Type approval milestone for bodybuilders and converters30 October 2014

Yesterday (29 October 2014) marked a milestone for commercial vehicle bodybuilders and converters, with N2 and N3 type conversions coming within the scope of the EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) process.

ECWVTA now includes multi-stage build trucks, special types vehicles and trailers, and special purpose vehicles.

Manufacturers, bodybuilders and suppliers must now use one of the three approval routes to register the vehicle before it can be legally used on UK roads.

These are: ECWVTA; individual vehicle approval (IVA); or national schemes for small series approval (NSSTA).

Bodybuilder Thompsons committed to WVTA and has gained approval for N3G (off-road) classifications, with its tipper bodies approved for mounting on off-road 8x4 chassis from DAF, Volvo, Mercedes, MAN and Scania.

"WVTA is one of the biggest and most far-reaching projects we've ever faced," confirms Neil Griffin, Thompsons' engineering manager.

"We bit the bullet early in terms of defining our strategy and earmarking the investment required.

"In particular, we decided the only real route was to have full WVTA approval for the majority of N3G vehicle chassis, as the higher initial testing costs can be offset later by easier and speedier volume production."

Despite the significant efforts behind the scenes, says Griffin, customers will see little different to the approved tippers.

"Most obvious, though, is the rear under-run bar, which is now a specific requirement. So, too, are sideguards and wings that extend over the full width of the vehicle's wheels and tyres," he explains.

Other changes include minimum and maximum weight levels for every axle, and Thompsons has installed drive-over pads at its Croydon and Blackburn factories to record individual axle weights easily and accurately.

Author
Laura Cork

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