Fransen’s bought some Schmitz fridges -I used to know the workshop supervisor at BRS who apparently did their maintenance.Always remember him saying they should have been labelled Cargobull[zb]
switchlogic:
I have to disagree, Schmitz curtainsiders are the work of the devil. A more badly designed trailer you couldn’t hope to find.
I’m with you completely, what a load of rubbish!!! I don’t know if they’ve changed them (they flippin needed to) but you could only tension the curtains from the rear■■? great if your getting the last two pallets off from the front, having to undoing all the curtain buckles on both sides!!
I had a Van Hool Euroliner for a couple of years & you had to release all the curtain buckles if you wanted to open the roof & with the monster overhang I once couldn’t get off a ferry!!! they’d parked me that close to the edge right at the front that when I tried to pull forward the rear end kicked out & hit the side!!! I had to wait while they backed everyone up & of course they all scooted past me, 1st on last off 
Before that I had a Trailor tilt, Best trailer ever made!!! easy to strip with not having full length longitudinals, top rails only the length of each gate, quality!!
Ross.
switchlogic:
460MC:
English trailers are built strong but when it comes to design they aint a patch on european trailers especially the german kindI have to disagree, Schmitz curtainsiders are the work of the devil. A more badly designed trailer you couldn’t hope to find.
You haven’t even mentioned the false bulkhead!! 
Designer must have started off with a Reefer! and added curtains later! 
We use Schmitz Cargobull Euroliners.
They ain’t that bad and quite lightweight. On a Merc’ Megaspace 2548 with a mid lift, 15,500kg with a nearly full 500l tank and driver out.
A tip for sliding the roof, unlock all the buckles. No need to unhook them, just take the tension off.
On ours, we always have been able to tension the curtains from back or front. They have to be set up properly though. The front tensioner is only a lever which has to take a full half turn of curtain around the pole. If you don’t do that, you don’t get enough slack to unhook it. If you try to give yourself more slack by getting 3/4 of a turn, it’s quite difficult to get it again when you only open the front for a few pallets.
If I have the complete side open, to get a good tension on my curtain, I do it this way.
Put a half turn on the front tensioner by closing the lever, but don’t fasten the lock.
Get tension on the curtain by winding tension on, watching the lever come out to fully open as the curtain pulls it.
Re-close the front tensioning lever and lock it. It should take a bit of effort this time.
Do up all the buckles along your trailer. You should feel the hook scuff the curtain as you put it under the lip. If you do, it’s tight enough once the buckle is done up. Don’t put any more tension onto that strap. Job done.
You can tell your curtain is right. Give it a gentle tap and you’ll hear it.
It was once pointed out to be that anyone who designs and builds a trailer that can cope daily with crossing the Irish Sea must know a thing a thing or two about trailers - I like SDC trailers they cost me nothing to run . As for a fridge a Lambret must be the way to go I allways thought G & A was like a Rolls Royce Bitish builts and proudly different having said that I’ve never run one
Nextdrop:
It was once pointed out to be that anyone who designs and builds a trailer that can cope daily with crossing the Irish Sea must know a thing a thing or two about trailers - I like SDC trailers they cost me nothing to run . As for a fridge a Lambret must be the way to go I allways thought G & A was like a Rolls Royce Bitish builts and proudly different having said that I’ve never run one
If I ever run my own trucks which is very unlikely it would consist of SDC curtainsiders and G&A fridges with ThermoKings on the front. From my experience as a driver that’s pulled a lot of both they are pretty indestructible
switchlogic:
Nextdrop:
It was once pointed out to be that anyone who designs and builds a trailer that can cope daily with crossing the Irish Sea must know a thing a thing or two about trailers - I like SDC trailers they cost me nothing to run . As for a fridge a Lambret must be the way to go I allways thought G & A was like a Rolls Royce Bitish builts and proudly different having said that I’ve never run oneIf I ever run my own trucks which is very unlikely it would consist of SDC curtainsiders and G&A fridges with ThermoKings on the front. From my experience as a driver that’s pulled a lot of both they are pretty indestructible
“Indestructable” & in the case of G&A, a little heavy 
Ross.
Fridge trailers look the part and once you go to Eastern Europe Tarpuallin trailers are popular . Going to the Balkans is a timewarp!