Get your support here

[KMTC]

Hello to all of you loyal (by no other choice) FUSO owners. And a hello to you others that have not converted yet! My name is Ron Lucero. Some of you here know who I am and others don't. I am the service manager at Kearny Mesa Truck Center in San Diego, Ca. I am a friend and an avid supporter of what you are doing out there with the FUSO equipment. It is great fun talking with Michel, Doug, and Dan and seeing what is working and what is not. The theories, and the trials and errors. I am here today to introduce myself as a person with resources available to you here in the states, an advocate for you to FUSO, a supporter, and most importantly; a dedicated individual to keep your equipment dependable and reliable. I will stop at nothing to assist you in any way I can. I am fascinated at how advanced and technological the expedition process has become, and plan to more closely monitor what all of you are doing. If any of you ever have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to bring them to my attention as I will do my best to address them to the best of my ability. Thank you and its nice to meet you all!
Ron.

 

[haven]

Welcome, Ron! Your reputation for honesty and integrity precedes you. We look forward to your participation.

Through Doug H.'s experience, we've learned that the FG frame, even when reinforced, has its limits when carrying more than 14,000 lbs. over rough roads. What truck with front drive axle do you recommend when a GVWR of 18,000 lbs or more is required?

Several Australian companies that sell Fusos have developed wheels that permit replacement of the FG's dual rear wheels with a single rear wheel and a 19.5 or 20 inch tire. Would Kerney Mesa consider selling these wheels and tires?

These modifications have been tested and approved by the Australian Department of Transportation. Do you know how difficult (read: expensive) would it be to gain approval of the rims by the US DOT? The tires are already DOT-approved.

One final request: Please tell us what the MSRP is for a 2009 Fuso FG cab and chassis. I know that dealers may well offer a discount from MSRP to a prospective buyer. For some reason, I've had difficult getting dealers to tell me the actual MSRP.

Chip Haven

 

[KMTC]

msrp

Chip,
Currently the MSRP on a 2009 FUSO FG 138" wheel base is $41,500.00 USD. As far as the issue regarding a single rear wheel goes I think its an excellent concept. We currently see it in the United States on class 8 semi trucks in a 22.5" wheel , and also a 24.5" wheel, and they are commonly referred to as "super singles". They have been a huge success here. Now as far as installing a similar arrangement on a Fuso goes I say this: " for the right amount of money, anything can be done". Now that being said FUSO would not warranty any failure derived from the modification, and as far as getting them DOT approved, I am not sure what to tell you about that. You might talk to Darrin Fink regarding optional axle arrangements as well. I know he did a build for Dan Rupps and I was quite impressed with the axles on that truck.
Regarding the weight issue , as you know most of this is trial and error as FUSO does not have as much experience in the field as say Unimog does, and I don't think that FUSO ever realized that their trucks were going to be considered for this type of work. So I have been talking to many people at FUSO, and this is now on their mind for future models. And as you know in Dougs case we have had some serious concern as to the integrity of a stock frame. As far as Kearny Mesa selling the wheels and tires, it is a definite certainty, however I would need to do some homework and research, and then I would need to know the part numbers, and manufacture in question.
My recommendations for an 18,000 truck I would have to say the FUSO FM, however that will require some extensive modifications as in Dan Rupps case which is the addition of a 4X4 system and suspension. However this will make for a very tall expedition vehicle. I hope that I have in some way answered some of your questions. If I left anything out please let me know. And it was nice meeting you. Thank you.
Ron.

 

[dhackney]

I will stop at nothing to assist you in any way I can.

Ron,

It is great to have you here at ExPo! Thank you for joining the conversation. We could certainly use a voice of authority!

For everyone out there who owns or is considering an FG for an expedition vehicle, Ron is our service manager, at least when we're on his continent... :smiley_drive:

Ron and his team have provided exemplary service and support for us during our Fuso ownership experience. He has also been a tremendous resource for us while overseas, especially during our frame challenges.

