Trailor goes Continental
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TRAILOR UK Ltd, the British subsidiary of Trailor SA of France, is to supply Continental style T1R trailers to UK operators.
The new model is built in France; the bodies, brought into the UK in kit form, are assembled by Trailor UK in Leicester.
With the possibility of future weight increases in mind, the new trailers come with a choice of Trailor Tri-Dern three-axle running gear, or the more usual "UK spec" widespread tandem bogie from Rubery Owen-Rockwell.
The most noticeable feature of the new Trailor unit, compared with a regular TIR tilt trailer, is the provision of van type rear doors as standard. Traitor says T1R units are loaded most times through the rear and this feature allows drivers to open them without disturbing the tilt.
The rear door frame, which also incorporates a swingaway rear head rail for gantry crane loading, is completely detachable, so that the trailer can be stripped down to serve as a flat platform.
For the tandem axle model, the tare weight is 6.3 tonnes (6.2 tons) with the tri-axle coming in at 6.8 tonnes (6.7 tons).
A tapered nose is incorporated at the base of the side post so that, when the post is freed from the cant rail, it can be inclined outwards and lifted clear of the trailer without disturbing the roof tilt.
The dropsides are alloy and one metre (3ft 3in) high with double rubber seals all round. One single central lever ope rates the cam locks which fasten the side boards.
To avoid the maintenance and replacement costs of wooden slats under the tilt, Trailor has used steel gates which hook onto the cant rail. They can be supported in the horizontal position by stays during side loading.
For the floor, hardwood boards are used with a thickness of 35mm (1.4in) instead of the more usual 28mm (1.1in). Standard equipment on the Trailor includes two kingpin positions at 864 or 1200mm (34 or 47in).
Depending on the exact specification the prices will be around £6,000-£6,500 for the widespread tandem version with an extra E1,200 added for the tri-axle version.