HARLEY DAVIDSON – YOU’VE GOT THE BIKE SO WHY NOT GET THE TRUCK!

Miller Industries, the parent company of Boniface Engineering, have been installing recovery equipment during 2010 onto Harley Davidson branded limited edition Lone-Star trucks - in this case, a Century 5130 but at Florida in April a Vulcan V-70 was debuted.  Due to the appeal of the Harley Davidson brand, Boniface are offering similar vehicles for sale here in Europe.  The equipment that can be fitted is drawn from the huge range of product that Miller Industries Towing & Recovery Equipment, the world’s largest supplier of towing equipment, offers – so there is a very wide range from which customer’s can choose!  Custom paint jobs often seen on Harley Davidson motorcycles can be replicated on the truck which allows Harley Davidson owners to have a motorbike and truck to match!

Undeniably striking as well as functional these trucks are limited edition and only available on ‘special order’ which provides some exclusivity.  Contact Boniface Engineering on 01842 754232 should you be interested or if you can’t afford the truck but would like a picture still call and they will send you one!

  Trailers, tankers, and loaded 8 wheelers

Trailers, tankers, and loaded 8 wheelers are all in the days work for this Mercedes Actros which has 600 BHP an Interstater MK6H and Pioneer axle. Why not try this truck by calling us and arranging a demo, you will find the truck a delight to drive, extremely maneuverable, very stable and good value for money. The truck is a 58 plate but has never been used, so when we say good value we mean it! Call us.

  Boniface exhibited their 2010 heavy duty body

Boniface exhibited their 2010 heavy duty body at the European Tow Show in June with a lot of new features to improve the access to the accessories stowed in the lockers. The door style is now "wardrobe" on the front two lockers on both left and right hand side, these improve access and allow heavy items to be positioned in places that ease the load on the operator when removing, Boniface have also concentrated on keeping all the most used tools within one locker, something that also makes the operators life easier. With the new body comes a range of internal features, like the swing out chain and sling storage on the off side, this reveals access to the timber stowage that is now conveniently positioned behind the locker, utilising the space between the chassis and the back edge of the body which has previously been unused. 

The Renault featured here is for sale and represents very good value for
money, it also is compliant with a number of essential regulations that are necessary today, BSEN 14492 winches and a lifting capacity of over 7 tonnes within the rear axle capacity.

Boniface have also concentrated on forward ballast, this keeps the overall weight of the vehicle down and improves rear axle capacity, the Kerax chassis lends itself well to this method of ballasting, in fact once painted many people think the ballast is part of the chassis.

  Another Champion For Nottingham Breakdown

Tough, durable, dependable, reliable and stylish are just a few words used to describe the Champion aluminium slidebed from Boniface Engineering.  Nottingham Breakdown is a long standing customer of Boniface and they have been impressed with both the products and service Boniface have provided over the years. Mick & Darren (the co-owners of Nottingham Breakdown) sourced this very clean low mileage Mercedes 815 chassis cab and due to their existing Champion bed doing such a great job had no hesitation in ordering another one. Once the chassis had been received at Boniface, the equipment was fitted in a little over 2 weeks – just as promised when they placed their order.  The Champion is rated at 3.5 tonnes and is tough enough to withstand constant heavy usage by the busiest operators for both Police and general club work. As standard it comes with a galvanised subframe which reduces the need for painting, lever controls for all functions and radio remote for the winch. This build for Nottingham Breakdown also included the optional 2nd car lift and extra locker boxes. There are numerous additional items which can be fitted to tailor the equipment to an operators exact requirements and Boniface are always pleased to offer help and advice. The champion bed is ideally suited to chassis within the range of 6.5 to 10 tonnes GVW. Other steel and aluminium beds are available for larger and smaller chassis cabs. For further information on this or any other product in the Boniface product range, call them on 01842 754232.

OLD INTERSTATER'S NEVER DIE

Clark Motor Engineering of Gatwick after many years of loyal service retired their Leyland Roadtrain 8 wheeler fitted with Interstater MK2 c equipment (ex boniface demonstrator) due to LEZ requirement and it has now been replaced with a Foden 4000, stretched to suit and altered to a 6x2 configuration.

