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Trailers down to a T
THE FIRST production batch of US refrigerated van semi-trailers with flat extruded aluminium floors have been put into service in Europe by TIP Trailer Rental.
The flat floors are just one special feature in the batch of over 100 international-specification refrigerated semi-trailers which TIP has added to its fleet.
The chassisless vans have been built by Dorsey, the United States-based company, though most of TIP's European fleet is built in Britain or on the Continent.
The unusual flat floor is a Dorsey development, intended to suit heavy-duty cage pallets. It consists of inter-locking longituJinal sections, whose basically rlat waterproof surface is broken 3t intervals by shallow V-section irainage channels.
Every second flat rib has engthwise grooving to improve he grip. The floor is reinforced It the rear door entry point to iccept the high loading forces of )allets and handling equipment. Strength is maintained by un;een inverted T-section supports )eneath the flat surface. In secion view, the floor extrusion is eminiscent of a conventional eefer floor upside down,
To accommodate three rows ,f cage pallets side by side, TIP as specified 76mm (3in) insulaon in the side walls, allowing n internal width of over 2.31m ?ft 7in). The floor, roof and front ulkhead have 127mm (5in) inulation.
The design, claims TIP, has proved 30 per cent better in performance than the minimum requirement for the ATP class C (heavily insulated) category.
To conform to Continental as well as British requirements, TIP has taken account of the most stringent current hygiene requirements. While the outside of the trailers is clad in aluminium alloy, the interior is lined with one-piece glass-reinforced plastics panels. The back doors have Schlegel seals, which enclose the end grain of the ply.
Anticipating a possible increase in British gross weights, the trailers are suitable for operation at 40 tonnes gross train weight. Their unladen weight is put at under eight tonnes to give a theoretical capacity of 25 tonnes within their own 3 3-tonne gross weight.
Further international-specification features include ferry trestle plates and ferry loading shackles. The refrigeration unit fitted is the Thermo King NWD50.