Tommy Bolin wrote:Saw a ton of 'keis' in Korea visiting my xchange student daughter. not my thing at all, far too small, but they have their place. Just maybe not out here. My 'neighbor' is selling his, too light, no 4x4. There is one in Smithers, B.C., imported fire truck, very, very cool.
My bush truck is a full size, Dodge 2500, extended cab, 4x4. Hydraulic dump box, 18k rear winch, air compressor, inverter, dual battery. Brings the tools to the work, gets me anywhere outback, all winter. Hauls/pulls whatever needs moved, has yet to fail any task.
For something more 'permie' we have four of these:
'94-'97 Mitsubishi Delicas, L400s. Newer, roomier, body style from the old L300s, pre-'98 seem to have less complicated computer setups. Turbocharged 4cyl. diesel, decent power, well, sort of. 4x4s have a center locking differential, some have limited slip axles. Does well in the snow out here, decent fuel mileage. The Jasper model pictured has seats that layflat for a bed, interior curtains, simple camping setup. Seats can be removed for a surprisingly large cargo area. We have an extended wheelbase version with almost pickup truck room.
Downside is finding a van this old from Japan with no rust, must be a very salty island. If you are not mechanically inclined, parts and repairs are a problem, never imported to N.A. Like the keis, they lack a US style VIN, some states are refusing to register them. +25 yrs old eases import restrictions.
Those imported Japanese vehicles are super cool and tempting. I like the Kei trucks too. I was put off every buying one due to the parts issue. A friend had a Toyota HiAce that was a camper, super cool vehicle. But repairing it was a nightmare, and they eventually sold it at a big loss because of the difficulty of getting parts.
