. So, the regulations are there for a purpose.
I left Germany for the US in ’86. Three years later the Wall crumbled. Almost immediately German carriers relocated their headquarters at least nominally to Poland. The heck about safety on the autobahn!
Well there is an argument that West-EU countries’ regs are now TOO strict. There must be a middle road between the western and eastern EU rules…
Making the cab taller not only increases interior space it put the body completely behind the cab so the aerodynamics can have full effect there isnt any of a shipping container sticking out into the airstream to suck extra fuel, I drove an FH Volvo for a while 480 i shift it was a trailer swap job pulling a curtainsider Btrain nice truck and it ran well considering it turned over 950,000kms on my watch
One of my best friends used to be a long-distance driver with her husband. Spanish fruit and vegetables are delivered by trucks like these from the south of Spain to the northern countries. 1500-2000 km routes aren’t uncommon and sometimes they even drove into Russia.
Their company loved married couples as drivers, because they could take turns (up to 9h per day, those trucks get digitally controlled route logs which are verified constantly by the police) and they trust more women that “control” their husbands (insert your machist comment here, as I also rolled the eyes).
They used to drive a Volvo, but most of the usual models aren’t that fancy as the one shown here 🙂
Interesting perspective on Hours of Service Rules in the EU. In the US we can drive 11 hrs and be on duty 14 as a single driver.
I’m familiar with the Spanish Pegaso cabovers from the seventies and early eighties. Often straight trucks with 4 axles, used as dump trucks, brick haulers and concrete mixers.
This one is hauling sugar beets.
Source: http://www.noordelijktransport.nl/oudpag20.html
I enjoyed that article and learned a lot, thank you. I love European luxury buses and commercial trucks. I’ve seen pics of some pretty cool Japanese Hino cab-over trucks and wonder how they compare to the Volvos.
I always assumed “Globetrotter” was a freight company…..
An excellent article, Johannes. Very informative and enjoyable.
Sweet. Thanks to you Johannes I’m becoming quite the expert on mass haulage. Some of those wood-grained interiors look like the sauna in a 70s europorn movie. Not that I know anything about that.
Often “Made in Tirol”. Not that I ever saw one.
Great Series! When the Length Limit on tractors was loosened up in 1982 it started the demise of the COE tractor in the US. Its interesting to see how they continued to evolve in the rest of the world.
I didn’t know that the Mack V8 was offered in the Renault, that engine had a bad rep in the US for being thirsty.
This is my current assigned unit, a 2002 Mack CH with 902k miles on the clock.
Looking good and still going strong !
The Magnums with the Mack engine often had the Mack name on the truck, to show they drove the top dog of the line. Like this one.
Source: http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/one-for-the-boss-..is-it-a-maggie-or-a-mack-or-both-biglorryblog-ponders-the-question
Ian, looks like you’re driving “road trains” now. What’s that like? A bit more demanding than singles and doubles, I assume.
I hope you saw that I re-ran your COE article a couple of days ago, as a prelude to this one.
Once you’re used to double 28’s going to triples is not all that much of a leap. They are just heavier and off track a bit more in turns. Most days peddling freight for Yellow-Roadway I pull have a 48′ Van with a pintle hook that allows me to have a 28 behind it for a Rocky Mountain Double consist.
I did notice that you polished up the COE article. I’m overdue for a contribution.
Nice, we arnt permitted 3 trailers you cant negotiate some of the tight turns on our 2 lane highways in one lane, too much cut in so two is the limit & 25 meters.
Dear Johannes, a deep deep bow from my side, I really appreciate your knowledge of history.
Yes,I sometimes drove an F89 Volvo on a haul to France and Northern spain and the Berliet cab was really something different, roomy and the Berliet was more comfortable, comparable to the French cars.
The Volvo was strong, very stromg and powerrrfull.
But as I Always said to other drivers: You’ll even feel a rock lying next to the road !
I recently had the pleasure of driving one of the latest Renault Magnums, and I’ll tell you, it beats every passenger car, quiet, roomy and very comfortable.
Only problem with the Magnum is you tend to duc every time you have to pass a viaduct over the motorway, the thing is so darn high, you feel king of the road.
And again. t’was the French who lead the way in European cab design.
Thanks ! The fact that Renault used that Berliet cab until 1996 says it all. They changed the badge and could call it a day for a long time to come.
I guess that a lot of Berliets ars still driving around in Africa.
Actually the “thing” with cab-overs was undressing yourself and prepare yourself for the night.
In the big Volvo it was a gymnastic excersise, simply the lack of headroom in an F88/89 cab.
You’d juggle with your body and the steering wheel was always in the way.
And the big Volvo’s were no exception; so that is why a lot of French drivers were relieved with their Berliet TR series, even though you could not stand upright in them, but they were larger.
It all changed with the launch of the Renault AE (Alliance Européenne) series; better known as Magnum.
The first time I saw a Magnum was on the ring road around Antwerp.
You drive there over a viaduct, which is as high as the rooftop of the nearby Antwerp Sport Palace, a colossal building.
A brandnew white Renault Magnum drove on the opposite lane, and I , I was so flabbergasted I nearly went of that viaduct, I turned my head to look what on earth had been travelling in the opposite direction.
I even knew a Scotsman who was a one-man driving company and he’d say
” I luv the bleeding Renault, it is the only troeck I can stand oep in to get me trousers of for the night “, he had the Mack engine.
That Magnum with the driver “cube” is a brilliant idea. Does it still tilt normally?
It seems the logical conclusion of that would be, for an owner-operator who has fitted out his cab exactly how he likes, if the engine and chassis portion wear out, swap the ‘cab cube’ over to the new and keep going!
Nowhere near as big in square footage as some of the massive sleepers behind the stretched US conventionals, but a much more efficient use of space to be sure.
Yes, only the cab-section (the “cube”) tilts. Like this:
By the way, if the semi-trailer is not too long you can drive a conventional tractor with a raised roof and a lengthened cab, just like that.
About a week ago I saw a Mack-badged version of the Renault AE Magnum heading the othet way on the freeway (so no photo), it had a larger and older-looking Mack badge than the one pictured and no Renault badge. Can’t say I’ve ever seen one like it before.
Looks like my Volvo brochure scans are used in this article. That is okay, just never found this page before. http://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thscale/truck_brochures/volvo/volvo_f12_globetrot-1/
The Renault magnum had a great cab but Renault engines were…well, not the best. In the U.k the one everyone wanted was the DAF 95XF super space cab. Room to stand up, bunk mattress comfier than your bed at home, enough storage to loose stuff in for days and immensely strong 24 valve engines. When launched in ’97 there was nothing to touch it. I spent most of 1998-2000 living and working in one. Mine was a 430 and would leave a Renault 420 embaressingly far behind.
These days there’s not much to choose between them. MAN, Mercedes, Renault,Volvo Scania and DAF all make a first class product. Mercedes Actros mega space is probably the most comfortable to drive, whilst Volvo has the best engine/box (unless you’re lucky enough to have a Scania v8, but the Scania cab is not the best, much cost cutting in evidence. You pays your money, takes your choice)