Building work in Alsace: when a Pegasus telehandler becomes your essential ally

There are some situations in which it would be useful to have a telehandler, there are other situations in which it would be preferable to have one, and there are still other situations in which you really cannot do without one, as is the case with roofing company SARL FERNANDEZ.

SARL FERNANDEZ is based in Labaroche, Alsace, the smallest of France’s administrative regions, in the heart of the Vosges and a stone’s throw from the Franco-German border. Here, as in all borderlands, the customs and traditions of the two neighbouring countries come together and intermingle, and in some parts, one or the other culture predominates. This is apparent in the local cuisine or dialect, and in this case, it is particularly apparent when it comes to the building industry: characteristic of this area (and of the whole of central Europe) are the ubiquitous multi-storey timber frame houses, with their impressive exposed wooden beams that create interesting geometric patterns on the facades.

But even more interesting for us (and for SARL FERNANDEZ) are the typical sloping roofs, which have steep inclines and sharp angles, and which are often covered with slate slabs rather than tiles. Reroofing a house, insulating an attic or even repairing a gutter is no easy task due to the steep inclines and high elevation, as well as the weight of the materials to be lifted or lowered to the ground.

Hence why SARL FERNANDEZ has equipped itself with a Pegasus 40-18 400°. Living in the Vosges mountain range means not only clean air and beautiful landscapes, but also narrow, winding roads, sloping terrain and houses that are often positioned close together, resulting in limited space for manoeuvring and working: the Pegasus easily overcomes these challenges thanks to its four steered wheels, 98 hp Kubota Stage IIIB/Tier4 engine and 400° rotating turret.

Not even raising a 300 kg skylight, a pallet of oak beams or expensive and heavy slate tiles up three floors will be a problem anymore, thanks to the Dieci vehicle’s 18 m lifting height and 4000 kg maximum load capacity. The sloping ground will no longer be an insurmountable challenge, thanks to the auto-levelling stabilisers, and installing new gutters on the eaves of very steep Alsatian-style roofs will now be much easier, thanks to the large man basket and extensive series of accessories, including baskets for aggregates, extendable baskets, forks, grippers and winches.

And finally, the frigid Alsatian winter will no longer be an inconvenience: even when the temperature drops as low as -20°C and it’s snowing or icy outside, in-cab comfort is assured by the enhanced heating system. In fact there’s no doubt about it, SARL FERNANDEZ really couldn’t do without their Pegasus…