Fred Dibnah

History

Fred Dibnah (1938-2004), the Bolton steeplejack whose BBC documentaries made him one of Britain's best-loved television engineers, used this short-wheelbase Series III truck cab as his everyday works vehicle. Registered THP 36R (a 1976/77 Lancashire mark), it is painted trade red and signwritten in cream and gold - 'STEEPLEJACK' along the rear tub, 'F. DIBNAH & SONS, BOLTON ~ 31303' on the doors - and carries an over-cab ladder gantry loaded with his red wooden ladders and coils of rope, exactly as it appeared in his television programmes. Some enthusiast sources suggest the truck was rebuilt from earlier ex-military Series parts during its working life; its registration and general specification are Series III.

Dibnah owned several Land Rovers over his television years, including a Lightweight hardtop (ECW 656W), but THP 36R is the vehicle most associated with him. After his death the truck was restored - enthusiast photographs credit the restoration to the Fred Dibnah Trust - and it remains a familiar sight on the steam rally circuit, photographed at the Chipping Steam Fair in 2013, the Riverside steam and vintage rally in 2014, and the Great Rempstone Steam & Country Show in 2026, usually displayed alongside preserved traction engines of the kind Dibnah loved.

Imagery

Registry record

Manufacturer

Land Rover (British Leyland)

Manufactured

1976/77 (registered THP 36R)

Production run

1 vehicle (this record covers a specific surviving truck)

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Status

preserved; shown on the UK steam rally circuit

Catalogue data

Record kind

Named model

Model line

Series III

Wheels

4

Base catalogue fields are exported from the Difflocked game. In-game physics values are arcade tuning, not certified historical measurements, and are deliberately not shown as specifications here.

Sources & citations

Researched sources

• Fred Dibnah (biography of the steeplejack and broadcaster) ↗ — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Fred Dibnah Steeplejack - 'Fred Dibnah's trusty steed for his everyday work... restored by the Fred Dibnah Trust' ↗ — Flickr (photographer's caption) (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Fred Dibnah Land Rover THP 36R, Riverside steam and vintage rally 2014 ↗ — Flickr (accessed 2026-09-10)
• Remembering Fred Dibnah, UK Steeplejack & Land Rover owner (registrations THP 36R and ECW 656W discussed) ↗ — AULRO forum (accessed 2026-09-10)