“A moving floor trailer with side doors should offer the same level of accessibility as a curtain sider”. This was KNAPEN’s challenge and belief behind a special project that was launched in 2016: the development of a moving floor trailer with side doors, but without a mid-post. Following four years of intensive development and trials, KNAPEN now presents the result: The EXSIDE – Proven Flexibility Improved.
Operators can simply slide the mid-post of the EXSIDE to one side. This creates the widest possible side door opening. The EXSIDE allows to transport any imaginable type of cargo effortlessly.
General cargo such as pallets and bulky items can be loaded and unloaded through the 12.9 metre wide side door opening. Just slide the mid post to one side. The liftable upper-rail, allows to create an additional 30 cm of working height during loading and unloading. The moving floor allows to unload bulk cargo. Long indivisible loads, such as long profiles loaded through the rear doors by a crane, are no problem at all for the EXSIDE. The rotating upper beam above the rear doors and moveable bars provides the versatility to transport any imaginable type of load. This rotating upper beam can be operated from the ground, eliminating the need to climb.
The EXSIDE was developed with a sharp focus on lowest cost of ownership. During the design and development process, KNAPEN remained true to their philosophy of creating solutions that are defined by simplicity. They consciously avoided constructions that imply a high technical risk. The moveable mid post of the EXSIDE is a vital component of the Lowest Cost of Ownership. Sliding the mid post to one side significantly reduces the risk of impact damage, for example caused by a forklift knocking against the post. Should the mid post become damaged, a moveable post can be replaced quickly and cost-effectively. Fixed mid posts are not only more likely to be damaged, repairs and replacement involve welding, fixing the paintwork and the trailer will be off the road for a long time. The real winner with the EXSIDE is the customer!
To ensure customers can have the fullest confidence in the reliability of the EXSIDE, every aspect of the trailer has been subjected to intensive testing. Knapen Trailers knows better than anyone that a moving floor trailer does not enjoy a life of luxury. So only the most rigorous tests in harsh winter conditions were good enough for KNAPEN. The various versions of the trailer have been tested meticulously, with combinations of different bulk and general cargo loads. Scandinavia is known for its long, severe winters, and it is also a region of wide expanses, long distances, numerous tight hairpin bends and high permissible loading weights. In other words, the perfect location to really discover if the EXSIDE is worthy enough to bear the KNAPEN stamp of approval. It passed the test with flying colours! It goes without saying that the standard warranty terms and conditions apply to the EXSIDE, because if it can survive the Scandinavian winter, it will survive anywhere.
When a trailer is transporting a bulk load, the closed side doors must be able to withstand the same amount of pressure as a fixed sidewall. Each and every day. In addition, frost, pollution and soiling, vibration and contortion caused by the load are all factors that impact the service life of a trailer.
