Renault Announces Low-load Bodies
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DELIVERED last week to The Cedo Tyre Co. Ltd., Chichester, a 250-cu.ft. all-metal alloy-bodied van is the first of a series of low-loading bodies which Renault Ltd., in conjunction with Coachwork Conversions Ltd., of Berkhamsted, Herts, is to offer, catering particularly for the needs of specialized trades. It is also the first body to be built in this country on the Estafette cab/platform which Renault Ltd. is to import; this will be made available for the mounting of Renault-approved bodies.
The Estafette 15-cwt. cab/platform will be available in two forms: one fitted simply with temporary " delivery " bracing, for the mounting of structurally strong, load-bearing bodies; the other with a tubular superstructure fitted into floor mountings, tied to the cab bulkhead and forming a cruciform structure at roof level, which is of sufficient inherent strength to enable non-load-bearing bodies to be mounted. • • The Coachwork Conversions' van for Cedo Tyre Co. Ltd., is a Renaultapproved design which does not require the tubular superstructure; equipped with spare wheel and heater, it sells complete at £765 and is to be offered as a virtually standard merle].
The loading height of 14 in. and door openings 40-in, wide and 67-in. high (rear) and 30-in, wide and 67-in. high (side) enable loading and delivery of large. tractor tyres to be undertaken by one man, where two have normally been needed 1.6 handle tyres of this size and weight. This van has principal frame members in -,'!,-in.-thick top-hat-section aluminium alloy by Imperial Aluminium Co. Ltd., the vertical posts being bolted to the platform and the wheelboxes and to brackets welded to the floor. Very deep cant rails of the same material are of mainly arc section (their curvature forming the curves at the junction of roof and sides) and these rails have wide flanges to which the side-posts and roofsticks are bolted; the roof panelling also wraps round the curvature of the cant rails and the side panelling overlaps the lower flange of the cant rail so that, with sealing compound applied, fully weatherproof joints are achieved.
The 18-gauge body panelling (roof 20 SWG) is riveted to the side posts and to the four top-hat section roof-sticks, and the side panels are further braced by lengths of Z-section aluminium alloy interposed between the main top-hat members and the skin.
The doors, which are double skinned 'at both nearside and rear, are carried on outrigger hinges and fold flat against the body when open, held in place by metalin-rubber friction grips.
As delivered, this very robust van weighs 19 cwt. 2 qr. 14 lb. unladen.