Well, the name’s a bit of a mouthful, but this is a useful piece of kit for conversions – meet the new MAN TGE Flatframe Chassis Cowl, which makes its world debut at the 2019 CV Show.
What on earth is a MAN TGE Flatframe Chassis Cowl?
It’s a special chassis cab version of the MAN TGE large van platform – itself essentially a variant of the Volkswagen Crafter – with a particularly low rear frame and an open-backed cab area.
How much lower is the Flatframe Chassis Cowl compared with a standard MAN TGE chassis cab?
The MAN TGE Flatframe Chassis Cab is 190mm lower than the standard chassis cab.
This is great for Luton and box body conversions as it reduces the loading height for improved access.
Why is the back of the cab open?
This is for conversion types where access to the rear of the van from the cab is desirable.
Again, this could be for box bodies and Lutons, particularly for parcel delivery operations where it might be better to be able to walk into the back to select the next item to be delivered for security reasons.
But it’s also important for camper van and motorhome conversions, which are a growing area of the light commercial vehicle market at the moment.
VW has even launched its own large camper van based on the Crafter called the Grand California. There’s no sign that MAN plans to do its own version of that just yet.
Are there any similar rival chassis cabs available?
Ford launched what it calls a skeletal chassis cab variant of the Transit in 2018, while Fiat has been providing a campervan friendly version of the Ducato for years – it’s one of the reasons it’s the market leader in the camper and motorhome conversion sector.
Anyone looking for a particularly low-height Luton or box body would do well to check out the Renault Master LoLoader, too.
