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Think of specialist truck bodies and you tend to think of HGVs. But from mini artics to CH reefers, operators are ordering a huge range of bodies for lightweights too. The choice can be bewildering, so to help you make the right choices Sharon Clancy been checking who builds what.
Of the 50,000 or so 3.5-tonners sold in the UK each year, between zo and 30% are sold as chassis-cabs with separate bodies. Of those, dropsiders, tippers, Intons, boxvans, and minibuses account for the vast majority of sales. But if you want a more exotic body, such as a car transporter, recycling unit, reefer or even a miniartic, it won't be too hard to find a van manufacturer or bodybuilder who's happy to build you one.
Among the potential disadvantages are higher kerbweights (although some specialist bodies will actually save you weight), longer delivery times and, possi
bly. lower residual values. On the plus side is maximised load floor space through elimination of wheelbox covers, increased payload potential, the ability to transfer the body to a new chassis and, not least, the ability to tailor the body precisely to suit your operation.
The chassis manufacturers have been making efforts to appeal more to van operators. The days of a Volkswagen LT van, for example, sharing a forecourt with a Golf car are fast disappearing, as manufacturers now have designated van dealers, sometimes on separate sites but always with specialist van sales teams. That's useful when you know you need a body-on-chassis rather than a panel van, but still need technical advice. You might also find that one of the one-stop solutions now offered by the leading manufacturers suits your needs.
While there's no arguing that a
body-on-chassis is a more expei sive option than buying a pan van, by sacrificing some custom sation you can get a versatile bor at a reasonable cost.
The variety of bodywoi Feted in the one-stop proummes varies from manufacrer to manufacturer, with some Fe ring a whole range of body pea and others sticking to dropders and tippers. You can also ty box and Luton vans, curtainders. dropsiders, tippers and frigerated bodies.
Inlimited mileage
Lk your manufacturer carefully id you can even get the same ree-year unlimited mileage warnty on the body that's available the chassis. Citroen started is trend, but Mercedes-Benz is nong its competitors who have acted, offering three-year cover its tipper chassis. With other anufacturers the warranty is a ar or two years. Although warnties are usually inclusive, they ive to be backed by the relevant >dybuilclers. Some, like Tipaster, are prepared to match the iassis warranty; others are not. For Mercedes-Benz buyers the iws is good. This latest convert one-stop shopping has introiced a Sprinter tipper for .7,153, which includes the i8CD1 chassis; aluminium-and
steel body; VED; registration fee; number plates and delivery—and a full three-year warranty that includes the body.
Originally Mercedes planned to have just one bodybuilder for each body type, but it has now decided to dual-source to keep lead times as short as possible.
Renault UK has perhaps the most sophisticated bodywork scheme with its Master chassiscabs. The Accord Technique (AT) is a pan-European network of approved chassis converters which is designed to simplify chassis and body selection for dealers and operators without restricting the choice of bodybuilder. Operators
pay the same price regardless of which bodybuilder does the conversion. In the UK more than 30 bodybuilders offer a range of bodies including dropsiders, tippers, boxyans, temperature controlled vehicles, minibuses and ambulances. Quality is controlled by Renault, because designs must be approved by Renault engineers in France who then issue an AT number specific to that bodybuilder and that conversion.
Renault Trucks also sells the Master chassis and says that crew-cab options are gaining in popularity as this often allows a team of workers to be transported from one site to the next in a single vehicle. Renault also notes increasing demand from operators for 3.5-tonne skips.
The Dunstable company has just won an
NHS Framework Agreement tender for both the Master and the higher-grossing Mascott which means it is an authorised supplier of vehicles; not just for patient transport service (PTS) but also for dry freight.
Ford retains the lion's share of the 3.5-tonne market with a lead of more than 6o% over its nearest rival, DairalerChrylser. The OneStop programme for the Transit includes box-vans, dropside and
tipper bodies on medium and long wheelbases. Tippers and dropsiclers come with coloured body panels to match the cab; the tipper has three-way tip capability, a five-stage ram and an integral body prop. Payload is quoted as 1,175kg.
Plywood floor
The dropsider comes with payload ranging from 1-1.5 tonnes and boclylengths of 2.8-4m. The boxvan is aluminium with a translucent GRP (glass reinforced polyester) roof, istum birch plywood floor and u PVC rear Eurodoor roller shutter. It's available in 3.6 and 4m internal lengths, giving volumes of 25.5 and 17.2m3.
List prices for a mediumwheelbase chassis with the 2.4 Di 6 6kW engine are £18,500 with a dropside body, £19,200 for the tipper and L19,75o for the boxvan. There is a crew-cab option for the tipper and dropsider.
Ford does not offer a Luton box body, even though other manufacturers report it is one of their best-selling body options—the high cube makes it popular with rental fleet customers using it for DIY removals.
A good example is the Boalloy GRP Luton body sold by Iveco in its Daily City Truck Drive-Away programme. Although payload is reduced from the box body's 905kg to 845kg, cube goes up from 18.5 to 2IM3.
Vauxhall's ready-to-go options on the Movano chassis include a MWB dropsider at £17,690 and an Aero monocoque Luton body for £19,o3o, supplied by Anglian developments.
Gross weights
The Daily is one of those 3.5tome chassis that is also available at higher gross weights, so Iveco is particularly aware of the potential of chassis-cabs geared to boosting operational flexibility. It has now introduced a Daily Artic model with a trailer and payload potential of around 6,700kg. Standard equipment includes an engine compressor, integrated trailer air-brake system, suzies and a fifth wheel.
These mini-artics (Volkswagen also offers one) have a gross train weight of 8,700kg but drivers with car licences issued before January 1997 can drive them under category B+E. Common applications include car transporters, plant carriers, mobile
libraries and exhibition trailers.
Wiltshire and Swindon Lifelong Learning Partnership has put two Daily artics into service towing 9m trailers equipped with computer equipment and satellite communications systems. They will be used to help people unable to travel to libraries to improve their IT skills.
Body options
Citroen has worked hard at developing more unusual body options for its Relay range, including cartransporters and the cavernous Fame high-cube box body with its ultra-low 350mm floor.
The largest Fame body is said to offer virtually the same cube as a 7.5-tonner and, at under £30,000, for a fraction of the price. Citroen is also one of the few manufacturers to offer a chassis-cab platform on a carderived van—the Berlingo has proved especially popular for temperature-controlled deliveries.
The Bohai car transporter body replaces the original chassis with a twin-axled 4.6m beavertail with aluminium body and floor. The loading ramps are stowed in an
under-chassis compartment. Payload is 1,600kg and prices start at I4,495 for the 2.2H di engine, with the 2.8Tcli engine costing an extra D,000.
Despite an ageing model lineup LDV has held on to its position as the UK's fourth most popular seller of 3.5-tonne chassis, helped by a willingness to develop body solutions that suit particular operations.
It has one of the widest ranges of chassis-cab options including a number of extra-long-wheelbase models, and the walkthrough Hi-Cube boxyan.