As they are a commercial specialist all work was done in house and are sure it will give many more years trouble free service.

  EUROTUNNEL TURN TO BONIFACE

Railscape the main contractor for the UK side of the Euro tunnel sought the assistance of the sales team at Boniface to source a small vehicle to use in the Euro tunnel, and this was a challenge that the Boniface Team took in there stride. An ISUZU D max FPZ was sourced from one of our European partners who had the very truck in stock. Information was given to our customer and the order placed. Soon after John Coldwell Boniface Engineering’s Sales Manager was on a plane headed for Spain to collect the truck, and within two days of arriving in Spain the truck was safely back in the UK after traveling 1,000 miles to get home. An SVA test was completed on the vehicle and is now ready to go into service on this cross channel route.

As you will see by the pictures not only is this a good looking unit with composite lockers and the self loading wheel frame, it’s compact size makes it the ideal vehicle for inner city car parks and those congested routes and streets around the UK‘s major cities.

NEW VEHICLE FOR WEDDINGTON COMMERCIALS

Warwickshire based Weddington Commercials have owned and operated Boniface equipment for a number of years and recently purchased their first ever brand new vehicle – a Renault Midlum fitted with a 6 tonne capacity 23’ aluminium Chevron slidebed with 2nd car lift. The Chevron aluminium slidebed is a very robust and durable product that offers good weight savings over conventional steel slidebeds. It easily stands up to the most arduous recovery jobs and being aluminium, never rusts so it will stay looking great for years to come. Weddington’s M.D. Gavin Davies commented that he has always liked the Boniface equipment and over the years has been impressed by the performance and reliability of their existing Boniface fleet which consists of both light and heavy products. He found the staff at Boniface were always happy to help and their excellent after sales service also played a key part in his decision making process. I’m sure Gavin like many others will agree, Boniface really are “nice people to deal with”. 

  PETER AND TOM KERLEY - TAYLOR THE BUILD

P J Kerley of Norwich, Norfolk wanted a new accident unit and as Boniface Engineering are such ‘’nice people to deal with’’ Peter and Tom Kerley were able to visit Boniface’s Thetford factory and discuss in detail their build - giving them first hand knowledge of the build process and talking to the installation engineers to tailor the build to suit their specific needs.

The equipment chosen by Peter and Tom was the ever popular CHEVRON  Series 14 25’ steel slidebed with a 6t capacity.  Supplied complete with second car lift and ample stowage with large lockers each side to accommodate all the equipment used at the scene of road traffic collisions.  The bed was also fitted with the new style front crash bar which houses not only the damage free lift frame but also the lift clamps, enabling everything to be stowed neatly away in its own purpose-built stowage space.

This vehicle was delivered just before Christmas and has been flat out ever since due to our wonderful English weather.

BONIFACE SUPPLIES THE VERY FIRST POLYESTER BODIED RECOVERY TRUCK TO A FRENCH CUSTOMER

Boniface Engineering of Thetford in Norfolk, part of US based recovery vehicle specialist Miller Industries Towing Equipment, has recently supplied its first ever polyester bodied unit to French company Sadra Sud of Beziers.

The polyester components were developed and manufactured by Miller's French subsidiary, Jige International, prior to being shipped to Boniface for assembly onto a Century 1060S, 2-stage rotating boom recovery unit mounted in turn onto a Volvo FH16-660, 8 x 4 chassis.

Besides the obvious elimination of corrosion, the choice of polyester offers several advantages over traditional metal bodywork, not the least being the saving in weight which is able to provide a useful increase in rear bogey carrying capacity. Also, because the material is moulded rather than fabricated, Jige has been able to incorporate more style into the exterior design at very little extra cost as well as impregnate all steps and walk areas with a grip material for maximum safety when working during adverse weather conditions.

