Kaymar goes for Maxiflow
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• Kaymar Industrial Furniture has bought the first luton-bodied Mercedes-Benz 3.5-tonne chassis to be bodied with a Maxiflow aerodynamic package designed by Coachwork Conversions of Cane, Lancashire.
The Maxiflow package, which was developed in conjunction with the Design Council, features a deep, gently sloping over-cab extension with winddeflecting edges and streamlined reinforced polyester fairings. These bolt on to bridge the gap between the cab and the body, smoothing the airflow below the wide skirts of the truck.
A hinged flap sited near the base of the nearside bulkhead fairing gives access to the fuel filler cap.
According to Kaymar's transport and distribution manager Trevor Hollingworth, the company's previous baton vehicle — which had a vertical front to the bulkhead — suffered very badly from air drag on long runs: "It would lose speed and need gear changes even on shallow gradients, " he says.
The improved aerodynamics of the Maxiflow design mean that drivers can maintain better average speeds, says Hollingworth. He reckons that air resistance accounts for a larger proportion of power demand in a light vehicle than in a heavy vehicle, The Maxiflow body comprises an aluminium alloy frame and panels with extruded aluminium corner cappings, and has an interior length of 3. 8m. It has already won a gold medal in the international coachwork competition.