The DAF F241 was a cab used on DAF’s heavy long-distance trucks from 1973 to 1994, better known by the model names 2800, 3300 and 3600. It brought the first European intercooled turbodiesel, later the Space Cab, and it outlived its own replacement by coming back as the 2900 and 3200.
DAF F241 at a glance
| Maker | DAF, Eindhoven |
|---|---|
| Production | 1973–1994 |
| Better known as | DAF 2800, 3300 and 3600 |
| Cab width | 241 cm, a wider development of the F218 |
| Recognised by | three windscreen wipers |
| Engine at launch | 11.6-litre six, DKS, 320 hp and 1,260 Nm |
| Other engines | DKTD 280 hp, DKT 260 hp, DKA 250 hp |
| 3300 | 1982, DKX 1160 of 330 PS |
| 3600 ATi | 1985 |
| Space Cab | 1984; Top Sleeper in 1982 |
| Revival | 2900 and 3200, from 1990 |
| Also used by | RÁBA, Ginaf and others |
History of the DAF F241
The 2800 and the first European intercooler
The F241 was introduced at the IAA in September 1973, when the 2800 replaced the DAF 2600. The cab was a wider development of the F218 that had appeared three years earlier, and it looked it: the new front was redesigned, and the extra width required a set of three windscreen wipers, which became the easiest way to recognise the range. Under the cab sat the first European intercooled turbodiesel: the 11.6-litre DKS gave 320 hp and 1,260 Nm, and buyers could also choose the turbocharged 280 hp DKTD, the 260 hp DKT or the naturally aspirated 250 hp DKA. The cab was widened to 241 cm and raised so that the engine took little space inside. Gearboxes came from ZF with 12 or 16 speeds or from Fuller with 13 speeds and a twin splitter, and cabs and engines were also supplied to the Dutch four-wheel-drive maker Ginaf. In 1975 a more luxurious Superliner appeared in Britain for operators running to the Middle East, converted by a caravan builder in England’s West Country. Sweden’s safety standards, applied from 1975, brought high-tensile-steel reinforcement to every F241 and F218 cab. For Italy, where the rules set a minimum power per gross train weight at 44 tonnes, the exceptional 2800 DKSI was raised in 1977 to 353 hp and 1,410 Nm.
The 3300 and the Space Cab
In 1979 the cabs received a more luxurious interior and a slightly rearranged grille, and the 2800 DKSE became an option. In spring 1980 RÁBA began using the cab for most of its trucks, and in autumn of that year a bonneted N2800 came in 6×4 form as a drawbar truck or a tractor, mainly for Africa and the Middle East. The 3300 was introduced at the RAI in February 1982 with the quieter and cleaner DKX 1160 engine of 330 PS and extra sound insulation in a modified cab. It was built for a larger payload, a high average speed and strong traction, and it came with VISAR as standard, an electronic device giving fuel-consumption information and gearshift advice. DAF kept looking for new niches: in 1982 the Top Sleeper placed a sleeping space above the short cab, and in September 1984 came the famous 3300 Space Cab, which set new standards for cabin room, with enough standing height for the driver to get dressed.
ATi, the DAF 95 and the revival
In September 1985 DAF introduced the 3600 ATi with Advanced Turbo Intercooling. Internal friction was reduced and the driveline modified with a new hypoid drive axle, which raised power and cut fuel consumption from an already low 34 litres per 100 km to 30. DAF’s European market share rose by a full point in 1986, from 6.8 to 7.8 per cent, and the most powerful of the new engines, the 1160 DKZ, gave 274 kW or 373 PS. The all-new DAF 95 of 1987 replaced the F241 in Europe, but DAF saw a gap between the medium 2500 and 2700 and the new 95, so in 1990 it revived the F241 with a front that imitated the 95. The new 2900 and 3200 were spartanly equipped and aimed at Africa, Asia and South America, with 290 or 320 PS. The revival did not last: only a few hundred were built before the cab was dropped again in 1995. In Australia, where the 95 was not yet available, DAF Trucks kept assembling the 3600 in the early 1990s with the newest WS294 and WS315 ATi engines of 401 to 430 hp.
Design and features
- First intercooled turbodiesel: the DKS of 1973, 320 hp and 1,260 Nm.
- Three wipers: the signature of the wider 241 cm cab.
- Space Cab: from 1984, with standing height for the driver.
- ATi engines: from 1985, cutting fuel use to 30 litres per 100 km.
- Shared cab: also used by RÁBA, Ginaf and other makers.
DAF F241 versions
- 2800: the original of 1973, from 250 to 320 hp.
- 3300: from 1982, with the DKX 1160 of 330 PS.
- 3600 ATi: from 1985, up to 373 PS.
- Space Cab: the raised-roof cab of 1984.
- 2900 and 3200: the 1990 revival for export markets.
The F241 was the heavier brother of the DAF F218/F220 trucks and was replaced by the DAF 95. More models are in the DAF collection.
Sources
- DAF F241 series, English Wikipedia: models, engines, Space Cab, revival
- DAF F241, Dutch Wikipedia: 2800, 3300 and 3600 descriptions, cab users
