Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has appointed Penny Hydraulics as a partner to produce crane conversions for the Crafter.

The company has released a range of crane conversions that can lift up to 990kg.

The fully-integrated compact conversion sees a 105kg crane fitted directly onto the Crafter Dropside sub-frame, allowing the vehicle to still offer a payload of more than 1,100kg.

It is designed to tackle a range of applications, including those required by utility companies, road and rail management firms and logging operators.

The crane boom is extendable to 4.5-metres with a maximum safe lifting capacity of 990kg, plus a rotational angle of up to 330-degrees giving customers the flexibility to move heavy and bulky items with ease.

Crane controls are integrated directly into the Volkswagen Crafter base vehicle and dashboard safety warnings and audible alerts are all activated through the van’s standard electrical system without the need for additional lights or buzzers.

As Penny Hydraulics is an Integrated Partner of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ converter recognition programme, the vehicle comes with a full three-year warranty and is also available to lease through Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Financial Services from £493.72 a month.

Nick Axtell, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles specialist sales manager, said: “We are excited this crane conversion is now available to our customers after a great collaboration between our in-house experts and the team at Penny Hydraulics. Crane controls are fully integrated into the Crafter Dropside, ensuring operators are able to carry out their jobs as safely as possible. Duty of care is a number one priority for us and our fleet managers and is all part of our Working With You promise that focuses on supporting our customers so they can do their jobs to the best of their ability.”

Richard Short, sales director at Penny Hydraulics, added: “The PH110 has been designed with ease-of-use and safety in mind and we expect interest from a range of industries such as logging, road and rail transport repairs and utilities. The crane technology is the latest on the market and we’re delighted to have completed the conversion alongside Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.”