When you experience a full-blown transporter, such as a Hiace Long or Super Long with a high roof, the 660cc non-powered light vans and light wagons are ridiculously hard to use as a "transporter". Unlike a light truck with a blue sky ceiling, it is not a compact car that can easily carry a motorcycle, but it is something that can be managed with effort.
If you're a motorcycle hobbyist, whether you're a racer, tourist or Sunday mechanic, it's probably the transporter that you'll want as your everyday leg. It's no surprise that the Hiace and the Caravan will be the transporter. Can't we get away with "light vans and light wagons" because of maintenance costs? There must be a lot of bike fans out there with that thought in their heads.
If so, how far can we go with a light boxcar...? Having experienced the Hiace Grand Cabin and the Grand Hiace with the hood in the past, I'm not sure what to make of the "light wagon"....
That's a big V-Max, indeed! You must have the courage to remove the passenger seat!
The Everly for Suzuki, the Atley and Hi-Zet for Daihatsu, the Vamos and Hovio for Honda. If you're looking for a modern light van, some of the latest models have been developed with bike loading capacity in mind, and loading and unloading bikes should be a breeze. However, when the purchase price is over 2 million yen, it's just not within your reach. For example, a mini-wagon that has been registered for nearly 15 years can be converted from a base vehicle to a trampoline vehicle at "the price range of a new moped class 2 vehicle," except for certain popular models. After loading the bike, the cargo floor of the transporter is covered with "compaction" or "laminated plywood" for vehicle movement (sideways sliding of tires on the floor), interior noise control, and air conditioning efficiency. This is definitely more convenient for the trampo.
I asked a motorcycle buddy who is a carpenter by trade to convert everything after the back seat of the Subaru Sunburger Diaswagon to board up. Pure Subaru cars, which are persistently popular as used cars, are overpriced, but I really wanted a four-cylinder model EN07 engine car! When the driver wants to use the back seat, only the floorboard of the backrest can be removed (one-touch system) and stored in a large space under the rear seat. This large space is something that no other manufacturer's light wagon or van has.
Aluminum ladder rail is foldable
Considering the size of the light wagon body, is a 180-200cm bifold ladder rail the best option? I think I can get by with a longer size. The longer one would make loading the bike much easier. By installing a companion over the stock carpet, the interior soundproofing (engine noise reverberation) will be far less effective.
By bolting on a front-wheel stopper above the passenger seat, even a very large vehicle can be loaded with room on the rear tire side of a driver-only model, and a 250cc-class sports car can be loaded with plenty of room for a passenger. Even with two people in the driver and front passenger seat, the Super Cub can carry two vehicles.
Confirmation of the possibility! The V-Max is loaded!
I know this is a rare case, but the Sambar wagon can be loaded with a V-MAX by removing the passenger seat and bolting on a tire stopper. The light wagon is more roomy than you can imagine! Tie-down belt mounts can be co-tightened using stock sun bar or seat retention bolts; you can also use the seat belt anchor bolts or carabiners through the seat belt end rings; if you want to carry two people in the V-MAX, would that be a tandem arrangement for the driver's method of construction? I didn't.
- Point 1: Even a light van or light wagon can be a trampoline if you want to.
- Point 2: The companionship is recommended as a trampoline for interior noise reduction and easy movement of loaded vehicles. There is less chance of staining the carpet and interior due to oil leaks.
- Point 3: The ladder, which is essential for loading the bike, is easy to use with a light, foldable aluminum ladder.
The high street models of transporters are the Hiace and Caravan. If you want a slightly smaller body, you're marketed as a Noah, Serena or Stepwagon! However, if you are looking for something much smaller and more economical, there is a way to do it, such as a "light truck".
As the ultimate trampo, "Light trucks are the best! There are many veteran mechanics who think that this is a good idea, but there are also those who would like to see a little more comfort when considering daily use...
One of the options for such a situation is a light van or light wagon instead of a truck, even though they are also light.
By the way, do you know the economics of light vehicles? The annual car tax for a 5-number wagon version is between ¥7,000 and ¥13,000 (the system has started to vary depending on the year of manufacture), and a light van or mini-truck treated as a cargo vehicle in a 4-number frame is even cheaper than a wagon, with the amount of the tax being ¥4,000 to ¥7,000 per year. Did you know that?
I myself have owned a standard body, long body, and super long, high roof body Hiace before (back when I was racing), and even drove a bonnet van (wagon) Regis and Grand Hiace until a few years ago. For someone who has converted a regular car one-box into a transporter, the space in a light wagon is just too small! It is an unavoidable reality.
But the economics are definitely good, so I went hungry and turned the light wagon into a transporter this time around. That's what the photo commentary is about. Since we don't load our bikes every day, we've made it easy to revert back to "normal" use, but we've also taken measures to make it easier to pack our bikes when we load them. That is the concept behind this project.
The cargo floor is lined with composite or laminated plywood, which was a standard specification even in the days of the Hiace. Oil spills will not stain the genuine interior carpeting, and there are no rubber stain marks on the tires even if they are displaced. There are many times when it is necessary to move the rear tires after loading the vehicle, and the composite mattress is very easy to use, as the tires can easily slide sideways when doing so.
The base vehicle is a 2006 model, a pure Subaru era Samba Dia Swagon. Why did we choose this model? In the light trucking industry, it is known as a tough model, and even though it is an older model, the supply of parts is stable and reliable. Various genuine replica parts are also available from third parties. The serviceability of the bike is extremely good, and it's very easy for us Sunday mechanics who love to tinker with bikes, to maintain it. It's also a model that you can "enjoy".
Please understand that whether or not the bike is loaded or not is entirely at your own risk.
After becoming part of Toyota, the Subaru Sambar was produced on an OEM basis by Daihatsu. The last pure Subaru Sambar was only made to order for van models at the time, with the 2006-2009 model year series being the last of the wagon grades. This Samba Diaz Wagon was a 2006 model with a supercharger; it was a two-wheel-drive, three-AT version. Fuel economy was not great, with 14-15 km at high speed cruising in the legal speed range./liters. 12-13 km in the same conditions in the summer when air conditioning is used./liters. With the air conditioner on and running continuously, it's a whopping 10km!/Sometimes it was a litre. In a five-speed manual car with a two-drive NA engine that cruised at high speed without air conditioning, 17-18 km./A liter seems to be the fuel economy guideline.
