What Van? Britain's biggest and best van buyers' guide

As we emerge from the winter months and the sun begins to shine once again, many of us will venture out into the UK’s magnificent green spaces. It’s the hard work of those in the grounds maintenance and forestry segment that ensure these areas are in perfect condition. This quarter, the IVECO Daily Mission Awards put the spotlight on these vehicles and their operators. Vehicles operating in this sector need to be durable when venturing from the beaten track, versatile to complete a wide range of missions, and capable of carrying significant payloads as well as towing equipment. The IVECO Daily’s strong truck-based chassis is perfect for bodybuilders to create specialised vehicles that are equipped for any of these missions. There were plenty of strong entries for this category. Let’s take a look at the finalists.

Heritage Trees Ltd – IVECO Retail Limited

With 20 years in the Arboriculture sector, Heritage Trees Ltd prides itself on its sustainable tree management. Its vehicles complete challenging missions that involve towing heavy equipment such as wood chippers while also carrying a substantial load. Supplied by IVECO Retail Limited, a new IVECO Daily (35C21HA8) joins an existing Daily fleet that impressed with its 3.5-tonne towing capacity.

Fitted with the IVECO Construction Pack, this Daily features tyre pressure monitoring, a cross-axle differential lock and a protective crank case sump guard. This durable specification means that this vehicle can venture from paved roads. Thanks to the robust nature of the IVECO Daily, Heritage Trees won’t need to replace these vehicles as frequently, reducing its total cost of ownership. The 8-speed Hi-Matic automatic gearbox that assists in reducing clutch wear also assists in TCO.

The all-aluminium tipper body was created by Tipmaster and helps boost payload. Electro-hydraulic heavy-duty tipping gear and a weather-protected motor complete the impressive vehicle specification.

Under the bonnet of this hardworking Daily is the F1C 3.0-litre diesel engine producing 210hp and an impressive 470Nm torque, which combines strong pulling power and good fuel economy.

Mission Award judges noted the long list of positive customer testimonials and array of vehicle features.

Hooper & Sons – Northern Commercials South

The IVECO Daily has proven to be the perfect partner for Hooper & Sons Ltd over the years with a new Daily (35C16) joining the battle-proven fleet. This vehicle benefits from IVECO’s new six-speed manual transmission with an even more robust clutch, more precise gearshifts, and gearbox oil change intervals of 350,000km.

Equipped with a Kira Commercial tipper body, this IVECO Daily also hosts other enhancements to secure essential work equipment including a ladder gantry, broom storage, rope hooks and a dedicated toolbox to keep tools secure. On site and on road safety was also an important consideration for Hooper & Sons, with the latest vehicle fitted with a roof-mounted LED beacon, LED work lights, grille strobe lighting, and reflective body tape to increase visibility.

This Daily makes good use of its truck DNA with the 3.5-tonne towing capacity and its heavy-duty Multihitch towbar with a seven-pin socket regularly called into service. In addition to towing substantial mission-critical equipment, reinforced rear springs adds to the suspension’s durability for when the vehicle itself is carrying heavy loads. 

Mission Award judges were impressed by how perfectly fit for purpose these IVECO Daily 3.5-tonnes are. Economical and equipped with a wealth of safety equipment, they scored highly.