As intimated in part 1 my initial experiences of the Iveco and the Volvo trucks in Euro truck had left me feeling that neither was going to become a member of my personal truck fleet. The Iveco surprised me and has joined the fleet. How would the Volvo fare?
One of the things I disliked about the Volvo FH was the cream and grey trim. To me that combination just doesn’t look right. The other issue was the layout of the gauges with the rev counter situated within the speedometer. The latter concern was erased by my experience driving the Renault Magnum and the Renault Range T. These both have this arrangement in a mix of dial and digital readouts and I have become used to it. That the Volvo also merges the two gauges into a single central display should not come as a surprise once the history of the vehicles is reviewed. Volvo and Renault almost merged in 1993 but ultimately the deal fell through. But in 2000 the two once again looked at an agreement to bring together their truck manufacturing divisions and that is what ultimately has happened with American manufacturer Mack also in the mix!
In the middle of all this Renault was manufacturing the Magnum which I described as being full of Gallic Flair with the emphasis more on the garlic than being run of the mill. One of the key things I grew to love about the Magnum was the readability of the essential instruments and you can see that the 2012 Volvo FH dash layout owes something to the Magnum in this respect. Moving on to the Renault Range T and you can see some of the Volvo FH styling in the appearance of the cab – but I digress. I just wanted to explain how I’d come to appreciate the instrument layout of the Volvo FH. As for the Cream and Grey interior; all I can say is ‘Thank God for Mods’. There is a mod available that updates the in-game version of the FH to the 2016 style where the interior is light/dark grey – Ahhh! That’s better 😉 The only real gripe I have left is the windscreen – it’s shallow in depth compared with the Renault trucks and the M.A.N. It reminds me almost of the Freightliner FLB or the Kenworth K100 with their slit trench windows!
When buying I decided to go with the 550HP engine and a standard 12speed gearbox. Getting the right ratios for the standard work that I do took two attempts but I think I have it right now. That’s because like all my other trucks I use a mod that tries to accurately portray the correct engine performance and provides a selection of gear ratios applicable to the work the truck is intended to do. As usual I’m using Michelin X-Line tyres. I find the handling of the truck to be very nice but setting the seating position for the best view of the mirrors and instruments does require a bit of adjustment in the game – something to do with the mod I’m using and I did find that not all of the available mirror options worked correctly but that’s not the truck’s fault 😉
The Volvo is one of the most popular trucks in the game after the Scania. So there are a number of special paint schemes available to download. There are quite a few depicting young Japanese Manga girls but I decided to try one of that appealed to me – see the image below and let me know if you recognise the film. After running around with that livery for a while I repainted the truck in a dark metallic maroon and it suits her very well. In fact I was so pleased with it I repainted my M.A.N TGX in the same colour and she looks good too! Here’s some images of my Volvo…
Parked up after upgrades – recognise the film? The Volvo FH16 Office Crossing the Göta älv not far from Volvo’s headquarters Running before the Sunset
First vehicle to become a ‘keeper’ was the Renault Magnum. I embraced its quirky appearance and enjoyed the ride. Originally painted pale blue with a ‘Parisien’ motif she became red and was named Un Verre de Corbières. Currently she’s running around in a Michelin advert livery… Joining the fleet soon after was a Mercedes-Benz Actros. I’m not sure whether this truck is staying long term. She’s nice to drive but I find the dials a little dark for easy reading. Painted in a silver metallic version of one of the in-game company liveries. She has no name as yet… We’ll see how I feel about her in the future… The Renault Range T joined the fleet as my first ‘paid’ mod as a direct result of my fun in the Magnum. initially turned out in a metallic brown, she is now painted in Renault F1 yellow. She’s a very fine truck to drive picking the best quirks of the Magnum and adding some nice modern styling. Renault struggled in the UK market but since merging with Volvo they seem to be finding favour. I’m seeing a lot of Range T’s out on the North Circular Road these days! Definitely a keeper though I’m still thinking about a name… The M.A.N TGX XXL. I was always going to have one of these in the fleet. I love the cab layout and the simple elegance of the external design. There are a couple of in-game issues with the lights on the display – no light for retarder activation for example. But overall a very nice truck to drive and probably the most refined. Finished in a dark metallic grey, she’s picked up the name Dark of Night from my Cobra IV in Elite… And finally the inevitable Scania. I say inevitable because this truck is most peoples favourite. I like her very much and will be retaining her probably in her current form with this metallic copper livery. She’s a good driver and the dash is excellent with all dials easy to read. Perhaps not as refined as the M.A.N and not quite as fun as the Renault’s. Another truck awaiting a name… Trucks left to try out – Volvo and Iveco. Trucks that didn’t make my personal fleet – DAF XF. I really could not stand the cab on the DAF so I sold it…
Parked up after upgrades – recognise the film?
The Volvo FH16 Office
Crossing the Göta älv not far from Volvo’s headquarters
Running before the Sunset
Images from Finchley 