Suzuki Carry 'Expedition' ATV/Mini truck
- Thread starter Plainsmuse
- Start date
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
Auto gearing...clueless
Not sure on the Automatics...not having one, first. Mines a 5 Speed manual, I suppose they are 4 speed, needing everything they can get to get wound up. Without a tach, I really couldn't guess what the little thing winds up to, but I can say topped out at 5th gear and 120kph, she sure doesn't scream. Were there a 6th gear, she'd go. Sorry I am not better versed with autos, Fishenough. Cheers, indeed!:1888fbbd:Fishenough said:
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
Same conclusion
Thanks for the update, and came to the same conclusion about the 1.6 VW TDI. I guess, seeing you had a Suzuki, you might benefit from the information. Seems like an interesting way to update your rig with Diesel. That is, if you are inclined. So, here's to keeping to dry! :tent: :26_16_2:
I'll have to get back to you on the independent front suspension. Never bothered to ask or know.chet said:
Thanks for the update, and came to the same conclusion about the 1.6 VW TDI. I guess, seeing you had a Suzuki, you might benefit from the information. Seems like an interesting way to update your rig with Diesel. That is, if you are inclined. So, here's to keeping to dry! :tent: :26_16_2:
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
Sorry guys, nothing going on
For Chet, Fishenough and others who have welcomed me, I am still not out of the gate with my build. Not for lack of time or ideas...hopefully more to report this summer. Over and out.
For Chet, Fishenough and others who have welcomed me, I am still not out of the gate with my build. Not for lack of time or ideas...hopefully more to report this summer. Over and out.
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
Update...finally.
Hey guys. For those of you expressed interest 5 years ago, here's what the Carry is carrying today.
Found an Mazda B2200 self-build A-Frame folding camper topper, similar to an Aliner, from ebay, and began an expedition from SD to MI to pick it up.
We avoided the wildlife through Chicago I-90 between Gary, and the drug dealing being done along the interstate, and rounded our journey out with
another ebay adventure.
What a bizarre little build. And it was wider than our 4'6" wide frame, but only by 5" on both sides. We liked and off we went. SO, I will summarize, I
didn't build this bute, but am the current owner.
I don't describe it as weather proof in wind. Needs a little more imagination than I deployed. I have a 2 burner propane stove set up in a corner, with
some glazed tiles to put round your pot or pan so as not to burn the walls or the rig down. A hand pump water faucet, that just takes a gallon of water,
and an empty container to pump into. Simple, but works.
We get 45 miles a gallon at 50mph, and around 20-30mpg at 60-70mph. The turbocharger accounts for the speed past 50mph, and have rebuilt once during
ownership.
Mileage went down with this on the back, and the springs were slightly sagging under the weight. I'm guessing the weight of wood, bed frame construction, and
aluminum to be over 400lbs, and nearing 500lbs. I can mount it by self, but hey, the more the merrier getting this shell on my turtle toy.
Some more pictures.
Hey guys. For those of you expressed interest 5 years ago, here's what the Carry is carrying today.
Found an Mazda B2200 self-build A-Frame folding camper topper, similar to an Aliner, from ebay, and began an expedition from SD to MI to pick it up.
We avoided the wildlife through Chicago I-90 between Gary, and the drug dealing being done along the interstate, and rounded our journey out with
another ebay adventure.
What a bizarre little build. And it was wider than our 4'6" wide frame, but only by 5" on both sides. We liked and off we went. SO, I will summarize, I
didn't build this bute, but am the current owner.
I don't describe it as weather proof in wind. Needs a little more imagination than I deployed. I have a 2 burner propane stove set up in a corner, with
some glazed tiles to put round your pot or pan so as not to burn the walls or the rig down. A hand pump water faucet, that just takes a gallon of water,
and an empty container to pump into. Simple, but works.
We get 45 miles a gallon at 50mph, and around 20-30mpg at 60-70mph. The turbocharger accounts for the speed past 50mph, and have rebuilt once during
ownership.
Mileage went down with this on the back, and the springs were slightly sagging under the weight. I'm guessing the weight of wood, bed frame construction, and
aluminum to be over 400lbs, and nearing 500lbs. I can mount it by self, but hey, the more the merrier getting this shell on my turtle toy.
Some more pictures.
Attachments
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
98 Suzuki Carry Build
here's some side compartments that are hidden under the folding side panels. You can see the bed frame construction employed here...:Mechanic:
I suppose I could've used a board of some sort to make this a sliding drawer, but the space becomes concealed when the sides and the rear gate are closed. The wheels
show the humble construction.
