2009 Media ReleasesJump To | |
Nov 09 - Heavy-duty Boxes Keep Work Tools & Equipment SafeA new range of heavy-duty storage boxes for tools and equipment has been designed especially for rugged New Zealand bush and country conditions.Manufactured from double-thickness aluminium checker plate, the new storage boxes have just been released by automotive accessory specialist Best Bars Limited to answer a growing need from contractors, builders, farmers, forestry workers and also for recreational use. “They require storage boxes for their utes that will stand up to day-to-day punishment and still retain their shape and good looks,” says Stephen de Kriek, CEO of Best Bars Limited. “Our R&D team carried out considerable research to find an answer and came up with the toughest storages boxes on the market.” Utilising aluminium checker plate that is twice the thickness of similar boxes to make them super sturdy, the Best Bars boxes also features stainless steel hinges and lockable latches to protect valuable tools and equipment. They are tailored to fit the many shapes and sizes of utes available in New Zealand, as well as complementing the existing range of trays and other storage solutions offered by Best Bars. The new heavy-duty storage box range features a variety of styles from simple oblong boxes, to those that fit snugly along the width of a well-side cargo deck. Boxes with gullwing top lids are designed with mobile service vehicles in minds. The larger boxes are conveniently fitted with hydraulic struts that support the tough lid when opened. Also available are boxes designed to fit under the side of a tray between the vehicle body and the wheel arch, a space often under-utilised. Mr de Kriek says the storage boxes that sit inside well-side decks have been made so that their height does not preclude the fitting of a canopy. The flat top boxes will also fit under a tonneau. Other boxes available in the range include single and double aluminium dog boxes aimed at the farming community and triangular-shaped boxes that can sit on the A-frame in front of a trailer or caravan. Best Bars says the new storage boxes provide users with more flexibility when selecting a work vehicle. “Whereas a contractor might have purchased a double or king cab ute to store items inside, they can now select a single cab vehicle with a longer deck or tray and gain more cargo space whilst securely storing tools and equipment in our new storage boxes,” adds Mr de Kriek. The new Best Bars storage boxes have been introduced at very competitive prices and the range is now illustrated on our website << BACK TO TOP >> |
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Aug 09 - Towbar Standard Needs Teeth To save LivesThe current voluntary code for the manufacture of towbars in New Zealand needs to have “regulatory teeth” to prevent more lives being lost.Because new towbars don’t have to meet a safety standard by law, poor products and poor fitment are slipping through the system, according to Michael Parker, who owns Best Bars Ltd, the largest towbar manufacturer in the country. He fully supports the call by Taranaki Coroner Tim Scott for the New Zealand Transport Agency to make standards for the design and manufacture of tow bars compulsory and to conduct random inspections to ensure compliance. The Coroner made his plea at an inquest into the death of former Taranaki cricketer Donovan Shelver, 28, who was killed when a boat and trailer came loose from the towing vehicle and crashed into his ute. Mr Scott also recommended people who frequently towed heavy loads have checks carried out on tow bars for wear and tear. The lack of an enforceable standard and regular inspection regime has been a concern for Mr Parker’s company for many years. Best Bars helped to devise the wording of the proposed NZ Standard 5467:1993 in 1993, but was then disappointed to see it become a voluntary rule rather than a compulsory one. “I have never been able to understand why the Ministry of Transport and its agencies decided not to enforce the towbar standard by law,” says Mr Parker. “Unless the towbar rule gets regulatory teeth, and also becomes part of the Warrant of fitness checks, we are going to see more accidents like the one that claimed Mr Shelver.” The Ministry of Transport’s own statistics indicate that towing plays a part in a number of road accidents each year - eight people were killed, 39 were seriously injured and 140 received minor injuries in crashes involving a light vehicle towing a trailer in 2008 alone. Mr Parker says there are a number of issues that affect the safety of a towbar that need to be addressed: Each towbar design is then put through an on-vehicle test by a special machine developed by Best Bars. It replicates loading to 1.5 times the towbar’s maximum rating to provide an extra safety margin. The Best Bars factory is also accredited to the international ISO9001:2000 quality programme. Mr Parker says a towbar has to be made to last the lifetime of the vehicle, so the quality of the design, manufacture and fit has to be first class. He says that anyone purchasing a towbar or a vehicle fitted with a towbar needs to look for the NZ Standard mark to be sure it is designed and made correctly, as can be witnessed on Approved Accessories supplied to leading new vehicle dealerships via Best Bars Ltd. Best Bars has built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise on towbars over the past 28 years and now designs and makes towbars as original equipment for many vehicle manufacturers both in New Zealand and Australia. Best Bars has more than 600 current towbar designs and has produced over 600,000 towbars to the NZS5467 compliance rule. << BACK TO TOP >> |
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Jan 09 - Used Towbars Sold On Internet Pose Safety DangersDamaged and corroded towbars, often rescued from wrecked or crashed cars, are being bought unwittingly by New Zealand motorists on internet auction sites and may lead to a tragedy, says a manufacturer. Stephen de Kriek, CEO of leading new towbar manufacturer Best Bars Limited, was shocked to discover second-hand tow bars in apparent poor condition being hawked on local auction sites Trade Me and Auto Trader and he claims they could be “an accident waiting to happen”.Mr de Kriek believes the state of some used towbars warrants an investigation into the practice by the Ministry of Transport. “All new towbars have to meet a strict safety standard and must be fitted correctly to a vehicle, but there is no such stipulation for used towbars and I think that is dangerous,” says Mr de Kriek. “The condition of some of the towbars we found on the internet is very poor. Some were bent or had been straightened and others showed repair welds, which could compromise their strength. Rust also appeared to be a significant issue with a number of the towbars.” Another problem spotted by the Best Bars team was worn towballs, which could either snap off the tongue or cause the connector to ‘jump’ off. Other issues spotted: Mr de Kriek also figures that a number of the bars he found were more than 15 years old and may be beyond their useful life. A towbar is designed for a certain life-cycle of loading and in many cases it would be difficult to ascertain how close they are to the end of their life and whether they have ever been overloaded. Best Bars tests its brand new towbar designs on a special dynamic rig at its Manurewa production facility and says that bars can undergo a huge amount of stress when towing a heavy boat or caravan, which eventually takes its toll on the bar’s components. Mr de Kriek adds: “It may look OK on the outside, but there is no way to ascertain the internal condition of the beam or the inside of the tube.” Two fatalities in the past three years have been linked to towbar failures in New Zealand along with several injury and non-injury incidents. Mr de Kriek says it is time for authorities to take action before more people are killed or injured because of towbar failures. He would like to see towbars inspected separately under the regular Warrant of Fitness procedure and for all towbars to be fitted by a professional, certified fitter or mechanic. Also, it is important that towbars are properly matched to the vehicle – there are subtle differences between models that can undermine correct fitment. Rather than take a chance with second-hand purchases, Best Bars recommends motorists buy a brand new towbar, preferably an approved accessory or genuine part from a new vehicle franchise and have it fitted professionally. For older vehicles no longer supported by new vehicle franchisees they should contact a reputable towbar manufacturer with a validated design and product test regime. << BACK TO TOP >> |
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