In this video we buy a mini 4x4 JDM Kei truck after test driving a bunch of imported Japanese trucks including a Honda Acty , Suzuki Carry , Subaru Sambar and Mitsubishi Minicab.
Yeah they are great! Some of those mid 80’s trucks had cool style. In the early 90’s Kei trucks went from 550cc to 660cc and that helped with power a bit. Really useful 👍
I enjoyed this vid, nice work with the editing on this on. I’ve been keeping an eye out for stuff about your Acty after seeing it in the background of Mike’s vids.
Thanks! Between the Acty and my camper build it’s been a pretty fun year so far. I can’t believe how much use we have gotten out of these mini trucks already 👌
Well done! I have been looking at these for a while now. They are slowly becoming more popular in New Hampshire and they are moderately affordable, too. I appreciate the information that you offered in your video. Now, it's my turn to find one!
Thanks for watching and good luck on your search! I have never regretted buying mine, it could possibly be one of the most useful vehicles that I’ve ever owned. Definitely try to drive a few different models if you can, it’s interesting how different each brand of truck feels. 👍
Hey hey!!! Just met the bro’s!!! Awesome gentleman my husband and I got to meet. Looking forward to checking out all videos. Have a Great day, Charlie and Willow
It was great to meet both of you today! Let me know if you have any more questions about the trucks and I’m looking forward to stopping by your campground soon. 👍
Great video OO thankyou for making. Very helpful to get a bit of a insight into and review of the different manufactures kei trucks. I am thinking i would go for the Honda too if i get a chance to buy one. Going to see if i can resgister one where i reside. Thanks again - Cheers
Great video! Been watching you and your brother's other vids, came back to this older one. I'm south of Olympia, I need to drive down to MCW and give them a try. Hard part is picking out the basket cases, like what you pointed out; I can do general upkeep but am not a master mechanic like you.
Yeah, definitely give MCW a try. They are great guys and seem to consistently have the best prices. Each shipment of trucks seems to vary as far as condition of vehicles so it’s worth stopping by anytime you are heading through the Portland area. They had a really nice batch of trucks the last time that I went through. We passed up a mint condition Bay Blue Acty Attack awhile ago and my girlfriend is still bummed out about it!
Cool video man! I never would’ve seen it if Mike hadn’t given the link. Sweet little trucks. Makes me almost wish I had one but I’ve got too many other projects ahead of it. Plus my wife would flip her lid if I came home with one…lol
I don't know..... I've heard it's easier asking forgiveness than permission.... I've got a 94 Carry If you're interested?..... Runs great. body is decent. Good little 4 hi/low/ hub lockers with diff lockers as well. Pick up only, no dump. Ladder rack with floods in front and rear. Front winch. Steel front and rear bumpers with 1 7/8 ball and wiring for trailer. New street tires that still climb cliffs. AMFM. Good truck.... Forgiveness, not permission my new friend.... Forgiveness.
By far better than a side by side. I had a side by side several years ago, wasn't all that impressed when I tried using it for its utility functions...yeah it had a dump bed, that is if you felt like lifting the weight of whatever you piled into it the gas assist was 100% useless with any sort of weight in the bed....its utility functionality around the yard and property was very lacking, it would tear up the yard because of the locked rear differential that didn't have a way to unlock it when not needed, it really didn't handle much weight in the bed as it would make it hard to steer due to the lack of weight distribution, it made the front end really light as a result of putting anything more than about 100-150 pounds in the bed at a time. Plus, I didn't have a cab on my side by side, so bad weather use was just miserable. By the time you buy a side by side with a cab, and add a heater, you could buy a couple of these used mini-trucks and have a much more useful vehicle.
I live in Washington & just got a Honda Acty Attack for dirt cheap due to previous owner having the lack of motor knowledge to fix it as it was sold to me not running. I cleaned the air filter, put my crv battery in it and it fired right up! Drove it in my neighborhood and plan to get it tabbed this week!
@@OlympicOverland I now have the English version of the manual printed as well as digital. If you need a copy I can send you one in the mail on a USB drive. Let me know😎
@@Ramiz112 I’m always checking the website to see what Harris has coming in and that red Pajero caught my eye. That one was in good shape and seemed like a great deal. 👍
I just got me a real nice Sambar Heavy Dump...waiting on the snow...been filling this thing with firewood/bricks/brush love it so far. Tires are too short got some coming from Japan that are wider and taller should tame this thing down on the higher speed roads!