So, the ends have two inserts to round out the unit. The front is a big triangle, that gets wedged into the front, and completes holding your roof line.
The rear is two piece, with the top part of the door on the rear on the larger left side, and a smaller piece completes the Tetris A-Frame camper. A water proof
membrane should have been placed along the top edge of these inserts, which just ride along in the cab area when not deployed.
The split door is handy, but the locking method of a mere hook latch wasn't appreciated by wifey. She wanted something more in line with a safe door...
Propane door for the tank, and the burner above. Note to reader, door detaches, rather than locking...;-)
This is my sure to draw "fire" propane stove setup. YES, in this small space. The only burner to use was the one to the rear, and only with the glazed fire tiles in place, which are wedged in to prevent catching the wood on fire. I also have a tornado stove, that I "Carry" so sticks are used outside with debris to cook with, versus the propane stove, which hasn't thus been repurposed. Since wifey won't sleep in it, due to mentioned method of locking, or lack thereof, its functional for my 6' frame on the left side, and a bolster
to the right beside the sink lets me sit up, dress, and enjoy some silence, read or whatever us guys do in the remote locals that ATV trails can take me.
You do have the pump to the left, so you could pump water on the fire...lol.
here's some side compartments that are hidden under the folding side panels. You can see the bed frame construction employed here...:Mechanic:
I suppose I could've used a board of some sort to make this a sliding drawer, but the space becomes concealed when the sides and the rear gate are closed. The wheels
show the humble construction.
So, the ends have two inserts to round out the unit. The front is a big triangle, that gets wedged into the front, and completes holding your roof line.
The rear is two piece, with the top part of the door on the rear on the larger left side, and a smaller piece completes the Tetris A-Frame camper. A water proof
membrane should have been placed along the top edge of these inserts, which just ride along in the cab area when not deployed.
The split door is handy, but the locking method of a mere hook latch wasn't appreciated by wifey. She wanted something more in line with a safe door...
Propane door for the tank, and the burner above. Note to reader, door detaches, rather than locking...;-)
This is my sure to draw "fire" propane stove setup. YES, in this small space. The only burner to use was the one to the rear, and only with the glazed fire tiles in place, which are wedged in to prevent catching the wood on fire. I also have a tornado stove, that I "Carry" so sticks are used outside with debris to cook with, versus the propane stove, which hasn't thus been repurposed. Since wifey won't sleep in it, due to mentioned method of locking, or lack thereof, its functional for my 6' frame on the left side, and a bolster
to the right beside the sink lets me sit up, dress, and enjoy some silence, read or whatever us guys do in the remote locals that ATV trails can take me.
You do have the pump to the left, so you could pump water on the fire...lol.
Attachments
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
FINISH
The little guy does draw its lookers, only for the novelty, much the same way most overlander stuff does for the rest of us. I got a MO driver looking me up and down, shaking his head, and then couldn't help but walk over and say how he'd never seen anything like it. Like it wasn't obvious to us both.
Yeah, you think I do something with the blue color, but have no desire to take it any further. I'll be posting it for sale, as wifey wants her camper back, and I need to pay for the money to either drive or ship her rig home.
Any questions will be answered, generally. It's been a fun truck, and I enjoy the looks of concern that oncoming drivers appear to have as my wife in the left side passenger seat is often seen with her head buried in a newspaper. I have tried to get her to wave both her hands at people while we pass traffic on two lane highways, but she's just not game.
And for those who haven't yet sat on the right side of a vehicle, it's identical to driving on the left. You just shift with your left hand, instead of your right. Oh, and you have a tendency to get over to the dividing line while driving. I can only figure it's an unconscious effort to keep the perception of my self in an approximation to where I have accustomed myself to being while driving. It's only so often, but I notice it. I usually overcompensate and drive along the solid line along the shoulder for a time.
Also, these aren't readily accepted on all highways. ATV association gave money to NTSB and EPA to keep these off our highways, as appeared to me they were eating into the profits made on this category. A restriction plate was welded over the shifter, preventing the shifter from being shifted into 3rd gear. 25mph was tops, until the informed owners just removed the plates, and thus was restored to it's adequate power. Mind you for 660cc, this little guy can bark tires, 4X4 where the majority ATV's play, and then drive home sans the tow rig and trailer. So far, although I have driven this for 30,000 miles, I have been stopped twice by HPs. First guy was asking me if I knew how fast I was going. When I responded in kilometers per hour, and that I was fuzzy on the math to convert, I looked inquiringly at him and said, "105kph is 55mph, isn't it officer?" The blank stare back, and the response were quite telling, that clearly he didn't know. The need for speedometer in mph wasn't a necessity, in my book. And yes, I do know that 88kph is 55mph....unfortunately I wasn't going 88kph at the time. No ticket, no warning, and no reprimand...and thankful. Whew:elkgrin:
The second HP stopped me, and got out with this smile a yard wide. Bloke was tickled to just see one of these in the states. Had been stationed in Japan, and said hadn't seen one since. He was sincerely happy, and I got a nice time bragging and listening to his experiences with them overseas.
