Dual Cab Ute

[Stewart Allen]

OK need some help from the Ozvmx brains trust. A mate of mine is looking to buy a dual cab ute that can fit 2 bikes in the back with the tail gate up. Does such an animal exist ??

[Butcher]

yes its called an F250

[80-85 husky]

only the huuuugggeee yank busses will do the tailgate up and take more than 3 people

[brent j]

As Butcher writes, I think one of the US pickups is the easiest option

I've seen a Hilux double cab with a lengthened chassis and fitted with a single cab tray. I used to bend the chassis quite regularly as it was so easy to overload

[pokey]

Utes dont do that. Some weird ass idea about the market only needing to fit a pallet between the wheel wells . What you need is a tray back. Mate has an extracab Bravo with the longer tray and it fits two roadies nicely. That said, check the wheelbase of your bikes as some like old huskies are half a footy field long.

[Slakewell]

[80-85 husky]

whats a merc off roader worth??

ive got a 29999 special mitsi dual cab and i have been up and down the coast with bikes in the back and the tailgate down for a couple of years now.

i understand now this may be illegal but i have been travelling like this since the early 80's and ive only ever lost a cheap esky out the back on a shocking corrugated road.

ol mate has the extra cab ranger and it fits two (old long husky's) in the tray nicely (sucks fuel like an 8 year old on the lemonade tho)

its a tough gig finding the family moover and bike carrier all in one.

[80-85 husky]

mate just sent me a great pic (no hosting here might get a mate to slap it up). dedicated duel cab mitsi with two bike racks in place of the tray, with a large gear storage box in the middle...coool.

[tymes]

You could get something like the ready ramp ute extender to use with the tail gate down. I might be wrong but the issues traveling with the gate down I think are that the number plate is obscured, so you could fit an auxilary plate to the ready ramp.
The lights may be obscured so you might need to find out if you need aux lights even attached to the ready ramp.
And the big one is that anything that is sitting inside the tray that is not secured is an unsecured load infringment, boots bags eskys etc. Everything has to be secured or covered to stop it moving under normal driving conditions regardless of the tailgate.
I used to be able to get the tailgate three quarter closed on the commodore ute and just used a tie down to keep it up but the issue with the dual cab tub is a pita.
Somthing with a tray would be the go but it would be a lorry to park.

[kdx Geoff]

mate just sent me a great pic (no hosting here might get a mate to slap it up). dedicated duel cab mitsi with two bike racks in place of the tray, with a large gear storage box in the middle...coool.

[80-85 husky]

check that baby out!!

[tymes]

Damn thats the ultimate beast right there.

[brent j]

A few of us did a bit of an experiment after a Pony express last year.

We had between us three Hilux's between 2005 and 2010, a single cab, an extra cab and a dual cab.
All had original well side trays but all had different engine trans combos which is not really relevant.

We put two bikes and gear in each and switched drivers after a out 20km each.

The consensus was as expected, the single cab was the most stable, then the Xtra cab then the double cab. Seems the further back the weight was the more tail happy they became. None of us had ever noticed until we drove each others utes.

It goes without saying that the available seating and storage was the reverse

[80-85 husky]

two bikes and gear in dual cab is approx 50% of its rated carrying wt. and as you said, lots over the back axles...i rekon they drive nicer with a scoot in the back.

[Matador107]

Most of the Jap extra cab and dual cable are not legal past a tray length of 60% of the wheelbase. Our BT50 freestyle trays are 2100 long, my Navara dual cab tray was 2000 long . My new BT50 dual cab with a tub is 1500 long, about 1950 diagonal. Hearing reports of blokes being booked for rear tailgate down , therefore obscured number plate, depends on the Cop I suppose.

The Hilux with ramp / frame arrangement could be made to suit a dual cab I reckon, pull it out after use .
Had a F250 Supercab, could carry 5, 2450 inside the tub and once I loaded 300 lengths of 2400 cable tray.They are a ute!!! Saw one a few years ago with a tub and a platform level with cab height , two enduro bikes sitting up there, Lord knows how he got them up or down.