If I didn't have cctv I wouldn't have believed the following had happened, For most that don't know I own and run a Hgv independent workshop with my missus, a bit like Mikey but with trucks and yesterday I took this tipper lorry down to Vosa test station for an mot but sadly for the 1st time in around 8 months (about 30 mots) I got a fail (a big deal on a hgv) for a unforeseable brake fault on 1 wheel so I then returned to our workshop with it to deal with the problem where we stripped it down and found a fault with the adjuster and then packed up for the night at around 6pm.
It seems that this tipper had an electrical fault with its load sheeting system as at around 1130pm last night it randomly unsheeted itself then 2 hours later it burst into flames in the chassis next to the batteries where the solenoids are for the sheeting system are located, it burned for a whole 15 minutes causing damage to all the wiring and air pipes amongst other things before burning out on its own, Luckily it was loaded with muck so nothing to burn and the nearest tyres were the ones we removed to address the brake fault, the small fire had managed to get to the batteries and had melted the back of them but not enough for them to burst which would have been game over for us and the customers lorry, After checking it over it seems that when the sheeting system was installed the feed was taken from a 125amp fuse which is more than double the wirings capabilities and when the solenoid shorted out it overheated the wiring until it burned up, so now I need to check all of the similar tippers I look after to see if they may have the same potential fault.







The last photo was at 2.30 mins and it went on for 15 mins by which time you could only see the flames through the thick smoke and then it luckily went out, to the left of the lorrys you can make out our 3 snap on roll cabs in the middle of the workshop so had it caught hold we would have been put out of business without a doubt, now wish me luck as after a really long day of repairing the damage I have a retest a 8am tomo and another test right after that one .

Also had the truck passed it's test yesterday it would have been wedged in with the rest of its fleet of 10 and that area would have put it right next to the fuel tank on the one next to it and with the wind getting round it, everything for a reason ay. Clickadeeclick

Blimey

A cautionary tale indeed.

Don't Boy Racers with massive amplifiers suffer a similar fate sometimes if the power feed to the amp is insufficiently rated? 2008 MY Java Black TDV8 HSE

Horrible! A workshop fire looks like such a nightmare, incredibly destructive and hard to clean up. A bloke on the lightweight forum lost his garage at home, is making me think about fitting a sprinkler system.

Never heard of boy racers setting themselves on fire due to underrated wiring - usually its lack of gromits where the wiring goes through bulkheads, or connections pulling out and causing a point of high resistance. Usually the fuse saves them thou.