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Whatever you are
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carrying, you need the right body to
carry it in. Sharon Clancy reports
on developments in the burgeoning light body market.
Buyers of 3.5 and 7.5-tonne chassis-cabs cannot afford to ignore the strong correlation between chassis-cab choice and body. At this end of the weight range every 10kg counts, and body designs and materials play a crucial role in maximising payload potential. But so does choosing the optimum chassis and driveline for your operation.
For example, a 3.5-tonne box body with a simple racking system might add only 1,000kg to the kerb weight, while a temperaturecontrolled body with refrigeration system will add more like 1,250kg. In the case of the box body the weight of the racking system eats into payload, but the load can be organised more efficiently, reducing turnaround times at drops.
With the introduction of Euro-4 engines, many of the chassis manufacturers have taken the opportunity to launch new models. Depending on specification, body and payload allowances can be greater or lower than the old models. If you are tempted by an automatic gearbox, for example, you'll be sacrificing about 70kg of payload. The latest Citroen Relay and Iveco Daily, for example, both offer more payload than their predecessors, but the kerb weight of the latest Mercedes Sprinter is about 100kg higher than the old model.M-B spokesman Simon Wood says the choice of engine makes a difference to payload potential but adds that average journey times, fuel consumption and cost-pertonne-per mile can be just as important.
Wood also says operators need to consider whether paying more for a customised body will lower whole-life costs compared with an off-the-shelf mociel:You might pay an extra .#2.(XX) up-front fora bespoke body, but gain long-term benefits in terms of more payload per trip, more cubic capacity or simply more flexibility to carry a variety of loads."
For example, kerb weights are especially critical in tipper operations. Wood quotes a kerb weight of 3,600kg for a Mitsubishi Canter 7.5-tonner with Tipmaster composite body and a payload of 3,800k g:"That translates into more load per trip, which is critical if you are paid by the tonne." Whether your chassis-cab is front or rearwheel drive affects the bodybuilder's design choices. Citroen, for example, says because the new Relay is front-wheel drive it has a wider chassis frame and single rear wheels, creating a wide, low,flat frame that facilitates body-mounting.The new Relay also has an -optimised understructure" with fewer, thinner, cross-bearers.
The low frame might help avoid the need for more expensive independent air suspension, a option favoured by ambulance operators and anyone who needs easy-access entrance.
The LWB 120 chassis-cab has a payload of 1,845kg,90kg less than the old model.
Renault's Raj Mistry says operators are being tempted to downsize to 3.5 tonnes because the running costs of vehicles above that weight are going up—and there could be more rises in the pipeline:"There are reports, for example, that vehicles over 3.5 tonnes with Euro-2 or Euro-3 engines might face a I28-per-day charge to enter the London congestion zone."
Mistry says Renault is working with its network of approved bodybuiklers to encourage them to adopt new materials and designs which will increase the payload potential of models including the Trafic and Maxity:"For some operators, an extra £1 00 or £200 to keep the vehicle below 3.5 tonnes is worth paying."
The platform-cabTrafic, for example, offers a deck height that is 300mm lower than a comparable chassis-cab with body. "That increases cube, but is also attractive for operations where the driver is getting in and out of the cab or rear of the body several times a day," Mistry says.
Another variation is the double-deck body for the Trafic. Instead of a toolbox on the bulkhead, the dropside body has a second floor.Tools and weather-sensitive materials go underneath, while materials such as plywood can be stowed on top.
Trumac managing director Jarvis MacDonald points out that it is no longer always the case that an insulated box body offers less payload than a panel van conversion:"Ligh t materials and fixings save weight so payloads are comparable.The body can be transferred to a new chassis, reducing whole-life costs, and adding a deflector gives the vehicle a van-like appearance."
MacDonald warns that bodybuilders will need to become more imaginative if customers are to retain 1.0(X)kg payloads at 3.5 tonnes: "That means lightweight materials, even if they cost slightly more, and looking closely at body heights and width.
"Trurnac, for example, has achieved a 1,150kg payload for a temperature-controlled vehicle on a 3.5-tonne chassis, albeit for a chill operation with thinner panels and eliminating the electric standby on the refrigeration unit."
Off-the-shelf
The 3.5-7.5-tonne sector is the home of offthe-shelf Luton, box, curtainsider, dropsider, tipper and refrigerated bodies. Bolted body designs provide scope for some customisation. The vehicle manufacturers themselves offer a range of fast-fit bodywork for the most popular configurations such dropsiders, tippers, boxes.Lutons, curtainsiders and reefers Most also have a list of approved converters for more specialised bodywork.
