Kingsbridge provides a range of garage services to local motorists, alongside its breakdown business – these include servicing, MoT testing, engine diagnostics, wheel alignment and gearbox repairs. The company also runs two other Fuso Canters and a larger recovery truck with platform body capable of carrying two cars.
The truck was supplied to the operator, which works from Halwell, near Kingsbridge, by Dealer Intercounty Truck & Van. As a 7C15D variant, it employs a 3.0-litre common-rail powerplant that generates a range-topping 110 kW (150 hp) and up to 370 Nm of torque. A newly developed, compact exhaust system means the model also meets the Euro VI – Step E emission standard.
Kingsbridge Auto Repair & Rescue specified a factory-built double cab, with seating for a driver and up to six passengers. Specialist bodybuilder J&J Conversions fitted the chassis with Super Hawk Underlift equipment, including a ‘spectacle’ lift with 2.5-tonne capacity and bodywork with secure lockers for tools and protective clothing.
Proprietor Michael Saunders said: “We cover a busy area of South Devon, including Torquay, the South Hams and Dartmoor. In summer, especially, the local roads can be extremely busy with holiday traffic – and these days, an increasing number of those vehicles are vans.
“The 7.5-tonne Canter has the capacity to lift a camper, a large SUV or a heavy electric or hybrid vehicle, with ease, and there’s room in the cab for all passengers to be seated safely. We have a sub-frame which means we can recover motorbikes, and ‘dolly’ wheels to enable a full lift of a 4x4, too. It’s a bit of a ‘Swiss Army Knife’, and very well suited to our requirements – big and powerful enough to do the job but with relatively compact exterior dimensions, for a 7.5-tonner, so it’s easier to manoeuvre down narrow lanes.”
He continued: “The first requirement of a breakdown truck is that it should be reliable – you don’t want to break down yourself, when you’re supposed to be rescuing a stranded motorist. This is our third Canter so we know from experience that they are very robust and well-built.”