Other features of this new-style recovery truck include forward mounted aluminium roller shutter locker doors, polyester up-and-over locker doors at the rear and zenon worklights mounted on the rotating boom in order to provide enhanced illumination for night working.

In addition, the unit is equipped with Miller's highly effective safety stability system which automatically prevents the boom from being overloaded plus a central locking system which links all external locks with the prime mover's cab doors.

The finished vehicle, which weighs in at 33,500 kg is equipped with a Eurotow 42 underlift and a total of five winches - a pair of 22 tonne pull units on either side of the boom, a 30 tonne drag winch on the underlift and a further pair of 14 tonne units integrated into the Sumo Sidewinder front stabiliser legs.

  FIRST BONIFACE HEAVY-DUTY RECOVERY VEHICLE FOR KETTERING RECOVERY SERVICES

Boniface Engineering of Thetford in Norfolk has recently supplied a Recoverer Trident to a Northamptonshire based, family owned company which currently operates a fleet of 19 recovery vehicles as well as carrying out car and commercial MOT's and repairs.
Kettering Recovery Services (KRS) of Kettering, Thrapston and Northampton was founded some 30 years ago by the late Geoff Hill and has since grown to become an international operator with some 75% of its business now devoted to roadside and recovery work.
The new truck is KRS's very first heavy-duty unit from Boniface, although the company has used its slide bed trucks for almost 10 years with complete satisfaction.
Commenting on the new vehicle, KRS director Dave Bown said: “We decided to replace one of our old heavy-duty units with a new front-line truck that would not only do everything we needed but also provide a much more professional image for the company's activities.”
The Recoverer Trident is mounted on a 6 x 2, Euro 5 Mercedes Actros chassis with a lifting axle for improved manoeuvrability when positioning at a job and is equipped with a top boom, rear stabiliser legs and a pair of 2-speed, 50 tonne capacity winches.
“I'm over the moon with the truck”, says Mr. Bown, “And we've dedicated it to the company's founder by having his name signwritten on the cab and even registering it with a number containing his initials. 
Mr. Bown was also happy to point out that he is now looking to purchase another similar heavy duty unit next year”

  INTERSTATER OFF TO A SECRET LOCATION

Boniface are unwilling to reveal the exact location where the Interstater 6H illustrated is going other than it is somewhere in the Middle East and where it will be hot. This product was selected as it features a long low under lift particularly suited to towing buses and the organization who have ordered it have a contract to service a huge fleet, the company, Boniface, were chosen as the supplier against some tough competition with regard to both pricing and service.

Boniface is well represented world wide and their association with Miller Industries has opened up support network that is able to service vehicle in many parts of the world, this provides a unique advantage to the company when competing for International business.

  Century 1075 Rotator For The Mansfield Group

For the past 30 years, The Mansfield Group has continually developed and expanded their business, becoming one of the country’s most forward thinking and respected rescue and recovery operators. The company now operates from 5 sites, employs almost 140 staff and operates around 100 recovery vehicles – many of which were supplied by Boniface Engineering.

Then….. Recognise these boys? Just over 14 years ago,  Darrell Mansfield ordered his first Century 1060 Rotator.  Seen here, the boys, Brett, Lee & Oliver are checking it out during the build process at our factory in Thetford.

…. And Now Here are the boys again taking delivery of their latest Century 1075 rotator from Mike Boniface at this years European Tow Show.

The next 1075 rotator is nearing completion and with another on the way, this makes a total of 9 rotators in the last 14 years.

The Worlds Finest Recovery Equipment

As part of Miller Industries Inc. the world’s largest manufacturer of recovery equipment, Boniface produces the world’s finest recovery equipment. It is purchased by successful forward thinking companies like The Mansfield Group who rely on it’s proven reliability and innovative designs to cope with the demanding environment in which they work. 

When you’re considering your next vehicle,  give us a call.  You will find us extremely knowledgeable, with an excellent product range and are nice people to deal with!

