Mini Truck

[rd_macgregor]

I'm considering getting a Suzuki Carry 4x4 mini truck to use as a poor-man's UTV. Does anybody out there have experience with this class of vehicle? Apparently they are road-legal in my province, so, theoretically, I could license/insure it and also drive it on the roads (though I've heard the insurance companies really stick it to operators of these, presumably because they are right-hand-drive).
Bob

 

[dodge man]

I've seen them sold as left hand drive, but maybe not that brand.

 

[AaronS]

No first-hand operating experience, but the school where I work has a handful of them for the grounds maintenance crew. At least one is a Suzuki. They've been very dependable and get great gas mileage.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Only thing I know about them is my mechanic has one sitting in his yard that belongs to a customer. Been waiting on parts for 3 months now. Does yours have air conditioning? That seems to be a rare option.

 

[Will_C]

They have always appealed to me, but the parts/service seems to be very spotty. That stopped me from investigating them any further.

Will

 

[WM75Guy]

We use them at special events for EMS vehicles, mainly because they are enclosed cabs with AC. They are dependable if maintained. Fortunately we have a shop close by that specializes in them so parts have not been an issue. You can get them in right or left hand drive, regular, extended or crew cab, 2 or 4 wheel drive, with or without AC, almost any configuration you want. As far as driving around my property I went with a Kawasaki TransMule 4X4. To me it's more fun, more comfortable getting in and out, less maintenance, and more versatile for driving the grandkids around.

 

[Jim Nelson]

I have 2 minis,1 street legal Daihatsu jumbo cab,that is great for around town but not a highway rig. My other one is a Mazda Scrum which is a Suzuki badged as a Mazda. It is 4x4 and I have fitted it with a dump/scissor lift bed from a Daihatsu.It is my best tool on our 6 acre property in North San Diego county which is pretty steep terrain. I use it daily for all my tree maintenance work and as general transportation around the area.It is a 1995 model with about 135,000 kms and runs like a top. Parts are readily available if you need them but they rarely need anything if you just do routine maintenance.
I also fixed up another one for my son in Colo. that he and his family use for hunting back there and they really appreciate the heater during elk season.
My Daihatsu is a left hand drive that a previous owner got titled and registered in Ca. but I don't know how he did it,I'm just glad he did.I had a tough time finding anyone to insure it and it is expensive.All things considered I think they are a great rig though not for everyone.

 

[brown40]

No experience with them, but what a neat little rig. Seems like a perfect little hauler for staying out of the elements--wonder why they stopped production?

 

[dusty3030]

No experience with them, but what a neat little rig. Seems like a perfect little hauler for staying out of the elements--wonder why they stopped production?

They are still made and used in many parts of the world.
EPA stopped the import of them here.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have a Honda mini truck that I use strictly for hunting. It is REALLY nice to drive 3 miles to the deer stand in a heated cab. And its easier to throw a deer in the bed of that truck, compared to on a 4 wheeler.

However, in my case, parts are hard to find and expensive. Most parts have to come from Japan, but you can find them on the internet and I've had parts delivered within about 3 days from Japan. I had to replace the windshield on mine, and it was $400 from Japan, plus $75 to have it installed locally, compared to the windshield on my F350 which was $180 installed.

I have recently bought a 1994 Toyota pickup to replace my Honda Mini. I did this because I feel that the mini truck is a bit 'delicate' and won't hold up to rough use. Mine is for sale now.

 

[RollingsFarms]

What does "routine maintenance" consist of on these? Oil and fuel filters hard to find?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

What does "routine maintenance" consist of on these? Oil and fuel filters hard to find?

With a little research, you can find filters that will fit. But, when you get to other things like brakes, water pumps, and such, will be much harder to find, or match to parts available here in the USA.

 

[Scooby074]

Have a look at licensing an RTV. There is a guy here with valid tractor plates on his! He also has a revolving beacon and a caution triangle on it too. Im guessing that he somehow got it road licensed as a tractor! Dont know how he did it, or how he got liability insurance for the road, but he makes no bones about it and drives in the (entire) right hand lane, not pulling over to let you by

 

[rd_macgregor]

I think this report may have been a big factor in government prejudice against these trucks. http://www.aamva.org/uploadedFiles/MainSite/Content/SolutionsBestPractices/BestPracticesModelLegislation%281%29/MiniTruckBestPractice.pdf
The funny thing is that the importation rules (at least here in Canada) say the trucks have to be at least 15 years old...which guarantees they won't include the most up-to-date Japanese emissions and safety features.
We have a local seller, but these 15-20-yr old trucks are $6k to $8kCD (which would be $4500 to $6000 US). The one I was thinking of is a private sale for $3k.
Bob

 

[crazyal]

They are getting a little hard to find but have you looked into getting a Suzuki Samurai? Parts are easier to get, they are pretty rugged.

 

[ultrarunner]

I paid $1100 for my Samurai with a noise in the trans... $50 in parts and a new clutch disk and it has been flawless.

It is my off road vehicle and I can drive it on any highway when needed... only down side is every 2 years it had to pass inspection... so far so good.