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What made you purchase a mini truck in the first place?

Discussion in 'General Truck Info' started by downhere, Jul 14, 2011.

  1. downhere

    downhere Member

    I kind of thought this would be a good thread. I'll start with the fact that my my wife said that my boy's(10 and 8) and I should build something. She didn't realize how much a muscle car would be. We are are a quadding family so I started looking for an offroad toy. I also wanted something that no one else had. I have never driven one but will pick up my Daihatsu deck van in Vancouver around July 27. Looking forward to the build...
     
  2. trecar

    trecar New Member

    S Carry

    i got mine as an acreage veh with a blade for pushing snow. we picked it because of the cool factor and uniqueness, and most importantly it was a hell of a lot cheaper and more practicable than a side-by-side quad.

    Trevor
     
  3. longview

    longview Member

    we got our because we had EVERYTHING stolen at our farm, so i wanted a off road vehicle that i could drive on the road back and forth to the farm so i wouldn't have to leave it there to be stolen....if i had known how much fun they were i would have bought this FIRST..:D
     
  4. Ironraven

    Ironraven Active Member

    I wanted a farm truck that had a light enough footprint to get out in the fields to manage my cows without making ruts or getting stuck but still had enough towing/carrying capacity to be useful off farm... and I love weird crap that's not quite what a 'normal' person would have. I also have some trails I would like to manage better and I love to hunt so there's pretty much no better machine to handle everything all at once. Since I can't ever leave a vehicle alone it was also attractive to me because it's pretty easy to customize these little suckers if you have a welder and aren't afraid to use it...
     
  5. axle

    axle Member

    because its 45x4 cheap and functional:D
     
  6. vtg

    vtg Member

    I am really into vintage snowmobiles and host an annual vintage sled derby every year in February. I do lots of work on the trail during the summer, each year adding a little more trail or upgrading the existing part of the trail. I used to drive my Chevy out to the trailhead with my ATV on the back. I found that to be a bit of a PITA because of all the loading/unloading and having to pull a trailer with ATV to haul all my trail clearing equipment. And most of the time the trail work is done during rainy wet weather when I can't do anything on the farm......so I generally got wet and cold when using the ATV. This mini truck has really made life easier for me. When I purchased the mini truck, I really didn't think I'd use it for anything other than trail work, but I drive this thing almost every day. It is way handier for running errands than my big Chevy crew cab and far better on fuel. I would be entirely lost if without my little mini truck. Honestly, I can't understand how people can get by without one.
     
  7. BC_MMC

    BC_MMC Member

    I need to buzz around town a lot with a small tool box and very light-weight parts that sometimes won't fit in an SUV. Heaviest thing is a collapsable ladder.
    Also needed 4x4 to access mountain tops on occasions.
    The only option on the market was the Ford Ranger 4x4, and having got rid of my gas-guzzling, poorly built POS Ranger a couple years back and gone thru three similar S10s and S15s (they named it Blazer because mine caught on fire on the top of a mountain!) the Mits fit the bill.
    I'd also value the advertising value for our company as equal to $100K in TV ads.
    She's been in the shop for months,and I sorely miss it pumping $150 - $200 of gas into the F250 bush truck now. Thinking of buying another!
     
  8. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    was tired of gassing and trying to park my f350 diesel crew cab long box...$180 fill ups with Diesel at $1.45 a litre..I realized I was usually alone in the truck ,or had my son with me..rarely needed the back seat..I usually only drag around a lawnmower and weedwhacker to maintain my rental places,but still needed a truck for dump runs etc..the Minitrucks I had been eyeballing for years just because I have a fondness for small vehicles,and anything odd...Hijet fits the bill in every way....does exactly what I need...except towing my boat..that's the only drawback
     
  9. starpuss

    starpuss Member

    this is why
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

    RHD, japanese, diesel, 5 speed, truck, small, unique, cool, pick up ladies in them, :D
     
  11. rst277

    rst277 Member

    Your answers are my answers. I loved my F150 ext. cab 4x4 but two 60 liter tanks and mostly just hauling my butt around did not make sense. I looked at my buddy's Ranger but the mileage was mid 20s and the box was tiny and he paid $10k. It's been 2 years and 18,000kms and I'd never go back. Great for running around town, hauls everything I need, park anywhere, do u-turns in a phone booth and gets 30mpg loaded and working or 40mpg puttering around. Really how can you beat it??
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2011
  12. My brother and I hunt together and he has one that he leaves at the camp most of the year. It was the most handy vehicle on the deer lease. It can go almost anywhere a 4 wheeler can go, but it's a lot more comfortable. And it can haul an ice chest full of beer much easier than a 4 wheeler.

