The KamAZ-43118 is the heaviest of the classic KamAZ off-road flatbeds: a ten-tonne six-by-six with a 260 hp V8 that the plant has built since 1995. For years it has been one of the most popular lorries in Russia, and more than a hundred thousand have been made.
KamAZ-43118 at a glance
| Maker | KamAZ, Naberezhnye Chelny |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1995, series from 1997 |
| Layout | 6×6, all-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 10,400 kg |
| Payload | 10,000 kg |
| Gross weight | 20,700 kg |
| Engine | KamAZ-740.30-260, 10.85 l V8, Euro 2 |
| Power | 191 kW (260 hp) |
| Gearbox | ten-speed manual |
| Tyres | 425/85 R21, single |
| Flatbed | 6,100 × 2,320 mm |
| Top speed | 90 km/h |
| Built by 31 Dec 2021 | 101,813 |
History of the KamAZ-43118
The 43118 was developed from the KamAZ-4410 as a more efficient body able to travel across country, and it was introduced in 1995 as the successor to both the KamAZ-4310 and the KamAZ-43114. Series production began in 1997. Compared with the 43114 it brought a payload of ten tonnes instead of six, a longer flatbed of 6,100 mm and the 260 hp KamAZ-740.30-260, still the familiar 10.85-litre V8, with a ten-speed manual gearbox behind it.
The truck soon became the plant’s workhorse. Between 2011 and 2016 it was the second most popular KamAZ model after the KamAZ-65115, with 39,083 vehicles built against 49,544 of the tipper, and in 2017 it was the best-selling lorry in Russia with about 5,900 units. By 31 December 2021 the plant had built 101,813 of them, and KamAZ itself has described the model as its most popular truck over a period of several years.
Other machines were built on the same chassis. The NefAZ-45141 tipper has been produced since 2009 on the basis of the KamAZ-43118-46, with an engine of its own manufacture and a ZF transmission, and its body tips in 19 seconds. The KamAZ-44108 tractor was built from 2001 to 2014 on the 43118 chassis; it began with the KamAZ-740.30-260, later received the Cummins L325 of Euro 3 and, after a 2010 restyling with a redesigned front, extra steps and anti-lock brakes, the KamAZ-740.55-30. Its top speed was limited to 80 km/h and it consumed 43.5 litres per 100 km, and much of its output went to the Russian army.
Design and features
- Ten-tonne payload: a long 6,100 mm flatbed with 500 mm folding sides.
- 260 hp V8: the 10.85-litre KamAZ-740.30-260 with a ten-speed manual gearbox.
- Off-road running gear: single 425/85 R21 tyres and a 60 per cent (31°) grade capability.
- Sleeper cab: the high-roof cab over the engine is fitted with a berth.
- Proven popularity: the best-selling truck in Russia in 2017.
KamAZ-43118 versions
- KamAZ-43118: the basic ten-tonne flatbed.
- KamAZ-44108: a tractor unit of 2001–2014 built on the 43118 chassis.
- KamAZ-44108-010-10, -910-10 and -91910-10: the listed modifications of that tractor.
- NefAZ-45141: a tipper of 2009 built by the NefAZ subsidiary on the 43118-46.
The 43118 followed the KamAZ-43114 and the KamAZ-4310; its two-axle relative is the KamAZ-4326. More trucks are in the KamAZ collection.
Sources
- KamAZ-43118, English Wikipedia: history, specifications
- КАМАЗ-43118, Russian Wikipedia: production figures, derivatives
