VIDEO: Caron transporters surface in Oz

The Italian-made Caron transporter range has touched down in Australia and is available through local agricultural machinery distributor, Chesterfield Australia.

Not quite a truck nor a tractor, the machines were designed to transport loads safely and efficiently across all kinds of terrain - steep, undulating or wet lands.

According to Caron, the units offer a range of benefits over a tractor-trailer combination due to their compact dimensions and lighter weight, as well as their ability to handle steep conditions with ease.

The range made its local debut at the 2017 AgQuip field days in late August.

Chesterfield Australia’s Luke Rowney says the Caron range presents a world of possibilities for primary producers, as well as for people working in other sectors such as construction, forestry, council and more.

“They have three-point linkage, live PTO and hydraulic remotes, so they’re very much like tractors but in a transport body,” he says.

“Because of this, our customers are helping us find new markets for them. We’re able to remove the transport body behind, and fit a sprayer for example.

“One customer mentioned connecting a wood chipper on the three-point linkage and emptying the wood chips into the bin, and then side tipping the bin to unload without having to remove his wood chipper.

“So as we start to explore the market, there are further opportunities for us to look into.”

A simple mechanism on the transporter units allows the operator to tip the dumping bin three ways - to the back, or to either side of the vehicle.

Due to the compact sizes, the vehicles will suit the local viticulture and horticulture industries, Rowney says.

“We see our opportunity markets being viticulture, horticulture and vegetables, predominantly in industries where producers are starting to package more produce in the field and transport them out,” he says.

“Our small unit has a very narrow overall width of 1.2m, giving it the ability to be driven down narrow roads, for example.”

Power outputs for the Caron transporters range from 25hp to 65hp, and come with ROPS platforms or fully air-conditioned cabs.

A central joint in the chassis ensures constant grip of the four wheels on the ground, regardless of how steep or undulating the terrain is. Coupled with a low centre of gravity, the Caron transporters provide for a safe and efficient operation.

“Due to the fact that this is an articulated steered machine, it gives it a shortened wheelbase versus a tractor-trailer combination so you sit quite low in the vehicle, giving stability when working in steeper conditions,” Rowney says.

“And certainly in wet conditions as well, because the vehicles themselves range from 1.4 to 1.7 tonnes in tared mass weight, so they are quite lightweight on the ground.”

Prior to bringing the Caron range into Australia, Chesterfield Australia did several rounds of machine testing in Papua New Guinea in different conditions, and is confident the units will work well in Australia.

The company will be exhibiting the Caron transporters in several upcoming field days around Australia to gauge interest and assess the need for further expansion of the range in the country.

“We’re anticipating pricing to be between $A30,000 to $60,000 over the range of six units that we are likely to bring in to Australia,” Rowney says.