The commercial vehicle bodywork and semi trailer manufacturer supplied a prototype demount swap-body scheme earlier this year. It involves Cartwright’s well-proven Clearlift system, which has been successfully sold for more than 25 years.

But unlike a contact system, the body is lifted clear of the chassis, thus enabling the driver to have more flexibility in the body demounting and mounting.

This system features four off lightweight hydraulic rams and cross beams, fitted to DAF 45 7.5 tonne distribution vehicles. There are also DAF 75, 18-tonne drawbar vehicles with centre bogie tandem axle drawbar trailers, with full air suspension for demounting of the swap bodies.

Bathstore has now taken 17 of the chassis installations and four drawbar trailers. They have also had 28 of the demount swap bodies featuring lightweight honeycomb GRP side panels and doors.

And Bathstore is about to place further orders, as Cartwrights new demount system has proved of great benefit to the bathroom specialists.

Cartwrights worked closely on a pilot scheme for the new system with Roy McCrudden, National Fleet Manager for Wolseley UK, Bathstore’s parent company. The pilot scheme was used for the home delivery service run by Bathstore, which is the UK’s largest bathroom specialist retailer.

After successful trial of the new scheme, Bathstore has introduced it for its deliveries across England, Scotland and Wales, serving customers ordering online and from its 150 plus stores.

Roy McCrudden said, “Bathstore is growing and with that comes new warehousing facilities and a larger vehicle fleet.

”Cartwright’s system benefits us as it means that we can hold our products in a few central warehouses, ship them on to distribution centres and then on to customers. It means that handling of the goods is much reduced.

”We are using Cartwrights because it is a company that is always willing to adapt, innovate and move its product forward.

”Many companies will simply offer the same product year after year but Cartwrights are always looking at ways to minimise the weight of equipment and maximise the available volume. They are quick to come forward with changes to make their products even better for the customer.

”Cartwrights also has the benefit of being able to manufacture the complete system in house, including demount frame, bodywork, chassis installations, drawbar trailer, tail-lift and hitch fitment. This has the advantage of one point of contact and a one-stop shop”