In the mid-eighties, DAF unveiled their ATi (Advanced Turbo Intercooling) range of revised big diesels and a new flagship, the F3600 Turbo Intercooling. The 3600 was the pinnacle of all heavy DAF models with the F241 tilt cab, originally introduced in 1973 on the F2800-series.
This cabover tractor from the second half of the eighties with a 6×4 drivetrain -an FTT in DAF terminology- has the F241 sleeper cab. The letter F stands for ‘Frontstuur’ (forward control) and the number 241 refers to the cab width in centimeters, which is equal to 94.9”. In a nutshell, it was the widened version of the 1969 F218 tilt cab.
Around 1985, the other F241 options were a day cab, the Space Cab (a sleeper cab with a raised roof), and the top sleeper cab (literally based on the day cab).
The 3600 was powered by the truck maker’s DKZ 1160 turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine, an inline-six with a displacement of 11.6 liter and a maximum power output of 373 DIN-hp. At that point, DAF’s most powerful truck diesel ever. As an aside, the daddy of all 11.6 liter DAF diesels was the Leyland O.680.
In Europe, the standard transmission offered in the F3600 and other contemporary heavy-duty DAFs was the ZF Ecosplit 16-speed, a synchronized transmission with a double-H shifting pattern. ‘Eco’ as in economical, rather than eco-friendly.
A stout chassis setup with a pair of then-new DAF 1355 planetary drive axles. The tractor must have been used for a tough job, like logging or heavy haulage. For dedicated long-distance road transport, no European hauler would have opted for such a beasty and beefy 6×4 configuration.
I must say this is a very accurate and realistic cutaway of a DAF 1355T tandem with its planetary drive axles, leaf springs, and eight torque rods (so four per axle). The tandem’s factory axle weight rating was 26 tonnes (57,320 lbs), some serious business right there.
Another fine example of the F3600-series, I spotted this 1986 6×2 box truck at the ‘Heart for DAF Days’ in Eindhoven, held in October 2024.
From 1987 onwards, the F2800/3300/3600 trucks and tractors were gradually superseded by the F95-series with the all-new F249 cab. The rather generic looking tilt cab was the result of the Cabtec joint venture between DAF and ENASA from Spain, at that time the owner of Pegaso and Seddon Atkinson. The ENASA variants were used on the Pegaso Troner and Seddon Atkinson Strato.
The production run of the F2800/3300/3600 came to an end in 1990, but the good ol’ F241 cab soldiered on for a few more years. For one last time, it got an updated front and interior, to be offered as a cheaper alternative to the F95. On the European market, the model designations on the cab’s final edition were 2900 and 3200.
On a related note, it’s all too obvious that the illustrious 2600-series, introduced in 1962, was the forefather of all first-gen DAF vehicles with a tilt cab: the 1969 F218, the short-lived 1972 F198, and the 1973 F241. Pictured a 1970 DAF FA 2600 DK 475 4×2 flatbed truck, also present at DAF HQ in Eindhoven.
Now I could listen to this orchestra endlessly, what we hear is the unmistakable roar of a classic big-DAF-diesel. The owner is taking his 1987 DAF FTG 3600 DKZ (a 6×2/4 tractor) out for a spin. Encore, maestro!
As always, great in formation for those of us who love trucks. The video is terrific. I see that the Dutch way to mark a lane is to have t white lines centered under the vehicle. Thanks for the DAF history.
It’s perfectly fine to cross those broken lines on the right side of the road with a car, truck, farm tractor, etc. Those narrow lanes on the right are ‘suggestion lanes’ for cyclists (riders of E- and skinny/fat bikes included), moped riders, and such. That’s where they are supposed to be (and where all road users expect them to be): on the right side of those broken lines.
I see 8 hand shifts and I think I get the range change, but is the splitter the toggle on the front of the shift lever below the knob? This looks slightly more intuitive than the Roadrangers and Spicer Air-Shift 16 speeds. Hard to picture a fully synchronized transmission in a heavy duty truck!
