DAF Trucks is delighted to be showcasing a ‘Construction’ CF 400 FAD eight-wheel tipper-grab at Tip-ex Tank-ex 2017 in Harrogate, kindly loaned by high-profile LC Vehicle Hire – one of the UK’s largest rental and contract-hire providers specialising in tipper and tipper-grab applications. The Thompsons-bodied 8×4 is specially painted with a black cab and red chassis in recognition of the company’s 60th anniversary.
The new eight-wheel tipper-grab is one of 50 new DAF eight-wheelers delivered into the Leeds-based operator in 2017 alone – with the built-in-Britain marque now making up approximately 50% of the 2,000-plus vehicle fleet.
“We are passionate supporters of the DAF brand,” said LC Vehicle Hire Managing Director, Chris Miller, “In fact, if it’s not a DAF, the truck in question will almost always come back with problems somewhere down the line. DAF makes up around half of the fleet,” he said, “and we’d really like it to be more.
“The DAF tipper product is of the highest quality,” he added, “but our preference for DAF goes much further than that. It’s the dealer support from Evans Halshaw and all the DAF individuals behind the scenes. We just don’t receive the same level of cooperation from other manufacturers,” he said, “and it makes all the difference.”
DAF Trucks’ Construction CF model is designed predominantly for off-road, muck-away work; equipped with straight beam front axles to provide high ground clearance and approach angle, thus maximising mobility on uneven terrain. The latest front suspension design and optional aluminium air tanks brings a payload improvement of over 100kg. Single reduction rear axles are mounted on a high articulation, steel-sprung rear bogie.
The Tip-ex show exhibit comes complete with a Thompsons Loadmaster body, a Palfinger Epsilon M125L crane and clamshell bucket. Equipment includes wacker carrier, tool storage, full side- and rear-underrun bars, tow-bar and reverse camera.
DAF Trucks also offers a lower height, ‘Haulage’ CF model equipped with drop beam front axles and front underrun protection. With a 147mm lower mounted cab, improved vision is provided making it well suited to operations in congested and urban environments. The CF Haulage chassis also benefits from the lighter weight front axle suspension arrangement.
Thompsons, along with a number of DAF Trucks’ bodybuilder partners, describe the DAF 8×4 chassis as offering a clean, no-nonsense platform on which to fit a wide range of body and tipping-gear configurations.
