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Crown is set to launch its first IC-engine counterbalance truck to the European market next month.
The C-5 has been designed to support the company’s existing product line and promote its ethos of total cost of ownership by reducing maintenance and downtime.
It is available in 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 tonne capacities with nearly all parts made from steel rather than plastic to minimise damage.
Simon Emery, UK managing director of Crown says that while this costs more initially it is vital in protecting the components within the truck and will cost less over the lifetime of the machine.
He explains: “It might be cheap and easy to replace plastic if it is only that that gets damaged, but if a fork goes through the plastic it could do serious damage to the parts it conceals, which ultimately will be more expensive to replace.”
The truck features a specially designed John Deere engine, which claims to prevent overheating and extend service intervals, leading to a 20,000 hour drive time over the course of its life.
To further reduce the risk of overheating the C-5 come with a dual open core radiator as standard which provides a separate cooling system for the engine and transmission, while also preventing debris build-up.
Trucks come with the option of the On-Demand Cooling System (ODC) which only runs the fan when it is needed, while its radiator clearing feature automatically blows out the radiator to dislodge dust and debris.
The C-5 has been designed with operator comfort in mind too. The FlexSeat absorbs and dissipates shocks and vibrations, plus the hydraulic levers are designed to be easy to reach and operate.
The centre of gravity is lower and further forward compared to similar trucks allowing it to turn and manoeuvre more quickly.
The C-5 also features Access 123, a system control which automatically collects data and monitors functions. When it is combined with Crown’s fleet management system InfoLink information such as how much gas is being used, which operator is using the most gas and who is the most efficient can be gained in real time.
If there is a problem, for example if the operator is over revving, the manager can send an instant message via the system telling them to stop.
Additionally, any faults will be highlighted through the system, which means technicians can quickly identify a problem.