Congratulations on the Sambar, they are nice trucks! It’s pretty incredible how useful (and fun) they are. The bigger tires will definitely lower RPM’s a bit on the highway and hook up much better off-road 👍
Thank you for the review. Love the Japanese mini-trucks, and how they get so much variety in a little package. Understand they are meant more for the inner-city than the US open highways. Have wanted the Honday Acty Attack, but understand the Suzuki is more versatile and easier to service.
Thanks for watching! The trucks do work great in town running errands or around my property but both trucks that my brother and I have see a fair amount of highway use as well. My tire diameter is a bit larger than stock at 23” so that lowers rpm’s a bit at 55/60 mph but it still would do 55 easily with the original tire size. I’ve done my 60 mile round trip commute for work many times and just running into town for me is a 20 mile round trip highway drive. Running on a 65-70 mph interstate would not be fun but 55-60 is not bad for these. They are a 4 valve per cylinder small displacement motor with a 7500 rpm redline so handle it fine. As far as maintenance goes, I think both trucks are pretty similar to work on. My brother has a Suzuki Carry and they haven’t really given us any major issues as far as accessibility for tune ups and maintenance. The Honda is just different because it’s mid engine but much of the motor is accessible through the bed hatch and wheel well.
@@OlympicOverland hi I messaged you a while back. My boys and I are coming up to Washington and will be staying in Brinnon and will be heading to Port Angeles to skateboard. We love your videos and would love to see your kei truck and camper. If you have any time. Thanks man
You and your boy really make an amazing video may God bless you guys and your family and friends and pets with eternal success and happiness in love and health and maybe wealth too
Thank you Sharon! I will let my son know that you liked the video too, he is always helping with camera work and has been a big part of the channel. Happy holidays!
So happy to see kei truck in usa.. everyday, everywhere in indonesia.. its a common.. kei truck.. i have two Daihatsu Granmax 1.3 2008 and Suzuki New CarrY 1.5 2021..
Enjoyed the vid, in south africa and bought a brand new 2022 Suzuki super-carry as a company vehicle in June already done 23000 kms love driving the little bugger. They have the worst safety rating that can be issued no airbags no abs no esp. Think of the lowest spec vehicle you can get and that's the 2022 Suzuki super-carry not even a heater or fans to demist the windscreen. No power steering its just a rolling bread bin on wheels. But OMG what a blast to drive and forget turning heads in a Ferrari this little thing turns more. People love it. Which is just perfect as a company vehicle with branding. A lot of people come and ask questions about it and at the same time I can tell them about our business.
Ha ha that’s awesome! They are so much fun & can get through some tight trails off-road. It’s pretty amazing how much attention these Kei trucks get, I have people asking questions every time I drive it. My brother and I just took our trucks on a pretty fun trip, did a bunch of off-roading and hauling our Coleman mini bikes along as well. I should have a video up of the trip soon. Thanks for the great comment Marc. Cheers! 👍
I would like one for the farm, the beds are to small on side by side's the JD Gator. Enclosed cab for when it rains. Just needs a set of ATV tires for the soft ground.
Great for the farm! Lots of good tire/wheel combinations available for off-road and muddy terrain just don’t go larger than a 23” overall tire diameter if you plan on running down the highway occasionally because as nice as 25” tires are off-road they tend to be pretty difficult to push at highway speeds. 👍
Thanks for the translation! I was wondering what that meant on the Suzuki Carry door. I have tried a phone photo translator but it doesn’t work very well. 👍
Keep an eye on their website inventory, it looks like they currently have another Acty Attack with a locking rear diff and I think they had a Hijet Climber Daihatsu (locking rear diff/Toyota) listed on Facebook Marketplace recently. Good luck, they are great trucks!
Seriously looking for one of these next summer, but I really need both dump and scissors lift in addition to the lockers. A 5th gear and AC would be nice, but not critical. I figure in addition to the incredibly useful utility of the thing, considering the price of gas it could be very useful just running back and forth to the grocery store, Home Depot, etc.
@@OlympicOverland My wife is a Master Gardener with the State University system, so we're thinking this would be the perfect vehicle from grabbing things like plants, rocks and soil. The scissors lift is more for me. I'm thinking it would be great for cleaning the gutters and pruning trees.
