Heavy tow trucks, those massive lumps of metal in luminous colors, have always intrigued me. Like this duo, representing the top segment of European on-road tow trucks, all set-up to recover the largest and heaviest vehicles. Most certainly they won’t show up if you’ve parked your VW Golf or Ford Focus in a ditch.
Van den Boogaard sent their 2014 Volvo FMX 8×4 to the show. The FM-series is Volvo’s mid-size model. The FMX is the heavy-duty version, purpose-built for on-/off-road use. This 510 DIN-hp tow truck weighs an impressive 26,595 kg (58,632 lbs).
According to the information I found, it’s set to work in the Amsterdam region.
De Groot Techniek from the Netherlands built the towing equipment and the complete body.
De Groot’s type DGT 26000W, the same as on the Volvo, spreads out its tentacles. It’s the company’s heaviest equipment for tow trucks.
This video gives you a more inside look.
Now to the Hendriks company with their new Scania S650 6×2. I’m sure it’s used to recover heavy vehicles from all over Europe and bring them back to their homeland.
The Scania’s 650 DIN-hp, 16.4 liter V8 turns hills into flatland and mountains into hills. Maximum torque output, you ask? 3,300 Nm (2,434 lb-ft) @ 950 – 1,350 rpm.
Scania supplied the chassis-cab, Brechtel Spezialfahrzeugbau from Germany took care of the rest. Spezialfahrzeugbau means that the company builds special vehicles. I concur.
Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel.
Wow, I’ve never seen a wheel lift that big.
Too bad the video doesn’t show them actually hooking up a truck.
In the last part of this (short) video you can see how another Scania of the Hendriks crew runs away with a wreck (MAN tractor plus semi-trailer):
Ive seen a local Volvo heavy tow truck pulling a truck, it quite impressive winching a fully laden 6×4 Mercedes concrete mixer 26,000kgs up a driveway from axle deep mud, the Merc couldnt climb the hill itself anyway never mind out of the mud it was buried in.
Funny you mention 26,000 kg. That’s also the underlift’s maximum (lifting) capacity of the DGT26000 W as shown in the article; when retracted, so in the “shortest” position.
I’m with you Johannes, these max tow rigs have always fascinated me also…great post.
Jim.
Nice pics Johannes. Attractive and versatile designs. My local public transit uses conventional cab Volvo and Mack tow trucks with comparably long wheelbases.
Thanks for the post, Johannes!
It’s interesting to see what they use on the continent. I wanted to ask if rotators are used in Europe or do the heavy tow operators use cranes?
In case someone is not familiar with how North American heavy tow operate, I recommend to watch a couple of TV shows made by National Geographic, both shot in Canada, – one one the west coast in the mountains of BC and another one on a North America busiest highway and surrounding areas in Ontario. First show is Highway Thru Hell has been running for seven seasons and the second show is Heavy Rescue: 401 has three seasons under its belt.
I had to look up what a rotator is, but I’d say that self-propelled cranes are more common here to help out.
If you look at the video I posted further above (Hendriks crew), you can see a black/red crane at 1:15, following the tow truck with the wreck and the “safety car” (the yellow pickup). I’m pretty sure it’s the same crane that helped to put the big rig on its wheels.
Euro rotator wreckers do exist, see MAN below.
About TV shows, there’s another one about Norwegian heavy tow operators. Cold, snow, ice, slippery, mountains, etc.
Man, these things are impressive. Looks like they could tow a house off its foundations.
Johannes, thanks for your reply!