Van Grinsven well drilling remains with Scania

Van Grinsven grondboringen en bronbemaling from Wilbertoord recently put a new Scania P450 6×4 with a driven front axle and a steered trailing axle in an XT version on the road. Or to be more precise: on the construction site. Because the Scania is an essential element in the entire process of well dewatering. To complete the configuration, the chassis was fitted with a 24-ton/meter crane.

"This Scania is technically almost identical to one we bought before. Except, of course, that this one is our first of the last generation," Jos van Grinsven says. He is founder and co-owner of the company together with Tom Jacops. "So this one also has a long day cab but now with the normal roof height. The previous one had a low roof because we thought we could then easily work with the crane in front over the cab. But in practice this hardly ever happens. We always opt for a compact cab for easy entry and optimum all-round visibility. In this respect, the new P-cab has again pleasantly surprised me. And the ergonomics are completely finished. Although for those 40,000 km per year of ours, that is not the most important thing. The number of PTO hours on the other hand, is many times higher."

The new Scania has a very special build. "We are going to use this vehicle for well drainage. Therefore, behind the cab is a 24 t/m crane that can extend 16 meters for lifting pipes. When starting up a drainage operation you need a lot of clean water. We carry that ourselves in a flat 8,000-liter water tank on the chassis. Of course there are baffles in there, also for sturdiness because on top of that the loading platform is built. On top of that there is room for the separate well drilling installation and furthermore there are racks for all the hoses and tubes. In the chassis we have another PTO driven pump. Together with the loose drilling machine that we carry on the trailer, that forms all the tools to lay a well drilling system."

The fact that Van Grinsven chose a 6×4 with a driven front axle and a steered trailing axle has everything to do with the weight as well as the fact that he does a lot of work next to the asphalt. "If we go to a well drilling job with everything on board, the vehicle weighs 30 tons. Because of the weight distribution, that requires a third axle. With the dual drive, it's just a little bit easier to get around on a construction site. But still, we soon have road plates laid. Because of course it is not a real offroad vehicle. We certainly don't always need the 450 hp. Although, with the trailer included, we do get about 48 tons."

In doing so, it's not that people at Van Grinsven don't pay attention to fuel consumption. "But we look more at what the engine consumes in PTO mode than on the road," Van Grinsven explains. "This is because there are two PTOs on it: one for the crane and one for the water pump, so we can use it in combination. We can place the drainage filters with the crane and also operate the water pump via remote control. Then it's a matter of generating enough power with little rpm to keep it running. That is the most economical and it gives less noise which is nice because we also work a lot in residential areas. The Scania with the SCR-only technology is totally suitable for that. Because with a lot of PTO hours, you'd rather not have EGR."

Yet that is not the only reason Van Grinsven chooses Scania again and again. "A Scania lasts 15 years without any problems. That's important to me, and in that period you do invest in security and value retention. Anyway, compared to the body, the new trailer and the drilling rig, this truck is only the smallest part of the investment. That's why four of our five cars are Scania's. And I think that XT version with its steel bumper has a cool look."

But the relationship with the dealer also plays an important role. "When I started in 1998, I was looking for a good used truck. But I'm not into haggling. And I was really reluctant to look for a truck in 'the trade'. Then I received excellent help from the Scania branch in Heijen. The dealer didn't have it there either, but they looked for me and found me a truck that they had confidence in and that suited me. That helped me enormously. Now we are at Scania Veghel where we are helped just as well and professionally. On this truck we have now also concluded a maintenance contract with flexible plans for five years. Because although I was a mechanic myself, I think everyone should do what they do best. We are in the water with well drilling and soil drilling for geothermal energy, for example. Then let the dealer do the truck."