Agp R 434 T

The R 434 T has a gross weight of 38,000 kg and an unladen weight of 24,000 kg, giving a payload of 14,000 kg. The body length is 13,170 mm at a width of 2,550 mm, the standard width limit for road vehicles in Europe. This makes it a long but narrow trailer, suited to bulky goods as much as to denser bulk material with a heavy weight on a small footprint.

Class O4 trailers require an air brake system, as the simple overrun brake of the lighter O1 and O2 classes is no longer permitted above 10 tonnes. Towing requires a category CE licence, and the towing vehicle's permitted trailer weight must match the 38-tonne gross weight. At this size, axle load distribution also determines which roads and bridges the combination may use.

When buying used, the condition of the chassis and main rails comes first, since corrosion and fatigue cracks appear first around the axle and coupling mounts. The air brake system should be tested on a brake bench, along with the brake linings or drums and the tightness of lines and coupling heads. Axles, wheel bearings and suspension should be checked for play and leaks, and the sides or platform are worth inspecting for deformation from earlier overloading. Spare parts supply for a small manufacturer like Agp depends heavily on whether the axles and brake components come from a major supplier such as BPW or SAF, which are available independently of the vehicle maker.