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Past Issues

November 2001

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Isuzu
fine tunes its heavy truck range

It's been a long time since Delta Motor Corporation has made any loud noises about its Isuzu heavy truck range - and there's a simple reason for this. You can't shout while you've got your head down in upgrading and fine-tuning the range - mainly the F-Series - to better suit the needs of clients. If initial impressions are anything to go by, it looks like the homework was thorough and that market acceptance will be high writes Patrick O'Leary.

Facelifts and upgrades to car models are a regular feature. Such facelifts are made to keep in tune with changing customer whims as well as extend a model's life by introducing fresh appeal while waiting for a new range to appear.

That's what happens in the passenger car sector. In the truck business, this trend is not as evident. In fact, facelifts are few and far between simply because a truck is a business tool rather than an image builder. Let's put it this way: On a truck, you look for a bull-bar rather than for a cow-catcher.

It was thus interesting to receive an invitation from Isuzu to attend a launch where facelifts to certain models in the F Series range were being introduced. "Nice touch but not really essential" was the thought that crossed my mind. I was wrong. There was far more to it than that and this soon became clear via a statement made by Craig Uren, truck and fleet manager for Delta Motor Corporation, in his presentation.

 

"We are following First World trends - particularly noticeable in the logistics business - where we need to provide our clients with the exact product to match their applications. By doing this, not only will the truck do the job better but there will also be a positive impact on the whole life costs of the vehicle," he said.

Good stuff but you need more than a stylish grill to achieve that. And the good news is, Isuzu has gone a lot further than that. Certainly, visual upgrades have been done and these include subtle changes to the external appearance including a new grille design and the fitting of front marker lamps. New interior trim is also featured.

Good looks
Lingering on this for a moment, if you look at the photographs featured alongside this article, you cannot help but admire the good looks of these trucks. Now cast your mind back to those 'good old days' when brick walls were thrown into the wind with gleeful abandon. Aerodynamics was a word still resting in the womb.

Exaggeration? Not so. Remember the old Oshkosh E-Series. There were hundreds of them riding around hauling containers for the Railways. It was a square box and that's about it in terms of looks. A very popular truck in its day though. In fact, you still see them around.

We don't have any in-cab photographs of the Isuzus featured here but in this department, the driver will have nothing to complain about. Isuzu has listened closely to the trend in the market which leans towards placing increased attention and accent on driver comfort. In the 'old days', this was hardly an issue at all. I recall writing of the Oshkosh E-Series cab: "This cab was not built for comfort. In winter it's an ice-box and in summer a sauna."

Now take a look at the curved windscreens on these F-Series models. And how's that for driver visibility? Those windscreens are huge! Note too the rounded corners. They are really lekker looking trucks aren't they. If anyone still maintains that trucks are ugly, these Isuzus should convert them.

Top Right: Craig Uren, Delta's truck and fleet manager, in front of the all new Isuzu FTM 1200T freight carrier which features a tandem rear axle in a 6x2 configuration. "We need to provide our clients with the exact products to meet their applications." Bottom right: Ian Nicholls, Delta's sales and marketing director, next to the Isuzu GVR 2300 4x2 turbo truck tractor - the upgraded model of the former FVR 2200. It has a GVM of 33 300kg. Nicholls is fairly new to the truck industry so it's a big welcome to him from FleetWatch.

Technical Improvements
Equally important though, are the number of technical improvements made within the range. Depending on the model, these improvements include increased payloads, changes to chassis specification to tailor vehicles to particular applications and convenience items including automatic slack adjusters on brake systems where these were not available as standard previously.

 

An example of a change to a chassis specification lies in the FTR 800 Tipper. In the past, the chassis used for this application was an adapted freight carrier chassis. No more. The new FTR 800 - while still bearing the same designation - now has a dedicated tipper chassis with an uprated spec over the previous model. The front axle has also been uprated.

A limited slip differential is standard and revised gearing provides for optimum performance in a medium duty tipper application. A PTO (power take off) is fitted to the gearbox. Tyres are tipper specification dual purpose suited to the mixed road conditions encountered by this type of vehicle.

"The Isuzu FTR 800 Tipper is designed for the popular 5 cubic metre tipper capacity class with a nominal load body capacity, depending on body builder, of 5,3 cubic metres," says Ian Nicholls, Delta's sales and marketing director. "With its new dedicated chassis, it now offers significant advantages over its predecessor."