Watch this video, never mind it’s in German. After around 28 seconds in the video, the driver gently slaps the lever to the right to shift from 4th in the low range to 5th in the high range. The toggle on the front of the lever is the splitter, indeed.
Interesting, thanks! I like that ‘Twin-H’ shift pattern, I would assume with the differing tensions on the gates it would be easy to feel what gear/range you are in.
Lever close to your right leg, low range (1st-4th gear). Lever more towards the passenger seat, high range (5th-8th gear). Apart from speed/revs/dashboard indicator.
Wow, that’s just lovely. First time I saw a 3600 as a kid, it was strangely magical. As a kid in Eindhoven, I was used to seeing 2800s and 3300s by the dozen but the ‘additional 300’ made this an absolute beast in my seven year old mind. I remember vividly sitting in one, the interior resplendent in brown, at the Bedrijfsauto RAI, feeling like the king of the world. The sound of it is so instantly recognizable as well! I got to drive not a 3600, but a 3300 a few times. Much more actual work than driving a newer model, but such a joy – although I don’t think I’d want to live with/in one for 50-odd hours a week now. Good to see one in such fine nick, although the wide front tires are not really period correct as far as I can recall, but that’s just nitpicking.
Bedrijfsauto RAI 1986, I assume (given the introduction of the 3600 in 1985). I was there too, a loyal visitor since 1980, in that year I was 14. Way-pre-internet, always a spectacular event, all those new and shiny big trucks you could climb into!
Multiple brands have disappeared since then, like Pegaso, Steyr, Terberg, and FTF (speaking of an instantly recognizable sound with their two-stroke Detroit Diesels).
Correct! 1986, and in late ’85 I had seen the mythical 3600 name plate in Eindhoven and as there was no internet, I had no idea what it was but I deduced it had to be awesome anyway. I wore my parents down so that my father took me to the RAI as a birthday gift, and I returned a happy little man with all of the promotional materials DAF had. I also remember my mother literally saying: “all good and well, but no way in hell am I letting you grow up to be a truck driver”.
I remember the other trucks as well, there was just so much more diversity than there is today. I mean, the design of the Steyr 91 alone. What a machine!
I built so many Lego trucks, taking a Truckstar Fotojaarboek from the local library as a template. Fond childhood memories, all triggered once again by this post.
A truck load of classic DAF brochures right here: https://public.fotki.com/modeltrucks25thscale/truck_brochures/daf/
A site I have already bookmarked for quite a while. I used to have quite a collection of brochures of pretty much every truck from the 80s and 90s but those were, frustratingly, purged from my parent’s house before I got to rescueing them when I moved out. Thankfully sites like that still exist! Seeing a DAF with the sand-colored chassis rails is always a treat. In a way it’s a shame they don’t build them like that any more, it was so distinctive.
…’A site I have already bookmarked for quite a while’…
I should have known 🙂
I think I was linked there from the BuzzyBee forums, but I might be remembering that incorrectly. I do remember I landed there because I was looking for some documentation on the early Berliet TR300 V8 and I then spent the better part of a weekend just revelling in all the material available!
AFAIK, it was Berliet who were the first with a slap-across gear lever for their own transmission – 1950s or early 1960s.
They struggled to make their V8 run right, too. Many did…
Turns out sticking a snail on an old Leyland six was the way to go. Pragmatism breeds success.
Such cool looking trucks. Mine was a humble 2800, but the looks were the same. Same gearbox, just some HP missing. And of course that brown interior.
I was 21 back in 1986, coming out of the army and starting as a international trucker, all over Europe I went with that 2800. After 5 years I had seen it all and switched to another trucking job, wanted to be home every evening with my new girlfriend, later wife. (Now ex, but ok)
In hindsight, one can say that the whole F241-series is the most epic DAF truck model in their history, reaching its peak with the 3600 in 1985, especially the 3600 Space Cab.