Hardware Africa 2014 2014 | Page 39

BUILDING MATERIALS and building industry a few extra bags of cement are a real overload problem due to material density. Another ‘creep’ factor is business growth. A bakkie that starts out at 160% load will not cope with increased demands for crew and payload over its service life. In this example a light commercial vehicle cannot ‘pretend’ to be a truck – a 1000kg expected payload is soon whittled away by real-life operating conditions: Extras BAKKIE Extras ISUZU kg kg kg kg Gross vehicle mass - GVM 2800 5200 Less: Unloaded mass without driver 1850 2280 950 2920 Indicated payload remaining Deduct extra mass factors: kg Gross vehicle mass GVM 2800 Less: Unloaded mass without driver 1850 Indicated payload remaining 950 360 540 Full fuel tank bakkie 75 litres / N-Series 100 litres @ 0,85kg/ℓ 64 85 100 150 Canopy on bakkie / 3m dropside cargo body on N-Series 75 600 Tow bar -heavy-duty bumper- front nudge-bar 50 75 Rubber floor mat kg Driver & 3 crew on bakkie / 5 crew on N-Series @ 90kg each Personal tools and equipment DOUBLE CAB BAKKIE OPERATIONAL PAYLOAD EXAMPLE 40 Real indicated payload- kg Gross combination mass - GCM Deduct extra mass factors: Driver & 3 passengers @ 90kg each Full fuel tank 75 litres @ 0,85kg/ℓ 64 Personal tools and equipment 100 Canopy 75 Tow bar -heavy-duty bumper- front nudge-bar 50 Rubber floor mat 40 Average retail price inclusive of extras, VAT & fleet allowances Permissible VAT refundable 360 Real indicated payload- kg DOUBLE CAB BAKKIE vs ISUZU N-SERIES CREW CAB TOTAL 689 261 There is also a need for gross combination mass (GCM). To overcome the lack of GVM bakkies often tow big trailers to increase payload capacity. It is not sound braking practice to pull a trailer with a GVM that exceeds the GVM of the towing vehicle – the ‘tail can wag the dog’. In terms of the regulations any trailer over 750kg GVM requires a service or over-run brake and the driver licence must also be ‘E-coded’ such as EB or EC1. An Isuzu N-Series crew-cab is the ready solution to a lack of personal safety, inadequate GVM and insufficient GCM. This transport solution also matches the demand for future business growth. Here’s proof of the massive value offered in an Isuzu NMR 250 crew cab: This means an investment ratio to payload of R1571/kg for the double cab bakkie compared to only R283/kg for the Isuzu NMR 250. There’s no lack of power in the Isuzu NMR 250 – the 3-litre, common-rail, turbointercooled, Isuzu diesel engine produces 330Nm torque at any altitude. And because it is below 9000kg GVM it is not restricted to 80kph and can cruise at 100kph all day. There are other outstanding advantages for investing in an Isuzu N-Series • To top this all the Isuzu NMR 250 also includes a standard AMT (automated manual transmission) that makes a good driver of a mediocre driver while reducing operating costs and maintenance downtime. No double cab bakkie on the SA market includes this feature in standard commercial execution. • There is no safety compromise on an Isuzu N-Series crew cab truck. In addition to a standard ABS braking system with ASR (Automatic Slip Regulation), a standard engine exhaust brake provides extra retardation. An exhaust brake is not fitted to any double cab bakkie. • An Isuzu N-Series crew cab offers 689 75 1525 261 1395 6000kg 8700kg R410 000 R419 500 R0,00 R51 500 R410 000 R368 000 cargo-body customising that will suit any particular need and transport application – a bakkie offers very limited opportunity for changing cargo-body design. A 3-metre drop-side cargo body also presents more volume for goods and tools than a double-cab bakkie. • And a huge financial benefit lies in VAT which can be claimed back for the Isuzu crew-cab but is disallowed for the bakkie double-cab. This alone is a worthwhile investment decision. One conditional aspect for an Isuzu N-Series crew cab driver is that the required driver licence is C1 coded (the old Code 10) because the unit is over 3,500kg GVM. However, the N-Series range is so easy to drive this is not a major hurdle and an upgrade of personal ability. The annual licence fee on the Isuzu N-Series will also cost more. Craig Uren, Chief Operating Officer of Isuzu Truck South Africa, concludes – “Outstanding value, legal compliance and operating safety make the Isuzu N-Series an outstanding proposition for any business, especially service industries that must transport people, goods and equipment.” HARDWARE AFRICA 2014 39