Close your eyes and imagine a typical fleet vehicle.

What pops into your mind?

A Ford Mondeo or a BMW 3 Series, maybe?

One thing’s for certain, though, there are some weirder and wackier vehicles on fleets.

Here we look at some of the more unusual vehicles leasing companies supply.

Hitachi Capital Commercial Vehicle Services

The strangest thing Hitachi leases is nicknamed ‘the Dyson’.

It’s not the ubiquitous vacuum cleaner, of course, but works on similar principles – sucking up dirt with no bags to empty – on a massive, industrial scale.

Essentially it’s a Mercedes-Benz 6x4 that’s been adapted to become a suction excavator, literally sucking a trench out of the ground.

It’s used to clear up the mess made by pneumatic drills powering through tarmac or concrete.

Once they’ve finished the breaking-up process, the ‘Dyson’ then sucks up the debris into a receptacle at the back of the vehicle.

However, Hitachi warns against using it as a method of quickly doing the carpets at home… such is the unit’s power, the house could end up in the back of ‘the Dyson’ too!

Masterlease

You’ll need plenty of cash for Masterlease’s most unusual vehicle.

Its total value is around £500,000, making it one of the most expensive vehicles the company has ever leased.

But what is it?

Well, it’s not as exciting as you might imagine.

It’s actually a mobile broadcast vehicle, and the reason for the steep price is the specialist equipment fitted to it.

The base vehicle costs around £25,000.

Masterlease has also received requests for mobile libraries, golf buggies, lawnmowers and light commercial vehicles with toilets in them.

Another vehicle, which they prefer to keep under wraps, is one that’s used to transport bodies from mortuary to funeral director.

It’s not a hearse, although Masterlease funds those too – it’s simply described as a specialist vehicle.

Lombard

You’ve probably heard of a mobile library, but have you heard of a mobile bank?

If you live in a remote area like the Scottish islands, Lombard could be responsible for providing your banking services.

The company funds mobile bank vehicles for its parent company The Royal Bank of Scotland and the vehicles come complete with ATMs.

Another of its strange vehicles is one leased to a housing company. Essentially it’s a van with an integrated hose.

But this is no ordinary hose – Lombard says it’s “a high-pressure water-blasting tool”.

The water is used to clean out mistreated properties. Presumably the hose isn’t turned on any unruly tenants…

Lombard’s sales unit is also fulfilling an order for two milk floats with purpose-built bodies on LDV Maxus Chassis Cabs.

As for the company’s highest-profile vehicles, Rob Bailey, head of Lombard Vehicle Management, says that honour goes to BSkyB’s van fleet.

Lombard provides vans liveried to promote programmes like Wallace and Gromit.

Arval

Arval sweeperChristmas shoppers will have to step aside for Arval’s strangest vehicle – the street sweeper.

It’s top speed of 16km/h is hardly jaw-dropping, but it has other features to brag about – such as its fuel-efficient engine which is compliant with Euro 3 emission standards.

It also has power-assisted steering and a turning circle of just 2.9m.

As well as cleaning town centres, it can tackle public parks, building sites and multi-storey car parks.

Ramps don’t pose a problem as it can climb 20% inclines.

It’s currently on lease to a facility management company and goes by the official name of the Karcher ICC1 industrial and precinct sweeper.

The bad news is that it could be causing a traffic jam in a town centre near you – the street sweeper isn’t banned from using public roads.

Carillion Fleet Management

Carillion’s weirdest vehicle solves a problem for van drivers – transporting a mobile compressor.

Towing one brings speed and mobility restrictions to drivers, and is difficult to secure.

Carillion’s answer was to develop a purpose-built vehicle, which integrates a £10,000 compressor inside a panel van, eliminating the need for towing.

Another strange vehicle the company has on its fleet is a pavement gritting machine, used by a Midlands-based authority.

Translinc

Blasting chewing gum off the streets of Sunderland is one of the tasks TransLinc’s strangest vehicle performs.

The vehicle is based on an Iveco 50C15 Chassis Cab and is fitted with a jetting system.

It has the power to disperse 60 litres – or 14 gallons – of water per minute, and comes equipped with a 1,000 litre water tank.

Aside from chewing gum, the jetting unit carries out drain clearing, street cleaning and graffiti removal.

It’s being supplied to Sunderland City Council on contract hire with maintenance for five years.

  • Additional reporting by Ralph Morton