Looking at an 04 Suzuki Carry mini on Mattracks for getting in and out to the cabin since we have swamps to deal with in the summer/fall months. Anyone ever owned one and what are the pros/cons.

I have a Subaru Sambar with a blown up engine, no fault of its own I drove the thing for 220k KM, with unknown mileage on it before that. The Suzuki, is way better off road, but the engine is in the middle, so if you can't mount a tool box,( why I bought the Subaru) incredible fuel economy and having owned lifted trucks, ATV, etc. never have i had a vehicle better in deep snow, my Subaru was set up with e lockers front and rear that locked when 4wd was engaged, and it was nutz, litterly could push snow at up to the wipers. (locked with chains on cheap 13' all season tires)
Suzuki, are easy to get parts for, Subaru's, cross referencing is key, for example, same breaks as mid '80 Subaru brat, but the fuel pump crosses to a mini cooper, and they are easy to over fuel even with a regulator and off the shelf 12v pump. The Honda's are horrble for replacement parts and the Daihatsu, (Toyota) are difficult but not impossible.

They do tip easy, but very easy to flip back over, but my dog never road in the back again, and 100lb airdale in the cab of a Kei truck doesn't allow much room for the driver. .

I used the truck for work, and really wish I could find another one, I really liked it.

I think that the USS Ward sunk one during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Buddy of mine has one with 2 rear axles he uses at his duck lodge. Says it goes in the mud like nothing else.

Like this?

picture link

And, why not just a 6 wheeler?

The truck i'm looking at has about 7200 miles on it, less than 200 on the tracks and it's got an insulated topper, a 3" lift (mandatory for the tracks), offroad lights, a new starter and battery, it will need front and rear bumpers and a winch but other than that she's ready to roll. He wants $15k for it, thoughts?

I want enclosed with a heater and music, yeah, i'm getting soft in my old age.

We probably have about 20 Suzukis where I work. Company has been buying them instead of full size pickups. They never get off of blacktop or gravel, so can't really speak of their off road capabilities. They are about 10x quieter in the the cab than any side by side I have ever rode in. They have very good heaters and AC. Except for being left hand drive, they are like driving a small pickup truck. Seems to hold up pretty well and our operators could break a stone ax without putting much effort into it. You can barely hear them running, makes you think they are electric drive. Why the hell are side by sides so freaking load in the cab if these things can be made to be so quiet?

Had to Google the pic I posted. Never heard of them.

Shirley there is a Suzuki forum (google ?) with enthusiasts.

Puss
grin

My Rhino is loud as hell because the engine sits between the 2 seats and has nothing to block the engine noise, plus 2 clutches spinning at god knows how many rpm's doesn't help either.

No experience with that but it looks like a useful thing.

Have you been to Billings lately? Or rather Laurel? There is a place that sells those mini trucks on the road into Wal Mart. Also I see a bunch lined up on the right side of I-90 going in to Billings. I am guessing you would go to Billings through Laurel and of course Bridger before that.
My son used to have one of them he bought at Laurel, and he averaged 40 miles per gallon and could haul 20 square bales on it.
If you want, I can check out those places for you. I go to Billings a lot-----way more times than I like!

Left hand drive ? I would think they are right hand drive, at least those types that I have seen are.

TRY THIS

I don't know Alaska values, but isn't it more money to get a SxS w/tracks?

The very real advantages of it being a real, albeit mini truck would make it far more attractive that a great big go-cart with slapped on panels and plasti-glass.

I'd be willing to pay that much for one set up like that here in Michigan if I needed one.

If I were to buy one yes, a new sxs plus tracks, looking at close to $20k, about $6k to put tracks on my Rhino but I don't want to do that as i'm trying to save what hearing I have left plus i'm liking the comfort this truck provides in the colder temps.

Several neighbors have had them, and used them on the farm. The one who used them the most told me that for piddling jobs they were fine, but for the hard jobs (whatever that meant) they wouldn't hold up. He had 4 or 5 sitting in his bone yard, so they were broken for one reason or another.

They guy down the road from me, uses his for short trips up and down the road, and he loves it.

I'm guessing they're like anything else, some good ones and some bad ones in every bunch.

I just had a brain fart, I meant to say right hand drive.

Gentleman I work for sometimes has one on his farm.
He doesn’t use it that often , but the guy that runs his operations does

Loves it!!

I know that left-hand drive kits are not expensive for them and apparently easy to install. It’s almost impossible to get insurance on a right-hand drive vehicle here.

I’ve thought about one myself but don’t believe it would hold up to the volume of driving I do. Thought a good alternative to an ATV, since I would not use one of those enough to justify it either.

I had a right hand drive Jeep Cherokee that I used on my mail route. The insurance was no higher on it than on any other vehicle. Might be a Canada thing.


Now, as far as parts went, a lot of them were much higher.

Never heard of more expensive insurance for right hand drive not around here anyway. A buddy had a little RHD Isuzu crane truck single axle. Think the hi ab was 3.5 tons and he could haul about the same legally single axle. But that's a bit off topic..

Back to the 4x4 mini trucks the comment I've heard is they're great but rough riding. Super economical. I don't know anyone with tracks on them but other guys with jeep yj's have said the tracks are great in many ways but expensive all around. Double the fuel and double the maintenance on running gear. Some of these stories from guys that likely run m like they stold m so... Also when you do finally get suck in the snow you are big time good and stuck in the snow and likely no one can get to you to help. A winch or two would be very wise.