For All you Canadians

you have to take into account Jerry, that the jeep has probably been in and out of the Wkshp so many times, it's just plain loose.

When we had jeeps in the Brit Army, REME used to do a similar field gun type race using two jeeps which were stripped and moved through/over obstacles. I believe this continued until the early 60's and was always a popular event at open days etc.
Bob

BobG wrote:

When we had jeeps in the Brit Army, REME used to do a similar field gun type race using two jeeps which were stripped and moved through/over obstacles. I believe this continued until the early 60's and was always a popular event at open days etc.
Bob

So you had worn out jeeps to?

Quote :

REME used to do a similar field gun type race using two jeeps which were stripped and moved through/over obstacles.

We did something similar with champs on an annual admin inspection in th early 60s.What a fu*k up that was.

REME never used the Champ in displays, it was much more complex than the Jeep especially the suspension and drive train. Basically the Champ was a nightmare to work on and far too complex for its role, it did not last long and was soon replaced by the Landrover.
Bob

Powerful beast though wasn't it ?

Further to your comments Bob. The Champ was pretty useless as a radio veh too, no vehicle charging. We OP signallers were constantly having to unfasten the canopy to load batteries in through the rear.

Who remembers the 1 ton Humber (not the Pig). It looked a bit like the Champ. We used it with the Rear Link set in the back (Tac sign H3).

Quote :

unfasten the canopy to load batteries in through the rear.

Canopies???Such comfort.i take it that was to protect the radios not the ops?

brum wrote:

Powerful beast though wasn't it ?

Further to your comments Bob. The Champ was pretty useless as a radio veh too, no vehicle charging. We OP signallers were constantly having to unfasten the canopy to load batteries in through the rear.

Who remembers the 1 ton Humber (not the Pig). It looked a bit like the Champ. We used it with the Rear Link set in the back (Tac sign H3).

Brum, I learned to drive on both the Champ and Humber in '63, a modicum of effort was required to keep them in a straight line!

As you say Brum, a powerfull beast, do you remember the joy of changing up whilst travelling in reverse. For the uninitiated the Champ had a seperate reverse selection through the transferbox so you were able to change up using the main gearbox, led to some hairy moments.

Another veh of that era was the 1 Ton water bowser, Commer or Austin?, which was a total liability if cornered too quickly. The movement of a large mass of water in the tank could cause it to turn over.

Any others you may remember. How about the Conquerer Hvy Gun Tank or Centurion fuel mono trailers?

Maybe we should rename this topic?
Bob

Brum, I learned to drive on both the Champ and Humber in '63, a modicum of effort was required to keep them in a straight line![/quote]

Check your tyre pressures, you horrible man !

BobG wrote:

As you say Brum, a powerfull beast, do you remember the joy of changing up whilst travelling in reverse. For the uninitiated the Champ had a seperate reverse selection through the transferbox so you were able to change up using the main gearbox, led to some hairy moments.

Another veh of that era was the 1 Ton water bowser, Commer or Austin?, which was a total liability if cornered too quickly. The movement of a large mass of water in the tank could cause it to turn over.

Any others you may remember. How about the Conquerer Hvy Gun Tank or Centurion fuel mono trailers?

Maybe we should rename this topic?
Bob

I'm not sure I remember which unit he was from, but a story was going around Barker bks Paderborn that a driver was demonstrating that it was possible to "change up the box" on a Champ in reverse and it turned over, killing him.

I never had experience of the veh you mention Bob but I remember a Jock on our OP party had his wagon turned over by a part-full water trailer.

The monotrailers could be seen, again in Barker bks, in the early 60s.
Either 13/18 or 10 H had them. My neighbour in Raabe Str used to drive a Conqueror.

Check your tyre pressures, you horrible man ! [/quote]


Mine had solid rubber tyres.

Our Lt Col Parry was killed in a Champ 1960 I think.

We used Champs for line laying in the 60's ... OK on the road but off road, coming down a steep incline and my crew used to bail out and walk.

Len (Ciphers)

I was with an army Youth Team for a while and hung out with a couple of the other 'demo' teams. There was a landrover disassembly show that used to tour county shows etc. The deal was that two landrovers drove into the arena, stopped them in the middle and then raced each other, stripped them down, engine out, axels off etc, carried them over a wall then re assembled them and drove off. It was vet very well done.

I saw that performed at a Royal Tournament at Earls Court Steve, very impressive

Back to the Champ and Conqueror

Often heard the Champ described in the same way as the cliche "a camel was a horse designed by a committee", over complicated design trying to take in everybody's needs and ideas, when what was required was something simple and robust-enter the Landrover

Remember going on a course in the early 70s. The instructor, ex RTR, used the Conqueror design to illustrate the essentials of any tank, firepower, protection (armour) and mobility. It had plenty of the first two but none of the latter. being so big and heavy that it could go nowhere. As a Squadron commander he had had three of the beasts in his Squadron manned by a gang of Geordies (sorry dandc) who were utterly devoted to them and were in near tears when "the Conks" were taken away from the Regiment.

jerry wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=lgwF8mdQwlw&feature=player_embedded

And THAT'S how ya do it!!!