The Bedford RL was the British military’s main medium lorry (truck), built by Bedford in the UK, from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. It superseded the Bedford QL, and in turn was superseded by the Bedford MK. The Bedford RL was based on the Bedford SCL, a civilian 7-ton truck. The military version had all wheel drive and bigger wheels to increase ground clearance. Originally conservatively rated at 3 tons, all RL GS (general service) trucks in British Military service were, at a late stage in their service lives, re-rated at 4 tons without any mechanical modifications; the weight referring to its rated cross country payload weight. The last RL rolled off the production line in the early 1970s, a total of 74,000 being produced. They were used extensively by the South African Defence Force as well as the Rhodesian, Singapore, Malaysian and New Zealand Military. The RL was powered by a 4.9 litre (299.0 cu in) petrol engine producing 110 brake horsepower (82 kW; 112 PS), although some were fitted with diesel engines. Many specialist variants were also built; including recovery vehicles, mobile workshops, radio vans and cable layers. The Green Goddess fire engine was also based on the RL. The RL and variants continued to serve alongside the later Bedford MK and Bedford TM trucks until well into the 1990s. Sandstone’s example is ex SANDF and was acquired from an army surplus dealer.
Photo credit Yolandi Schreuder
