Light brew units for Whitbread
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• Whitbread has taken delivery of 12 specially lightened Mercedes-Benz 1834 tractive units for its distribution operation. Contract and services manager Allan Clark had a target weight of 5,900kg for a fully fuelled tractive unit. This will give a load of 210 palletized 100litre containers when coupled to an air-suspended Crane Fruehauf triaxle trailer. A higher weight results in a potential loss of ten 100-litre containers.
Fully fuelled a standard 3.2m wheelbase 1834 LS tractive unit weighs about 6,630kg. A day cab and steel springs in place of air saves about 340kg. The final unladen weight of 5,850kg was achieved by changes to the basic specification including • alloy wheels, • deletion of the front bumper towing bar, • a 300-litre alloy fuel tank and alloy air reservoirs, • a lightweight propshaft, battery and battery box, • lightened chassis cross member and • a Jost fifth wheel mounted integrally within the chassis.
A rigid three-section air-deflector kit is used in place of the usual adjustable system.