Ron is a rare commodity in the retail vehicle industry in the U.S. Highest possible recommendation.

Doug

PS - And, no, before you even ask, federal law and Fuso North America will NOT let Ron tell you how to bypass the 2007 and 2010 EPA systems on your truck so you can take them overseas.

 

[KMTC]

Doug,
Thank you for the kind words. I must say I am very impressed with all these expedition vehicles. I am here to offer any support I can. Those are my FUSO's, and all of you are just caring for them is how I look at it. My goal is to make sure you all can depend on our product. I know things break no matter who made them, and my concern is doing everything I can to limit breakdowns, prevent them in the future, and find ways to fix them quickly and properly.

 

[GroupSe7en]

Wow - this is great!

We're on the fence about an FG and are waiting around until some of these issues like super singles, etc. get sorted out by you fine folks.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Michel Szulc Krzyzanowski]

I bought my Fuso FG from Kearny Mesa Truck Center and have the vehicle serviced by Ron Lucero and his crew.
It is an awesome experience: he is re-writing and re-defining what service means.
It is excellent.
Besides he is a nice guy and a very good photographer.

 

[lehel1]

super singles ??

hello mark and all

as some of you know we have recently picked up our new 08.

our current plan is to have stockton wheel built us some 19.5 rims all around (singles for the rear) and our tire of choice is the yokohama ty 303 (285/70 19.5)

we used these tires and 19.5 rims on our 96 dodge ram diesel when we had a four wheel popup camper oin it. they are alittle hard compound but very durable and run deflated very well. the rating of 6300 lbs per tire will allow us to run singles in our dual purpose use of our fuzo. we think the gear ratio of the fuzo will do well with the larger tires and our use. i'll write more on this when we start our new treat and share how our first couple of weeks with our new truck has been

we will use our truck for our general store as well as have a removable camper box that we plan to mount on the 14 foot flatbed for traveling.

well, we'll be starting a new treat on our build up soon

cheers lehel and laura

 

[whatcharterboat]

Hi Ron. I can see straight away that we are going to get along just fine. I have obviously heard of you and know that everyone who has mentioned your business has had nothing but good things to say.

As for SRW for the FG84, we are just about to undergo all of the engineering testing on the new chassis, mainly for brake test data, noise tests etc. for SRW conversion. The 84 has only recently been released here. We have the drag strip booked, the chassis getting ready (we have to fit a fifth wheel, inertia sensors, and a tray back so that we can change the loads quickly) and we are just waiting for the rims to turn up. We are getting them made overseas and will pay for the full ISO tests and also intend to have them US DoT certified while we are at it. We are hoping for 3000kgs each as an overkill. Also they will be tubeless and 19.5" to suit a 275 to a 305 tyre. 16" to follow. No talk of 5 stud as of yet.

Normally we move the AC condensor to a more protected location and also to give more clearance around the larger front wheels and hope to include the bracketry and AC hoses to make this an easy fit "kit". Obviously the system will need a re gas though.

If you are interested and it sounds like you are please give us a call. I'm sure we could work out a US DoT approved SRW conversion with our data for the near future. We have a lot of other things in mind for the US FG market and are also looking at aids for disabled guys to help with cabin access, as an example.

Good to see you here on ExPo.

Regards John

 

[kerry]

Great to see you here, your reputation precedes you.

 

[KMTC]

Thank you

A big thank you to all. Keep in mind I am learning as I go. I have never been an off-road type of person, but I am always fascinated by doing the unthinkable with everyday things. So, the idea of turning these truck s into what I call modern marvels, is quite extraordinary and find myself quite curious. So with that said I am here for anything I can help with, just keep in mind that I don't know everything, but I do know a few people that do, and can get the answers you need relatively quick.

 

[KMTC]

fuso safety

By the way I posted a reply under the thread "Fuso Safety" yesterday, and I also placed an attachment of a photograph of a wrecked Fuso FE, (same cab as the FG) that happend here recently. Michel had the privilege of seeing it in person, but I encourage you all to see how well the cab held together.