  CELTIC RECOVERY EXPAND THEIR FLEET WITH BONIFACE

Truckfest South West saw Jamie Wall meet up with Lea Pearson take delivery of two new Boniface Built vehicles,  the 1st being an impressive Daf CF with 460 hp engine, fitted with Boniface Pioneer Axle, Mk6 Interstater with Lowline H underlift boom and impressive stainless steel bodywork hosting a range of accessories stowed on purpose built brackets, the vehicle will compliment their existing fleet based at their Cardiff depot. The Pioneer axle provides exceptional lift and tow performance and creates a very versatile and manoeuvrable vehicle.

The 2nd vehicle was a new 12t Isuzu crew cab fitted with a custom built Boniface ULA slidebed capable of moving large vans. This slidebed was built to a specification drawn up by Jamie Wall and it received a lot of attention from both the general public as well as other recovery operators. This vehicle features custom built access steps to the crew cab, a sliding winch, 2nd car lift, LED beacon, removable granule bin and a host of other items. Jamie commented that he and his staff are very impressed with the look and built quality of the vehicles and agrees that Boniface really are “Nice People To Deal With”.

  NEW 8 LED WORKLIGHT

Available as an option on any Boniface truck, this 8 LED worklight gives an outstanding quality of light.

The light is made from a cast metal body with an integrated 2 pin connector, giving an IP67 rating making it ideal for recovery applications.

This light has all the usual benefits of lower current draw, longer life and multi voltage ranging from 9V to 32V.

The model in the picture is the 8 LED version but it is also available in 4 or 16 LED if required. All versions are supplied with a one-bolt swivel mount.

  THE NEW LED REAR LIGHTS

This compact design gives an outstanding quality of light to the rear of your recovery vehicle and is suited to all Boniface recovery equipment.

This multi LED rear light is available in any arrangement of a three or four bank per side allowing you to have rear lights tailored to your needs.

Along with the usual advantages of the LED rear lights you get a low current draw, minimising power that your truck uses along with no down time of your vehicle for the replacement of bulb failure.

  NEW SIDE MOUNTED LED FLASHER

Available as an option on all Boniface Slidebed equipment as well as for heavy applications, this high impact flashing LED single beacon offers high visibility of your vehicle during recovery.

Available as a mounting to the side of the Boniface flyer or at the rear of the body on heavy recovery equipment, it offers the usual benefits that LED provides such as low current draw and an increased working life.

  NEW LED BEACON

Developed closely with Federal Signal the new LED beacon is now fitted as standard on some Boniface recovery equipment.

The beacon uses ROC (Reliable Onboard Circuitry), which eliminates 85% of the potential failure points in a typical lightbar, and comes with a 5-year LED product warranty.

The Solaris LED reflector design maximises warning signals at 360 degrees and 90 degrees off-axis.
The beacon incorporates stop, turn and tail as an option as well as providing all of the usual advantages of using LED lighting.

BONIFACE GEARS UP FOR INCREASING WORLDWIDE DEMAND FOR ITS RECOVERY

 VEHICLES

Boniface Engineering of Thetford in Norfolk, one of the UK's leading suppliers of recovery vehicles and part of Miller Industries Towing Inc., has recently expanded its manufacturing facility with the opening of a new 1700 sq m finishing shop, parts warehouse and administration centre.

This major expansion programme was necessary in order to meet strong demand for the company's extensive range of recovery vehicles from around the world.

The new facility, which is located alongside the existing 2700 sq m premises, not only provides much needed space for product finishing but has also allowed Boniface the opportunity to centralise its £1.5M spare parts holding and strengthen its parts team with the appointment of a co-ordinator tasked with providing customers with a direct order line on a 6 days per week basis.

Commenting on the expansion programme Michael Boniface said: “Despite the current recession we have enjoyed strong demand for our products and it was this consistent high level of activity that made it essential to streamline our  manufacturing operation. Also, we are very much a global player in the recovery vehicle business and besides the need to cope with the existing workload it was vital to make this significant investment in order to be prepared for future growth in our worldwide market.”