    Some of our deer stands are up to 3 miles from the camp, and I'm just getting to old to ride that far on a cold rainy (we don't get snow) morning.

    I used his to drive to the stand a couple times, and I didn't ever want to get on my atv again.

    I looked at several mini's that were for sale around here, and anything in my price range ($2500-3000) was JUNK.

    I finally found this one at a farm auction, and besides the windshield, it seemed to be in fairly good shape. I got it for about $1000 and I figure for another $1000 I will have a darn good 'deer camp' truck

    Anybody want to buy a good used 4 wheeler????
     
  13. Coast Steve

    Coast Steve Member

    Good question !

    Well I think it was the smaller size of them first but then with all the cool options like cabover seating, fold down sides, dump, tilt and deck options, I was sold.

    I also like the fact the're a little different, and I give all the RHD minis a little wave, even though my Canter is twice as big.

    But I think of my truck as their bigger brother.

    I'll never go back.


    Can't wait for my new Elf 250 crane truck to get here now, Apparently it's out on the ocean right now on it's way!


    I'm having RHD withdrawls, NO KIDDING.

    OH , don't worry, I'll post pics when it's here :pop:


    PS: Starpuss, I love your old Honda, nice to see it running and being used still.
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2011
  14. erixun

    erixun Member

    I started wanting a kei van while I was stationed in Japan. Then came back here and kinda forgot about it for a few years.

    I saw small van in town (not a kei) and got me thinking about it more, then I just made the next natural step.

    I got mine basically for OHV use. The older I get, the less I like to freeze on the hunts, and I like to take alot of crap with me, just in case. I love my truck, since I got it I have only put about 50 miles on my wheeler.:(

    I need to go riding.....
     
  15. jvanmol

    jvanmol New Member

    I had a V8 dakota rwd. Blower fan broke and the windows always fogged up, shop wanted $400 to fix it. I mainly used it to pick up firewood and run around town. I got stuck so many times in snow and mud that CAA called and told me I would have to upgrade my account. And who could forget paying to fill it up.
    I started looking at american "small pick-ups". They all get shitty gas milage and anything with 4x4 costs quite a bit.
    I googled mini trucks and discoverd these little bastards and fell inlove.
    I bought a hijet with push button 4x4, 5-speed, AC, get around 40mpg, carrys all I need and is a tonne of fun to drive; and the best part, I have never got stuck. I am looking forward to my first winter with my baby. I will gently abuse it some more.
     
  16. anthill

    anthill Member

    Spoke to a guy heading to the ferry on Saltspring Island who had a Sambar truck - his wife is a beekeeper, so he needed something narrow enough to drive overgrown back roads and grippy enough to climb hilly island country with a few beehives in the back. Awesome. :D


    Me, I got my van because I needed to move back and forth across Ontario, wanted to be able to park it in my tiny garage while still fitting 7 bicycles, fantasized about gravel road car camping and besides which I was practically raised in an 80s VW Westy. The Domingo van is just a pocket-sized Vanagon!
     
  17. erixun

    erixun Member

    Last edited: Jul 22, 2011
  18. Vitnzjp

    Vitnzjp Member

    I will be short - TAX and gas bills. I don't really need big car, so why i should pay more?
     
  19. Stuff99

    Stuff99 Moderator Staff Member

  20. firejonny89

    firejonny89 Member

    i got my mini to plow where in not out in the wind all the time i plow the firehouse and a church and the people on both sides of me fo it can take me 2 hours or more to plow one time on the quad and i was just lookin for something a lil better and this was the best thing i could find. plus i was hoping that my state would make the road legal and i could drive this vs my 4x4 gmc that get 14 to 15 mpg last i checked on the days i cant ride my motorcycle.
     
  21. BC_MMC

    BC_MMC Member

    I got my White Elephant because I wanted to spend months while it was in the shop waiting for incredibly expensive parts that no one knows how to install just to drive it for a couple days until something else broke.
     
  22. downhere

    downhere Member

    I wanted to laugh but.... Sorry to hear about your problems with the truck!
     
  23. Jakester

    Jakester Member

    I was gonna buy a UTV for the farm and to trap out of. Some one suggested a mini truck and I found an ACTY close by. It has a dump and is VERY handy. I registered it as an ATV and most of the roads in my town are ATV accessable.
    People with UTV's are always wet and dusty while I am dry and warm and get close to 30 MPG while the F150 gets 14. Getting parts are PITA but I find readily available Honda parts will sometimes interchange.
     
  24. blakkmoon

    blakkmoon Member

    I became concerned about my carbon footprint and living a more eco friendly life.

