The heaviest and most powerful Volkswagen Crafter, carrying an interesting machine. I’ve passed by this combination many times, driving my car. Last Saturday afternoon, I went out for a long walk and could finally take some pictures for a write-up.
Let’s start with the Volkswagen’s cargo, an Empas hot water unit for professional weed control. The main advantage of working with this type of equipment is evident: not using pesticides.
This video gives you an impression of how the equipment works. Not only that, it’s also a great opportunity to refresh your Dutch. Sort of. The hot water unit features a 1,000 liter water tank and its whole hydraulic system is powered by a small Yanmar diesel engine. You can use the unit alone or together, with a co-worker.
Back to the carrier, and don’t call it a Transporter. The current generation of the Volkswagen Crafter was introduced at the end of 2016. Unlike the previous model, it’s not a joint Volkswagen-Daimler project. The Volkswagen Crafter and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter are not connected anymore.
As is always the case with these light Euro-commercial vehicles, the configuration possibilities are sheer endless. FWD, RWD or AWD. Single or dual rear wheels (RWD chassis). Panel van or chassis-cab. Single or double cab. Short or long wheelbase. Multiple rear overhang lengths. Manual or automatic transmission. Four different maximum power outputs…I’ll better stop now, because there’s simply too much to mention.
What we have here is a RWD, double cab flatbed truck with dropsides and dual rear wheels. It’s the long, 449 cm (176.8”) wheelbase chassis. Volkswagen rates this truck at a maximum GVM of 5,000 kg (11,023 lbs).
The Crafter is powered by a 2.0 TDI biturbo engine, 177 DIN-hp @ 3,600 rpm. Maximum torque output 410 Nm (302 lbf-ft) @ 1,500 – 2,000 rpm.
Typical Volkswagen interior, neat and tidy, just like in their cars. The transmission is either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic.
The Volkswagen Crafter is also marketed as the MAN TGE. German MAN -an old and renowned name in the trucking business- is a brand of the Traton Group, the truck division of the Volkswagen Group.
Meet the other members of the MAN family, all cabovers with a tilt cab. The lightest truck model is obviously the MAN TGL on the right. The base engine in the TGL is a 160 DIN-hp, 4.6 liter inline-four. The series’ GVM ranges from 7,500 to 12,000 kg (16,535 to 26,455 lbs).
…Oh yes, hot water weed control machines are not used by our police force.
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Five years ago we took a week-long supported bicycle tour through Turkey. Our support van was a VW Crafter, a name I had never heard of. I was surprised at first that it seemed like a shameless clone of a Sprinter, until I realized it was in fact a Sprinter. Interesting that VW felt the need to develop their own, with other Euro-vans being co-branded (PSA, Fiat). As for the boiling water weed killer, I’d never heard of that technique, and think I’ll try it on a smaller scale in my yard; some warm weather and unusual late rains this year have made it a particularly bad situation.
It works, just not instantly. I’ve done it on a small scale before from the kettle on those annoying undefeatables that insist on living in pathway joins or steps.
I did a bit of research. It doesn’t actually “kill” the weeds; just boils the tops. Depending on how much energy is still in the roots, they will come back to various degrees. It can require 2-3 cookings to fully kill them.
I tried a propane torch designed for the same purpose. It does the same thing, but not quite as effectively, apparently, and I found it very slow going. This looks more time efficient, but it’s very expensive, of course.
The revenge aspect of torching weeds appeals to me.
Off the top of my head, the current, non-co-branded Euro-vans are:
All Ford Transit models
Fiat Fiorino
Volkswagen Caddy and Transporter
Mercedes-Benz Vito (Metris) and Sprinter
Iveco Daily
So, the insolent little weeds soon find themselves in hot water. They do not have my sympathy.
What a clever idea, which I don’t believe is used here. I’m a bit surprised the water temp is only 100 or so. I thought it might be closer to steam, but then I guess that’d damage paint and such when removing mosses.
A craftier Crafter, then. Weeds think they’re going to get a meal of water, and instead, they are cooked enough to become the meal themselves.
100° C is pretty close to steam, in fact probably is steam depending on the atmospheric pressure, unless this part of Holland is below sea level 😀
Quote Empas website:
“When hot water (102 °C) flows over the weeds the plant’s cell membranes rupture. The plant must then draw from its reserves to repair the damage of the temperature shock. After an average of three or four treatments (depending on the maintenance history of the area), the weeds are no longer able to recover, so they die. By combating weeds with the full-field technique, the hot water has a preventive effect against the sprouting of a large number of weed seeds, mosses and algae. Water is the best energy carrier to achieve this; it transfers 20 times as much energy (heat) as other thermal methods”.
More here:
https://www.empas.nl/en/solutions/thermal-weed-control
The boiling water weed technique is interesting and nothing I’d heard of before, will need to explore that more! Certainly more environmentally friendly than some chemical.
This Crafter must be analagous to our dually 3500 pickups in some ways, infinite build variations, lots of interior space, a capable workhorse, etc, except there isn’t a lifted brodozer (Bru-dozer) version rolling coal. I like the MAN version, that’s a very logical brand extension, moving into for them smaller offerings. What can something like this tow?
Another option is a propane torch, designed for this purpose. Much cheaper and accessible to the average homeowner. But it’s slow going. Ok for a small area. And like this hot water, it doesn’t actually kill the whole plant; depending on how much energy is in the roots, they will come back.
I’ve mostly resorted to just repeatedly trimming them. I’d love to have one of these, but the prices are strictly institutional.
Offering them as a MAN is clever indeed. This way, the MAN dealerships can supply anything from a 3,500 kg van/truck to a 100+ tons heavy-haulage tractor.
The towing capacity is 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs). But if you want a dedicated tower, you’d better opt for the tractor conversion with a fifth-wheel coupling, just like the big boys.
My daughter just commented about the MAN version, asking if the regular VW is the lady version. I’ll leave that alone.
Yes, tell her VW stands for Very Womanly. 🙂
I would like this truck to visit my house and de-weed my gravel driveway.
Like others have mentioned above, I’ve never heard of the boiling water technique of weed-killing, but I’m tempted now to try it on a small scale.
I first learned of the hot water technique over 40 years ago. The widow next door used it to kill the weeds coming through the joints in the sidewalk and driveway. She did it one tea kettle at a time and of course took her some time to complete the project but it did work.
I have found the boiling water technique quite effective, made more attractive by not using chemicals. Biggest limitation is the size of the kettle.
Love to read about trucks. Thanks.
Regarding the rear without speed limit (90 km/h), i thing this Crafter GVW is 3.5t…
See Mercedes-Benz Sprinter link at the bottom for my reply. You’ve commented exactly the same there.
I havent seen the M.A.N. version but VW Crafters get sold here though not all configurations.