  ELVA RECOVERY SERVICE CHOOSES AN AMERICAN RECOVERY TRUCK FROM NORFOLK

BASED BONIFACE ENGINEERING

“I've always promised myself an American vehicle” says Steve Coulman-Hole, owner of Sussex based Elva Recovery Service and, with the recent delivery of a Century 312 Express from Boniface Engineering, his dream has now come true.

Although Mr. Coulman-Hole and his wife Tracey only took over ownership of Elva in 2001, his involvement with the company spans some 20 years and this extensive experience has helped him expand the company into a highly successful business with a fleet of 11 recovery vehicles as well as full workshop and MOT facilities.

Being located in St. Leonards-On-Sea, Elva's operating area covers a mix of towns and villages with no motorways, resulting in little demand for heavy duty vehicles so the current fleet ranges from 7.5 to 18 tonne to cope with the regular recovery of motorcycles, cars and commercials of up to about 5 tonne.

“The new Boniface supplied truck is not only a fantastic advertising tool which attracts tremendous attention wherever it goes, but it is also proving very useful for recovery jobs in narrow streets and other confined areas such as multi-storey car parks” says Mr. Coulman-Hole.

The Century 312 Express, shipped from the USA by Boniface's parent company Miller Industries, was developed mainly for repossession work with an ability to rapidly hook-up and remove a vehicle without the driver leaving the cab. This is made possible by the use of an engine driven hydraulic pump which operates both the underlift and Express jaw clamping system using an in-cab remote control pendant.

Unusually, this auto-loading, low profile crossbar mechanism can also be swung through 90 degrees which then enables it to be easily attached to a car, even if parallel parked.

Based on a dual-cab Ford F450, twin rear wheel drive chassis powered by a 6.4 litre V8 diesel engine, the 5.4 tonne Century 312 features a non-rusting lightweight composite body in order to maximise payload, twin 3.6 tonne capacity winches, an extending overboom rated at 7.14 tonne when fully retracted and an underlift with a lift capacity of up to 1.8 tonne when fully extended.

Elva has covered its new vehicle in eye-catching decals and plans to add to the bling factor in the near future with the addition of some 60 LED lights to outline the shape of the vehicle for maximum visual impact.

FIRST BONIFACE RECOVERY VEHICLE FOR HAMPSHIRE BASED MENDEM MOTORS

A Hampshire based recovery operator has recently taken delivery of its very first Boniface unit, increasing its fleet to a total of eight vehicles ranging in capacity from 6.4 to 17 tonne.

Mendem Motors of Tadley was founded in 1975 by current owner Nigel Manson, originally as a car repair business, and has steadily expanded to a point where a move was made last year into brand new, purpose-built premises with some 850 sq m of workshop and office space.

The recovery side of the business traces its history back 25 years when the company acquired a car club contract for the Basingstoke area, necessitating the purchase of two new recovery vehicles. The success of this initial contract led to further motoring club business as well as some police contracts which have grown to a point where they now represent almost 75% of the overall recovery work.

In fact, it was the acquisition of an additional police contract that led to the requirement for a new 12 tonne vehicle which would be able to handle heavy vans. Mr. Manson was already aware of Boniface Engineering and the quality of its products but the clincher on this occasion was the Norfolk based company's ability to supply a suitable unit in just three weeks.

The new vehicle, based on the Renault Midlum crew cab chassis, features a Chevron 14 Series aluminium slide bed which increases payload by approximately 0.5 tonne thanks to its light weight compared with a conventional steel version. The unit is also fitted with a second car lift, air suspension, dual control stations and a 12,000 lb hydraulic winch.

Commenting on the arrival of the new addition to his fleet, Mr. Manson said: “We are extremely pleased with the unit and the support received from the staff at Boniface. We particularly like the low bed angle that can be achieved using the air suspension which is very useful when loading vehicles with restricted ground clearance.”

Mr. Manson also reports that he has assigned the vehicle to his longest serving operator who thinks the unit is “absolutely magic!”

NEW BONIFACE RECOVERY VEHICLE WITH ROTATOR CHOSEN BY ESSEX BASED

 COMPANY

Essex based Boyton Cross Motors Group has recently taken delivery of a Century 1075S Rotator recovery vehicle from Boniface Engineering of Thetford in Norfolk.

Boyton Cross was purchased seven years ago by Jay Virdee, following approximately 25 years with a previous owner, and he has since increased the fleet of recovery vehicles to 19, including a total of four heavy-duty units supplied by Boniface.

The latest Century 1075S vehicle, which is mounted onto a Scania 8x4 chassis, is the first with a rotator to join the fleet which, according to Mr. Virdee, will make many recovery jobs a great deal easier and, importantly, often enable busy roads and motorways to remain open during the recovery operation.

The main feature of the new vehicle is its rotating 3-stage recovery boom which provides 360 degree continuous rotation and a maximum capacity of 68 tonne in its fully retracted and elevated position. Even at full extension with the boom at an angle of 30 degrees, capacity is still a generous 16 tonne. In addition, reach past the tailboard can be up to 7.42 m and maximum hook height is a useful 12.32 m.

To increase operating versatility, the boom on the unit supplied to Boyton Cross Motors has a total of four winches in order to provide both safe lifting and lowering during a typical roll-over recovery. These powerful winches comprise of a pair of 27,000 kg 2-speed units and a pair of 9000 kg turret winches.

The vehicle also features a new hydraulic stabiliser system, introduced last year, with underslung stabiliser legs at the front and 4-stage outriggers at the rear. The new low-level front outriggers not only allow work to be carried out over the top of them but also enables their placement under obstructions such as motorway barriers - again adding to the outstanding overall versatility of the vehicle. The footprints provided by this new stabiliser system are an impressive 6.65 m at the front and 5.60 m at the rear to ensure excellent stability at all times and as well as firmly anchoring the vehicle during difficult recovery operations.

Yet more versatility has been specified by Boyton Cross on its new Century unit with the addition of a fifth axle designed to increase rear bogie carrying capacity plus a 23000 kg capacity 2-speed drag winch. The extra axle enables the company to also tow heavy vehicles, once recovered, using the vehicles' optional super-duty 'low rider' underlift whilst still complying with the contractual requirements of UK highway and police recovery schemes. This fifth axle can also be pneumatically lifted from the ground when the unit is traveling un-loaded.

For ease of operation on a jobsite all boom and winch movements can be operated remotely via a fully proportional radio control system which allows the operator to locate himself in the best possible position for a completely safe recovery.

Commenting on the choice of his latest purchase Mr. Virdee said: “We consider Boniface as the industry standard for recovery vehicles, particularly when it comes to heavy-duty units and they suit our jobs very well.” 

In fact, some 50% of Boyton Cross Motors' business is accounted for by police contracts and, for this reason, the company currently operates out of seven depots spread across Essex to ensure rapid response times right across the County, although there are plans to extend coverage even further during 2009.

  New Century 1130 Rotator

Those people from Europe who traveled to the Florida Tow Show this year will have seen a new product from Miller Industries the Century 1130 Rotator. This product is available through Boniface, Millers subsidiary here in the UK, and joins a range of rotators which include the 1075, 1060, 1140 which was introduced last year and H600R, the medium duty product.

All the rotators are available with a wide range of options designed to suit most operators requirements and can be supplied with aluminium or stainless steel bodies.

The Century 1130 and 1140 models are aimed at the recovery company that needs a rotator for winching and undertaking difficult recoveries to the side but may not want to carry the weight of the larger machines; the winches fitted to these products comply with the requirements of some of the agencies who administer police or highway contracts and the entry price for this type of versatile equipment is lower than the immensely powerful 1075 and 1060 Rotators which many consider to be the ultimate machines for coping with all situations.

Boniface are currently building an 1140 which is likely to go onto a Tridem chassis, the completed truck will be displayed at one of the recovery shows this year, it is available for sale to the customer who wants the first model in the UK of what is proving to be a popular machine worldwide.

 Can you handle it?

