Electric Vehicles etc

[Haakon]

It's only a deathtrap if you're the one getting hit by it!

We had to take the trailer out to the bike club this weekend. I must be a fucking saint because not only did I put my trailer on, I had to take it off when we got there, go get the club trailer, put it on and then do the whole thing in reverse to get home! I was shagged! Can only image how those truckie bloke get thru a day.!

The Colorado, especially compared to the Hilux, is quite stiffly sprung so doesn't too bad a job of keeping the weight centered, but man you can feel there's a lot of mass being asked to change direction. And the first thing I noticed when we bought it was the sidewall flex.

And that sidewall flex is a good thing on those things. The fully sik big wheels and low profile tyres on a top heavy 4WD is a very bad idea - in a big swerve situation avoiding something the low sidewall folds in and the rim catches - instant rollover. These things need soft tall sidewalls and the understeer helps them stay on their feet…

 

[Haakon]

I'm siding with @Jabubu on this one. While many such cars are not used as they should be, I love my hilux. Great for gardening, camping, etc. Yes, I could buy a wagon and try to use tarps etc to not to kill the interior, but a tray is really easy. Plus, I can still have my family in the car and carry all the camping stuff (no need to fold down seats). And yes, all that stuff is nice to have when you head off for a month or three at a time.
Mine has no '4wd mods' but has happily tackled a number of places that other cars would not get to unscathed. It has also found some areas where it needed some help.
I also live in a semi-rural area where there are a lot of dead kangaroos on the side of the road. Multiple people I know have hit them and done significant damage to their cars. My big bull bar has saved my car once already.
The big car also works well as a fuckwit-tailgater deterrent. It gets tailgate a lot less then my sedan. So much so that my wife much prefers driving the hilux for that reason alone

I find it’s usually the Hilux rangers that are doing the tailgating…

 

[Haakon]

Luckily he will only put 800kg payload in a trailer with GTM of 750kg behind a hatchback with a GVM of 67 grams.

Or do two trips

 

[silentbutdeadly]

My evidence supporting the notion that both sides of this stupid utes versus hatchbacks argument are wrong and a hybrid or electric version of the above can't come soon enough.

So, of course, VW is (by using the Ford Transit Custom as the basis for the forthcoming T7 generation) letting it die. And no one else makes anything like it ..

For the unknowing, it's a 2001 VW T4 Transporter dual cab syncro TDi (also came in FWD). AWD with a 2.1m alloy tray...and a bullbar. No towbar though. Owned since new when I was based in Bourke commuting on the Darling River Run. Done a few laps of Coomealla MTB park too!

 

[Haakon]

View attachment 408821
My evidence supporting the notion that both sides of this stupid utes versus hatchbacks argument are wrong and a hybrid or electric version of the above can't come soon enough.

So, of course, VW is (by using the Ford Transit Custom as the basis for the forthcoming T7 generation) letting it die. And no one else makes anything like it ..

For the unknowing, it's a 2001 VW T4 Transporter dual cab syncro TDi (also came in FWD). AWD with a 2.1m alloy tray...and a bullbar. No towbar though. Owned since new when I was based in Bourke commuting on the Darling River Run. Done a few laps of Coomealla MTB park too!

Yeah these things are what most tradies that don’t want a van really need.

Thats really shit about moving to a transit platform… VW really must be in the shit with so much platform sharing going on!

 

[Scotty T]

I find it’s usually the Hilux rangers that are doing the tailgating…

Ranger danger is real.

 

[Haakon]

View attachment 408821
My evidence supporting the notion that both sides of this stupid utes versus hatchbacks argument are wrong and a hybrid or electric version of the above can't come soon enough.

So, of course, VW is (by using the Ford Transit Custom as the basis for the forthcoming T7 generation) letting it die. And no one else makes anything like it ..

For the unknowing, it's a 2001 VW T4 Transporter dual cab syncro TDi (also came in FWD). AWD with a 2.1m alloy tray...and a bullbar. No towbar though. Owned since new when I was based in Bourke commuting on the Darling River Run. Done a few laps of Coomealla MTB park too!

I think Renault make the Master in a dual cab chassis, but it’s a lot bigger..

 

[ozzybmx]

Luckily he will only put 800kg payload in a trailer with GTM of 750kg behind a hatchback with a GVM of 67 grams.

Imagine he had kids to transport or even had to move shit for more than 1 person.

I love this picture, its the gift that never stops giving when he's baiting the ute drivers.

Overloaded trailer, overloaded car, overloaded towball and no brakes. Then shouts pos 4WD

And having to drive a bloody cumbersome death trap pos 4WD around everywhere… But hey, if hooking up a trailer occasionally is really that hard, than I guess you “need” a 4WD

 

[Stredda]

This is really all that most tradies need.

This if you really need to cart more than 3 people.

These two have grown into this with the same human carrying capacity and not much more payload space.

 

[Cardy George]

View attachment 408829

I do utilise the 4wd capabilities for work, but I knocked one of those monsters back. Everyone was like "WTF, why?" but they don't have to live in the fucker. Motel carparks aren't huge, the Hilux isn't a tea-totaller as it is, and Almond rows that I drive down semi-regularly aren't that wide.

To bring it vaguely back on topic, electric is just not a possibility for me, for work, as it stands right now. I carry too much and drive too far in a work day for it to be viable, let alone practical.

