Everything to hand in the sand

Plastic Attached Lid Containers (ALCs) from Allibert Buckhorn are proving themselves in one of the world's most hostile environments, after being chosen to supply storage for race support providers GoRaid on the Paris-Dakar Rally and other off-road events.

More than 200 Euro-sized containers are used to store all the parts, supplies and equipment needed by GoRaid to back-up the teams racing Land Rover Bowlers, specialist high chassis off-road vehicles. The boxes are installed on racking in GoRaid's all-terrain trucks known as T4 and T5, which also compete in the race behind the Bowlers to allow them to rescue stranded vehicles and supply any spare parts needed.
Ben Gott, manager of GoRaid, said: “Allibert' Buckhorn's boxes are used to carry and protect everything from heavy differentials and gearboxes to plates and cutlery for the drivers, so they need to be able to keep everything safe and secure while we're racing the trucks along sand dunes, sometimes as fast as 80mph.
“The plastic boxes solve a major problem we had with traditional aluminium kit boxes, which tended to stretch badly with each impact from the contents. After a short while, the lids wouldn't fit properly and then the contents were in danger of spilling everywhere inside the trucks. And of course, plastic boxes also help keep the trucks' weight down.”

As well as storing parts, Allibert Buckhorn's boxes have also been put to other diverse uses including impromptu dining tables and steps to allow people to climb into the truck's cabs. After two Paris-Dakar rallies and the Rallye Tunis, the containers have already travelled 30,000 kilometres and suffered only two damaged lids.

Mark Speck, sales manager at Allibert Buckhorn, said; “This is one of the more unusual roles for our ALCs, but it just goes to show they really can take the knocks and still do the job. Keeping everything safe and secure in the middle of the desert is vital to the team's performance, and we're pleased – if not a little jealous – to be helping them perform so well in rallies all over the world.”
The boxes were used again in the trucks for this year's rallies, including the Dakar where the team supported Charley Boorman, who rode around the world on a motorbike with friend Ewan McGregor. They are also hoping to secure Richard Hammond from BBC TV's 'Top Gear' who is also a big fan of Land Rover Bowlers, for the next Paris-Dakar that takes place in January 2007.
GoRaid is also soon taking delivery of a new six-wheeled MAN all-terrain truck, which will also be fully kitted out with racking and Allibert Buckhorn boxes.