Van Rooijen hits Britain
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UTCH coachbuilder Van Rooin has now delivered the first ritish specification Odyssee )och body to its UK distributor, .K.S. Coachworks, of Bowburn, urham, reports NOEL MILLIER. The coach, which will be used itially as a demonstrator by .K.S., has 46 seats and is iounted on a Tempo 100 specication Volvo B1OM chassis. Its .andard specification includes a tegmann plug-type door and ill double glazing; optional gtras fitted to the demonstrator iclude a rear-mounted sunken )ilet and servery unit.
The body structure is of antiDrrosion welded box-section teel framing with a single-piece :eel side-panel. The front, rear nd roof sections are of grp. In)rior trim follows the "soft" uropean styling with carpet on le ceiling and body sides. Corer sections that are not careted have a special carpet-like flock" finish. All glazing is onded directly to the frame/ark.
The British specificatiqn Odysee is 3.4-metre high and will be vailable on a variety of chassis lcluding Volvo 1310M, Daf or eyland Tiger. Prices will deend on specification but will tart at around £69,500 (includlg chassis).
Van Rooijen, which is owned ly Holland's largest bus body builder, Den Oudsten, hopes to sell about 10 units in Britain this year.
From the passengers' point of view, the body has a particularly airy interior with larger than average windows. During a demonstration the coach was rattle and draught free with double glazing aiding the warm saloon environment. From the driver's point of view, visibility is second to none with the unusual front window section and large raked windscreen eliminating the more common blindspots found on many coach bodies.
Odyssee dealer H.K.S. is run by husband and wife team Ken and Sheila Sweeney from a modern industrial complex near the A1(M) in County Durham. H.K.S. will stock spares and carry out full service for the Odyssee range.
The firm already has an estab lished body repair and renovation business in addition to a full mechanical and preventive maintenance service for operators. It also operates a 24hour psv breakdown and glass replacement service. H.K.S. has facilities to sell and will consider part exchanges for new Odyssee-bodied coaches.