Long bed utes?

[Metastable]

Just curious - are there any double cab long bed utes offered in NZ or AUS? It seems all the double cabs are mated to short beds.

For example here we have a long bed version of almost anything, such as our "Hilux" aka Tacoma. Notice how there is an extra foot between the rear wheel and the rear of the cabin.


vs the short bed:


I just find it more handy to load bikes when it has a longer bed... plus more of the weight is over the rear axle as opposed to behind it.

[sidecar bob]

We can get this fuckin abomination. It's probably not what you would call a long bed though.
http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/roa...ic-crewman-ute

[jasonu]

We can get this fuckin abomination. It's probably not what you would call a long bed though.
http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/roa...ic-crewman-ute

That's no more than a car with a small tray tacked on.


http://www.fordrelease.com/2015/09/2...ease-date.html

[sidecar bob]

That's no more than a car with a small tray tacked on.


http://www.fordrelease.com/2015/09/2...ease-date.html

But yet it is somehow longer & more awkward to hoist Than a BMW 750il.
The engine is a piece of shit that fills up with carbon if the factory service interval is observed & they have a thin spray of undercoat underneath ensuring that they will rust if used.
They also turn in about the same space as a FH Volvo towing a B train.

[Metastable]

Ya the commodore 4 door ute looks a bit odd. The newer 2 door Commodore Sandman looks pretty decent though.



I'd hit it - especially if it had the manual transmission!

[Gremlin]

Short answer is no. If you think local stuff only, all the double cab (Hilux, Ranger etc) all have short trays. Long trays available on single cab, including the Holden Commodore (had two) and Ford Falcon sport utes. They're about 1.8m long. Short trays (I think the Amarok is the biggest around 1.5m) vary around 1.4-1.5m. The odd one to all these is the Crewman (as above) that was double cab, but still had a short tray, but all up it's around 5.5m (the sport utes are a smidge over 5m). The Hilux et al aren't small, usually between 5 and 5.5m.

Only way you get double cab and long tray is the American stuff (plus http://www.longbedmytruck.com/).

This was one of my issues. Couldn't get more than two seats if I wanted a long tray for motorbikes (putting the rear wheel on the tail wasn't desirable as bikes were heavy). Instead I settled for the biggest Hiace. I've got the front seats plus first rear row (a 2 seater but I could replace if I really wanted to) and with the last two rows removed (the max seaters have another row on top, with no boot space) I can still get full sized bikes in the rear. Remove all rear seats and you've got about 3.4m load space, otherwise with one row it's somewhere around 2.5m. Or I can put the seats back in and it's a 10 seater.

The other factor was that nothing was secure in the tray, so I couldn't drop into a supermarket etc. On the flip side, I have to permanently live with a 2.3m tall vehicle that hates hills. Most drivethroughs and parking garages aren't an option, but I ride daily anyway. When I do need to carry something... it's almost never a problem

[sidecar bob]

Ya the commodore 4 door ute looks a bit odd. The newer 2 door Commodore Sandman looks pretty decent though.


I'd hit it - especially if it had the manual transmission!

The back window is so high & the seats are so low that they are virtually impossible to reverse with any accuracy.
Don't listen to me though, I have long been disgusted by Australian vehicles but am probably not alone seeing both ford falcon & Holden commodore have definitive finish dates for production now.

[Motu]

You'd need rear wheel steer with those long utes on NZ roads. The Mitsubishi Triton has those cut back rear doors to get the back axle forward for a shorter wheelbase and tight turning circle. Those huge Yank Tanks are literally a waste of space.

[Gremlin]

The back window is so high & the seats are so low that they are virtually impossible to reverse with any accuracy.

They got worse and worse model on model. I had a VU and VY ute (3.8L) with OK rear vision, but not great. With a half ton of bikes, plus gear, plus mate and I (ie, over the 735kg load limit) it was still pulling just fine and able to maintain the speed limit comfortably. VE and VF had worse rear vision, plus plenty put the lids on that reduced vision further.

Convinced me there was no practical reason to have the 5-6L, plus the load limit was a laugh (500kg including fuel and passengers). Although, it was a utility and set the fastest lap around Nurburgring

[husaberg]

Why just split the difference with a cab and a half Hilux.

The ride is rough as guts compared to a Ranger cab and a half work ute I had at the same time though.
the Ranger cab and a half like the courier before it had the added advantage of the rear suicide doors.

From memory the longest bed ute in a double cab was a pre Triton Mitzi they had a lot of rear overhang.

[bogan]

Was looking into similar a while back.

We get this sort of thing instead. But, when you start going twin cab and long deck, arguably the 'ute' version is a truck anyway.

[Grumph]

In the 90's there were a couple of long bed options available locally. Mate had a Toyota which fitted a tool box plus race bike in the length of the tray. Don't know where you'd find one of them now in usable condition.
The aussies had a crew cab LWB long tray option available for the Holden. Only seen pics but one guy carried a small hydroplane interstate plus his family and crew...probably longer than a van which could carry it all anyway.

[awa355]

Aussie designs haven't changed much at all.

[sidecar bob]

Best bike transport is a LWB van with a rear seat.
Everything inside out of sight & the weather.

[BMWST?]

cab and chassis build your own bed