This is one of our show trucks for 2009 that we just about to commence building and we are currently writing the specification. We want the truck to look stunning with a stainless steel custom built body and all our usual, practical, but eye catching features. The chassis is a 520 Euro 5 with 100 tonne train weight and a 32 tonne rear bogie capacity, the right specification.

This truck will be relatively expensive, reassuringly more than our competition, but it will do it’s job and will be backed by Boniface, a name synonymous with heavy recovery equipment, and a service and warranty back up that many customers have found extremely good to date.

So, a high specification truck for a high profile towing operator, can you handle it?

  ROY HUMPHREY ADDS SECOND HEAVY-DUTY BONIFACE RECOVERY VEHICLE TO ITS FLEET

Roy Humphrey (Recovery), part of the East Anglian based Roy Humphrey Group, has recently

added a second Boniface 6 x 4 heavy-duty recovery vehicle to its growing fleet, currently numbering 26 units.

Designed to meet both Police and Highway Agency requirements, the Scania mounted Boniface Recoverer Trident model features a 3-stage hydraulically powered  overboom which can be simultaneously extended and elevated to enable fast and accurate positioning for delicate winching and lifting operations. This boom offers a maximum capacity of 8 tonne when both fully extended and raised to an angle of 30 degrees. 

The 33 tonne capacity underlift fitted to the new Trident is a 4.2 m Maxireach low-line unit, the longest and lowest currently available on the market. This sturdy underlift enables this particular vehicle to safely handle 8 tonne loads at minimum extension with great stability and within rear axle capacity - essential in order to comply with police and highway schemes.

Other features include a custom-built stainless steel body with internally hinged locker doors, a Stealth Flyer, a pair of 2-speed 22 tonne capacity winches and recovery controls located in both near and offside rear lockers in addition to a radio remote control system.

The Roy Humphrey Group, which has been trading for almost 40 years, is situated on a 99 acre site near Eye on the Suffolk/Norfolk border from where it offers a one-stop shop for all transport needs covering sales, hire, service, parts, accident repair and recovery operations.

The Group's Recovery Division operates a mixed fleet of vehicles and equipment which includes airbags, a 110 tonne mobile crane and extendable low loader trailers. This fleet enables the Division to provide full incident coverage and recovery on a 24/7 basis, anywhere in Europe.

Commenting on the company's most recent acquisition, general manager Kevin Plummer said: “Our existing heavy-duty Boniface truck continues to provide excellent service, even after 10 years, and when the decision was taken to add a fourth heavy-duty vehicle to the fleet, we chose on this occasion another proven unit from the same local company with which we have established an excellent working relationship.”

  Volvo Tridem for use in recovery

An interesting development from Boniface is the introduction of the Volvo Tridem for use in recovery applications here in the UK . One of three chassis being converted for use with Rotators has just arrived at Boniface’s Thetford factory for conversion. The three axle arrangement at the rear is provided by Volvo and uses their components although the axle was fitted at Estepe in Holland who add the middle lifting steering axle which has a capacity of 10 tonnes and is independent from the two rear driving axles. The rear suspension is worthy of note as this is the first time Boniface have used a high capacity air ride system, more often they fit equipment onto a heavy duty multi leaf set up. With a front axle design capacity of 10 tonnes the finished truck will be a finely balanced machine, with good stability, good rear axle capacity, short wheel base, one reason the regular cab was used in place of the ubiquitous Globetrotter was to keep front axle within design.

The equipment to be mounted is the Century 1075S2 which is the lighter version of the 75 ton products that Boniface fit, this will have the new H style double extending front leg and four stage rear leg set up which is providing a stable platform for recovery situations, more details will be posted on the performance of this product as the build progresses.

  Deepcut know when it's the best

Surrey based Deepcut Garage was established in 1977 by Brenda and Brian Knight, initially with just four employees, but has since grown from strength to strength and now caters for all aspects of the motor industry.

The company's head office is based in a small village in north Surrey where specialist accident repair work is undertaken. In 1996 the company opened a purpose-built MOT bay and service centre which, three years later, was amalgamated with the accident repair side of the business.

