Chad Fabry Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I still carry tools now and then and I tow heavy things now and then and I have this inspection business. I'm tired of crappy pick-up trucks. We just got back from a trip to Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy and nobody there has a pick up truck, they (people who actually need trucks) drive VW Transports, Ivecos or Mercedes. The van front cab and chassis or cab over styles prevail and many of the models get over 30 mpg. They're all diesel. None of them are available in the States. This truck is as close as I can come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Before I swapped trade work for home inspections, I considered such a truck to carry equipment, tools, supplies and material for three trades at once. I was most impressed with the Mitsubishi Fuso because of it's powertrain and track record. Just don't head-on or rear-end anyone in that thing. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Those little cab-over trucks have become fairly common here in the last 10 years. They are imports from Japan and Hong Kong, so they are predominantly right-hand drive. You get a cheap second hand city truck and have to learn to drive it. [] We used to have a law prohibitting right hand drive, but not so now. http://www.autorec.co.jp/japanese-used-trucks.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I see a fair amount of that kind of truck in the city; lotta industrial commerce and intracity transport going on all the time and the city beats the crap out of a truck like nothing else. They seem to hold up OK. If it's got a tow package and oil cooler, it can be a decent tow job. They're great for everything else. I agree on the pickup truck conundrum. Big impractical poor handling lousy mileage American icons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Fabry Posted July 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 Those little cab-over trucks have become fairly common here in the last 10 years. They are imports from Japan and Hong Kong, so they are predominantly right-hand drive. You get a cheap second hand city truck and have to learn to drive it. [] We used to have a law prohibitting right hand drive, but not so now. http://www.autorec.co.jp/japanese-used-trucks.php This truck is six inches shorter than my full size GMC. GVW is 12,000 lbs- with a 5 litre turbo diesel. It's not a Japanese mini truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I would buy a new truck today for 30mpg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 The day job had one with a 16' x 80" high by 90" wide cargo box. It spent most of its life parked and simply rotted out, 15 year old truck with 48k on it. The box went on a newer chassis just before we parted ways. Crawl under it and look for rot, at 5600 miles a year that one has spent a lot of time parked. If you like your kidneys where they are do not ever, EVER, drive with it empty. A modest pothole was jarring, the big stuff we had this spring would put you through the roof. The box truck rode nice with about 5000 pounds in it. Around 7000 pounds and you had to turn the wheel 45 degrees before you changed directions and make constant 20 degree or so course correction adjustments (in each direction!) at highway speeds. A new steering linkage only improved that by a few degrees. Any more than about 10 miles in an empty truck was physically painful to endure, in either chassis. The 4 banger is under powered, turbo or not. The auto tranny has odd shift points, I usually shifted ours manually to make it go in traffic. When I opted to let it shift on its own I would frequently have to pump the throttle to discourage it hanging just at the top of a gear. On the plus side, you will be able to two point, if not u turn, what would be tough to 3 point turn in you current ride. That was hugely important for us delivering stuff to rural houses. I could often pull in and turn around where the installers would have to back in their GMC cab and chassis cube vans, sometimes up to a quarter mile off the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjr6550 Posted July 23, 2014 Report Share Posted July 23, 2014 I see quite a few Isuzu trucks with box bodies. I often pass a dealer where they have them for sale with cab and chassis. You could put any kind of body on it. Another option is an SUV and a trailer. But, if you need to tow a heavy load that is not a great option. You would need a full size SUV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 I see quite a few Isuzu trucks with box bodies. I often pass a dealer where they have them for sale with cab and chassis. You could put any kind of body on it. Companies like Reading, Unicell, your local, including conversion vans and hearses, draw from what they call a bailment pool of chassis. They usually don't, (or at least back in my time) build for the dealers without a specific order. Too risky to possibly pay a ton of interest to the factory for a vehicle growing a long white beard while waiting for the right guy to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 I don't think I could do without my Chev Avalanche. They have the only seats that are comfortable for me. Mileage isn't to bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspector57 Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 The sixties had what you wanted in light trucks. Chevy, Dodge, and Ford all had their versions to compete with each other and VW. Even the VW did not survive in the truck version, just the van. America spoke with their wallets and did not like the cab forward versions enough to keep them alive. Having driven some of them, I can't disagree with the death even though some of them are cool as a novelty, just not as a daily driver. I drive a F150 with 4 doors and get 17-24 mpg. While not the handiest to park in tight spaces it is a good multipurpose vehicle than will tow and haul anything I need and has seating for 6 big adults. But then I'm in Texas and good highway driveablity is more important that parking in tight spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 I know it isn't quite what you had in mind, but as far as pickup trucks go, the new dodge 1/2 ton diesel is nearing the 30mpg mark I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffzehnder Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Lets hope Fords new attempt to lighten the load by changing to aluminum chassis works. It would be nice if we had more LP versions as well. Way back in the 1979- 1980 era I had a small Fiord Diesel pick (similar to the Ranger) with a utility body (Reading) and it got great fuel mileage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Maybe you could work on the fuel consumption or burn your own alcohol. Click to Enlarge 13.37 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 FWIW ... I liked the pickups when they were a 'tad smaller'. It was like overnight they all got huge. I understand it is about the market and all, but I really liked the full-size units before they got put on steriods. I had a 2002 Chevy p/u, extended cab that was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Traded my smaller 2000 Dodge Dakota in for a full size Ram 1500 Crew Cab 2 months ago. I get 3-4 miles more per gallon in the super sized full size truck then I did in the Dakota. The new truck is unnecessarily large. Just what Detroit is putting out now. The only small trucks are the Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. I get the same gas milage in my full size Ram as the Frontier but I got a lot more truck. Same price. I did not fit in the Nissan or Toyota. Things have changed in the last 14 years since I bought a vehicle. Lots of electronic gadgetry. It took a week or so to get used to the immense size of the Ram but it sure drives nice. Easy to steer, smooth ride. At 6'1" still had to have running boards installed to get in and out. I got the fancy AMP Research power running boards that hide themselves. Pretty sexy. Added a cap to keep my equipment dry and protected from theft. Truck tailgate locks when I look the passenger doors. Cap has a seperate lock. Bed cap side windows open for easier access to front of bed. Added Bedrug and cap liner and I got me an SUV for less money. Click to Enlarge 74.9 KB Click to Enlarge 48.77 KB Trade In vs. New Ride Click to Enlarge 55.75 KB Yes, I like Red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted July 24, 2014 Report Share Posted July 24, 2014 Bruce, that last photo with both trucks is worthy of Mike Lamb! Red is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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