Albany funeral home fabricates truck hearse as vehicle options grow
Funeral home manager Chris Woonings says the use of a non-traditional hearse can be part of providing someone the right service.
He said his fully enclosed truck hearse was a world first and could be a fitting farewell.
Chris Woonings says the truck is an option for those who want something a bit different.
(
ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding
)
Mr Woonings, who manages a funeral home in Albany, 400 kilometres south east of Perth, said he carried out a funeral with a hire truck, but with the area's inclement weather it became apparent there were changes that needed to be made.
"We had a coffin on the back and it rained really bad and the coffin got saturated," he said.
"I thought there's got to be a better way to do this and more respectful."
'Show a person's character'
Mr Woonings tracked down a 1982 Kenworth and spent 12 months carrying out the fabrication work needed to adapt it for use as a hearse.
The truck hearse is a 1982 Kenworth.
(
ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding
)
"It's quite an old truck, it's probably vintage now but it has been given a new life," he said.
"All types of people use it whether it's people that are truckies, ex-truckies, farmers or farmers' wives."
He said it had been operational for about six months and demand had equalled that of a standard hearse.
Chris Woonings decided an enclosed truck hearse was needed.
(
ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding
)
"People still want a bit of respect and a bit of formality, but inside that formality, they still want to show a person's character a little bit more,"
he said.
"I think it's how you remember the funeral that counts.
"If you can remember it with them going out in a truck, blowing the air horn, something like that, or the grandkids can remember it, it puts more of a positive light on the funeral."
The truck hearse has been operational for about six months.
(
ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding
)
More options for personal funeral
Australian Funeral Directors Association WA president Mark McKenzie said variations from the standard hearse were becoming more common.
"A lot of the funeral directors are trying to provide a point of difference and to provide options to their clients," Mr McKenzie said.
"Whether that's different at the service or just a different way for the coffin to be moved from the funeral home to the church or where the service is being held."
Chris Woonings says the use of a motorcycle as hearse is more common.
(
ABC Great Southern: Rosemary Murphy
)
Mr Woonings has also added a Harley Davidson motorcycle with an enclosed carriage to his fleet.
"Once again a unique type of audience," he said.
"
A lot of people may say, 'I love it, but that's not what my mother was or my father was, because they never rode a bike in their life'.
"
Modified vehicles
In Pambula, south of Sydney, Hammond Conversions creates customised hearses that are sent across the country.
Co-owner Kim Hammond said they had worked with a variety of vehicles.
"We've got a Jaguar that's just about to go out the door, Fords, Holdens, the Hyundai Palisade is one that we're doing a few of now," she said.
A Hyundai Palisade hearse produced by Hammond Conversions in New South Wales.
(
Supplied: Kim Hammond
)
"What generally happens is a client will send us their vehicle, just their standard vehicle.
"We strip it out, we cut it in half, we manufacture all the strengthening, the new panels, all the wiring, all the panel beating, and then all the fit out of the inside."
A custom Land Rover was used to transport the coffin of the Duke of Edinburgh at his funeral.
(
AP: Steve Parsons
)
Prince Philip also used a customised hearse.
He helped design the dark green Land Rover hearse that was used for his funeral.
The Duke of Edinburgh oversaw the modifications over a period of 18 years, and designed the open-top rear and special stops to secure his coffin in place.
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JLR has confirmed the electric Sport and Evoque will use an 800V electrical architecture – which the Velar will use too, then – with the ability to wade 850mm of water, something the lower-riding Velar will seemingly skip in favour of its road-going focus. Content originally sourced from: The next-generation Range Rover Velar, due to be unveiled in 2026, will become more car-like with a unique, lower-to-the-ground body channeling JLR's previous 'Road Rover' concept that never saw the light of day. A report from Autocar suggests a new lower, car-like body is in the works for the second-generation Velar, following the current model's introduction in 2017 as a five-seat SUV positioned between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport. The 2026 Velar will reportedly borrow heavily from the electric versions of the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque which will be revealed later this year, launching with electric power – though combustion powertrains could follow. 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In that sense, the 2026 Velar also shapes as a partial replacement for the previous Jaguar XJ sedan as Jaguar undergoes a transformation of its own to become a higher-end, lower volume luxury brand targeting Bentley and Porsche. The Road Rover name was used on prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s which were conventional, road-going vehicles – such as a station wagon – made using Land Rover components. It was revisited in the 2010s as a potential sub-brand for Land Rover/Range Rover, enabling the carmaker to offer road-going models while protecting the lauded off-road pedigree of its four-wheel drives. Details of the 2026 Range Rover Velar are yet to be revealed, with limited information released about the electric Range Rover Sport and Evoque showroom siblings set to be shown later this year. 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It'll ride on JLR's new EMA platform, set to also underpin the next Evoque and a small SUV bearing the Defender nameplate. The move to the new electric powertrain, says Autocar, will see Velar with a new body sitting lower to the ground, with a shape combining conventional sedan, shooting brake/wagon and SUV design elements, and even a third row of seats. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Velar's identity shift will not only differentiate electric versions of its Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque stablemates – which will have a greater focus on off-road capability – but become a stronger showroom alternative to the Porsche Macan Electric and BMW iX electric SUVs. The design may also channel the defunct 'Road Rover' concept being studied by JLR ahead of the Jaguar brand's transformation, which was a high-end rival to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series sedans. In that sense, the 2026 Velar also shapes as a partial replacement for the previous Jaguar XJ sedan as Jaguar undergoes a transformation of its own to become a higher-end, lower volume luxury brand targeting Bentley and Porsche. The Road Rover name was used on prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s which were conventional, road-going vehicles – such as a station wagon – made using Land Rover components. It was revisited in the 2010s as a potential sub-brand for Land Rover/Range Rover, enabling the carmaker to offer road-going models while protecting the lauded off-road pedigree of its four-wheel drives. Details of the 2026 Range Rover Velar are yet to be revealed, with limited information released about the electric Range Rover Sport and Evoque showroom siblings set to be shown later this year. JLR has confirmed the electric Sport and Evoque will use an 800V electrical architecture – which the Velar will use too, then – with the ability to wade 850mm of water, something the lower-riding Velar will seemingly skip in favour of its road-going focus. Content originally sourced from:
