I loaded the Mits Minicab dump (93) on Friday with 40 scap tires to take to the transfer station. Quite the sight. The transfer station (dump) was about two mile from work with one steep hill to climb and the Mits did it like a champ. The guys and the transfer station were laughing their butts off but after I dumped the tires and came back though the scales for a weight reading everyone was astonished that I had 1,310 lbs on it! That's what most half tons carry. I made two loads like this and the truck handled it fine. I could have even put more weight on it because the rear spring weren't even compressed all the way. I just ran out of room. You can only stack so high on a mini. I should have take a picture to share. I will next dump run.
I had a good load of firewood on my Hi Jet today and I had the rear springs pretty well down. I am going to contact some of the dealers and see if I can just get a set of the add on rear leafs to beef it up a bit! I will try and get some pictures posted.
unless you are always hauling really heavy stuff you may consider small helper airbags. they can be inflated as necessary and you won't suffer the harsh ride when empty. i've used these in the past with great results... http://store.summitracing.com/partd...908216+4294907438+4294925130+115&autoview=sku
Load capacity NT&A, I'm not surprised by your mits carrying 1310lbs. A lot of the members and dealers are of the belief that these k-truks are "rated" at 350kg(770lbs) based solely on the 350kg on the tailgate of the truks. However, I've never seen the translation of the kanji that goes with that decal. Personally, I think the 350kg is actually a JDM tax related limitation based on the use of these vehicles (personal vs. commercial). I was stationed on Okinawa for 3 and 1/2 years and the taxation laws, inspections, insurance, and so many other rules and regs were mind-boggling. If you think about it the whole line of Kei vehicles are and have been regulated (based on Japanese tax laws) in length, height, weight, and engine size (360-550-660cc) and apparently color (white). So why not load limitation? At Disney in Florida these were routinely used for transporting pallets of sod (1800-2000lbs), large hvac units, large pumps, etc. This is just my .02 on it. I have had mine 94 mits LHD 550cc loaded with well over 1500lbs of oak wood toted and dumped no prob - springs were not maxed. And for whatever that 350kg decal means, here's what mine says (note: "approx"):....later, slim
these things can haul a lot on my birthday in the summer everyone wanted see my little truck and then my wife had a big idea to go to the play ground down the street and to load everyone in my truck (pictures to come ) so after we got back i started adding up all the people that were in the truck it was just over 2000lbs :O and at the time that everyone was getting in i was watching the rear suspention and it hardly sagged at all so i didn't think there would be that much weight. my mitsu had no problems. i think you are right slimbad its something to be with use of the trucks, because some plates are yellow ( like the one i have ) and some are white, my son was in japan and seen a lot of these little trucks with both white and yellow plates where abouts is this tag in your truck...i have never seen this in mine or just never found it yet
here is the picture of all the people that were in my truck the big guy by the door was in the cab and me (far right) drove, everyone else was in the box
one of my customer uses his mini to haul water 15 miles to his home on very rough northern roads the tires psi to 45 and hauls 1000 liter or 1000 kg or 2200 pound for those south of the 49th. it handles it just fine he says
i've had 3 sheets of 1/4" x 4' x 8' steel in the bed of my truck and it took a squat but didn't bottom out. had no trouble maintaining 55mph and the only thing compromised by the weight was the stopping power, but not by much.
Cool. So maybe I can haul a round bale of hay after all. Just have to figure out how to get one out. Guess I could just get close to where I want it, untie the bale and drop the sides & tail-gate, hop in, get moving, and then turn the wheel hard. (I think I'd prefer to pull or roll it off the back.)
Hey Rural, go ahead and haul that bale. We had a 1800 hardcore in the back. it sunk it down but handled it. I have a photo of a "Mighty Hamster" with a straw bale, i'm guessing it weighs about 1200 lbs. I just posted it yetsterday in the thread "new contest: biggest spectical" ________ ZX600M
Yep. I knew I'd seen some photos of minis hauling round bales. I just didn't think it was a good idea based on the 350kg rating. Glad to see that I was wrong. I've found the relevant photo on your website (http://www.mightyhamstertrucks.com/mission.html). Doesn't look like the truck is having any difficulty at all. Sweet!
interesting theory about the 350kg stickers. I always peel them off my trucks. I'm going to look into it next time i talk to someone over there. I always figured that was a recomendation for roads and penetration. i know that most half ton trucks are only rated for hauling strofoam packing chips it seems. when i really get one of these little trucks really really loaded down on a soft road it looks like a chuckwagon trail through a mud puddle. stock tires have so little surface area touching the road ________ Harley-Davidson FLSTC
pretty close...i guess if i just go with the load in the box it works out to just under 1600lbs but if you add my 310lbs brother in-law and me 200lbs in the cab, it works out to just over 2000lbs...but we are just talking about loads in the box
I had a little over 2300 pounds in stone tile stacked up in the bed of mine. Acceleration approximated that of a semi, but it hauled it. Still, the weight bugged me enough to have someone come down, and take half the load off, before driving it 50 miles one way home. These little trucks are very tough.
Not that this answers the weight question but here is what the 1991 Subaru Sambar user manual says. I had the Japanese translate it: WHEN YOU PUT Baggage ! - keep the limit for baggage weight -------------------- | Truck Panel Van | 350kg -------------------- -------- | Van: | 350kg when 2 passenger -------- ------- | Trai | 200kg when 4 passenger ------- 100kg when 4 passenger - Please keep the height of baggage low, so driver can see the back and baggage does not fall down when driver step brake strong. - keep the heavy baggage front side - put rope and keep it tight, so it may not fall down. The Trai is another type of van which isn't made anymore as I'm told. The one with the retro look I think. I don't read or write Japanese but it appears the rest of the book is filled with cartoons about a MILF who doesn't know much about the personal safety of herself or her child. Quite an entertaining picture book. Stan
