making the most of Newt unladen
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Taking a look at examples of lightweight construction that enable a suitable body to be carried on a vehicle which can be run without a carrier's licence.
FREEDOM to run without a carrier's licence if a goods vehicle has an unladen weight of not more than 30cwt is a concession which brings some complications with it, and for some operators quite tricky problems. For the time being the concession is limited to these light vehicles but when operators' licensing ("quality" licensing) is introduced in late 1969, vehicles not exceeding 3+ tons gross plated weight—and they must be plated—will also be exempted from carriers' licensing. Vehicles of this type often approximate to as much as 2 tons unladen.
At that time, unplated vehicles will still be covered by the "not exceeding 30cwt" provision—and this would include vehicles which exceeded 34 tons gross plated but were still within the 30cwt unladen limit—if there are any.
However, the up-to-30cwt unladen vehicle will continue to offer the advantage that it is not subject to commercial "heavy goods vehicle" testing, while there is no comparable exemption for 34--ton gross plated models under the Plating and Testing Regulations. But it must be remembered that the up-to-30cwt class will continue to be subject to the annual testing procedure applied to cars.
Increasingly, operators of light vans will look to the bodybuilder to provide a lightweight body that gives the maximum payload and the load accommodation they require when fitted to a suitable chassis /cab or chassis /cowl. A number of body builders are currently catering for operators of vans of up to 30cwt by providing special bodies for mounting on standard chassis and this article specifically deals with vehicles in this class.
Coachwork Conversions Ltd., Leighton Road, Stanbridge, near Leighton Buzzard, Beds, produces a 415 cu.ft. aluminium box van body having an internal length of 6ft 3in. for mounting on Ford Transit 25cwt, 30cwt and 35cwt chassis that gives an unladen weight of under 30cwt if the vehicle is powered by a petrol engine, the payloads provided being respectively 2,5051b, 3,0801b and 3,6551b. If a 478 cu.ft. body is used, the unladen weight of the petrol-engined Transits does not exceed 30cwt given that the passenger seat is removed and the spare wheel is carried in the cab, which obviates the necessity for a support frame. Respective payload capacities in these applications are 2,4491b, 3,0241b and 3,5991b.
A Coachwork Conversions aluminium body of 500 cu.ft. can be fitted to a JU 250 petrolor diesel-engined chassis without the unladen weight of the vehicle exceeding 30cwt and in the case of the petrol-engined vehicle the payload is 2,4261b. A Commer 2,500 chassis, equipped with a petrol or diesel engine, can also be fitted with this body without the 30cwt limit being exceeded, the payload of the petrol-engined version being 194cwt. A Luton body is suitable for fitting to a Transit 22cwt chasis (having parcel van suspension) and the unladen weight is well under 30cwt. The payload is 2,0081b.
Of special note in the case of the company's aluminium Maxivan up-to-30cwt application, a 420 cu.ft. walkthrough type mounted on a Transit 35cwt petrol-engined chassis /cowl gives an unladen weight of 29cwt 81b and a payload of 334cwt. Maxivan models are also produced for mounting on Transit 25cwt and 30cwt chassis. All models are officially approved by the chassis makers.
A wide range of box bodies, integral vans and Luton bodies is produced by B. Walker and Son Ltd., Gammons Lane, Watford, Hens, for mounting on a variety of Bedford, BMC, Commer and Ford chassis, all the applications providing an unladen weight of not more than 30cwt apart from a number of cases in the diesel-engined vehicle category. The Bedford chassis comprise CA models and in the entire Bedford-based range of four applications, the unladen weights of both petrol-engined and dieselengined vehicles are less than 30cwt.
