arboriculturist

So just 2.5m3 chip in the back then 😏

Do you know the legal payload? Thanks

That's the downside of living in a rural area the same as us. A lot of trips take 1 hour total which is why we need to have 4m3 onboard to maximise the journey. Thinking laterally we have never had a 4x4 for deliveries before so perhaps we would be better off with a Nissan Cabstar or Mitsubishi Canter - any viewpoints would be welcome as I have never had either of these makes only Ford and Iveco.

Spot on 👍

There we go - regen. allegedly cycles between 10 - 20 mins, so presumably everything is operating as designed and therefore causing no issues.

Sounds like they are the people to dealing with regarding uprating. Did you Hilux come with air assist fitted if not any idea on cost? So what payload can you legally carry on your uprated Hilux extra cab mk6 ? Is it a tipper? Thanks.

Not wishing to rub salt into the wound, but to have shelled out your hard earned cash on a new truck thinking that's my transport sorted for 10 years, only to see the ship sink must be hard to take. I don't think it would be worth the gamble even with the new generation Dmax. I am still uncertain what make of single cab 4x4 tipper to go for which can be uprated with air suspension like GDH's Dmax to legally carry 1400kg approx. The dealer's seem to tell you exactly what you want to hear. I am sure there are those on here who know categorically what the best vehicle to buy would be and that it will 100% carry the payload I require.

No problem. Strangely I have only heard good things about Isuzu. A haulier a 2 miles from here ran one up to 170K and only renewed a brake light bulb. Went straight out and bought another when the time came. I am totally undecided what to do. It was the tipper with air suspension and still a 1400 payload capacity that put the Isuzu at the top of the list. You must have the latest generation 6 with the smaller engine that I do not think has diesel in the oil issues. Do you need to add 'Ad Blue' to your old one or the new one?

That was depressing reading - Has the Hilux been trouble free?

No sorry I did not, but I need to by your account! I am uncertain what 4x4 to purchase, so please PM me if you prefer, any advice on makes and models that can tip and carry 4m3 most welcome. It's so easy to part with a lot of money and end up with the wrong vehicle !

GDH has a single cab Izusu - 4x4 Utility model I think. I know he had air suspension fitted to cope with carrying 4m3 of dry firewood. He will reply to this post shortly I am sure, as I am interested also. I hear varying reports on the best 4x4 s, it seems many choose the Izusu Dmax single cab utility 4x4 on price and it is one of the few that will carry 4m3 firewood with tipper and air suspension fitted. I would like to hear others advice though.

Same as you, every penny is invested in timber and as we air dry, we need a lot of lead time / stock. I have been unable to find a 0% finance deal, several seem to be around 9%, I am not sure if that is reasonable? Isuzu Dmax with 5 year warranty and load capacity with air suspension looks like the only viable option. Weight with 4m3 dry firewood on, combined with tipper and bodywork puts you right on the very limit of legality - wood needs to be really dry, which yours is of course. Having 2 delivery vehicles reduces risks dramatically of course should you be running older / second hand vehicles. All our equipment is older but as it is well maintained and regularly serviced we get little downtime. Certainly don't get the exotic holidays overseas, but offset that with good shoot days. Thanks for the insight into how you operate. Finally, as we plan to carry 4m3 - what ISUZU model, spec and engine size is best to go for?

I've always bought vehicles outright, but maybe finance is a more tax efficient way forward. Also a rolling 5 year replacement keeps you with a smart looking vehicle and low maintenance costs. All our vehicles are kept until they are well over 10 years old which may not be so beneficial on reflection. What do others think ?

That is certainly the ultimate delivery vehicle, but at close to 30K new with the 4m3 bodywork and air suspension I am not sure firewood sales could justify the outlay. There again 30K over 10 years @ 3K / year - say 2000m3 / year delivered = £1.50 / m3. Is that how you see things if you don't mind me asking?

Is this the truck with the 4m3 back? Air suspension I have not had dealings with - what is the principle, benefits and additional cost if you don't mind me asking?