Advantages include reduced lead times (two weeks is typical) and the fact that the bodybuilder offers a warranty for the same period as the chassis-cab. Iveco's DriveAway range, for example, includes more than 100 models and the bodies have a three-year warranty.
The off-the-shelf Transit One-Stop boxvan comes in 3.6 and 4.0m internal body lengths, giving load spaces of 15.5 and 17.2m3 respectively. A translucent roof maximises interior light; other features include a choice of cantilever or pillar tail-lifts and a rear shutter.
LDV will unveil the chassis-cab version of its new Maxus at this year's CV Show. The company's Special Vehicle Operations bespoke bodywork division kept many of its customers loyal to the ageing model range; it will be interesting to see what the company has come up with for the new chassis. Bodybuilder Boalloy has two dedicated plants for Fastruck box-body and curtainsided bodywork: one for 7.5-tonners, the other for 3.5 touters. JR Payne has a similar fastbuild operation in the West Midlands.
Fleet-Tip, Ingimex andTipmaster have all teamed up with chassis-cab manufacturers to offer their own ranges of light tippers and dropsiders.Tipmaster, for example, now offers an aluminium/steel composite body for Canter 35,Tranisit.LDV Convoy, Nissan and Iveco chassis.The body floor, headboard and corner pillars are steel, for strength, while the dropsides and tailgate are anodised extruded aluminium.
There are also all-steel and all-aluminium versions, both available as dropsiders or tippers with front-end or underbody tipping gear. For 7.5-tonne GVW chassis the specification is more robust, with doubleskinned steel bodies or welded aluminium.
Telford-based Ingimex produces 4,000 bodies a year for 15-tonne chassis, many of which are sold through manufacturers' approved body conversion schemes. Its Titan tipper and Thor dropsider bodies have been updated for the Volkswagen Crafter and new-generation Sprinter, and at this year's CV Show the company plans to add two new tippers and five dropsiders for the latest Sevel range from Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat. Ingimex has its own test rig for the static and dynamic testing of bodies.
Downshifting
Bodybuilding has always been about maximising payload and capacity and there have been few challengers to the 7.5-tonner over the past 15 years. It has long been the mainstay of the UK urban delivery sector, but predictions that its popularity will wane have been around ever since the right to drive this weight on a car licence was restricted in 1997. This pool of drivers is decreasing as older employees retire; it helps explain the shortage of drivers qualified to drive 7.5 tonners.
That, together with the more recent requirements to fit speed limiters and tachos to new 7.5-tormers, and the need to comply with the drivers' hours regulations, is certainly making some operators rethink their vehicle specs. Some bodybuilders report operators moving up the weight range to 12 or 15 tonners, while others are downsizing to 3.5 tonners. However, it's too early to say if any move away from 7.5-tonners will be sustained.
Keith Childs, sales director at Isuzu, points out that a 7.5-tonner still takes some beating if it's payload you are after:"An Isuzu NKG with aluminium tipper body, for example, can deliver a four-tonne payload capability."
He reports some growth in the six-tonne sector, driven by the towing capability of the vehicles and the need to haul equipment such as compressors and diggers to sites:"Carlicence holders driving up to 7.5-tonners are limited to a GCW of 8,250kg.A 7.5-tonner with a trailer and mini-digger will exceed that, whereas a 6.2-tonner can handle it comfortably."
John Stokes. product manager for the Iveco Daily range, thinks one long-term solution could be a shift to five-tonners:"For operations with high mileages, a 5.0-tonner is a more realistic replacement for a 7.5-tonner than a 3.5-tonner. It's a question of payload and space in the vehicle to carry a day's load.
Whatever the engine power. speed limiters will affect the mileage potential of a 7.5tonner, he points out, and a 5,0-tonner with a fuel consumption of around 20mpg could prove attractive compared with a 7.5-tonner's 15-16mpg.
For operations where cube is more important, Stokes accepts that a shorterwheelbase 3.5-tonner with a large body could retain sufficient volume and that careful spacing of cross-bearers and clever uncierframe designs can save weight. But operators should still pay attention to the weight of ancillary equipment such as a tail-lift, he advises:' If your existing operation is based around loads that are lifted on and off the body with a tail-lift, either you need to accommodate a tail-lift on the lighter vehicle, or change how goods are packaged for transport. " •