Already the clear leader in the UK’s highly buoyant market for 8×4 tipper grabs, Thompsons has now introduced a novel side – tipping design that will deliver massive gains in operating performance.
Aimed squarely at the utilities sector, this latest highly innovative Thompsons body design offers the unique combination of not just a full length side tipping body but also a rear mounted crane and grab. By bringing these features together into a singularly unique package operators can expect dramatically improved versatility and productivity.
As a key feature, the new side tipper’s rear mounted crane offers a hugely increased sweep area, effectively covering the entire area around the truck behind its cab. By being fully able to work all around the rear of the vehicle, this new Thompsons tipper effectively gains a third ‘side’ to its capability whereas conventional tipper grabs are limited to just two.
And because the side tipper’s crane covers a much greater pick-up area, any time – consuming need for the truck to shift its position when taking on loads is significantly reduced.
Further benefits are also apparent when unloading. Conventional tipper grab trucks can only unload from their sides – into pavement areas and trenches for example – with their buckets. At its maximum, each bucket will only be carrying around a tonne of material, so offloading a typical 15 tonnes payload takes time.
In contrast, a side tipper has the ability to eject the whole load in a single tip. And with the load sliding out over the body’s lowered dropsides, that load can also be placed very accurately. Equally, part – load discharge is also an option thanks to easy controllability of the tipping operation (ideal for working with road crews when the truck is moving forward at walking speed).
An all – new design, the Thompsons side tipper body is built up from a 5mm steel floor with single piece steel dropsides that are hydraulically opened and closed. Completing the package, both the compact HARSH ‘pot ram’ tipping gear and Epsilon / Kinshofer crane equipment are already highly familiar standard products in this marketplace.
Having identified a clear need to create a new product in the tipper grab market, the new truck is the result of a team effort between Thompsons, LC Vehicle Hire in Leeds and T&K Gallagher of Manchester. Based at Thompsons HQ in Croydon, Neil Griffin led the overall design effort with Phil Sutcliffe and Yogi Patel taking charge of the body’s production in Blackburn.
Thompsons Director Simon Shields comments;
“it’s not that often that we’re able to introduce an entirely new body into the Thompsons range. Already clear leaders in the tipper grab sector, this latest product again demonstrates our passion and commitment for evolving new products that deliver real operating benefits to our customers. And people like what they see – before this new truck has even gone on the road, we’ve got multiple further orders from customers in both north and south England.
We consider this truck offers a genuine step change in specialist tipper operations.”
