Ecosse and the pallet taxi
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A SCOTTISH company, Ecosse Holdings of Bonnybridge, has become the UK manufacturing agent for a Swedish invention. It is a conversion for increasing load space in front-wheel drive vans, and raising and lowering awkward loads.
John Cooper, managing director of Ecosse says that when a "Pallet Taxi" converted Escort van was displayed at the recent Royal Highland Show it attracted considerable interest from farmers, local authorities and organisations involved in the transport of disabled people.
The conversion involves raising the van's roof, and replacing its standard floor with a steel chequerplate cradle. This can be raised and lowered electro-hydraulically. The power pack's dual controls are located in the cab and at the rear of the vehicle.
A compartment in the nearside van body wall is designed for the stowage of a fold-up pallet truck — the conversion was originally designed to allow pallet loads to be carried in small vans.
Ecosse says that adaptation of the conversion to suit larger front-wheel drive vans, such as the Renault Trafic or Talbot Express, would not be difficult.
In a car-derived van like the Escort, the lifting floor's maximum capacity is 559kg (11cwt). The price of conversion for a van of this size has not yet been fixed but is likely to be in the region of £3,000 to £4,000.