Back to the future

by Nick Drew | Wed 18 Sep 2019

Back to the future

Taking a look back at an article I did earlier this year for Earthmovers Magazine and bringing it to life on the internet with alternative photos.

The construction site dumper has effectively remained unchanged in principal for decades, but as we have seen in the past couple of years all that is changing at a rapid pace as manufacturers look to evolve the once humble dumper into something more fit for purpose in the 21^st century. Safety and comfort for the operator is high on the list of priorities these days and the addition of fully heated and air-conditioned cabs on conventional site dumpers by most of the major players in the industry can only be a good thing. One manufacturer less well known for dumpers is the Italian D’Avino Group, who perhaps somewhat surprisingly were well ahead of the game when they entered the site dumper market 5 years ago with something a bit different, although those of us of a certain age will recall something similar in design, the British built Thwaites Alldrive Goliath which was first launched back in the early 1980’s.

The D’Avino Group was formed as a family business in their home city of Naples as far back as the 1950’s by the founder Pasquale D’Avino, in those early days they specialised in equipment for the mining and crushing sector but following expansion over the coming decades they have become more well known for their innovative self-propelled and self-loading mobile concrete mixer ranges which they first started producing in 1978. The business is still a family concern to this day and they employ over 35 staff at its base in Italy. With dumpers being a hot topic in the construction industry D’Avino spotted a gap in the market for a fixed chassis rear tipping dump truck featuring 4x4 drive and steering, that would slot in between a conventional forward tipping site dumper and an articulated dumptruck, the result being the D12 dumper which has as its model number suggests, has a payload capacity of 12 tonnes and its smaller brother the D6 with a payload capacity of 6 tonnes, in addition an 8 tonne model has also been added to the range.

The first examples of these unique dumpers are now starting to arrive in the UK courtesy of new dealers. We caught up with one of two D12’s that have recently been purchased by Lancashire based Buckhurst Plant Hire who already have more on order. Delightfully different the D12 made a striking impact with its row of 6 Nordic style LED lights mounted on a chrome effect light bar on the front lip of the skip, a chrome effect “nudge” bar in front of the engine bonnet completes the frontage. Access to the engine compartment is via a couple of steps on the offside, with handrails located to provide the necessary 3 points of contact. The bonnet is released by a rear mounted latch and the whole canopy lifts up and tilts forwards to reveal the 4-cylinder Stage 3B/Tier4i emissions compliant Deutz TCD3.6L04 turbo charged engine which offers a power rating of 122hp (90.0kw) @2200rpm. To the rear of the engine bay we discover the fuel and hydraulic oil tanks both of which have a capacity of 175 litres.

The machine is fitted with a Danfoss hydrostatic transmission which features 4 speeds forward and reverse (2 hydraulic, 2 mechanical) which is capable of achieving a top speed of 35Km/h. Italian manufactured Comer Industries axles are fitted and the steering features planetary reduction gears on the wheel hubs. Multi oil-bath disc hydraulic brakes ensure excellent stopping ability and parking for safety. A quick glance underneath the machine and you notice that all the major drive components are well protected by heavy metal guarding. The D12 has a width footprint of 2,360mm and a total body length of 5,420mm, this example from the Buckhurst fleet was fitted with Trelleborg 500/60 R22.5 floatation tyres for low ground pressure abilities. The reinforced dump body which on the D12 features the over the cab protective lip such as we see on large rigid site dumptrucks is tipped by 2 double acting hydraulic rams and when in the fully raised position achieves a tipping angle of 70⁰ensuring that the load is easily deposited.

Access to the ROPS/FOPS cabin is via 3 metal steps, the lower step looked like it could be liable to damage from impact on a deeply rutted site, but this could easily be altered by fixing a flexible rubber step in its place which is something they could do going forward. The cab itself is very spacious, especially in height and large glazed areas offer excellent forward and side visibility. Big wing mirrors provide a rearward view down the side of the truck and there is also a rear-view camera in the cab. This example from the Buckhurst fleet was actually fitted with a full 360^obirds eye view camera option. Operators will be delighted to hear that full air conditioning is provided with no fewer than six adjustable air vents located in the roof, there did not appear to be any vent for warming the foot area. Sliding side windows allow the operator to get some fresh air flow if he prefers.

The seat is of an air suspension type from well-known manufacturer Grammer, which is fully adjustable and features incorporated adjustable arm rests for comfort. The steering and control column is also adjustable in both reach and height so you can get it just right no matter what size the operator is. Directly in front of the operator and below the steering wheel we find the dashboard, on the left-hand side there is the travel direction lever while on the left a multi-function stork is provided for the road legal indicators and lights. In the centre of the dash an LED display gives the operator information on engine rpm, machine hours worked and a drive mode indicator (hare or tortoise).

Conventional dials indicate the machines fuel level and water temperature and warning lights indicate the parking brake status, which steering mode is selected and working light status. A bank of 6 rocker switches are supplied for various applications like tip/lower of the skip, travel mode, parking brake and steering modes. Talking of the steering modes the machine can be driven in 3 different wheel configurations, front 2-wheel steer, 4-wheel bi-lateral steer or 4-wheel parallel steer (crab mode) offering plenty of options in different applications. In 4-wheel steer the machine has an internal turning radius of 2,550mm, so its highly manoeuvrable on its feet. The cab floor is a clutter free affair, with only two pedals, the brake on the left-hand side and the accelerator on the right. To the operators left next to the seat there is a cubby hole provided and the obligatory but all so important cup holder for the driver’s “brew” in the mornings.

I was invited to run a few loads of topsoil away in the D12. Buckhurst had a Takeuchi TB2150R on site which was loading the soil and the operator wasn’t holding back on giving me a full load! Securing my seat belt, I selected forward gear and with the flick of the parking brake button on the dash I was on my way. My route to the discharge area took me alongside a fence with a steep drop on the other side, the track was only just wide enough to drive the dumper down and sitting on the right-hand side of the machine I initially mis-judged how wide the machine is, this was just a minor blimp though and I soon became accustomed to the width of the D12.

Once clear of the narrow section of track I could open her up a bit and the lively and responsive truck quickly arrived at the tipping point, selecting reverse gear I backed up in preparation to tip, it had been a hard frost over night in the North West and by this time the sun was thawing out the grassy field, this obviously caused some loss of traction on the wheels but nothing too drastic. Once in position and applying the parking brake, a flick of tipping switch on the dashboard had the body raising and in no time, I was hurtling back for another load, the truck has great speed and the suspension seat ensured I was in for a comfortable journey back to the loading area The D12 is a very simple truck to operate in every aspect, however first-time drivers who are more used to operating trucks with a centrally mounted cab may need a bit of time to adjust to the driving position, those who have driven rigid quarry trucks with single offside cabs will understand what I mean. What this style of truck does do is offer customers yet another option for their dumptruck requirements.

According to Buckhurst Group Managing Director Paul Power, feedback on the dumptrucks has been extremely positive with many of the “blue chip” contractors expressing an interest in the concept. They also have a number of demonstrations planned so more people can come along and see first hand what the D’Avino can do.

With more new smaller dumper models coming from the Italians this year, they are bracing themselves for a busy time and according to Paul the factory in Naples is very capable of delivering great production numbers. From the feedback I heard on the day, I expect to be seeing these turn up on sites in decent numbers this year. Watch the machine in action again with our video taken on the day.

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