The FTR 800 Tipper is powered by the Isuzu 6HH1-S 8,2 litre naturally aspirated engine which produces 147 kW @ 2850 r/min and has a maximum of 500 Nm of torque available at 1700 r/min. Drive is via a 6-speed Isuzu gearbox.

Source power
It is apt to recall here that when sanctions were lifted and manufacturers were no longer locked into having to fit ADE engines, Isuzu was the first company to revert to source power for its F-Series range. That was in 1997 and in 1998, source power was introduced into the N-Series trucks.

"It was the right move and I'm pleased to report that it has paid off handsomely in terms of the cost effectiveness of our vehicles," says Uren.

Prior to sanctions, ADE and its supporters sang loud the praises of ADE engines shrugging off accusations that the technology was behind that of the rest of the world. The truck manufacturers knew it was but couldn't do anything about it. That's why Isuzu moved as fast as it could to reintroduce source power into its vehicles once the handcuffs were unlocked. They knew there were substantial benefits awaiting their clients. And so it has proved.

But back to the issue at hand. Another model to benefit from an uprating is the Isuzu FVR 2200 turbo truck tractor that has been uprated and is now designated as the Isuzu GVR 2300 with a GCM of 33 300 kgs. This 199 kW 4x2 truck tractor is favoured for local distribution and consolidated long haul courier operations.

With a custom built trailer, it is possible to achieve a full 23 ton payload capacity with the Isuzu GVR 2300. A 400 litre fuel tank is fitted as standard and tyres are 12R 22,5 as opposed to the 11R 22,5 fitted to the previous FVR 2200.

Another model to benefit from an increase in GVM is the Isuzu FRR 500 4x2 freight carrier. This model moves up from a GVM of 9 900 kgs to 10 400 kgs.

The Isuzu FTR 800 Turbo 4x2 freight carrier is now also provided with an additional 200 litre fuel tank. This increases the fuel capacity from 200 to 400 litres.

The Isuzu FVR 900 Turbo 4x2 freight carrier and the Isuzu FVZ 1400 6x4 freight carrier also benefit from an increase in fuel capacity with a single 400 litre tank replacing the 200 litre tank fitted previously. The tyres on both these models are upgraded from 11R 22,5 to 12R 22,5.

All Isuzu FV series trucks, and the GVR 2300, are now fitted with automatic slack adjusters on the brakes for reduced maintenance and improved operating efficiency.

New Model
And now we come to a totally new model added to the Isuzu truck range. It is the FTM1200T Freight Carrier aimed at the 20 ton GVM freight carrier market.

This model has a tandem rear axle in a 6x2 configuration with the trailing axle an air-suspended tag axle. Both rear axles have a 9 000 kg capacity while the front axle has a 5 250 kg rating. The useable chassis length on this model is 8,2 metres. 

Power comes from Isuzu's 6HE1-T turbo 7,12 litre turbo engine mated to an Isuzu 6-speed gearbox. Maximum power is 169 kW @ 2800 r/min and peak torque is 667 Nm @ 1700 r/min.

It's a great line-up of products and it seems a pity to end this happy saga on a sorry note. But it must be said.

In a presentation outlining Isuzu's commitment to its customers in term of back-up and after sales services - both in and out of warranty - Alastair Ironside, national service manager for Delta Motor Corporation, showed a number of slides of vehicle faults which pointed directly towards sub-standard maintenance practices.

"Concern has been sparked by the recent high number of warranty claims being received and there is clear evidence of poor maintenance at both customer and dealer levels," he said.

He urged operators to consider the lifetime costs of their vehicles saying that if they do so, the savings accrued will ensure that shortcuts are not be taken when it comes to maintenance practices and procedures.

Isuzu has done a lot of work in lining up a range of trucks that will suit many applications. It seems a pity that the full potential life-span of these vehicle could be jeopardised by shoddy maintenance practices. It sort of defeats the point doesn't it.

That said, congratulations to Delta Motor Corporation on lining up a fine range of truck products in its revamped F-Series. We reckon success will reflect in the sales figures.

Top: Isuzu was the first company to revert to source power after the handcuffs of ADE were unlocked on the industry. Above: The Isuzu FTS - note the huge windscreen giving the driver superb visibility. Top right: FleetWatch technical correspondent, Dave Scott, points to the Jost slider fitted to the Isuzu GVR 2300. It allows precise movements of the 5th wheel for positioning to adjust to different load distributions. It's a time saving mechanism that allows you to do trailer work with different trailers with different front overhangs. Right: The trailing axle on the 6x2 FTM200T freight carrier is an air-suspended tag axle.