Shropshire tractor dealer supports students

Posted 1 November 2011

A group of students at Harper Adams University College have been getting to grips with a new off-road vehicle, thanks to the generosity of local company Rea Valley Tractors. 

Rea Valley loaned the students a newly-released John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle for a day, to assist them with a group design project. 

Student Andrew Radford, 21, explained: “We have been set the task of designing a luxury off-road vehicle to carry two people – like a very luxurious two-man Range Rover. 

“It would be of similar size and power to the Gator, but with a different dressing. It would be powered by an electric motor, so we are not necessarily interested in the engine, but we will be investigating, for example, the suspension.  

“We’ve had it up of the ramp, looking at the geometry of the suspension and how it gets power to the wheels. 

Andrew, from Devon, added: “This machine is only recently released, so it’s up there as the latest technology and we are very grateful to the local dealership, Rea Valley, for giving us this opportunity.”

Andrew, who is on a five-year MEng course, has just returned to Harper Adams after a year on placement with tractor parts company Vapormatic. 

He is working on the design project with fellow Off-Road Vehicle Design students James Izzard and Tom Rushton, for one of their fourth year modules.