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VSE on flower trailer thanks to Theo Mulder BV

Flower transporter Fleurs Van den Eijkel of Rijnsburg, in consultation with body builder Theo Mulder BV, also of Rijnsburg, has installed a VSE steering system on a new flower trailer with a gooseneck. Special aspects of this trailer are that is has both a low load floor and small wheels. Nevertheless, thanks to the minimal space required for installation, a VSE steering system could be installed for effective steering of the rearmost trailer axle.

Fleurs Van den Eijkel is family company based in the province of South Holland that has a reputation stretching back years in the flower trade. The Van den Eijkel family has been buying and selling flowers for over half a century, with most of their clientèle abroad. Until recently they often used a rigid truck and trailer combination. This time the company chose a trailer with Trias chassis and VSE steering system. This will give Van den Eijkel the same manoeuvrability they were accustomed to with the rigid truck combinations. Gerhard van den Eijkel drives his new combination to the south of France weekly. ‘It is inevitable that we often end up in smaller villages, so it is important that our combination provides optimal manoeuvrability. Our regular body builder, Theo Mulder, had a solution for this.’

Another thing that never changes is that Van den Eijkel has their new bodies installed by Theo Mulder of Rijnsburg. ‘We’ve been a loyal customer for over half a century,’ says Gerhard. When Mulder suggested the new trailer with VSE steering, Van den Eijkel thought it sounded like a good idea. ‘I took a test drive, plus I had already heard good things from a colleague who has it in his rig,’ said Van den Eijkel. ‘What I especially like is that as a driver you always know that the system sets the axle straight and switches itself off whenever you are driving faster than 50 km/h. That really gives you peace of mind.’ Van den Eijkel also learned the differences with other systems. ‘The installation space that VSE steering requires is minimal. It’s a good thing too, because with a gooseneck, trailer space is already at a premium.’

Van den Eijkel mentions some other differences: ‘Anything new always takes a little getting used to, but we now know that the VSE steering system steers more precisely than a rod-type steering system. As a company we are now used to it, and we are curious what additional benefits the system has in store in terms of fuel consumption and reduced tyre wear.’  The axles on the trailer are from BPW and have 17.5 inch wheels.  Van den Eijkel has every confidence that he and his also newly purchased tractor are going to enjoy advantages in terms of the exploitation costs with this new combination.