That’s pretty cool! I’ve gotten comfortable with right hand drive and don’t even think about it anymore. Left hand shifting seems like it would be the hardest to get used to but honestly it is the opposite turn signal lever that gets me most often! 😂
They are a great design and super useful. It’s a shame they were never sold new in our market but at least we can import them! I’ve never regretted buying that little trucks, it’s taken me to some incredible places and always makes me smile. 👌
I did the CV joint, tires and some basic tune up stuff and it has run like a top since I brought it home. Great little truck that has done a lot of work and plenty of adventures 👌
real tempted to buy one of these. loved them ever since i was in highschool. only thing is i am unsure how registering it in Oklahoma would be , if its even possible
They are really fun, I had wanted one for years too. Check out some of the Kei truck groups on Facebook and maybe ask how easy it is to register in your state, most of those groups are pretty big so I’m sure someone has experience with it locally. You could also find the nearest importer and call them, they usually have tips on registering and should be able to answer any questions you have. Good luck!
Love those minitrucks. I am curious about right hand drive on the U.S. Here in my country are banned, except with special permit on parades, weddings and things like that. Suzuky Carry are about the best on minitrucks, drove one for 17 years. Very robust and are a beast. Not made for high speed because they have a big differential with a large gear to reduce speed and increase torque. 1.6 L engine very economical on last models.
Hello! Here in the U.S. we can import and drive most vehicles that are 25 years old or older without restrictions in most states so right hand drive is ok. My brother really likes his Suzuki Carry and my Honda Acty has been great too. I really like the locking rear differential and low gearing on the Attack model. We use our trucks off-road and to pick things up in town often so they do a bit of highway driving but I keep it under 60 mph and it’s been fine. We have also have been using them for camping but are now building campers for the snow this winter with diesel heaters so should have some snow camping videos up soon. Thanks for watching! 👍
Wow...Tumwater in a video. That's got to be a first. (2:00). I like how there's nothing worth taking a picture of between the intersection of 5 and 101, and the bridge at the Oregon border.
The Japanese text on the lower front fender of the Suzuki that says 塵芥専用 gave me a chuckle. It can be interpreted in two ways "use for garbage only" or "for use by garbage only" (referring to the driver). Looks like that one was used to haul garbage which explains the dump bed and the poor condition.
Hi, a good average cruising speed for most of the 4 speed trucks is 55 mph and the 5 speed versions are 60+ mph. The lower gearing of the 4 speed is nice when adding larger diameter tires and diff locks seem to be more common on many of the 4 speed versions but it is an option to look for if you plan on using your truck off road in steep or muddy conditions. A standard 4x4 non diff lock truck is still vary capable off road but the locker is nice to have when you need it. Build quality is really good on all of the brands, it really just depends on how hard of a life it had and how well the truck was maintained before being sent to auction. My brother really likes his Suzuki Carry and our friend thinks his Daihatsu Hijet is the best. For me the Honda just felt right but there are details about all of the trucks that I liked. Test drive a few different trucks if you can before making your decision but honestly they are all really well built and I’m sure you will find one that suits your needs. Good luck on your search and let me know what truck you end up buying 👌
I remember those in Japan when I was there in 1978. I always wondered why you never see them on U S. roads. Now I am starting to see them. The used to be column stand shift.
I really like mine, it’s one of the best vehicles that I’ve owned! I’ve seen the column shift ones, they also made the larger versions that way and often had bench seats 👌
@Wild E. Coyote They sell and use them in my state. I have not seen them on any highway, but I have seen them on the street. I rode in one year ago and was good for Short distance errands.
The ex military stuff is so heavy duty, it’s the best! We found our old m1031 box on Craigslist to do the camper build and I’ve never regretted it. I ended up buying the Honda Acty in Portland Oregon from Motorcycle Warehouse. Harris is a great guy and was nice to work with.
Thanks for the video. Am considering a mini dump for our homestead. Mostly to haul wood chip compost into areas 15 ton trucks just can’t go. Question: Is it possible to add removable metal grate sides into the dump bed? Thanks.
Hi, thanks for watching! Most of the fold down bed sides that these trucks come with are easily removable and would be pretty simple to modify some metal grate sides to fit 👌
Sir I'm in Oregon but I never knew where was that dealer... please info me... I love to get one of these tiny truck soon... love your vid, off road camping... all beautiful places... thanks... see you out there soon 😂😂
If you've ever bought a vehicle directly from Japan, you'd see that all these mini trucks would be class 5 quality, they are the ones that would not really be sold at auction, they would be bought for little more than scrap value, the US is getting what the rest of the world won't allow to be imported. Still, they are good enough to be fun and with TLC keep running for a few more years.
