Vauxhall Movano helps provide solution to tacho problem

The low weight of the Vauxhall Movano chassis combined with an innovative body design has avoided the need for a Hertfordshire firm to fit tachographs on 21 new vehicles.

John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance of Welwyn use the Movanos in two different roles: to carry grass cutting machines in the summer and as dropside trucks in the winter.

However, the addition of rollover bars to meet health and safety requirements has made the latest grass cutting machines heavier. This would have pushed the gross combination weight of the truck needed to move them to over 3.5 tonnes, requiring the use of trailers or larger vehicles and either way, leading to the fitting of tachographs.

Transport Manager Simon Redhead was keen to avoid these outcomes and worked with local bodybuilder B L Searle of Sandy, Bedfordshire, to design a body unique to their needs. This is a dropside body with side panels, a tailgate and a headboard that can be quickly removed to bring the weight down and keep below 3.5 tonnes when carrying the mowing machines.

With its low kerb weight of just 1,648 kgs, the long wheelbase Movano 3500 chassis cab model was the ideal startpoint for the project. BL Searle then developed a body design employing Aalco’s LoadsMORE lightweight system in which specially contoured aluminium panels are used.

These interlock to give exceptional strength and this removes the need for cross bearers as the decking can be fixed directly onto 200mm deep runners fitted on top of the Movano chassis side rails. The result is an immediate weight saving of around 71.5 kgs compared to the bodies on other Movanos in the John O’Conner fleet and this adequately compensates for the increased weight of the mowers.

We also opted for Vauxhalls 70lt fuel tank opposed to the standard 100lt which gave us another 28.5kg weight saving. We now have a pay load of 1620kg when required.

“It’s been an excellent solution to the problem,” says Simon Redhead. “Especially as we’ve been very satisfied with our Movanos - of which we now run over 50 - and we wanted to stick with the model.

“As well as the low weight we get another major benefit from the Movano. Being front wheel drive the chassis height is lower by about 100mm compared to other makes we have run. This is particularly important when it comes to loading and unloading the mowers as it significantly reduces the angle of the ramps and makes the operation safer.

“The Vauxhall Movano has proved to be a good product for our business. It’s economical and well specified. Our crews find the cab offers ample space to store their personal belongings and in which to take their breaks. We also find them easy to work on and with service intervals of 18,000 miles we only see them in the workshop once a year!”

Since it was established in the 1969 John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance has become a leading independent grounds maintenance specialist. The company provides grass cutting, sports pitch maintenance, horticultural services and park cleaning to 23 local councils and other public bodies across the South East.