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‘Trailer more agile than rigid truck’

The Groningen specialist in vertical services, Debru, has a diverse, modern fleet of crane trucks. A recent addition is a trailer with crane, fitted with a trailer steering system from VSE. 

At Debru, they always purchase new vehicles themselves and then have them customised to their own specifications. ‘As a result we always have the ideal solution for the work the vehicle is intended for,’ Ten Hoff explains. ‘That applies to all the equipment we work with.’ As an example, Ten Hoff describes a standard chassis on which aerial work platforms are mounted. ‘These usually have four axles, in an 8x4 configuration: two axles in front and two in the rear. But we soon found that a three-axle set-up worked much better, both in terms of axle loads and manoeuvrability. This last aspect is very important to us.’ 

Ground protection mats

It turned out, however, that Debru was actually looking for an even more agile vehicle for placing and picking up ground protection mats. This led to them ordering a ten-metre short trailer with three ten-tonne axles from Pacton. It has a lift axle at the front, and the rear two are fitted with VSE steering. ‘We went so far that we wanted to give the driver the option to manually steer the axles on site for even more manoeuvrability,’ says Ten Hoff. The driver must also be able to handle a Marchesi 16 tonne-metre crane, for placing and picking up the ground protection mats.    

What fits best

When asked about VSE, Ramon ten Hoff says that for his company he always wants the best fit solution for the work. ‘The VSE steering system has a low installation height and offers the driver great flexibility.’  He explains that he learned about VSE during a visit to the IAA. ‘I prefer a trailer steering system that adapts to the situation, depending on factors such as the speed. With a conventional or rod-steered system that’s not possible. The VSE system gives much greater versatility. I prefer to be able to steer the trailer axles individually, and with VSE that’s possible. We also had it programmed so there is a slight delay in the steering response relative to the signal coming from the kingpin. This makes the whole combination steer a little more gently.’ 

Tecma axles

Ten Hoff also opted for Tecma trailer axles at VSE’s recommendation. These are ten tonne axles that are mounted in widespread. ‘With this combination we can go wherever our customers need us. This trailer combination is more agile than a rigid truck and can also carry a large number of ground protection mats.’