The Ultimate Ranch Hand: ATV or Japanese Mini Truck?
As operators of a retirement property in Colorado that required us to travel a certain distance around the facility, we were faced with finding a cheaper mode of transportation than our van. Following the example of other farmers and ranchers in the area, we blindly made an expensive purchase of a new ATV. It was a decision that I would later regret.
Over the past 15 years, the basic ATV has become a staple on many large ranches, farms, and retirement properties. People who work in large property operations must be able to navigate their land quickly and efficiently to do repairs, check fences, crops, irrigation, and a host of other tasks. In recent years, the vehicle of choice was the basic pickup. It was reliable and could carry enough supplies without making multiple trips.
When companies like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and others began producing recreational vehicles called ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), large owners and companies immediately saw the benefits of having a smaller utility vehicle. The basic ATV could get a person to a job site quickly and could carry a small number of tools or other necessities to get a job done.
However, the ATV was not created to be the optimal utility vehicle, but rather the optimal ‘recreational’ vehicle. With its narrow profile and 4-wheel drive capability, the ATV was incredibly suitable for navigating mountain trails, steep terrain, and effectively getting someone back to the hilly region with a bit of fun. In a pinch, you could bring two people along with a rifle or fishing pole, and maybe a bagged lunch.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the ATV was showing some limitations. Its inherent fun factor design was great for taking a man to a workplace to check something, but it couldn’t carry much more than a bottle of water and a razor. Some ATV manufacturers addressed this by creating small cargo hauling options. While that helped some, it didn’t really get the ATV back in a vehicle that had a lot of cargo capacity.
And there were a couple of other not-so-minor issues that showed the ATV’s weakness as the optimal ranch vehicle. Not only could it not carry much cargo, what it did carry, including the rider, was often left out in the open. On rainy, snowy, or cold days, the ATV rider had to endure the elements while his tools got wet.
Perhaps the ATV’s biggest disappointment was its fuel economy … or should we say, lack of fuel economy. When we bought our ATV for retirement, I was excited to start saving money by driving the truck all over the property. What a disappointment to find that our little ATV couldn’t muster better gas mileage than our old Toyota truck. In fact, it was worse. Many ATVs are heavy, tipping the scales at around 800 pounds. Throw in a rider and a bit of cargo, and now you’re asking a ‘one banger’ to drive better than a thousand pounds without a lot of gas. It’s not going to happen.
A better alternative
Under the heading of “If I had known then, what I know now …”, we would not have bought the ATV. While the initial “fun factor” was quite exciting, he soon realized the ATV’s aforementioned weaknesses. But at the time, he knew of no other alternative.
But recently I noticed what is called the ‘Japanese Mini Truck’ or Kei truck. The term Japanese mini truck only meant one thing to me … your basic ½ ton Toyota or Nissan type pickup. But that is no longer the case.
Japanese mini trucks are smaller vehicles that can accommodate two people, have an enclosed cab with heating and sometimes air conditioning, and feature a pickup box that has almost the same load capacity as larger Japanese trucks. However, the entire vehicle is much smaller and much more maneuverable on the ranch or farm.
Also called Kei Trucks (“Kei” means ‘light’), the Japanese Minitruck has other characteristics that make it stand out from the ATV as a ‘ranch pawn’. They are able to achieve phenomenal fuel economy using a small but powerful 3-cylinder engine. The driveline setup, which also comes with 4-wheel drive, is of a more standard design and is therefore often more reliable and easier to work with on an ATV. Anyone who has ever placed their ATVs in the shop for repair can attest to the incredible cost of maintaining them.
Buying a Japanese mini truck often has to be done through a local importer, who brings these used vehicles from Japan in containers. Kei trucks are generally not sold new in the US And in most cases, the mini-truck is considered an agricultural vehicle rather than a highway vehicle. But some states allow its use on the road.
Think of a Japanese mini truck as a replacement for an ATV, not a replacement for the truck you use to drive to the store. But oh what a replacement is it for the ATV. I’m amazed at its functionality for driving to the job site, hauling the right load, keeping us warm and dry, and incredible fuel economy and reliability. These trucks are typically manufactured by major manufacturers such as Suzuki, Mitsubishi, and other well-known vehicle producers in Japan.
The newer models feature fuel injection, air conditioning, and some significant improvements over older vehicles. Most units come with a 5 speed transmission. Some have a roll-away bed or other options that provide incredible utility value on the ranch or farm.
In short, if I had to do it all over again, I would give up the ATV and buy myself a Japanese Mini Truck. If you spend more time working on your property than on recreation, look into the Japanese Kei truck.
Once you know where to look, there is a lot of information on the web. I found this website at http://www.startruckenterprises.com, run by Dan Buzzell in the Rocky Mountain area. There were many photos of the trucks, as well as useful information.