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ESTABLISHED 1905 / 29 OCTOBER 2020
AT THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY
DAF CF450 FAD On-or off-road you will be in the comfort zone
Tip-in 2020 TIPPER SPECIAL
CLASSIC COMFORT DAF: CF450 FAD
There is something very familiar about DAF’s CF450 – particularly the gimmick-free cab interior, which is bound to make you feel at home WORDS: WILL SHIERS PHOTOS: TOM LEE AND RICHARD LEA You’re on the aeroplane, returning from a fortnight’s holiday to Spain. Overall you had a fantastic time, but you spent an absolute fortune. The weather was wonderful, although a bit too hot. The rioja was great, but you drank far too much of it. You loved the local food – well, all except for the dodgy calamari you ate last night. In fact, come to think of it, you might make another quick trip to the toilet before the pilot illuminates the ‘fasten seat belts’ sign. Now all you want to do is get home, open the front door, kick off your flip-flops, Frisbee your novelty sombrero into the bin, put the kettle on and relax in front of the TV in your favourite armchair. Why are we telling you this? Because this is exactly what it feels like to climb into a DAF CF. It’s familiar, homely, and extremely welcoming! The cab is no spring chicken, but DAF has done a fantastic job of disguising its early 1990s heritage. This one looks particularly splendid finished in BMW ‘Pure Metal silver’, with matching Boweld Taperlite body. The interior is completely devoid of gimmicks, with old-school dials, proper switchgear, and
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COMMERCIAL MOTOR 29 OCTOBER 2020
VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS Make DAF Model CF450 FAD
Chassis layout 8x4
Cab type (as tested) Sleeper
conventional mirrors. It’s function over form, which is arguably exactly what you want if you’re driving in and out of quarries all day. But it is comfortable, helped in this case by the addition of a sleeper cab. It adds only 100kg to the weight of the truck (which is more than compensated for by specifying aluminium air tanks and disc brakes), and although not popular for muck-away, might appeal to some operators with contract work. The only real criticism we have with the interior is the shape of the dashboard, which harks back to another era. While modern cabs have low, unobtrusive dashes, this one protrudes slightly into your forward line of vision. It’s particularly apparent when you’ve just driven a new Scania or Volvo. As a result, it comes as little surprise to learn that the cab has a
Cab floor height 1,440mm from ground First step height 480mm
Engine PACCAR MX11
Power 449hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque (Nm at rpm) 2,300Nm @ 900-1,125rpm
Transmission ZF TraXon 12-speed
Body manufacturer Boweld Taperlite
and type Tipping gear Edbro CX15
Sheeting system Boweld ProCover
Weighing system VPG
Kerb weight* 8,850kg
Operational weight** 12,500kg Net body / payload 23,150kg
allowance
Fuel / AdBlue tanks 340/45 litres
Steering turns 5.2
Turning circle 20,300mm
Noise – tickover 48.9Db(A)
*basic chassis with day or extended day cab, no driver, empty tanks **as tested, with body and equipment, full tanks and fitted options
29 OCTOBER 2020 COMMERCIAL MOTOR
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Tip-in 2020 TIPPER SPECIAL SUBJECTIVE SCORING DAF: CF450 FAD ACCESS
Door opening 3.7 / 5
Step position and height 4.3 / 5
Grab handle position 3.3 / 5
Obstructions 4.7 / 5
Cross-cab access 2.3 / 5
Seat shape and padding 4.7 / 5
Seat adjustment range 5.0 / 5
Arm rest provision 3.0 / 5
COMFORT
Seat belt location 5.0 / 5
Steering wheel adjustment 3.0 / 5
STORAGE zero-star Direct Vision Standard rating. That said, this demo truck comes with the factory-fit Direct Vision Package, which allows it to obtain a permit to operate in London. This option includes Brigade nearside camera, side scan system, audible left-turning warning, and a monitor conveniently mounted on the nearside A-pillar. The system can be enhanced with additional cameras and a recorder. “It’s all fitted at Leyland, so is typeapproved, and covered by DAF’s warranty,” explains James Turner, product and legislation manager at DAF Trucks UK. “It’s a one-stop solution to help operators get their permit, and improve vehicle safety.
CAB VISION VISION CAB Direct Vision Standard rating 0
(as tested) Direct vision from driving seat 1,550mm
forward
Direct vision through standard 3,150mm
window from driving seat – left
Direct vision from driving 480mm seat – right
Low-level nearside window No
Nearside kerb mirror Yes
Frontal mirror Yes
Heated mirrors Yes
Remote mirror adjustment Yes
Mirror blind spots 4 / 5
Mirror positioning 5 / 5
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COMMERCIAL MOTOR 29 OCTOBER 2020
There’s a lot of misinformation regarding the Direct Vision Standard, and this system should provide customers with some anxiety relief.” The package was added to the options list a year ago, and is currently specified on roughly one in four tippers sold. There can’t be many readers who haven’t at some point in their careers driven a DAF CF. If you haven’t been in one since the most recent facelift, we reckon you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the changes. The improved driveline really has enhanced the whole driving experience, as we discovered with DAF’s driver training and press test manager Mandy Wannerton in the passenger seat. DAF has managed to squeeze 450hp out of its 11-litre MX-11 engine, which is arguably excessive for 32 tonnes. But drivers are a tough crowd to please, and a big number on the door always helps.
SMOOTH SHIFT Some 90% of UK FADs are specified with the TraXon 2-pedal transmission, and the figure is increasing. We can understand why too; after all, it changes gear with reassuring confidence. It is also perfectly integrated with the off-road software, punching down through the gears to keep the revs up and maintain momentum. Manual boxes are still an option, but probably not for much longer. The truck behaved perfectly on- and off-road, feeling particularly well planted. We found the steering to be slightly vaguer than on some of its competitors, particularly on
Door pockets 2.3 / 5
Drinks holders 3.0 / 5
Small items and phone storage 3.0 / 5
Space for coats & bags 5.0 / 5
Document storage 3.0 / 5
Tipping/PTO controls 4.3 / 5
EQUIPMENT
External cameras 4.3 / 5
On-board weighing 5.0 / 5
Charging points 4.0 / 5
Audio etc 3.7 / 5
76.7 / 100 rough B-roads, and the whine from the new Continental rubber was surprisingly loud. By DAF’s own admission, the old Euro-5 product had some reliability issues, but it is confident that changes to the driveline and architecture introduced at Euro-6 eradicated this. That said, operators still haunted by turbo and wiring loom problems of old can always go for the new four-year optional warranty. Overall, the CF is a great all-rounder, with very few limitations. There are plenty of reasons why DAF has been market leader in the UK for 25 years, and the CF FAD is the second-best-selling tipper chassis on the market. It’s also worth remembering that this is the closest thing we have to a British truck, which might be significant come January. Returning to our holiday analogy, as many of us discovered this year, staycations can be a good, safe and financially viable option too!