AWell-equipped 1,225 cubic ft.
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Mobile Showroom
OF fine appearance externally and internally, a mobile showroom that incorporates many novel features, and conforms to a, high standard in respect of its appointments and finish has just been completed by Carrimore Six-Wheelers, Ltd., Great North Road, Finchley, London, N.12. It has been built for Ideal Boilers and Radiators, Ltd., for exhibiting this concern's vitreous china ware— basins, baths, lavatories, -etc.
The outfit comprises a Commer N3 tractive unit and a Carrimore 1,225-cubic-ft. semi-trailer, the maker of the latter being responsible for the whole of the bodywork. By employing the Carrimore Retractor turntable it has been possible to reduce the space between the cab rear and semi-trailer front to a low figure and to provide a body 26 ft. 4 ins, long, without exceeding the legal overall length of 33 ft.
Small as is the gap, an impression that it is even smaller has been created by rounding the front corners of the body and extending rearwards the sides of the cab to form ears. By this means, an appearance of continuity ha:s been achieved. Finished in dark blue, with polished .aluminium mouldings, pale-blue and silver lettering, and paddle-boxed wheels, the vehicle is definitely both pleasing and imposing.
Spacious and well-illuminated, the interior comprises a main compartment, with a raised forward portion, separated by a low partition. Two steps and a central entry give access to this part of the saloon, whilst at the extreme front is a recess, housing a built-in bath on a low dais. Along the sides will be positioned specimens of other Ideal products as named earlier.
• Natural and Artificial Lighting. • •
In the roof are. four windows of Perspex, a flexible material, said to be practically unbreakable and as clear, in respect of transparency, as glass. On the sides of the main portion are six wall lights, whilst there are a mirror light in the farther compartment and two illuminating panels at the ends of the bath. Three switches, just inside the rear door, control these lamps. Current is provided by a bus lighting set included in the chassis equipment.
The bath recess is lined all around with green, shallowfluted glass panelling. This material also forms the wains
coting of the forward compartment. Above this the walls of the ,last-named are covered with flat vitreous panelling, whilst the main portion is finished with cellulose-enamelled Idasonite, the colouring being black and pale green, the roof being white.
Over the bath, forming the ceiling, is a plain mirror. In the centre of the bulkhead is a decorated mirror and on each side of it a frosted mirror. The pillars on each side of the opening in the balustrade or low partititon, are cylindrical and covered with tinted Vitroflex, a sort of mosaic mirror material. Forming a fiat top to the balustrade are two i-in, green-tinted glass plates having corrugated reflecting surfaces on their under sides.
The central steps, and the bath dais have stainless steel risers. On the floor is Corkoid, laid on felt paper, an inlaid starfish design serving to decorate the flooring of the farther compartment. Under the dais is the turntable gear, to which access can be gained by removing the step which is detachable for this purpose.
Considerable interest attaches to the cab which is unusually spacious because the machine has an overall width of 7 ft. 6 ins. An excellent outlook is-afforded by a Triplex Toughened screen and corner windows of the same material, the side windows having plate-glass winding lights.
' • Manual and Power Brakes. •
In addition to the normal controls is a Carrimore multistroke lever, on the driver's right, which operates brakes on the trailing wheels; these are also applied by a Dewandre vacuum-servo motor brought into action by a valve in the mechanism of the normal Cowdrey brakes.
An interesting detail relates to the extended front wings. New wings to the full width have been superimposed on the original wings so that there is in effect a double mud deflector, The new wings converge as they ran forward so that the width across the lips is less than across the hack-ends.
Driving and trailing wheels are neatly paddle-boxed with detachable covers secured by large plated screws.
For the exterior construction there are three full-length plywood panels finished in Parsolac synthetic enamel; most of the curved panels are of aluminium. Two spare wheels are carried under the floor, access being by doors in the body skirt on the off side. Above the cab is a roomy space for luggage.
Here are the main dimensions: Commer wheelbase, 8 ft.; Carrimore wheelbase, 17 ft. 3 ins. ; gap, 1 ft. ; overall height, 10 ft. 4 ins. ; clear height inside at front, 6 ft. 6 ins. ; at rear, 7 ft. 6 ins.; upper platform, 8 ft. long; height of lower platform above ground, 2 ft. 64 ins. ; trailing-wheel twin tyres, 25 by 6, tractive unit tyres (twins at rear). 32 by 6. The unladen weight is a little difficult to determine, but at the time of our visit was estimated to be about 5 tons. The " pay-load " will be only about 2 tons.