In this range the bodies include a 360 cu.ft. Luton van, and three Fineline vans, (including a Luton) of 295 cu.ft., 345 cu.ft. and 420 cu.ft. with interior heights of 6ft or 7ft. The Fineline Luton van (of 420 cu.ft.) has an unladen weight of 25+cwt when the vehicle is powered by a petrol engine and 27cwt if a diesel is fitted. In every case the use of a diesel increases the unladen weight
An example of how very light car-based models may be adapted for use outside their normal van role, and thus run without a carrier's licence, is this Bedford 8cwt converted by F. J. Keen and Son Ltd, London, SVV8. So that large vehicles do not have to make special journeys with small quantities of glass, the van has been fitted with an interior rack on the nearside and an exterior one on the offside capable of taking glass up to 5ft square. It is operated by the Bedford Glass Works, Leigh, Lancs.
by l+cwt, the weights of the petrol-engined vehicles equipped with 360 cull., 295 cu.ft. and 345 cu.ft. bodies being respectively 25cwt, 23cwt and 23icwt.
A range of five Walker bodies with capacities of 300 cu.ft., 390 cu.ft., 325 cu.ft., 400 cull. and 430 cu.ft. is offered for mounting on BMC J4 and JU chassis which include three Lutons (one of which is a Fineline), and two Fineline vans. The Fineline Luton of 430 cu.ft. and Fineline van of 400 cu.ft. on JU petrol-engined chassis have unladen weights of 294cwt and 29-cwt respectively; mounting on a diesel-engined chassis increases the unladen weight to more than 30cwt. '
Similar types of 430 cu.ft., 400 cuSt. and 325 cu.ft. Fineline vans are applied to Cornmer 1500/2500 chassis and in this case also the two larger bodies have to be mounted on petrol-engined chassis if their unladen weight is not to exceed 30cwt. The fourth body in this range is a Luton of 405 cu.ft. capacity.
No fewer than 11 Walker bodies are available for fitting to Ford Transit 22cwt, 25cwt and 35cwt chassis which have different capacities from those mentioned apart from a Fineline 400 cu.ft. model based on a Transit 35. Six versions of the company's Cubic van having an interior height of 6ft 3in. or 71t 3M. are included in this range With capacities of 330 cu.ft., 380 cu.ft., 450 cu.ft. 414 cu.ft., 480 cu.ft. and 550 cu.ft., the 450 cu.ft. and 550 cu.ft. models being Lutons. The remaining bodies are Fin eline vans or Fineline Lutons.
Borderline applications that require that petrol-engined chassis be used to avoid ex ceeding the 30cwt unladen limit comprise the Transit 25 /35ewt range of 414 cu.ft., 480 cu.ft. and 550 cu.ft. Cubic vans and the Fineline 400 cult van.
Marshall of Cambridge (Engineering) Ltd., Airport Works, Cambridge, carried out a number of design exercises in anticipation of the 30cwt limitation and built a prototype body for mounting on a BMC 250 JU chassis /cab which, it is claimed, has proved ideal for the application. Of aluminium construction the body has an interior length, width and height of 9ft, 5ft 1 lin. and 6ft 3M. respectively, the capacity being about 335 cu.ft. Despite the fact that the vehicle is equipped with a Burtonwood lightweight tailboard lift (which is electrically driven and weighs about 1801b) and with side roller shutters the van has an unladen weight of I ton 9cwt and gives a payload of approximately 1 ton.
It is estimated that the frame /floor unit construction of the JU "pontoon" chassis provides a saving of about 2cwt as it elimi nates the necessity for a body sub-frame. The body is of conventional construction in which the extruded sections are riveted or bolted together. Special extruded sections are, however, employed.
All the larger "borderline" bodies of the Walker bodies have frames of zinc-coated steel and/or aluminium sections which are panelled in aluminium and equipped with an aluminium roller shutter, together with a translucent glass-reinforced plastics roof complete with front and rear domes. In order to reduce body weight to the minimum the flooring is of special resinbonded plywood.
The all-alloy framework of Coachwork Conversions bodies is assembled on interlocking reinforced alloy plank flooring, is panelled in 18 gauge half-hard aluminium alloy and has a one-piece translucent glass reinforced plastics roof. The frame is secured with huck bolts, all nuts, bolts and washers being cadmium-plated. Self-locking Nylok nuts and Imex sealed rivets are employed. A full-length Dover Nyloy roller shutter is fitted with a hasp and staple. Other details include 18 gauge steel wheel boxes and skirt panels and alternative rear openings are available. The tailboard with shutter or doors is mounted on outrigged hinges 7in. below platform level to provide for easy loading.