Netherlands-based Gaffert specializes in crane truck operations and recently added a new Scania S 520 8x2/*6 model to its fleet. The compact vehicle has an “ultra-short” wheelbase of 3,950 millimetres, and its “four-axle configuration with three steered axles allows the truck to manoeuvre in tight industrial environments, as well as gain an exemption from the 72-tonne road transport weight limit,” Scania says. It also features a V8 engine that produces 520 horsepower and 2,700 newton-metres of torque.
“We wanted a heavy tractor unit for normal road speeds to carry an 85 tonne-metre crane with an excellent weight distribution,” says the company’s owner, Theo Gaffert. “Scania was the only manufacturer that could deliver the truck directly from factory assembly. Scania also offers has the lowest chassis in the market and that’s important to us.”
Stars Aligned
Gaffert will always have a special connection to its new Scania S 520 because the company ordered it while celebrating its 80-year anniversary, and the truck was delivered, coincidentally, “during the Scania V8 jubilee year,” says Gaffert. He was also happy to find out that “the fuel consumption for the 520-horespower V8 was nearly the same as for the six-cylinder 500-horsepower.” Investing in an ultra-short truck was not without its challenges, as the company had to add a custom fuel tank and mudguards, but overall, Gaffert seems pleased with the vehicle so far.
“By using a 10-tonne front axle, we have a beautiful weight distribution with the crane placed very close to the cab wall. There are only 15 centimetres left between the cabin and crane, which we use for the hydraulic tank,” says Gaffert. “The combination of a short turning radius with great lifting capacity makes this truck extremely suitable for working in industrial buildings. We are often called on to help lift new machines and hoist equipment into place.”
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