Latest models and equipment captivate Work Truck Show participants - Refrigerated trucks hot at WTS
HOW hot were refrigerated truck bodies at this year’s Work Truck Show? So hot that they even mounted on a golf cart.
Multiple manufacturers displayed Transit Connects and other vans that were converted to be used in controlled temperature applications, and some even appeared on conventional truck chassis.
Innovations in dump bodies and aluminum platforms were among other new truck bodies introduced at the show. Here are some of the highlights:
The Wabash dry-freight van is made of DuraPlate composite panels. Base specs for the dry van include lengths of 20-28 feet, heights of 84-108 inches, and a choice of 96 or 102 inches. www.wabash-trailers.com
Among the other vehicles Utilimaster displayed was an all-electric compact food truck. It is powered by a four-hour battery that can be charged on a standard outlet. The vehicle is street legal, and offers organizations seeking low cost of entry a means of increasing food sale revenue and providing a convenient service location for its customers or employees. www.utilimaster.com
The company also introduced refinements to its tank-mounted valve system for snow and ice management applications.
The VT Series can control up to seven actions, including a spreader, to operate a fully loaded snow and ice management vehicle. It is a self-contained valve system featuring a weather-resistant compartment that helps prevent chemical corrosion, while allowing easy access to the valve. The VT Series is available with three coating options – painted carbon, a polyurethane coated steel or stainless steel – depending on the end-user’s application requirements. www.deweze.com
The SHPE2500 features a redesign of Buyers’ patent-pending, double-walled hopper. Meeting the recent surge in demand for chain spreaders, the SHPE2500CH is SaltDogg’s first drag chain poly spreader, suitable for full-size pickup trucks. It complements existing SaltDogg SCH series of stainless steel electric and gas drag chain spreaders.
Features include removable and adjustable side-swing chute; 14-inch poly spinner powered by a 1/2-horsepower gear motor; 3/4-horsepower chain or auger drive system; adjustable stainless steel spinner shield for maximum spread pattern flexibility; fitted tarp with integrated stretch cords; adjustable inverted vee to enhance free movement of auger/chain drive; and 120A PWM DC motor controller. www.buyersproducts.com
The new MDS is offered in 10-, 12- and 14-foot lengths with 36-inch sides and a 4-inch tailgate. The body is constructed from 304 stainless steel, with roll-formed sides and a cross-memberless design that helps material flow freely.
Designed with a three-stage, nitride, double-acting, front trunnion-mounted hoist, the MDS limits protrusion into the body cavity and allows for higher material capacity. Buyers’ proprietary spinner assembly is engineered to provide efficient, balanced and cost-saving operation.
Four-season use of the new MDS is possible with a removable, 7-gauge stainless steel conveyor cover plate and an adjustable flow gate which can be interchanged with a coal chute. The proprietary spinner assembly is also easily removed allowing year-round use of the spreader body. www.buyersproducts.com
Because of the corrosive nature of ice-control chemicals, J & J selected cylinders that are a thermal chemical process (TCP) that is used in place of chrome. Based on salt spray tests, it is more effective in reducing corrosion, says the cylinder manufacturer, Custom Hoists Inc. www.jjbodies.com
The Crysteel aluminum landscape line is available in 9-foot and 12-foot body lengths. Each comes standard with a two-piece barn door in the rear for easy loading and unloading and a 50-inch side door for accessibility. Options include a full cabshield, bolt-on pull-out ladder kit, pull tarp and plastic fenders. To save customers time and money, Crysteel’s Lo-Boy hoist is mounted to every aluminum landscape body at the factory. The standard Lo-Boy hoist includes a full-length subframe for added strength and a factory-installed body prop for added safety. www.crysteel.com