Top-quality workmanship backed up by a first-rate parts service brought Inverness family firm Ross's Garage back to the Roger Dyson Group for the latest addition to its fleet of recovery vehicles.
The Hydraloader 3000La (Low approach) slidebed is fabricated from lightweight aluminium and has a 3,000kg capacity. It is mounted on a 7.0-tonne gvw Iveco Eco Daily 70C18D crewcab chassis which is also low in weight, thus contributing to the finished vehicle's excellent payload.
Power, meanwhile, comes from a Euro 4 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine which is impressively fuel-efficient - Ross's Garage reports returns of 22mpg from four long, 400-mile round trips to Edinburgh.
The new arrival has lined-up alongside Ross's Garage's 41 other recovery vehicles, many of which were also built by Roger Dyson. They include a pair of Hydraloader 4500La steel slidebeds, which entered service earlier this year. As with the latest Iveco chassis, the Euro 5 12-tonne Renault Midlum crewcabs on which these two bodies are based were also supplied by Roger Dyson.
Meanwhile, at its production facility in Droitwich, Worcestershire, the manufacturer is currently building another vehicle for Ross's Garage, this time an accident unit with Amco Veba 12 tonne/metre crane, which will be mounted on a used 12-tonne Renault Midlum.
As well as recovery operations Ross's Garage offers vehicle servicing, MoTs and repairs at its base in Milton of Clava, Culloden Moor. The company was founded 31 years ago by Malcolm Ross, who is still at the helm, and built with the support of his sons Steven and Michael, and business partner Alisha Anderson.
"We've had equipment from other manufacturers and we also build our own," explains Michael, "but Roger's is definitely the best. The quality and workmanship that goes into his bodies is second to none, while the winching capability of his equipment is unbelievable.
"We have a Mitsubishi Canter which we bought from Roger in 2003 and it still looks as good as new. There's not a trace of rust on the bed and the winch still pulls to its original capacity, which is more than can be said for some of our other, non-Dyson vehicles."
Michael continues: "Problems with Roger's equipment are very rare but when they do occur we know we can rely on him for a quick response, a straight answer and a speedy resolution. The parts service is very good too. In the unlikely event that he doesn't have it on the shelf already, Alex (Mills, Roger Dyson's Parts Manager) will go out of his way to source a component for you."
As a general rule Ross's Garage renews its recovery vehicles every five or six years and Malcolm adds: "The secondhand value of Roger's equipment is outstanding - people are always queuing up for it, which is something that cannot be said for other manufacturers' products. I also appreciate the fact that Roger is always available, and if I need to do so I can always call and speak directly to him."