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30,000th Kerax set up for Channel Isles
Page 15
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• A Jersey operator has become the owner of Renault's 30,000th Kerax construction chassis. However, the deal has challenged the french company's resources in order to comply with Channel Islands regulations.
The keys to the Kerax were formally handed over to David Manning of specialist haulage company Fetch & Karrie in a ceremony at the Villaverde Kerax factory on the outskirts of Madrid. Before delivery by Guernsey Renault dealer Rabeys Commercial Vehicles, the four-axle truck will have to undergo major modification.
A 2.3m width limit is a major obstacle to potential truck supplies to the Islands, but it is one regulation that Rabeys has been able to comply with since the introduction of Renault's specialised construction range. Rabeys group managing director Roger Le Huray says that he first discussed supplying a new vehicle to Fetch & Kerrie
in 1995, but Renault's heavy product line didn't comply with the width restriction,
"At that time, we offered the Maxter chassis which was too wide across the cab for the Channel Islands. The Kerax can be made to fit within the 2.3m restriction, but it takes a bit of work," he admits.
Once the 8x4 chassis arrives in the Channel Islands, it will be shortened to achieve the correct turning circle, and narrower track steering axles will be fitted. Reduced-dish wheels will be fitted to the drive axles to deliver the narrowed width at the rear of the Kerax.
A Hiab 330-series crane will be located on an Austrian-built subframe. A dropside body featuring a 12mm steel floor will provide the correct amount of counterbalancing when the crane is fully extended. The crane alone cost Manning almost £70,000, although he remains tight-lipped about the total cost of this specialist vehicle. Manning is confident of the truck's earning potential, saying that he expects it to pay off within three years.
Safe installation, oil tank movement and access basket work will be some of the tasks tackled by Manning and his new acquisition.
Manning says that although the Renault product is new to him, he has received good reports about Kerax from fellow operators.
Understandably, he has high expectations for both the truck and his dealer. "if there are any big problems I'll start shouting about it," he warns.