• Unimog implement carrier replaces three trucks in a British company
• U 530 at Fletcher Access: both a tractor unit and a versatile workhorse
• Safe and reliable in operation: off-road specialist with superior on-road performance

Worcester, Great Britain – Fletcher Access based in Worcester/Great Britain is a company specialised in mobile working at great heights. Whether cleaning high-rise building facades, roof and chimney repairs or trimming branches off tall trees.

New Unimog U 530 implement carrier: replacement for three company trucks

The company now has the highly effective support of a new Unimog U 530 implement carrier. The 15.5-tonne Unimog with permanent all-wheel drive is so versatile that it has replaced no fewer than three commercial vehicles thanks to the many applications it can be used for.

Simon Fletcher, who manages the company together with his brother Anthony, says: "The new Unimog is a very substantial investment for our company, but it's been worthwhile. The vehicle improved our efficiency right from the start. Using it has saved us three other vehicles. It's enormously adaptable, so we can use it for practically any job."

Numerous applications for the U 530 at Fletcher Access: wood-chopping, cleaning buildings, transport

The Unimog is used in three main areas: for wood-chopping assignments, Fletcher Access equipped the tipper platform with a high-walled box. During chopping operations the box is filled via four roof hatches.

When buildings are to be cleaned, the box is removed and replaced with four water tanks each holding 1000 litres.

And when used as a tractor unit, the Fletcher Access U 530 tows a heavy trailer with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 26 t. The trailer is used to transport a wide variety of implements for working at great heights – one of them a seven-tonne crawler crane with a boom length of 42 m.

Safe and reliable in operation: off-road specialist with superior on-road performance

Anthony Fletcher, who is often at the wheel of the new Unimog U 530 implement carrier, is thrilled with his new mobile work colleague: "Thanks to the large window areas, the U 530 gives you an outstanding view. It's also easy to manoeuvre in narrow alleyways, where we often have jobs to do on facades and house roofs."

Eight forward and six reverse gears plus work gears

The U 530 is the largest and most powerful Unimog implement carrier. It combines an economical 7.7-litre six-cylinder engine developing 220 kW (299 hp) and a peak torque of 1200 Nm with fully-synchronised electropneumatic transmission with eight forward and six reverse gears. For difficult working assignments such as off-road operations, the working gear group provides another eight forward and eight reverse gears.

The permanent all-wheel drive, high ground clearance and portal axles with differential locks further enhance the off-road capabilities of the Unimog. Nonetheless, progress is brisk on the road. The technical top speed is around 90 km/h.

Even more flexible with Tire Control Plus and VarioPilot system

The optional equipment of the U 530 includes the unrivalled Tire Control Plus technology (tyre pressure control system) and the VarioPilot system. Tire Control Plus allows the driver to reduce the tyre pressure without having to leave the cab. This not only improves traction on soft surfaces, but also helps to minimise ground damage.

With VarioPilot the steering wheel can be pivoted to the other side of the cab in around 30 seconds, which further improves the operating flexibility of the vehicle. Other optional extras include air-sprung driver and co-driver seats and front and rear cameras with a monitor, which make it easier to hitch up mounted implements at the front and rear.