Demounts!

The agency rang today asking if i will work for B&Q though TNT tomorrow, so I said yes of course but then remembered all of there trucks in the local depot are scanian demounts, anyway the agency have arranged for me to go in 1 hour early for a quick run though but can someone on here tell me how these things work so I look like I’ve got some idea!

Thanks guys!

Dan

The big square bit and the bit with the wheels come apart. :wink:

Super Dan:
work for B&Q though TNT tomorrow, so I said yes

TNT■■? So does that mean you’ll be DePoel’d■■? :open_mouth:

Braver man than me!! :wink:

Really depends what type?

I have only used the sliding type, but the other type is the “Spider leg type”

For the sliding type-

Raise rear air suspension
Get out of cab and drop rear legs and undo twist locks at rear
Get back in cab and drop air suspension, Wait for box and chasis to seperate and ensure legs firmly on ground.
Pull forward slowly until rear wheels are just forward of stowed front legs on box.
Get out and drop front legs on box.
Get back in and drive out from under box.

To load a box is just the reverse. If you have a drag on the back then you should drop the drag, then unbox the prime mover, then connect up to the drag and unbox that. (done that way so you can see what the drag box is doing) There are short cuts to the above, but what is written is the “By the book” method.

They are a pain in the arse, you are forever jumping in and out of the cab. I did it for 6 months on agency for Argos, if we had 3 drop and swaps to do in a shift it would mean you were in and out of the cab something like 50+ times in the shift, It killed my knees. :imp: :imp: :imp: :imp: :imp:

Dan ,
I used them for a while on Euro removals with wagon and drag,
Just common sense really,
Raise your suspension all round, drop all the legs lock in place, undo twist locks,lower suspension till it clears everything and drive out real slowly,
Picking up is just the reverse.
DONT catch the legs while moving in or out, could prove a tad expensive.
Pete

newbie question alert - what’s a demount?

Andyroo:
The big square bit and the bit with the wheels come apart. :wink:

pmsl :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

el gordo 78:
newbie question alert - what’s a demount?

when the rider comes off his horse it’s called demount :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

arrr-eh

The de-mount boxes will have legs attatched to them. The legs are rarely greased so take a decent sized hammer with you, for persuading the legs to move.
You need to lift the box up, there are a couple of different methods of doing this.
The easiest method is to lift the air-suspension of the wagon all the way up.
The other method is to use the hydraulic rams fitted to the wagon.

Using whichever method applicable, lift the box as high as possible. Release the catches, and pull the back legs out, then drop the leg extensions down and lock them. The front legs might pull out and they might have extensions. If so, pull them out and drop the extensions. If not, leave them latched up.
Release the locks which hold the box to the wagon.
Lower the suspension and or rams, leaving the box on its legs, hopefully well clear of the chassis. Drive straight out.
If the front legs dont pull out, drive forward slowly, watching the box front. The front of the box will have rollers on it. Stop just before the box rolls off the chassis. Lower the front legs, then drive the rest of the way out. You might have to lift the chassis to allow the legs to drop down and lock. This type don’t have extensions on the legs.
Re-fitting boxes is the reverse. ie, line up with the box, lower the chassis, reverse straight under, lift and latch up the front legs if you need to, reverse all the way under the box. Lift the box into the air using whichever method. Lock the legs up and tuck them away. Lock the box to the chassis. Ensure that your suspension is set for driving and have a walk round, to check that everything is locked/latched properly. That just about covers it. :smiley:

trust you simon to put the text book disciption of this :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

el gordo 78:
newbie question alert - what’s a demount?

A demount is a box that seperates from the chassis, it stands clear of the ground on 4 legs (usually, unless you forget to put the front ones down :blush: :blush: :blush: ), Normaly they are wagon and drags, but sometimes just prime movers. People like Argos use them as they can be trunked 2 at a time by W&D’s and then put onto 7.5 ton chasis for delivery of the goods inside to residential areas.

If you get the chance try them once then stay well clear, When it is dark and wet and you cant see arse all then you remember just how easy hooking up to a 45t trailer really is. When it goes pear shaped with them it really goes pear shaped - in my expierence this normally happens at 3am in a deserted yard :blush: :blush: :blush:

el gordo 78:
newbie question alert - what’s a demount?

