Tray backs

[mettisse]

Been housebound with man flu and I've been watching a few Ozzie you tube videos, now while I give a lot cred to the Ozzies, I don't " get" the tray back bit.
As far I can see unless you are schlepping something big and dirty about ( GS maybe) you lose an enormous amount of dry useable storage, I know it depends on what use you have, but instead of adding " versatility" to the truck you really are cutting it back. Now, is it me? What don't I see? All replies to be sent on a £10 note to this address.

Best regards to all, Bill Westley

 

[Chas]

No it's not just you Bill, also being housebound with Man Flu I have been You tubing a lot, not necessarily the Aussie ones but I have never seen their attraction to tray backs either, as you say it seems mostly wasted space.
Sorry, got no spare tenners at the mo.

 

[Shayne]

In some parts of the world you don't need to double knot your shoes laces in case your shoes get stolen and you don't need to keep everything under lock and key . If BRitain were such a place i bet there would be far less vans and far more pickup trucks .

 

[StarCruiser]

In some parts of the world you don't need to double knot your shoes laces in case your shoes get stolen and you don't need to keep everything under lock and key . If BRitain were such a place i bet there would be far less vans and far more pickup trucks .

And if it didn't rain so piggin' much

 

[mettisse]

In some parts of the world you don't need to double knot your shoes laces in case your shoes get stolen and you don't need to keep everything under lock and key . If BRitain were such a place i bet there would be far less vans and far more pickup trucks .

good answer! But not enough for me to change my opinion, scumbags are a worldwide breed and live and thrive and breed everywhere, thing is, I don't see any advantage with a tray back, is a pick up the same as a tray back?

 

[Shayne]

I'm from one of those places where everyone knows your name and my Ford transit tipper has no door locks and the keys haven't been removed from the ignition for a couple of years at least . Times are changing even there though due to migration . Easy access is all it is , if its on the truck its mine if its left on the quay its anybodies .

 

[mettisse]

I'm from one of those places where everyone knows your name and my Ford transit tipper has no door locks and the keys haven't been removed from the ignition for a couple of years at least . Times are changing even there though due to migration . Easy access is all it is , if its on the truck its mine if its left on the quay its anybodies .

Where I live they only know my name cos it's on the side of our motors.
Where I live unless it's locked bolted barred and camera'd you then have a better chance to delay the time it gets stolen, been burgled several times, vehicles stolen, yep, I've gotta move, South Wales sounds like my cup o' tea

 

[Shayne]

Where i'm from i said i live in Wales but still run a business in the Isle of Man .

 

[mettisse]

I probably didn't explain it very well in my original post, so here goes, I have a Bruiser because I have this dream to travel to distant lands, enjoy the off roading, be reasonably self sufficient and have the ability and wherewithal to change plans as the situation suits. I have been able to fulfill this dream in a limited sense up to now. ( Morocco, Alps, Pyrenees) So, for my needs and I would have thought others on this forum, it would be similar. So, a pick up or a tray back simply does not offer anything in the way of advantage over an estate or van type body, for security, protection etc . However, I have to confess pick ups have never done it for me, if I need a truck most pick ups only carry a ton, if I need a pick up I've got the Ifor Williams. This may help you to see why I ( personally) don't get it.

 

[StarCruiser]

I don't get pick ups. Thought I might as there are some nice ones and a Truckman or other top could be added. But you can't get 3m lengths of conduit, trunking etc in the back. So a car it has to be for me.

 

[Shayne]

Horses for courses and different strokes for different folks if you worked with fish would you want it in the back of your cruiser daily .

 

[StarCruiser]

Horses for courses and different strokes for different folks if you worked with fish would you want it in the back of your cruiser daily .

Ohhhh nooooo, totally agree there Shayne. [emoji4]

 

[Paddler Ed]

Tray backs are useful in terms of capacity - the normal single cab tray will take a sheet of 8'x4' quite easily, or a couple of pallets. Also easy to load or unload with a set of forks as you can drop the sides off. A double cab tray is normally about 5.5'x6'. A lot of people here use the space under the tray for lockers, water tanks and auxillary fuel tanks, and the departure angle is sometimes a bit better than with a tub - as well as less metal work to damage.

Also a quad bike often fits across the tray... not as easy to do with a tub.

BUT I don't like ute's either, I like my wagon as it's more versatile as others have said - I'd never be able to fit my kayak inside a ute, but I could in my wagon.

 

[mettisse]

Hello again, I completely understand the work/ daily driver useability, my point is if you've got the cash and where I live it's almost half the cost of a small flat ( low rent area) to buy that beautiful delicious 79 series LC, that amount of lolly would buy two trucks, second hand maybe, one for work, one for play, and you don't beat the granny out of precious play toy! Thing is most of us have our budget, and if we have to use our toy for work, yes I get it, of course.
But, back to my original post, I don't get the tray back bit ( the cost of a new truck etc must be part of the consideration)
when I have watched videos about ' froading in Oz, yes I am envious, and most things they do I love! I have all Oz kit on my Bruiser, I have all Oz kit on my 'Froader, been incredibly reliable, and from what I've learned 'froaders of the entire planet look to Oz as being the " guvners" when it comes to kit, me too, still don't get, don't want, a tray back
Paddler Ed, like your comment, as you can see I am a bit obtuse, but is a wagon an estate body? (apologies for ignorance)

 

[Paddler Ed]

Paddler Ed, like your comment, as you can see I am a bit obtuse, but is a wagon an estate body? (apologies for ignorance)

Yep, wagon = estate; sorry for the 'Strine... I am a Pom just spent a lot of time in Aus now (up to about 5 years)

The thing is is that there are trays that are done for a look - the cut down comp truck type trays, and then there are the practical ones - like the alloy or steel ones that most utes run. Then there's also the mine spec ones that integrate a ROPs bar in them for safety - those have improved over the years, but are still quite cumbersome.

A friend has a steel tray on his ute, and it's got 6 lockable drawers underneath it and a couple of lockers, so they have plenty of secure storage.

Hope that makes a bit more sense Bill,


Ed

 

[mettisse]

Yep, well explained, thanks,