Since early December, a whole army of professionals has been working on, in, and outside the new neighbors’ ole house (as in dating back to the mid 19th century).
The veranda man, no further explanation needed, arrived at the scene in a 2021 Renault Master 2.3 dCi, whereas two all-rounders parked their beefy Mercedes-Benz Sprinter somewhat further down the street.
The FWD Renault was separated from the 2023 Anssems tandem axle trailer. The veranda man’s men had just unloaded some big panels that rested against the rack.
Such trailers are typically rated at a gross weight of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) and are towed by an SUV, a full-size panel van or the chassis-cab version. The Anssems weighs 620 kg (1,367 lbs). Thus, its payload capacity is 2,880 kg (6,349 lbs).
By the way, it’s no coincidence that 3,500 kg is also the registered, maximum towing capacity of those SUVs, vans, and trucks.
CC Newsstand: the latest Renault Master, recently unveiled. As always, available as van or chassis-cab, just like all of its competitors.
Over to a second gen, 2016 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 519 BlueTec. Back then, the contractor opted for the largest, heaviest, and most powerful Sprinter diesel van.
Big Yellow is powered by a 3.0 liter, V6 turbodiesel (the OM 642) with 190 DIN-hp. The current Sprinter generation was introduced in 2018, yet since 2021 it’s not offered with the V6 turbodiesel any longer.
Bestratingen – schuttingen – rioleringen – blokhutten – sierbestrating – grond, weg en waterbouw. True all-rounders, you can say that again.
Both the Sprinter and the Master have a wheelbase of 433 cm (170”), but the Sprinter clearly has a much longer rear overhang. The Master has a lower cargo floor though, because FWD vs RWD.
The camera on top must be very helpful when coupling a trailer to the Benz. Having no fear of heights also helps.
The Sprinter is also 4 cylinder only here in the US. But if you believe the graphics on the MBUSA website, it’s a V configuration. 😀
At least it’s a 60 degree V4; oh, wait…
Currently, the only turbodiesel available in the Sprinter here is the 1,950 cc four-cylinder with 150, 170 or 190 DIN-hp. Even a bit more maximum torque output for the most powerful version than the previous V6 (450 Nm vs 440 Nm).
I guess the 150 hp engine must be the ‘4 Cylinder Diesel Low Output’ then.
A better alternative than all these NA pickups pulling cube trailers which blind us because their tail is on the ground and their headlight not level, I’m not even talking about the ineffectiveness of the whole thing. And before a defender of the wonderful P.-U. points it out, yes if your van is at the dealer garage, it’s your inventory that is there too.
Dutch is SUCH a great language – even though I have never been able to pronounce ‘Scheveningen’ correctly!
Sgayveningen. Something like that.
Every time I was in the Netherlands I asked people to teach me how to pronounce that word… and never succeeded.
In my part of California, certain trades use vans, and the tall modern “Euro” vans seem even more popular than the domestic vans were 10-30 years ago. Plumbers, electricians, cabinet and flooring guys. But lumber is usually delivered on a flatbed or hauled on a pickup with a lumber rack. Soil and gravel, or demolition debris, are hauled in trailers which are invariably hooked up to a pickup. And NEVER a SUV. There’s always an exception: one arborist I know has two Sprinters and uses a trailer. As always, I’m really enjoying these posts to see how things are done in the Netherlands, even if the vehicles aren’t (yet) Classics.
Currently, the Land Cruiser 150-series/Prado is a common and dedicated trailer tower for professionals in NL, always turbodiesel (the ‘big’ Land Cruiser is not offered here any longer).
The 150 below can handle a 7,000 kg (15,400 lbs) full trailer, it’s retrofitted with air brakes all around and a heavy-duty trailer coupling, among other things (courtesy of Veldhuizen Groenekan).
There was a time in America when you could leave your tools and materials in the bed of your truck while you ran into the hardware store, and you could expect all your stuff to still be there when you got back to your truck. Those days are behind us now.
A buddy who’s a contractor recently bought a crew cab pickup and on Day One he removed the rear seat so he could have more room to store his tools in a locked space. I asked why he didn’t simply buy a van. “Because trucks are cooler.” Sigh.
A prime example of a really cool van:
Over here, it’s common to bolt an armoured tool box into the rear of a van.
Sounds far easier to root around in that!
Anything to be kewl, though…
Usually, the whole cargo compartment of the van is the tool box. Or mobile workshop.
The most versatile vehicle I own is my ’79 G20 Chevy van.
There is a HUGE cultural stigma of driving a full size van here in the US that is completely lost on Europeans.
Americans associate the generic no window van with kidnappers, rapists, and pedophiles. Or junkies/homeless living in them. Especially if its an older/scruffier looking van.
Even if you are in the trades and drive a van, NONE of those guys want to drive the van outside of work. And in American YOU MUST HAVE a personal car. If you drive a decent pickup for your job/trade, it does double duty as your personal vehicle. Everybody drives trucks, only tradesmen and weirdos drive vans.
“Americans associate the generic no window van with kidnappers, rapists, and pedophiles. Or junkies/homeless living in them. Especially if its an older/scruffier looking van”.
Actually, I learned that here on CC. ‘Free candy’ and all that.
We’ve been watching the TV series “Escape to the Chateau DIY” and accidentally learning a lot about French tradesmen’s preferences. A lot of people, including the English expats use various sizes of vans from the Renault Kangoo shorty thrugh normal sized Kangoos and Berlingos up through VW Tansporters, lots of Fiat Ducatos (Ram ProMaster over here) and assorted Transits. Anyone not using a van has a Transit dropside, often with a dump body.
If I was working construction a crew cab Transit with a dropside dump would be a first choice for masonry, framing or roofing or a van for finish carpentry, electrics and plumbing.
Contractors with employees (like Van Venrooij, the owner of the Sprinter) have a mix of full-size vans and the chassis-cab versions, the ‘dropside dumps’ you mention included.
The self-employed guys rarely drive a full-size van, certainly not something as big as the article’s Sprinter, and never a chassis-cab. Their preferred choice is a mid-size panel van (think VW Transporter, Ford Transit Custom, Renault Trafic, etc.) and hook up a trailer, owned or hired, when something big or loose has to be hauled to the job.