“We have had no issues with our work van crane. It’s very easy to use and handles everything we need”, Witzmann said. “Venco Venturo has great customer service and has really taken care of us. The VC1000 has really been a good piece of machinery for us, and we can always count on it to work.”
Robert Witzmann
Operations Manager, APS

Automotive Parts Solutions (APS), located in the Rock- ville-St. Cloud area of Minnesota, is a certified recycler and supplier of used auto parts to insurance compa- nies, collision centers and auto repair shops through- out Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

THE CHALLENGE
Robert Witzmann, operations manager for APS, man- ages the recycling yard as well as the sale of engines and transmissions. Many of the delivery vans are cube vans with heavy, expensive liftgates, but Witz- mann needed a crane for a medium-sized Ford Transit Connect van. A hydraulic lift wasn’t viable because the only installation option was on the side of the van, which would have rendered one of the van’s side doors unusable.

THE VENTURO SOLUTION
APS worked with Venturo distributor North Central Truck Equipment in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to install a specialized crane developed by Venco Venturo that is the first of its kind in the industry, the Venturo VC1000 Van Crane.
The VC1000 allows for safe and powerful lifting with- out the need for a forklift or expensive liftgate.
“We use the Ford Transit for short runs and customer visits, and it rides like a big minivan,” said Witzmann. “It’s convenient to have the crane available without having to drive a large cube.”
Witzmann said the VC1000 crane is very secure, swings and pivots nicely and doesn’t move around. The crane utilizes a unique dual floor and ceiling mounted mast that integrates with the van structure itself to ensure maximum structural integrity. The horizontally articulated boom uses roller bearings that allow the operator to guide the load easily in and out of the van. The crane also features two unique rotation control features for the primary and secondary booms that utilize two hand levers that operate multi-posi- tional locks as an additional safeguard for operators.

CONCLUSION
Witzmann said Venco Venturo customized the VC1000 crane to meet APS’ unique needs.
“We can use the smaller transit vehicle like a full-size truck and use the crane to lift and deliver diesel en- gines, transmissions and other heavy equipment we wouldn’t be able to lift without the crane,” said Witz- mann. “It handles everything we need.”
The crane folds up compactly against the interior wall of the van where it is protected from the weather.
“The crane only takes up about 10” x 10” of floor space behind the wheel well and we can still get a sheet of plywood in there, so it takes up no usable floor space. There is a basket for the controls, and it tucks nicely out of the way when we’re not using it,” said Witzmann. “Safety bars get salt and debris in them, and this crane always looks brand new since we don’t have to expose it to weather conditions.”
The VC1000 crane has required little maintenance since APS has used it.

VC1000 Crane Features:

• Horizontally articulated jib boom
• Max. capacity of 1,000 lbs.
• Six ft. reach
• 12V DC motor
• Planetary gear
• 1.3HP winch
• 12 ft. corded controller