 

[Stredda]

I do utilise the 4wd capabilities for work, but I knocked one of those monsters back. Everyone was like "WTF, why?" but they don't have to live in the fucker. Motel carparks aren't huge, the Hilux isn't a tea-totaller as it is, and Almond rows that I drive down semi-regularly aren't that wide.

To bring it vaguely back on topic, electric is just not a possibility for me, for work, as it stands right now. I carry too much and drive too far in a work day for it to be viable, let alone practical.

Yes, for a quite a few people electric options aren't there yet.

Would an early model 4x4 hulux suffice?

Even if you compare a 1990 Hilux with the current model, there's quite a substantial size difference and yet the 1990 model would be suitable for most that have a current model. I'd love a new Ute that is the size of a 90's Japanese Ute, but with some of the modern conveniences of a new one, and if it were electric, that would be nice.

 

[Jabubu]

Imagine he had kids to transport or even had to move shit for more than 1 person.

I love this picture, its the gift that never stops giving when he's baiting the ute drivers.

Overloaded trailer, overloaded car, overloaded towball and no brakes. Then shouts pos 4WD




View attachment 408827

What's the weight of that trailer + cargo out of interest? And what is the weight of the car + cargo?

 

[Cardy George]

Yes, for a quite a few people electric options aren't there yet.

Would an early model 4x4 hulux suffice?

Even if you compare a 1990 Hilux with the current model, there's quite a substantial size difference and yet the 1990 model would be suitable for most that have a current model. I'd love a new Ute that is the size of a 90's Japanese Ute, but with some of the modern conveniences of a new one, and if it were electric, that would be nice.

We rent them from Orix, who have their own safety standards that only "modern" utes can provide, so that's all they can provide us. Apparently.

Better than our US office. Anything smaller than a Ram would be laughed at and sent back.

 

[Stredda]

We rent them from Orix, who have their own safety standards that only "modern" utes can provide, so that's all they can provide us. Apparently.

Better than our US office. Anything smaller than a Ram would be laughed at and sent back.

So, if there was such a vehicle that was the same as a 90's ute but with modern safety standard, that would work?

 

[Haakon]

Imagine he had kids to transport or even had to move shit for more than 1 person.

I love this picture, its the gift that never stops giving when he's baiting the ute drivers.

Overloaded trailer, overloaded car, overloaded towball and no brakes. Then shouts pos 4WD




View attachment 408827

Awesome little car. It handled that remarkably well! Wasnt that heavy, just heavy things in the boot and big bulky things. Probably was over the 500kg unbaked limit to be fair, but a long way under the 1350 braked limit so handling wise at least it was fine. Not a regular load id subject the clutches in the DSG to though... Dunno about overloaded towball though, i lifted the tongue onto the towball and im not exactly over endowed with upper body strength!

 

[Cardy George]

So, if there was such a vehicle that was the same as a 90's ute but with modern safety standard, that would work?

In all seriousness though, I don't know who wrote our vehicle policy, or even know if we have one.

There's a massive push to cut costs, so I'm sure if they could provide the capability with a lower cost they'd be all over it.

 

[Dales Cannon]

We rent them from Orix, who have their own safety standards that only "modern" utes can provide, so that's all they can provide us. Apparently.

Better than our US office. Anything smaller than a Ram would be laughed at and sent back.

Hybrids are on the way though.

 

[ozzybmx]

he needs a ute about as much as ozzy's son or jabubu, which is not very much.

Heads away about once a month with his mates to a 4WD park, just back yesterday from a trip to the Murray mouth, drove down the beach, camped the night and surfed, planning a Robe to Beachport dune run in the next few weeks when he isn't working. Just because his vehicle commutes and does the daily running, doesn't mean he doesn't need the 4WD option on occasion.

There's a group of about 10-12 of them go each time, all good kids, no hooning around the hills in fast cars with car clubs. Just getting out there and enjoying the Aussie countryside.

Ahhh.. I forgot, the rotorburn policy, no bogan utes/4WDs or bogan jetskis allowed but owning numerous cars, track cars and dirt bikes is encouraged.

Some people only like to pay insurance once, rego once and buy a vehicle that covers all bases, tow their boat, tow their 2-3 ton caravan, take the missus and 3 kids away on holidays or getting out there with their mates doing things they enjoy.

 

[Jabubu]

Ahhh.. I forgot, the rotorburn policy, no bogan utes/4WDs or bogan jetskis allowed but owning numerous cars, track cars and dirt bikes is encouraged.

Some people only like to pay insurance once, rego once and buy a vehicle that covers all bases, tow their boat, tow their 2-3 ton caravan, take the missus and 3 kids away on holidays or getting out there with their mates doing things they enjoy.

It's c+1 don't you know!

 

[boyracer]

This is really all that most tradies need.
View attachment 408826
This if you really need to cart more than 3 people.
View attachment 408828

These two have grown into this with the same human carrying capacity and not much more payload space.
View attachment 408829

For those playing along at home.
I have a turbo diesel Ranger single cab ute with a friggin huge alloy tray and can't stand driving it. Bloody deathtrap and bone jarringly bouncy without 1/2 tonne in the back. taken to leaving a few hardwood pallets and some steel in the back to tame it down. It's my shack car and lives there for when i ride to shack and may need wheels.
A plumber mate has one of those VW duallies. I love it. Great presentation for a tradie that lives on word of mouth and super roomy inside. Front driver but it's well capable of getting in/out of site.