THE STUFF TO GIVE THE TROOPS IN 17 NEW-STYLE VANS
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MFETING the need to transport foodstuffs economically and hygienically, Mr. J. P. Macdonald, controller of transport for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) has designed two new threecompartment boxvan bodies which will be mounted on Ford D series truck chassis. Seven of these newstyle bodies have been mounted on left-hand drive versions of the Ford D750 for delivery work to NAAFI establishments serving BAOR in Germany, while a further 10 bodies of slightly different design have been mounted on Ford D500 chassis for operation in the UK.
The bodies—of aluminium alloy construction—have been designed with an insulated and refrigerated compartment at the front to carry frozen and perishable foods. Behind this compartment is a single large compartment divided with a fullwidth, full-height, heavy-duty bulkhead; the forward section is used for the carriage of vegetables and the rear section for bakery goods.
The D750 design has been built on a 182in-wheelbase chassis by J. H. Sparshatt and Sons Ltd. of Portsmouth, Hants, and measures 20ft 10in long, 811 2in wide and 10ft 6in high.
Access to the rear compartment is by full-height double doors. Each door is equipped with three hinges and folds back flush to the sides of the vehicle for bank loading. The centre compartment is fitted with a nearside door 311 6in wide and 5ft 6in high. This door also hinges back flush to the side of the body. Double full-height hinged doors are provided on each side of the front fridge compartment. The compartment has all-round insulation of Sin of polyurethane.
A 12V moisture-proof fan operates through a thermostat and an external temperature gauge is located on the front of the body so that it can be seen by the driver through the rear window of the cab.
Another similar body of three-compartment design has been mounted on the D500 156in-wheelbase chassis and is constructed by Coachcraft Ltd., Croydon, Surrey. The overall measurements are 18ft 61n long, 7ft 10in wide and 611 6in high (between floor and centre roof rib) and appearance is similar to the D750, except for the front refrigerated compartment. This is smaller in the D500 design, with a height of 3ft across the width of the body, and a depth of 4ft. It is insulated with Sin of polyurethane.