AVRO looks forward to boom
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by Bill Brock • Last weekend's Avro-Ex, held at the Hinckley Island Hotel in Warwickshire for the second year in succession, marked up its 15th anniversary.
Over 50 exhibitors supported the event. Since the Association was formed with the help of Commercial Motor, it has become universally recognised as the show for recovery operators to update themselves on news and innovations.
This year there was increasing concern among AITRO's 750 members that police recovery contracts could be monopolised by the larger clubs.
This follows the AA's takeover of consultancy Bailey Toon. At the time it was negotiating new contracts on behalf of AVRO and the Road Rescue Recovery Association.
Realistic
Some operators want to see the rift mended. Others argue that this should not prevent them from operating with other groups. They also want rates raised to a realistic level to enable them to invest in improving the service.
One of the oldest companies still in the recovery industry must surely be Marquiss, located on the A74 near Lockerbie, Scotland. Its roadside assistance van based on an lveco 4910 is just what is needed to answer dub calls.
The rear section can be fitted out as a workshop while racking can carry all the parts that are likely to be needed. If the casualty cannot be fixed on the spot, a L5-tonne rear-mounted spectacle lift can haul the vehicle away. The lift extends from under the body keeping clear of the rear doors and offers a very low approach angle. Its boommounted winch gives a straight pull. Marquiss has added a door and converts the area behind the driver's seat to carry up to six passengers.
Bushy Hall of Boreham Wood showed a new foot or sidemounted Taurus winch with a 100mm diameter drum, planetary gears, oil-cooled disc brake and optional free-spool clutch. With a 9.5mm cable, it is rated at up to 3,800kg single line pull and offers a line speed of 15.2m/min in a 38.5kg package.
Tow ball hitch winches are not new but none have been offered with as many accessories as Bushey's new Helpmate. The basic winch kits are rated at 850kg to 3,500kg and can be specified with such items as a ground anchor plate, trailer hitch coupling, independent battery pack, remote control and power lead extension.
The winches cost from .£117 and extend up to £650 while the attachments are also reasonably priced.
On the J & J Conversions stand was one of the 10-tonne 45-series for which Leyland Daf has produced an exclusive package to meet the AA's specification.
It is available to agents who can take advantage of the AA's purchasing power.
It comes with the choice of two crew cabs and Leyland Daf gives a choice of only three recovery bodybuilders.
J&J's Transporter incorporates an automatic load system with manual control at the side and is good for a 3.5-tonne pay
load.
Lantern Commercials of Caxton Hill has produced two lightweight recovery vehicles based on the NPR and NKR Isuzu 6,3 and 4.2-tonne chassis crew-cabs imported from Ireland.
Lantern developed its own purpose-built all-steel body to meet the customer requirements with either a 2 or 3-tonne rear-mounted spectacle lift and power boom extension/tilt and 3,856kg electric winch. Build time is six weeks.
Boniface Recovery Systems' Interstator offers the longest under-reach boom in the world at 4.45m with a maximum recovery capacity of 30,000kg.
When the 50,000 kg-rated main boom is raised the under boom folds back to increase the working area behind the vehicle.
Vehicle Technology from Blidworth has simplified the design of its semi-demountable car recovery body and reduced its unladen weight by using a single ram to operate it.
The Roll-Tip body system has only one press button to move the body off and it stops as soon as the button is released making it very simple and safe to operate.
Mounted on an Iveco 49.10 chassis grossing at 5 tonnes, it offers a good payload at 2 tonnes.