While Vervaet sugar beet harvesters have been a familiar sight in the eastern parts of England for some time, the Dutch firm’s self-propelled slurry tankers are now starting to roll out across the UK. We climb aboard the new five-wheeler Hydrotrike XL
Vervaet has been producing selfpropelled slurry tankers for nearly 25 years, and it’s now making inroads into the UK market with three of its latest Hydrotrike XL machines getting stuck into their first season. Rolling on five wheels, the Hydrotrike stands 4.65m wide with a trio of 1.0m tyres spread across the front and back plus slimmer mid-mount 750/50 R26 rubber telescoping 75cm out to the sides.
The load on the mid-axle is controlled hydraulically and relative to the current load on board — 4t with an empty tank and up to 8t when fully laden. As well as spreading the weight, the extended wheels improve overall stability of the trike.
On top of this the wheels are linked to the steering system for sharp bout turns. During our time in the seat the Hydrotrike could easily spin round and make the return pass with its 8.70m wide Schuitemaker injector. There is a lot new on the Hydrotrike XL over its predecessor. The 340kW/465hp DAF MX 340 engine has been shifted from its central location under the cab to a transverse position on the left of the chassis. The 12.9-litre block uses SCR to meet Stage IV emission regs
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