Sliding hood weather beater
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• A flexible, sliding hood system devised to provide allweather protection for steel coils carried on flat semitrailers has been developed by Philip Davis, managing director of Norwich-based StructureFlex.
Known as Slidaflex, the system can also be used for bulk or return loads.
It consists of tubular steel hoops fixed to wheeled trolleys that run independently on rails attached to the side raves.
A PVC-coated polyester tilt made by Structure-Flex has longitudinal and transverse reinforcements and is fixed to the hoops at predetermined intervals by buckles and straps set on chafe strips. The tilt is locked at the front with springloaded bolts and has the overcentre tensioning device mounted on each rear pillar. These fold downwards when unloading.
A Slidaflex converted trailer retails at £4,200, depending on the required height and the artwork for the tilt.
Davis has supplied the first two units to TD Williams and Blue Line Transport of Bridgend for use on a new semi-trailer, but says that the new system can also be retrofitted to existing vehicles.
Slidaflex systems can be supplied in kit form for trailer and body builders to fit.