    Each of us can make a difference in our daily lives by reducing our carbon footprint and its easier than you think to get started.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------

    How was that for some tree hugger sell ????


    Well it's kinda true.

    I drive 100 or more KM per day for work just in the mini.

    Always by myself. ( I feel so alone!!)

    Used to have the big Dodge Ram with the hemi
    It was great, but a little overkill.
    And the 9 or 10 mpg kinda sucked.

    Then there's the quirk factor.
    It's odd, it's diferent, it's me.

    Not so worried if I get a ding or a scratch.

    Insunance is $600/ yr VS $2200
    And it hauls everything I need it to.

    For me its not just a little run around town truck

    This is my daily work truck

    There really is nothing MORE "tree hugger" than recycling and getting a previuosly owned truck...
    Plus getting 4 times the fuel economy
     
  25. Jessf

    Jessf Member

    I had the same car since college, then it died and I had a while to think about what I wanted. I'd seen a mini truck several months before but didn't know it was Japanese, figured it was some euro model. I don't want to be in someone's back pocket, so I stay away from financing or leasing and look for things I can buy out of pocket. The mini was half of what I wanted to spend, I've always wanted a truck, it had 4x4 and just plain cool. Since then, the engine died so the economics of the purchase have been blown away.

    One thing I wasn't expecting is people's reactions. This truck totally lowers people inhibitions, they come up and start up a conversation, women love it and I've had several "20 somethings" scream "I love your truck" as I wiz around a corner. Just saying, the best set of wheels for a single man, which I am not, blast.

    Then there's the whole minimalistic approach, which I've come to realize after buying the truck. The truck is smaller, consumes less fuel, less space and less resources to make and maintain, plus, it would lay rotting in a landfill in Japan if their market for exports didn't exist. How small would our roads be if we all had kei sized vehicles and transport? How much less tax dollars would be used each year to fix our ever widening highways? Think about it, the only truly "green product" out there is one that was never created in the first place. The next best thing is to reuse something as many times as you can before it goes to a landfill. Finding new uses for old things is far better, in many instances, than throwing it out and buying some new "environmentally conscious, hemp upholstered, bio fuel consuming" modern thingy that's filled to the gills with plastic and "modern conveniences" I didn't even know I....Oooo so shiny I want, is that real leather, where can I plug in my fireplace? So when people come up and ask where I got it I tell them because I think this is more than just a truck, it's a philosophy.


    anyways, I bought because I like it, reason enough.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2011
  26. blakkmoon

    blakkmoon Member


    :D that's DEEP Dude!!
     
  27. Jessf

    Jessf Member

    lol maybe a bumper sticker.
     
  28. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Not as deep as the carbon foot print. :rolleyes:
     
  29. TRAX and HORNS

    TRAX and HORNS Well-Known Member

    Bout 6 yrs. ago I was running to Dallas to pick up a tractor. Look over on the side of the road and said "What the hell is that". Did a Ueey, got out and took a looksee. Pretty cool looking little truck. Got back in my truck heading towards Dallas again. On the way I called my cousin which travels to Japan and China about every three months looking for the new robot gizmo and asked if he ever sees these little trks. over there. Oh, yea all the time. 4x4? yea most of them. Got me to thinking now. These things got to beat the Rhino, Kobota, Mule ect hands down. Nice and warm in the winter, hauls more than the other UTV's ect. Overall this is a No Brainer. Called cousin again asked him to find me a buyer in Japan and ask how do I get them here. He told me to call his sweet little import broker and tell her what I wanted to do. Two months later, a import bond and a bunch of money my first container was sitting in Austin,Tx. Thats was almost six yrs. ago.
    These trucks are a passion for me and I believe in them.
    85 % of my buyers are in the Texas Hill country and West Texas. The only time I here from them is about ordering a air filter or something small like that. They always tell me what a neat little truck they are and it keeps on ticking. A lot of the guys in west Texas are on 1000's to 10,000 of acre ranches and use these as work trucks everyday. Hauling welding machines around the place, fence equipment, checking cows ect. In six years I have never had anyone say they were sorry with their purchase.
    I am a believer and will continue to be a believer in them.
     
  30. fupabox

    fupabox Well-Known Member

    Another reason I like the mini trucks is the "blank canvas" aspect...most other cars/trucks come equipped with some-one else's idea of what it should be. Mini trucks on the other hand are whatever you want them to be...full out off-roader,farm truck,hunting rig,delivery vehicle...etc. so easy to re make them into anything you want...I also like the fact that anything you want also means anything you can do yourself...there's no right or wrong way to do it...I guess the original Beetle was similar..in that regard:)
     

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