VEHICLE NEWS EXTRA /UNITY
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Unity rings cab changes
• by Bryan Jarvis Leicester-based recovery group Unity Garages has invested 180,000 in two Mitsubish Canters for its roadsIde rescue fleet—a 6.2-tonne chassis with a short day cab and a 7.5-tonner with a factory-built crew-cab. They will both be on display at next week's AVRO show.
At present Mitsubishi offers only the full crew-cab on the lighter chassis. it plans to bring one in next year on a 7.5tanner, but Unity's boss John Rogers had an immediate need for a double-cabbed light recovery truck that could lift and retrieve vehicles up to two tonnes.
Unity's philosophy is to rescue and then carry out a quick repair to get travellers back on their way, so the new truck needs to carry a huge weight of parts, tools and other equipment that could exceed the axle limits of a 6.2 tonner.
Having ruled Out short cab conversions and Isuzu's 7.5-tonner, with its factory-supplied three-rear-seat cab, Rogers decided to buy two standard Canters— the 6.2-tonner on a 3.8m wheelbase with the larger double cab, and the 4.2m-wheelbase 7.5tonner with the short day cab—and simply have the cabs swapped.
Volvo Truck 8., Bus (formerly JR Billows) handled the job at its Stoney Stanton workshop, giving Rogers exactly what he wanted. complete with full manufacturer's warranties. The specifications are largely the work of Rogers' son Jonathan and Chris Reeves of CJR Equipment, including the 7.5-tanner's gold, red and cream livery dedicated to the late George Rogers, who founded Unity in-1948.
CJR bodied and equipped both vehicles. The 7.5-tonner has twin 3.5-tonne Ramsey winches, a refurbished 2tonne Vulcan Laser wheel lift and 4.5tonne jib; the 6.2-tonner sports one of Miller Industries' latest self-loading frames with in-cab controls and remote TV monitor for swiftly extracting illegally parked motors or lifting vehicles from motorway hard shoulders in relative safety.
Both body systems have Weather Guard heavy-duty parts drawers, slave start 12/24V power sockets and mobile booster packs. The sleeper version, as well as carrying 83,000 of parts, features hinged passenger steps and a hydraulic cab tilt.
CJR can supply or fit the same tilt kit to other crew-cabbed 6.2-tonners.