Interbuild 2010 Show Report

Show Report: Interbuild Onsite 2010

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The UK may be in the depths of a devastating economic downturn, but our early morning start for the trip to the NEC, Birmingham, was well worth the effort. Six of the major light commercial vehicle manufacturers were exhibiting their latest products aimed at the building trades.

Citroën

Well known for its extensive Ready to Run off-the-shelf conversions range, Citroën was extolling the virtues of its Relay-based 3.5 tonne Tipmaster Tippers. Featuring an all-steel underframe, floor and headboard they have alloy dropsides and tailboard, and the fasteners are recessed. Optional extras include cage sides and an alloy underframe which increases payload by up to 100kg.

Also highlighted was the Supertrucks low-loading glass-carrying Relay conversion. It has a drop-frame chassis which provides a load deck height of just 400mm. This provides easy walk-in access to the two full-height, full-length internal glass racks.

Ford

Alongside the Ranger pick-up and a Fiesta SportVan in striking white paintwork there was the inevitable selection of Transits. And on this occasion they were all special editions. The Transit Connect and Transit Leaders represent exceptional value for money as entry-level models at £9,995 and £11,995 respectively.

To celebrate Transit’s 45th birthday there’s the range of 115hp Sapphire specials — front-wheel drive 280 SWB low roof, 280 MWB medium roof and rear-wheel drive 350 LWB medium roof — which get a unique paint-job and a host of goodies including air con over and above the standard Trend spec.

Possibly of most interest to visitors, however, was the Utility Cab Tipper. Based on a chassis crew cab the rear seating has been removed and the rear door glass replaced with steel to provide a secure storage area for tools and equipment. The tipper has a load length of 2,850mm and gross payload is 1,032kg.

Nissan

As a sponsor of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Master Builder of the Year Awards Nissan Commercials is offering members money off any of its light commercials until 4 January 2011. On a Cabstar this equates to £300 with two years free servicing thrown in for good measure.

Another current offer on Cabstar means that anyone who buys a 3.4t or 3.5t short-wheelbase chassis cab gets a Tipper body for free. This deal runs to the end of the year and strikes us as being one not to miss.

‘Sharpest tools in the box’ is the marketing slogan and apart from the Cabstar the stand also featured a Primastar, recently revised double cab Navara pick-up and the very space efficient NV200. We’ll have to wait until the CV Show next year to see the Interstar replacement, the NV400, debuted in the UK. It was premiered at the recent IAA CV Show in Hannover, Germany.

Renault

Crew cabs were featured heavily over at Renault in the shape of the updated Trafic and the newly introduced Kangoo Maxi. With a gross payload of 740kg and load space of 1.3m³, rising to 3.4m³ with the rear seats folded, the five-seater has a load length of 1,330mm with the second row of seats in place.

The stars of the show, however, were the all-new Master rear-wheel drive Dropside and Tipper. These are factory-built conversions and can be ordered in various configurations. A box van completes the current line-up of Master conversions. For full details of the Dropsides click her and for the Tippers click here.

Vauxhall

Vauxhall was announcing the roll-out of the first factory-built Core Conversions of its all-new Movano — an extremely close relative of the Renault Master; the Dropside, Tipper and Box Van.

A 3.5t Dropside featured on the stand and it can be had as a single or crew cab, front- or rear-wheel drive and there’s a choice of three chassis lengths and four body lengths with payloads up to 2,130kg. Tippers are available in two lengths, maximum payload is 1,122kg and can be based on either a chassis or chassis crew cab. A Box Van conversion also appears on the Movano price list.

Volkswagen

Over at Volkswagen it was conversions all the way with exhibits from Bott, Ingimex, Penny Hydraulics and Supertrucks.

Racking specialists Bott had not only installed one of its removable systems in the load area of a five-seater Transporter Kombi, it had also specced it up, lowered the suspension slightly, fitted side running bars and a roof rack with pipe-carrier, and added one of its Kombi Bulkhead conversions. This can be a working van during the week, but which can double-up as comfy family transport for up to five people and shopping/luggage at the weekend.

Ingimex was displaying its Titan Tipper on a Crafter chassis, part of VW’s Engineered to Go one-stop shop range. Operated via a scissor ram it features a smooth steel load floor, multiple underbody lashing points, top and bottom hinged stainless steel tailboard and it can be fitted with a 160kg removable mesh cage. It can also supply a Crafter chassis or chassis crew cab fitted with its Thor Dropside.

Standard features include 15mm one-piece load deck, recessed lashing rings, tailboard restraint cords — the rear corner posts are removable — and flush-fitted side and tailboard locks.

Manual handling is a serious health and safety issue these days and to make an operators life easier light crane and tail lift specialists Penny Hydraulics was exhibiting a couple of its compact Swinglift range mounted on a Transporter Kombi Dropside.

Supertrucks also had a presence on the VW stand. It produces a bespoke glass-carrying system which can be fitted to the outside of a standard Crafter panel van.

Racking

It wasn’t just van manufacturers who were exhibiting at Interbuild Onsite; racking specialists were also in evidence. Apart from Bott on the VW stand, Edström and Sortimo had stand-alone exhibits backing on to each other and we came across a company called Vantainer for the first time. It imports the German Tanos Systainer Boxes and the new Mobil System — a lightweight van racking system — into the UK.

The construction industry is an important sector of the market for light commercial vehicle manufacturers and suppliers of ancillary equipment and that’s the reason why a significant amount of the Interbuild Onsite floorspace was taken up by them. And let’s face it, without their products construction would grind to a halt.

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