Tatra T815 8x8 Used Review

According to the oil-stained papers on the passenger side floor, this Tatra T815 8x8 started life as a service truck on a mine site somewhere in Queensland's Bowen Basin region. A little over a decade later, after toiling faultlessly at the mine site, its service body was removed, and the Tatra wound up in an auction yard. Then a logging contractor in Eden spotted it and thought it might suit an upcoming contract if the price was right.

The upcoming log haulage contract exhibited some unique challenges, one of which required logs to be loaded from roadside stacks onto log trucks. While at first this might not sound like such a challenging conundrum, in the steep and mountainous forests around Eden and Bombala, the narrow bush tracks often have deep gutters.

Furthermore, unlike clear-felling or large-scale thinning operations, where logs stacks are extremely large, it's economically feasible to transport an excavator to the site for a few weeks. In this new logging contract, the smaller log stacks mean a nimble road-going log loader would be more economical than the traditional excavator with a log grab.

The solution? Mount a Prentice log loader onto the used Tatra T815 8x8 chassis.

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But what makes the Tatra 8x8 the best truck platform for the Prentice log loader? For starters, these trucks are the preferred truck by many modern NATO armies, because of their robust and go-anywhere nature.

Tatra commenced automobile manufacture in 1850, when it began building vehicles in Czechoslovakia. Originally specialising in cars and carriages, Tatra branched out into truck manufacturing in 1898 and hasn't looked back since.

The Danish Army recently ordered dozens of self-propelled Caesar howitzers built on the Tatra Force 8x8 chassis. And at the beginning of last year, Tatra – together with DAF and Czech Tatra Defence Vehicle, announced it had received a contract for almost 900 logistics trucks on a Tatra chassis for the Belgian Army.

Then in the middle of last year, Tatra and Rosenbauer, an Austrian manufacturer of special fire vehicles, won a contract for more than 70 Tatra Force military fire trucks for the Bundeswehr (the German defence force). These commercial successes underline how the capabilities and parameters of Tatra trucks are increasingly appreciated by armies west of the Czech border. Most recently, Tatra was also involved in military training exercises with the US Army, which has bases in Germany.

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MAN on the front line

The Tatra T815 cabin might not be the prettiest cab to grace a truck. Still, it’s very functional and comes standard with an inbuilt ROPS and FOPS canopy, making them ideal for mining operations and, in this instance, an added bonus for forestry vehicles. Inside the cabin there is a noticeable lack of the creature comforts we often taken for granted in many modern trucks. Still, considering the environments in which this truck is usually destined to work, the plain steel dash undoubtedly represents a more sensible approach.

The dash's warning lights are large and bright, as are the switches. One feature not found in many other trucks is the large handrail for passengers to hold onto when the Tatra 8x8 gets into technical off-road terrain.

The Tatra T815 8x8 utilises the company's in-house 12.7-litre T3D-928 Euro 5 air-cooled V8 diesel engine that produces 325 kW (435HP) and 2,100 Nm (1550 ft-lb) torque. The engine uses a turbocharger and charge-air cooler positioned directly above the engine. In addition, it is equipped with a mechanically controlled direct in-line injection pump and has a cylinder spacing angle of 90 degrees, while one of its unique technical solutions includes a ‘rollable’ mounted crankshaft bolted from individual segments.

One big advantage of Tatra engines is their absence of complex electronic control, which delivers easy maintenance and serviceability.

The Tatra V8 draws external air via the front of the cabin through a shrouded multi-blade fan which is then split to flow between the finned cylinders and the centre of the block valley. As a result, almost two-thirds of the air exits out the top of the engine compartment. Meanwhile, the rest of the air gets forced down around the cylinders. The system keeps the engine in its most efficient combustion zone and minimises heat soak when the truck is at rest. As a result, the cabs are cooler and air-conditioning units more effective.

The engine drives through an Allison 4500 six-speed automatic transmission with double PTO outlets. Tatra's own 2.30TRK two-speed static shift auxiliary gearbox provides the deep reduction. Instead of the usual engine retarder, a Telma electric FN83-00 retarding unit is located at the rear of the chassis, which provides a staggering 3000Nm (2212 ft-lb) of retardation.

According to the manufacturer, Tatra trucks employs a unique chassis concept that originated in the early 1920s and has not yet been rivalled. The main principle uses a central load-carrying tube and axles with independently suspended swinging half-axles bolted into a single unit.

The Tatra's chassis is an enclosed box section that houses most wiring and airlines. The chassis is then solidly mounted to a central tubular core which contains a straight tailshaft. As the chassis is modular, sections can be added or removed without the usual metal cutting. You can add a drive, a lazy or a drive/steer, building the capability and capacity of your Tatra to suit your load profile. All drive axles are swinging half axles with air bellows and springs added on the rear axle sets. Telescopic dampers and stabiliser bars are standard on the T815.

The Tatra-designed independent half-axle suspension is simple but effective. Each axle gets cushioned by a coil spring enclosed in air bellows, mounted on the top of the axle housing and secured to the centrally mounted tubular chassis. In addition, this Tatra T815 has the optional multi-leaf steel spring, which is used on a bogie axle arrangement when the application demands ultra-heavy-duty use.

The bellow air supply is mechanically controlled by the load and axle position, maintaining spring frequency no matter the load on the individual wheel. Consequently, as a result, when the truck moves over rough terrain and a wheel drops into a pothole, it does not affect the wheel on the opposite side of the truck.

The chassis is insulated against twisting moments, and the load is protected. Additionally, both wheels are in complete contact with the surface and traction is maximised. Axle differentials, inter-axle differentials and reduction hubs complete a daunting traction formula.

Tatra axles are constantly driven and equipped with locks in their basic version. A pair of driven crown wheels (one per half-axle) and a pair of pinions transmitting torque from the differential are placed in the axle housing. The differential is placed outside the axle in the central load-carrying tube. Unlike classic axle solutions with a bevel differential, it is a so-called crown or cylinder-type differential. The inner space of the housing is adapted for the swinging motion of the half-axles.

It is indeed easy to understand why the Tatra T815 8x8 is sought after by forestry and mining operators with its purpose-built off-road design features. Some might say the Tatra T815 is a bulletproof truck, and we hope to find out for ourselves when we head up the bush to see this Tatra T815 at work in its new, repurposed forestry role.

Engine: Tatra T3D-928
Power: 435hp (325kW) at 1850rpm
Torque: 1550lb/ft (2100Nm) at 1100rpm
Gearbox: Allison 4500 six-speed auto
Auxiliary gearbox: Tatra 2.30TRK
Front axles: Steered, driven with swinging half-axles, disengageable drive, axle differentials and hub reduction
Rear axles: Driven, with swinging half-axles, inter-axle differential, axle differentials and hub reduction
Front suspension: Air bellows with telescopic shock absorbers and stabiliser (load sharing)
Rear suspension: Air bellows with centre-pivot leaf springs (load sharing)
Fuel tank: 2 x 420lt
Rims: 22.5x11.75 (front), 22.5x9.00 (rear)
Tyres: 385/65R25 (front), 315/80R22.5 (rear)
Brakes: Four separate brake systems with WABCO ABS
Web: www.tatratrucks.com