Walls go for the one-step 50-series
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THE WALLS Meat Company, Ltd, the only national distributor of meat products, has embarked upon a major replacement programme with its fleet of urban delivery/sales vans.
Over the next five years the company will replace its existing 450-strong fleet of Dodge KC Walkthru vans with the Dodge 50-Series fitted with insulated box bodies and Hubbard 480 chiller units.
Transport and distribution controller Keith Miller told CM that he chose the 50-Series for its car-like driving environment and low chassis height which allows a platform height of about 0.83m (33in) while the 3.66m (1441n) wheelbase can accommodate a body length 0.61m (2ft) greater than used on the KC model.
Massey International Coachbuilders, also a subsidiary company in the Unilever croup, worked jointly with Walls to develop the body design.
Prefabricated grp and foam sandwich panels. popular in the construction of larger insulated vehicles because of its strength and thermal efficiency, is equally beneficial with smaller constructions and has been used here to form the side and end walls. Externally the surface, uninterrupted by rivets, bolts • or supports, makes an ideal area to mount promotional display material alongside the company's logo. Smooth internal surfaces are easily kept clean, an essential factor for any food distribution vehicle.
A one-piece alloy outer skin caps the roof area, insulated by a layer of foam and finished with a bonded grp inner skin, while a sturdy floor, integral to the overall strength, is constructed from 18mm (0.7in) marine ply overlayed with positive grip steel plate.
Aluminium extrusions, riveted and bonded, have been used to join the panels together. Lapped edges of the pgp plate form a watertight tray to facilitate hosing out.
The evaporator is fitted flush to a false front bulkhead, and the side walls include extra support for the internal racking.
One-step entry allows easy access through a single offset rear door which, when folded to the body, does not overlap the vehicle's side. To maintain the product in prime condition, the internal air temperature must be maintained between 32° and 40°F. '
Twenty-four-hour control is maintained using an overnight mains plug-in supply, but for daytime use, with an average of 30 drops per vehicle, the mechanical refrigeration unit needs a capacity for rapid recovery.
The bodies have a predicted life span of about 12 years with refurbishing. In the existing Walls operation, that means two vehicles lives.