1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150 
IT'S CURTAINS UP FOR VANS
Page 135
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• We started loading at around 10am, but because most of the load had to be sorted and then carried down six flights of stairs, it was 4pm by the timc we managed to get away. London was suffering the ravages of simultaneous tube and rail strikes on the day we tested the Mercedes-Benz 308 with Lawrence David curtain-sider bodywork, so the short trip from Vauxhall to the M4 took nearly two hours.
A blitz-type spirit comes over rush hour commuters when they have been stuck fast for an hour on a Friday evening, and many of them couldn't resist a comment on the distinctive Mercedes bodywork: -It must be for carrying special stuff," or "Oh look, the circus has come to town.were typical.
The reason for all this self-inflicted torture was a chance to test the bodywork on the back of the little Mercedes 3.5tonner; we have already tested the 308D in high roof panel van form (CM 13-19 April).
Most vans under 3.5 tonnes are either fitted with a Luton or box body, if buyers haven't elected to take the standard panel van body.
We asked Lawrence David's sales manager, Geoff Dranc, about the market for this type of bodywork, which will also fit onto Ford Transits, Leyland Daf 400 Series and Volkswagen LT Series vehicles. Three body lengths are available; prices vary from £2,189 ex-VAT to £2,380 ex-VAT. It is available as a kit, or can be fitted by Lawrence David in under two hours.
Drane says that the body has sold well to the fruit and vegetable market, where side access is important. He has sold some for express delivery work, and a batch recently joined the Hertz rental fleet, where they will be used for domestic removals.
The curtain-sider body weighs around 400kg, and surely doesn't need the socking great sub-frame that raised the load bed so high on the Mercedes. Drane says that Mercedes specifies the sub frame on the vehicle because of the softer spring rates, adding that the Kerbsider body has a much lower load
bed when fitted to a Ford Transit or LT Volkswagen.
A Luton version was once offered as an option, but a tendency to overload the front axle led to its demise. Kerbsiders comes with load bearing curtains that are guaranteed. If they do eventually wear out, replacements will cost £380 ex-VAT.
We finally made it down to the River Tamar on the Devon-Cornwall border and into the pub with five minutes to closing time. Unloading in the tiny street the following morning was no problem as we opened the curtain on the house side; the opposite side to which it was loaded. Yes the floor was too high to comfortably move furniture in this van, but there is no reason why a fold-away tail-lift could not be fitted.
Lawrence David expects to sell around 300 this year, and hopes sales will reach between 1,000 and 2,000 a year eventually.
If the hire companies can be persuaded to take this sort of curtain sider instead of a Luton van, that estimate might not be too far out.