In 2002 Mr. and Mrs. Knight decided to retire from the business in order to pursue a more relaxing and slower pace of life. This left the way for their son Steve to take over the reins as managing director, bringing with him a host of new ideas for the company's future.

Boniface Engineering, which has enjoyed a long association with Deepcut, recently delivered a new Iveco 75 E18S automatic to the company, equipped with a Champion aluminium slide bed, with a GVW and train weight of 7.5 tonne and 11 tonne respectively. This is a very lightweight and economical truck to operate and has the added benefit of meeting all the latest emission standards, including those required in London's low-emission zone.

Commenting on his choice of the new Iveco unit, Steve Knight said: “From past experience I know that when I buy a truck from Boniface it will always be of top quality and built to a very high standard".

  Boniface's ULA - The way to go

If you need low angle beds then consider Boniface's ULA, the ultra low angle will load some of the lowest cars around and when fitted to a 12 tonne GVW chassis give a good payload as well.

  Big in the 80's

Unusual today but very useful is a 4x2 heavy duty Interstater, these were the most prolific machines used in the 80's and it was so until axle weight awareness introduced us to 6 and 8 wheelers which are the norm today. This unit was built to Filongley Garage specification, they have previously used a similar set up very successfully for towing tractors and medium duty trucks and wanted to update their fleet and in particular add a Mercedes to give a wider range of dealer support. 

The Interstater 6I is one of the latest versions of the most popular machine Boniface build, its long low boom and power tilt and big lifting performance will give more output than the chassis below will ever require, and when it comes to maneuverability this will drive circles within the turning circles of our bigger trucks. Boniface will custom build a truck to your specification, and they enjoy doing it, so not only do you get a useful machine you get the pleasure of dealing with nice enthusiastic people.

  The Latest for RS Recovery

RS Recovery Ltd of Tipton, West Midlands have recently taken delivery of a DAF 85CF space cab-fitted with a brand new Interstater MK6h underlift and the latest aluminium tri-step body.

Recovery manager, Tony Jones, said “the decision to purchase from Boniface was based on their proven track record to supply a quality product on time and at the agreed price plus their willingness to accommodate any changes to specification through-out the build period.”

“The level of service we received was excellent and the finished vehicle is an impressive addition to our expanding fleet.”

  T35 Evolution

Boniface have been producing the product known as the T35 since the acquisition of VTech in 1999, this company produced a unique patented system that by its construction allowed larger payloads than conventional slide beds. The T35 comprises of an aluminium bed that can be hydraulically extended for loading, rolling back over a subframe that is an integral part of the vehicle chassis. In fact most of the original chassis components behind the cab are replaced with the purpose built fabrication.

This method of manufacture was relatively easy on front wheel drive vehicles, however until now rear wheel drive T35 were not produced by Boniface; this year has seen the introduction of the T35 Evolution a product now available for rear wheel drive Renault Maxity or Nissan 3.5 tonne GVW chassis. There are other benefits particularly in the French and German markets where homologation can be difficult for chassis that are radically altered, with the Evolution the chassis remains unaltered, but still provides a significant payload of 1100 kgs.

Boniface will export the first T35 to France in November where it will be trailed in the Paris region during the latter part of 2008, it is in city environment that these small manoeuvrable trucks will have an advantage over larger vehicles as it also within the urban areas of Europe there is a heavy concentration of small cars which this package can accommodate.  

  Hero, Eamon Kelly purchase Renault Midlum 10.190 with Champion bed

This is the truck now in the livery of one of our heroes, Eamon Kelly that was purchased at the Avro show in September, a Renault Midlum 10.190 with Champion bed, now converted to full remote control with a Jige style second car lift. We like Eamon because not only is he a good customer but he helps us secure other deals with his referrals so we are extremely happy to reciprocate by promoting his business whenever we can. It is business which has grown significantly over the last few years, with Eamon supported by his family steering the way the business has developed to one of the largest towing companies in Ireland .

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