Rich's bits and bobs

[Smiffy]

How did you fit the lockers really need to do mine?
Great thread btw

Not great having it go up with the body but there are a few that offer a cheaper alternative that sits inside the bed. Might be harder to find as the Isuzu is narrower than the euro vans but they are about

 

[Jimoz]

I bought it secondhand, I think it's a factory spec model

N35.125(T) 6d Utilitruck | Isuzu Truck

Discover exceptional performance with the Isuzu N35.125(T) 6d. Experience its power and reliability for seamless business operations

www.isuzutruck.co.uk

Might be able to retrofit but would be a lot of work moving the tipper body back to suit

Is this why the back is low when its tipped because its further back on the truck? What do them grafters weigh in at fueled and piloted? Do you have to go steady loading with it being on the back axle or doesn't it matter as much on 3 n half tonners?

 

[Brendan]

Yeah well spotted, I had the idig on the Kubota from early 2023ish. Unfortunately wasn't in use the whole time as the wiring issues meant the idig wouldn't run properly.

I think it's a great system and would recommend it to anyone. Works wonders for me as I have no eye for levels at all, and saves jumping out constantly to check. Or frees up the labourer to do something else.

I was lucky to get it secondhand at about half the new price. It's on my to do list to get it set up on the new digger...

Have you ditched the slanetrac for the Sherpa? If so any drawbacks for muckshifting I'm assuming the capacity is alot less on the Sherpa but quicker to move?

 

[doobin]

Have you ditched the slanetrac for the Sherpa? If so any drawbacks for muckshifting I'm assuming the capacity is alot less on the Sherpa but quicker to move?

Sherpas are great in the right job but far too little capacity when it’s a whole extension worth of footings to dig in a back garden with s**t access. Wheels churn the ground up a lot more, and it’s much harder to load compared to a Slanetrac.

Reading this thread I’m glad to be out of that kind of work I’m pleased that the Sherpa has been a success for OP though, they are a well build bit of kit. Mine hasn’t moved in probably a year.

 

[groundworker]

Is this why the back is low when its tipped because its further back on the truck? What do them grafters weigh in at fueled and piloted? Do you have to go steady loading with it being on the back axle or doesn't it matter as much on 3 n half tonners?

It's a very short wheelbase truck at approx 2.4m, the lockers push the bed back about 600mm so you end up with more bed behind the axle than in front.

So you have to think carefully about where you put any weight on the bed (always right at the front) and pack the lightweight stuff around it.

It's a 9ft / 2.7m bed which is ok but if carrying lengths of pipe or my ally ramps at 3m long, it does get a bit tedious resting them on the bulkhead rather than laying flat in the bed (admittedly this has been less of a problem since getting the GH1054 as now I don't move plant on the truck bed so ramps stay in yard).

There is a LWB version of the Utilitruck with a 10 or 11ft bed but an extra 1m on the wheelbase and overall length so it's a lot less manoeuvrable and heavier.

I think in an ideal world I'd like a 3m bed (300mm longer) and move the axle back about 600mm to balance the weight a bit better. Better ride, more space and easier to load without being too much bigger... but unfortunately they don't do a MWB version!

You're probably right the back sits very low when tipped up due to axle location, but I think most 3.5 tonners are similar. I have noticed a lot of transits with 'bespoke' bodies have been raised up to accommodate chutes.

Weight wise, I have this plate in the door

I don't know what they are basing 2645kg on, I would guess completely empty!

I have had it on a bridge at 3 ton. No load but full tank, me and the lockers full of all the tools (could be 250kg in there). Not much legal payload at all...

Sounds like I am being quite critical of it but it is a very good setup for me, it ticks all of the boxes in terms of shifting tools, materials and plant. It has allowed me to be way more efficient than the old van and saved plenty of graft with the chutes.

The only thing holding it back really is the legal payload of these 3.5 ton vehicles.

I have got my cat C licence really and started looking into lorries but not sure it's a route I want to go down...

 

[groundworker]

Have you ditched the slanetrac for the Sherpa? If so any drawbacks for muckshifting I'm assuming the capacity is alot less on the Sherpa but quicker to move?

I've kept the Slanetrac, the Sherpa has replaced it for certain stuff but not everything.

Next job is footings and I will take the Slanetrac. It's much slower over the ground but it's a short run on this job and carries about double as much as the Sherpa.

The thing with the Sherpa is it doesn't really have the power/weight to push into a pile of clay. It's great for sand or loose soil but really you need to be on a hard flat surface. Any lumps in the pile or rough ground and the Sherpa won't get a full bucket. You can load directly into the Sherpa bucket but if you're going to do that a dumper will get more done.

One of the first jobs I did with the Sherpa, testing the capacity/cycle times. The dumper worked out a bit quicker but mainly because the Sherpa couldn't get up to speed going up the steep ramp / narrow alley. From memory the Sherpa would do a cycle in 3 mins self loading, and the dumper would take 5 including jumping on the digger to load.

 

[Brendan]

From the looks of it the slanetrac must hold close to 3 loads of the Sherpa if heaped.
What's the comfort of the Isuzu like on long journeys

 

[groundworker]

From the looks of it the slanetrac must hold close to 3 loads of the Sherpa if heaped.
What's the comfort of the Isuzu like on long journeys

Yeah it's about 2 Sherpa buckets flat, maybe 3 buckets if you really heap it!

Comfort not great, I am used to it now but it really got to me at first.

It's very very different from most vans. It's like the Isuzu engineers put all their time into designing it for carrying cargo, towing etc. but completely forgot that someone actually has to drive it.

I really wouldn't recommend it for regular long runs. It's strength is in the turning circle, how small it is etc. but that makes it crap for comfort/stability. LWB will be better though.

 

[6feetdown]

I bought it secondhand, I think it's a factory spec model

N35.125(T) 6d Utilitruck | Isuzu Truck

Discover exceptional performance with the Isuzu N35.125(T) 6d. Experience its power and reliability for seamless business operations

www.isuzutruck.co.uk

Might be able to retrofit but would be a lot of work moving the tipper body back to suit

Ah mis understanding i meant the belly locker for Wellies etc not the main box, does it go up with the bed?

 

[groundworker]

Ah mis understanding i meant the belly locker for Wellies etc not the main box, does it go up with the bed?

They came with some L shaped brackets but I had to improvise with some uni strut, all Tek screwed to the tipper body crossmembers.

Yeah moves with the bed, something I didn't take into account as I had fixed them tight to the leaf spring mounting bolt... tore a hole in the box first time I tipped the body up

Crap pics but you get the idea

 

[DaveDCB]

Great insight into your journey so far! Keep it up

 

[Furniss]

great thread