A demount is where the box containing the goods can come off the chassis which carries it. Almost the same as a container, except that you get curtainside versions, etc. and they have their own legs so that you can just drive underneath them to pick them up/drop them off.

Depends on type of demount, procedure for ours is;

Undo twist locks (4 on each box)
raise boxes with hydrolic rams
lower all legs
lower boxes
empty air from suspension.

Pull trailor so its underneath the prime movers box
level suspension
raise box, lift legs, lower box and fasten twist locks.
Dump trailor and reverse under the ex-trailor box

sit back and have a coffee

dead easy, when you’ve seen it done once you wont have a problem.

You’ve all missed two more important things which aren’t in the text book so-to-speak.

First off all, what about the two fat ‘pins’ that stick up from truck/trailer chassis that ensure the demount is located in the correct position on the chassis ?

When I did wagon and drags a good fews years ago, even with the prime mover and drag’s suspension on the deck, the locator pins still wouldn’t clear the boxes when you were reversing under them or pulling it - you had to drop them both before doing so. Connecting up to your boxes was always the worst part because if you didn’t reverse ‘square’ underneath them then the locator pins wouldn’t, er, ‘locate’ in the holes under the demount to centralise it which then resulted in the twist locks being way out, which nicely brings me to my second point. :bulb:

If you find yourself only managing to get 2 or 3 of the twist locks located and the other/others refuse to locate then some harsh acceleration and braking in a straight line across the yard usually settles the box so that you can lock the box on at all four corners.

The clips that hold the legs in against the demount in the carried position are terrible for rusting up so something with a bit of weight behind it is recommended for tapping them in or out should they be stiff. I usually find that a smallish stone or pebble from the ground of the yard does the job nicely.

Anglian Windows use demounts & I have to say they are easy work. I have never had any problems getting in & out from under the box’s & as long as you have a decent bar to move anything that is stubborn or twisted then you have no problems.
Don’t be tempted to take any advice which suggests moving box’s, even a few yards, on the hydraulics, it goes wrong too often to be worth the time saved, also always try to use all twist locks, not just opposite corners, it is difficult to lock some corners into place but it does need doing, even when empty.

Well guys I’ve had ago and its easy peasy once you’ve had ago!

Thanks for all the advice it was very helpful as usual!! :wink:

Super Dan:
Well guys I’ve had ago and its easy peasy once you’ve had ago!

Thanks for all the advice it was very helpful as usual!! :wink:

SUPER DUPER DAN,nice one! :smiley: :smiley:

Well, thats nearly everything covered with demounts but I’ll add something.

Be very carefull about bent legs or legs that aren’t fully out when you try to put them away. I got my thumb caught with one that was bent when I was dropping it. It was a freezing cold day and I just sat on the floor with my finger under my arm waiting for the pain to subside before I dare take my gloves off! No lasting damage but the colours over the next couple of months as the nail sorted itself out were something else!! :open_mouth:

laybybobb:
You’ve all missed two more important things which aren’t in the text book so-to-speak.

First off all, what about the two fat ‘pins’ that stick up from truck/trailer chassis that ensure the demount is located in the correct position on the chassis ?

When I did wagon and drags a good fews years ago, even with the prime mover and drag’s suspension on the deck, the locator pins still wouldn’t clear the boxes when you were reversing under them or pulling it - you had to drop them both before doing so. Connecting up to your boxes was always the worst part because if you didn’t reverse ‘square’ underneath them then the locator pins wouldn’t, er, ‘locate’ in the holes under the demount to centralise it which then resulted in the twist locks being way out, which nicely brings me to my second point. :bulb:

If you find yourself only managing to get 2 or 3 of the twist locks located and the other/others refuse to locate then some harsh acceleration and braking in a straight line across the yard usually settles the box so that you can lock the box on at all four corners.

The clips that hold the legs in against the demount in the carried position are terrible for rusting up so something with a bit of weight behind it is recommended for tapping them in or out should they be stiff. I usually find that a smallish stone or pebble from the ground of the yard does the job nicely.

That sounds like the ABEL system Bob, that is what we used at United Carriers, we owned ABEL in them days.

I had an advantage in that I had worked as depot shunter using these boxes, so I could eventually put them anywhere :stuck_out_tongue: It was quite difficult to reverse an A frame drawbar trailer and a rigid under both boxes without knocking the legs off :smiley:

You shouldnt have any problem with a centre axle caravan chassis though