So Now 22 PlusYears Online
I appologise for spelling / gramatical errors, writing and spelling was never my strong point, so if you get annoyed, you are welcome to rewrite and send me a copy and I will add to the website, the more who join in the better, in the last 25 plus years somehow after no education in website stuff, I have managed to keep it as #1.... ok #2 because of bloody wiki on search listings since I set both my websites up (The Other being my circus one which was #1 untill around 2014 on all search engines) .... and all started as a little hobby to stop me going mad during the winter circus closedown months......
Ok so why did I start this ever building website for vehicles that were abandoned by the manufactures in 1993 ( Renault Trucks UK) after a well mixed up ownership of the Marque (Dodge 50 Series) which all started in Feb 1978 and included: Chrysler UK, Talbot Motors, Peugeot, Commer Trucks and Karrier Motors oh yes must not forget Renault Trucks UK (as the Dodge range was how they got into the UK as a commercial vehicle builder), not just an imported from one of their Euro partners.. I think that's it and all in 4 years as well !!!?
Ok So me, (Greg), got my first 50 series in 1996 (Big Vern was his name, (reg was B190 VRN), a 7.5 ton Mk1 ex Norweb LWB van with a 4.236 Perkins diesel engine and a spicer T200 5 Speed gearbox, through Mark Lilly at Dodge City in Todmordin in Yorkshire, only a real 31k miles on the clock as as was a generator oil supply van with a600 litre tank inside, once removed the underside of the vehicle was like brand new but 12 years young and not a spot of rust and cost me £1,000.00 all in.
I had spent some time before this working / helping my friend Tanc on his S75 van which he converted to a 4x4 with a 5 wheel trailer mounting as well as a highab and a removable rear box body via the hiab, the 'cabin was' 14ft in length x 7.5ft width x 7ft height box, it started as a high screen van and became a highscreen crewcab with all that extra stuff
I will add photos when I got my shit together, it is currently 12:58 am and feels like midday...... weird.
Ok so WHY did I go down this route of vehicles, I had had 2 mini clubman estates 1992/93, then an ex BT Freight Rover chassis cab 200 with single rear wheelbase and 8ft x 7ft x 6ft box ,then a 350 LDV series chassis cab on a 3.5ton chassis cab body with rear box 12ft x 7ft x 6ft built in 1985 and then a twin rear wheel 400 series van with a Peugeot 2.5 L diesel engine which was ex Royal Mail with sliding front doors which was great in the summer.
So How did I go from a 1976 Mini Estate with 950cc engine to a LDV / Freight Rover set up then to a Dodge 50 7.5 ton van?
I blame Tancrid, a very dear and long standing friend who was the first I knew who got a 50 Series, his, like my first was a 7.5 ton van (S75) , he also got a 3.5 ton single rear wheel axle S35 minibus and then Mk1 chassis cab which was a 4x4 S75 which was......
Oh bugger it is gone midnight, best stop now.... ok I got shitloads of stuff too add to the site, which will take it from
converted workshop and became his 7.5 ton 4x4 with 5th wheel and crane / HiAb as well as towing two trailers (Being UK Circus based, I did the same, a 50 series bus, a trailer full of circus crap and behind all that a suzuki 410 4x4, coppers always turned away and never wanted to 'go down that route' as a roadside specialist said to me once, he said I knew far more than any of them about MOT / Test Exemption via Circus. In over 28 years I only got pulled by the coppers to get my details.... to book me for their event.
I have to say that was brilliant, not once did any of my circus vehicles over 3.5 ton get a second glance.
So I needed a bigger vehicle, it was 1996, my son was near on 2 years old and we had a 400 series LDV ex Royal Mail LWB van and it did us good for a few years BUT was not big enough and couldn't tow a big heavy loaded trailer so I left Sussex on a train with a tool box in hand, went to North Yorkshire, met up with a very special dodge 50 seller, bought it, drove to Sussex overnight and fell in love with it, BIG VERN was named and the latest in the Wells Family Circus.
Having a 7.5 ton van was my so wanted vehicle and I had got there, then I got myself a 1990 ex Leeds welfare 50 series bus and converted for us to live in, we went all over France / Spain and the UK through the 2000's, then I got a 1983 horsebox for free, then a mk2 1987 crewcab tipper and then a 30ft Mk1 Motorhome so ended up with 5 of the buggers, then my son Otto was given a 1991 horsebox, so 6 at the yard in Yorkshire.
Now while all this was going on, as well as running my own circus, touring the UK and home educating our 2 kids we had to make a move and decided to stay in Yorkshire and just work locally.
Things change (Like this page will do over time) my memory is so bad now, I been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a heart condition as well as epilepsy and many injuries due to my 200ft plus fall off a cliff in 1989.
Currently after 40 years on the road, I am not allowed to drive which is very weird, no not due to drink or drugs but my medical condition, am axample being Feb 2023, I end up in canal in land rover at 9pm in the dark cold winter and I am only here now due to the Amazing BEN (30 year old copper) who dived in, swam across canal basin and got me out the vehicle as I had sunk, ( I also have no real memory of any of it )and he saved my life.
This page will grow over time, will have links added to newly uloaded paperwork.
Take care all and if there is something / specfic info you need JUST ask, if I can help I will.
more to be added soon, it is 2.15 am 7th May 2024 so time for me to turn this off, have a beer and off to my bed.
Love you all and take care
Greg
xxx
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