American LaFrance to unveil 2008 Condor refuse line at Waste Expo

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American LaFrance announced today, April 24, that it will showcase its answer to the 2007 engine emissions standards by unveiling its 2008 Condor refuse lineup at Waste Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on May 8-10.

  • On display will be the current Condor model 880S. Known as the original Condor model, the 880S offers the largest cab space in the industry with a 68-inch BBC and optional side and rear windows that allow for 270 degrees of visibility, the company says. Cummins ISL and ISM engines now are available, with a Caterpillar engine release scheduled for later in the year. The 880S also offers a third-man cab option that is targeted at rear load haulers and encourages safety by providing a jump seat for the third worker for long hauls.
  • A new product to the Condor platform is the 830S. Similar to the 880S, the 830S is designed specifically for the front load refuse application. With a reduced BBC to 63 inches, the 830S offers the Condor’s roomy interior and visibility, but also allows front loader body manufacturers to install their standard forks to pick up commercial containers, according to American LaFrance. The 830S will be offered in multiple engine/HP configurations, but is expected to be popular in the ISM 350 HP engine selection. The 830S offers the tilt steering column that is standard in all Condors and reinforces Condor’s goal of providing driver comfort.
  • The Condor 780S, the company’s first venture into the class 7 market, is designed for single axle rear and automated loaders. The 780S offers 33,000 GVW, making it FET exempt and the lone cabover in the refuse industry to support such body configurations, according to American LaFrance. The 780S offers all the steering configurations of the class 8 series, including dual drive and right hand drive, the company says, and all steering configurations are factory-installed. The 780S will be offered initially with the Cummins ISB engine with up to 270 HP and with an Allison 3000 series transmission, but will be offered later in the year with a Caterpillar C-7 and the new Caterpillar transmission.
  • “The 2008 Condor lineup is based on one platform, allowing for compatible parts which will greatly benefit our customers,” says Mark Gobessi, vice president of engineering for Lasdon, S.C.-based American LaFrance. “We are able to keep all the preferred features known in the 880S — great visibility, spacious interior and driver comfort, and carry them over to all new models built on this platform.”

    Gobessi says that while most manufacturers reduce customization with growth, American LaFrance reinforces the Condor platform objective. “We have to be flexible, especially in the refuse market where we see tremendous growth with our products,” he says. “Because the entire cab and chassis is built in one plant, we can offer more options than our competitors and have more control over quality.”

    What about the future for American LaFrance products? “We are going to be an aggressive company,” Gobessi says. “We are already working on meeting our new product launches for 2008, and who knows, there may be a few more surprises in 2007.”