Iowa made a point to stop South Dakotans traveling with ATV's on open roads there in Sioux City for a time, to tell us to go home and come back with a legal vehicle. One time an officer called me on his cell phone, to my number posted on my for sale sign. Never even stopped me. We had a cell phone conversation. He said I should take my vehicle back to South Dakota. I replied that perhaps we should end reciprocity with their drivers licenses and require them to acquire South Dakotan drivers licenses to drive in our state, let alone to recognize their badge, or permit to carry. Thus ends my weird encounters with law enforcement and ownership of this vehicle.
I should point out, I have sedate road tires set up on the 12" rims, as the majority of my uses of late are merely grocery and business. Little Bridgestones, that fit Geo Metros fit it fine. I have a pair of knobby winter tires for when that stuff starts to blow around here.
So if anyone preemptively PM's me before I post to the for sale section, be sure and ask me, then ask for yourself your DOT if these are legal where you are intending to use on the open road. Here is the latest information regarding states with laws friendly to them, and those who don't have any, and those who have restrictions. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/minitrucks
South Dakota has licensed as a Motorcycle, and I pay $70 a year for liability, $250 for full coverage. State Farm. Cheap, you betcha! :coffeedrink:
At this time, I am advised by local sheriffs patrol, that the Highway Patrol is actively seeking to keep these off of Federal Highways, likely due to the bureaucracy related to the ATV association lobbying efforts with the NTSB and EPA. The skinny appears to also be allowing them on federal highways jeopardizes federal funding for highways...
The little guy does draw its lookers, only for the novelty, much the same way most overlander stuff does for the rest of us. I got a MO driver looking me up and down, shaking his head, and then couldn't help but walk over and say how he'd never seen anything like it. Like it wasn't obvious to us both.
Yeah, you think I do something with the blue color, but have no desire to take it any further. I'll be posting it for sale, as wifey wants her camper back, and I need to pay for the money to either drive or ship her rig home.
Any questions will be answered, generally. It's been a fun truck, and I enjoy the looks of concern that oncoming drivers appear to have as my wife in the left side passenger seat is often seen with her head buried in a newspaper. I have tried to get her to wave both her hands at people while we pass traffic on two lane highways, but she's just not game.
And for those who haven't yet sat on the right side of a vehicle, it's identical to driving on the left. You just shift with your left hand, instead of your right. Oh, and you have a tendency to get over to the dividing line while driving. I can only figure it's an unconscious effort to keep the perception of my self in an approximation to where I have accustomed myself to being while driving. It's only so often, but I notice it. I usually overcompensate and drive along the solid line along the shoulder for a time.
Also, these aren't readily accepted on all highways. ATV association gave money to NTSB and EPA to keep these off our highways, as appeared to me they were eating into the profits made on this category. A restriction plate was welded over the shifter, preventing the shifter from being shifted into 3rd gear. 25mph was tops, until the informed owners just removed the plates, and thus was restored to it's adequate power. Mind you for 660cc, this little guy can bark tires, 4X4 where the majority ATV's play, and then drive home sans the tow rig and trailer. So far, although I have driven this for 30,000 miles, I have been stopped twice by HPs. First guy was asking me if I knew how fast I was going. When I responded in kilometers per hour, and that I was fuzzy on the math to convert, I looked inquiringly at him and said, "105kph is 55mph, isn't it officer?" The blank stare back, and the response were quite telling, that clearly he didn't know. The need for speedometer in mph wasn't a necessity, in my book. And yes, I do know that 88kph is 55mph....unfortunately I wasn't going 88kph at the time. No ticket, no warning, and no reprimand...and thankful. Whew:elkgrin:
The second HP stopped me, and got out with this smile a yard wide. Bloke was tickled to just see one of these in the states. Had been stationed in Japan, and said hadn't seen one since. He was sincerely happy, and I got a nice time bragging and listening to his experiences with them overseas.