I bet taking the time to import would be a great way to get a nice low mileage truck. I’m pretty happy with the Acty that I bought & the dents/paint weren’t an issue because we were going to use it as a truck so I knew it would get more as time went on. So far it runs like a top and doesn’t burn any oil, I was looking for a locking diff, solid motor and no frame rust so this one worked great for me. Someday I will look into importing one, our friend imported a Hijet and has been really happy. Cheers!
@@beunbad My brother has the Suzuki Carry and really likes it, they are great trucks. They both work equally well offroad and make very similar power on the highway. Both cabs feel very different inside and I would say to test drive both if you can to see which one fits you the best. If you are planning on using it offroad often I would recommend finding a truck with a rear diff lock. I don't think you can go wrong with either truck, the Suzuki and Honda are both really good.
Yeah that rust was terrible, someone had already welded plates over rusted through sections of the frame and it was definitely something I wanted to avoid. Fuel mileage is decent but I haven’t set my GPS to calculate a full tank yet. I will include that in a future video. 👍
Started binge watchin your videos after seeing how cool these trucks are! Was wondering if you could tell me if the person you bought from is an importer or like a used dealership. Really want to buy one. Keep up the awesome content please!
Hi Mike, welcome to the channel! I bought my truck from Harris at Motorcycle Warehouse in Portland Oregon. He seems to have the best prices, brings in lots of different trucks and has a great crew. When I bought mine prices at his shop ranged from $4500-$6500 but shipping costs have gotten pretty crazy lately so it seems like they are averaging in the $5500-$7500 range now, still cheaper than most of the other importers and they are great to deal with. I just went down to test drive a mini Acty fire truck and see what other imports had come in recently, that video will be out soon 👍
Here is a link to Motorcycle Warehouse, if you are near Portland Oregon it’s definitely worth giving them a call to see what’s on the next shipment www.mc-warehouse.com/
With small trucks of standard cab no longer being produced in the U.S., this is the new way to go. Thanks Chicken Tax, corporate greed and unions in America. Just think, your fellow American is your worst enemy when it comes to having something nice.
American also now pick sa multicab or Suzuki multicab reason why? 1 made in Japan 2 low cost 3 easy maintenance 4 parts everywhere And last on the list 5 useful for everyday life
Thanks for subscribing! I typically keep my truck around 55-60 mph on the highway and it gets quite a bit of highway use because we live about 10 miles out of town. I’ve had my truck up to about 68 mph but 55/60 is a better pace for it. As far as fuel mileage my Acty does pretty good. I think I saw a Honda advertisement at one point claiming up to 50 mpg but that might have been for a 2wd truck? I think I am getting between 35-40ish mpg range, it is pretty efficient.
I'm tempted to buy one but hearing you say not legal in oregon but I see them running around all the time round here. Wonder ehat extra hoops it'd have to jump through to make it happen
Yeah it’s weird because I’ve seen them for sale with plates in Oregon and California so somebody is getting them through. Im just not sure what the trick is. Ask on some of the Kei truck Facebook groups, lots of people seem to be on those and I’m sure someone would have the answer. It might be as simple as buying one that’s already plated in another state and bringing it in vs registering with only the import documents? Good luck, they are great trucks!
Left hand drive Kei cars and trucks are not very common but I have seen a few 2wd ones that were purchased for government or city/county work so check local auctions in your area. Right hand drive is actually really easy to get used to and not as strange to drive as many people think. Give one a try and see if it bothers you, they are so fun that after 5 minutes you won’t even think about what side the steering wheel is on. The weirdest part is really just the fact that the turn signal is swapped with the windshield wiper switch so it’s common to get those mixed up at first 👌
Hi Elijah, great to meet you! Parts are pretty easy to source, there are a number of different Facebook groups that have cross reference lists for simple tune up parts like air, fuel and oil filters. I ordered my timing belt kit on eBay from Japan and it shipped to me in about a week. Yokohama Motors has a site that you can log into for specialty items as well. There is a Kei truck wrecking yard in Florida with pretty reasonable prices too. 👍
Hi, I was able to get regular plates in Washington state with no restrictions. I live about 10 miles out of town and it gets quite a bit of highway use. 👌
