Caravan Maker's New Ambulance Trailer
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Attractive Trailer Outfit Built by Coventry Steel Caravans, Ltd., Meets Approval of A .R.P. Authorities THROUGHOUT the country, useful carrying capacity, / amounting to hundreds of tons, has been immobilized, because large vans have been coMmandeered for conversion to ambulances. It is no secret that many of these vehicles are anything but suitable for their new work, Fortunately, the use that has, up to the present, been made of them has been confined almost entirely to practice and training, and it is certainly desirable that replacements should be effected where to do so is practicable and merited.
Whilst not without its shortcomings, notably the difficulty of reversing, the trailer ambulance has considerable scope and numerous attractions. In this connection, Coventry" Steel Caravans, Ltd., Quinton Road, Coventry, has produced a vehicle which can be towed by a mediumsized private car,. Outfits of this description constitute no difficulty. to the drivers—both men and women—available for ambulance service, who are mostly quite unaccustomed to handling commercial vehicles of moderate size. Moreover, both running costs and standing charges should be lower. The retail price of the trailer ambulance in point is only £85. Having regard to the nature of the casualties that may be expected, this vehicle carries four stretchers and has accommodation for three sitting cases and an attendant. There is space for free movement between the stretchers. Additional sitting cases could be carried in the towing car, if necessary, so the maximu.m capacity is actually greater than that of a converted van. Furthermore, the suspension of both car and trailer is superior, because the springs of vans were naturally designed for far heavier loads. The ambulance has an interior height of 6 ft., is 10 ft. long and is 6 ft, 4 ins, wide; unladen it weighs II cwt. The inside is white enamelled and has flush panelled walls so that cleaning is a simple matter. Steel wire-mesh stretchers are fitted to facilitate decontamination. The floor is at a conveniently low le.el so that the driver and one assistant can lift the stretchers into this ambulance with less effort to themselves and discomfort to the patients than is entailed when four persons are concerned in loading stretchers into a normal van.
A detail which indicates the thoroughness of this design is the provision of a 2f-gallon water supply for drinking or washing, a basin being installed beneath the water tap. The windows are of Purdah safety glass which admits a subdued light but makes the interior invisible from outside, Smith D.W.S. jacks are fitted and a small third wheel, for man-handling the ambulance, is combined with the towbar.
We learn that the first of these Coventry Steel ambulance trailers has been inspected, tested and approved by menahers of the medical profession and by A.R.P. first-aid authorities. 4)rclers have already been placed and preparations are in hand for production on a basis of 30 or 40 trailers a week.