Iowa made a point to stop South Dakotans traveling with ATV's on open roads there in Sioux City for a time, to tell us to go home and come back with a legal vehicle. One time an officer called me on his cell phone, to my number posted on my for sale sign. Never even stopped me. We had a cell phone conversation. He said I should take my vehicle back to South Dakota. I replied that perhaps we should end reciprocity with their drivers licenses and require them to acquire South Dakotan drivers licenses to drive in our state, let alone to recognize their badge, or permit to carry. Thus ends my weird encounters with law enforcement and ownership of this vehicle.
I should point out, I have sedate road tires set up on the 12" rims, as the majority of my uses of late are merely grocery and business. Little Bridgestones, that fit Geo Metros fit it fine. I have a pair of knobby winter tires for when that stuff starts to blow around here.
So if anyone preemptively PM's me before I post to the for sale section, be sure and ask me, then ask for yourself your DOT if these are legal where you are intending to use on the open road. Here is the latest information regarding states with laws friendly to them, and those who don't have any, and those who have restrictions. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/minitrucks
South Dakota has licensed as a Motorcycle, and I pay $70 a year for liability, $250 for full coverage. State Farm. Cheap, you betcha! :coffeedrink:
At this time, I am advised by local sheriffs patrol, that the Highway Patrol is actively seeking to keep these off of Federal Highways, likely due to the bureaucracy related to the ATV association lobbying efforts with the NTSB and EPA. The skinny appears to also be allowing them on federal highways jeopardizes federal funding for highways...
plumber mike
Adventurer
I'm sure the Feds would cringe to know my mail gets delivered everyday by one. They seem so much more practical than the crew cab Polaris rangers that have flooded the hills in recent years.
Thank you for sharing your real world experience with one.
Thank you for sharing your real world experience with one.
Gren_T
Adventurer
thats a great little truck, there are lots of them in the uk including a motorhome variant linky:http://www.rushhourtechnology.co.uk/bryan/supercarry/bambi.htm
I know of one guy that is touring northern europe in one at the moment.
love to see what you end up doing with it.
regards
Gren
I know of one guy that is touring northern europe in one at the moment.
love to see what you end up doing with it.
regards
Gren
Plainsmuse
Adventurer
Update
Hello all.
Just an update to the little guy...had to sell it to pay taxes on property a year or so ago, and never got around to posting. The camper sold separately for next to nothing, and it was a project with no weatherproofing. Wifey never stayed in it, and said it was not mouse proof. For that, neither was it water proof...the camper got its own set of wheels and is an ice fishing house! lol
With all being said, I am on the look out for another one, for $500 to $1000, as they are just sheer fun. My wifee would get distracted looks from drivers, who would be appalled at her reading her local newspapers in the drivers seat, while I calmly drove from the right hand side. Oh yeah, she loved the intimacy of the little cab, also, over many RV, expedition campers, Toyota, and F150s.
So, with all the experiences we had, we can only recommend these class of vehicles, but for the price above, and not for the markup that US and Canada adds to shipping 6 or 7 of them in a container into an EPA approved limitation center, where they approve after welding in the restrictor plates.
SO, I will buy another! Forget ATV class! Forget new domestic brand China manufactured knock offs. Suzuki! They only sell 65 to 75% of every Kei made in the world, so they are the true Worlds F100....little small for F150. Attempt at humor...(shrugs=)
Hello all.
Just an update to the little guy...had to sell it to pay taxes on property a year or so ago, and never got around to posting. The camper sold separately for next to nothing, and it was a project with no weatherproofing. Wifey never stayed in it, and said it was not mouse proof. For that, neither was it water proof...the camper got its own set of wheels and is an ice fishing house! lol
With all being said, I am on the look out for another one, for $500 to $1000, as they are just sheer fun. My wifee would get distracted looks from drivers, who would be appalled at her reading her local newspapers in the drivers seat, while I calmly drove from the right hand side. Oh yeah, she loved the intimacy of the little cab, also, over many RV, expedition campers, Toyota, and F150s.
So, with all the experiences we had, we can only recommend these class of vehicles, but for the price above, and not for the markup that US and Canada adds to shipping 6 or 7 of them in a container into an EPA approved limitation center, where they approve after welding in the restrictor plates.
SO, I will buy another! Forget ATV class! Forget new domestic brand China manufactured knock offs. Suzuki! They only sell 65 to 75% of every Kei made in the world, so they are the true Worlds F100....little small for F150. Attempt at humor...(shrugs=)
christianoffroad
Cheap Adventurer!
the Suzuki dealership I worked at had one of these little beasts, and I loved it! It my stable hadn't been full, I would have bought it when they sold it!