The RAC has recently placed an order for 26 new Master panel vans which will replace the entire current fleet of RAC Fuel Patrol vehicles. The Master is larger than the outgoing model and offers an increased payload of 1,684kg.
Breakdown operators have started offering dedicated fuel assistance services over the last few years to address the growing problem of misfuelling — most typically and problematically when drivers put petrol into diesel engines.
This means that in addition to a tank for waste fuel and the necessary pumping equipment, the vans can be loaded with a range of tools and replacement batteries to enable them to attend flat battery and wheel change callouts. This will improve the utilisation of the vehicles within the fleet and presumably prevent Fuel Patrol drivers from having any chance to twiddle their thumbs during quiet times for fuelling mishaps.
As part of the conversion into Fuel Patrol vehicles, the load compartment of each Master van has been divided into two. The rear part contains all the fuel draining equipment and the waste fuel tank and is only accessible through the back doors – ensuring there are no issues with fuel fumes and meaning that there is more space in the body of the van for other spare parts and tools:
RAC Fleet Operations Manager Timothy Hartles said:
“With the payload that the Master offers, it really is the right vehicle for the job, while we’ve also noticed that the vans are significantly more economical than our previous fuel patrol vehicles, by as much as around 15 per cent, which will help to lower our running costs.
“Feedback from the patrols has been very good, our drivers are saying that they are well equipped, comfortable and, with the increased space, much easier to work inside than our previous vehicles.”
The RAC has opted for the front-wheel-drive, short-wheelbase, low-roof Master panel van. All 26 vans feature the Business level of trim and are powered by the 2.3-litre dCi 125 turbo diesel engine.
Each Master Fuel Patrol vehicle will cover on average 25,000 miles a year. The choice of Business trim level means that vans are well specified, with standard features including DAB radio, Bluetooth, ESC with Hill Start Assist and Grip Xtend, electric front windows and electric door mirrors.