The Utes are coming The Utes are coming !!!

[Nullifier]

:jump: So I was in Atlanta for christmas and on our way home I noticed a colorado sitting right out front of the dealer with a Ute Tray on it. They are selling them in reg and extracab models! there was a 4X4 xtracab in the back but i was unable to get a good pic. It was only $24K. I asked if it was possible to get one of the "work" units with the locker, and they said on a special order yea. Now all they need is a snorkel and an arb bull bar. Cudos to Chevy in Atlanta for being the first dealer I have seen to offer this set up. I think it would be an excellent base for an expedition rig.

I am seriously going to consider this for my next truck.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/nullifierx/coloradoute2.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/nullifierx/coloradoute1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/nullifierx/coloradoute4.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b318/nullifierx/coloradoute3.jpg

[pskhaat]

You know, I'm not personally a big GM styling/ergonomics fan, but those 4, 5, and 6 cyl inline/straight engines (which are options on the Colorad) are some of the best engine engineering I've seen in a modern gasser.

[kcowyo]

That's pretty slick!

I love all the Utes they feature in the Aussie 4WD mag. I worry a little about the security issue though. No big deal in the vast Outback, but I'd be sweatin' my stuff "walking off" in the beautiful metro Atlanta area. No complaints here with GM products. Like Scott mentioned, the I-5 is an impressive offering.

I've toyed with the idea of putting a tray on the back of my '85 Yota pickup. Plus add that snorkel and what a unique outfit to have. Here's a pic I've used occaisionally for my screensaver, love those Utes! :bowdown:

[Nullifier]

Yea my only complaint is how wide they are i comparison to the cab. However after looking qt one up close It shouldn't be to bad of a job to take it abart and narrow it up some. The biggest part of the job would be narrowing the headache rack and the rear gate but even that would not be hard just tedious.

[The BN Guy]

Sweet! Maybe that'll encourage Nissan to bring over the Patrol Ute. Sorry Stormy but if that happens your days are probably numbered.

[upcruiser]

That is a pretty cool setup. I haven't been terribly impressed with my Silverados build quality in general, but the engine has been fantastic. I had an '02 Trailblazer that I used for a daily driver for a year as well, and I'll second that comment on the inline engines. While I haven't drive the I5 much, the I6 in the Trailblazer was an amazing motor. Its also been named by several car mags as one of the best designed motors in all of car dom in the last 5 years or so.

[goodtimes]

Avoid the 5 cylinder. At least, avoid it if you ever plan on installing a lift. The engine oil pan and the front differential housing are the same piece. I'll have to dig around for pics.....but it is definately not going to be a friendly vehicle to lift (yes, I know about the "torsion bar lifts", and have had them, but I will never recommend them to anyone due to the poor handling characteristics that come from the screwed up steering geometery when they are installed)

[CLynn85]

Not to bring one up from the dead but has anyone seen this top they offer for them now? How cool would it be to section off the center for sleeping with access from the rear hatch and build storage on each side, maybe even a slide out kitchen type setup on one side and tools/parts on the other?

http://www.uteltd.com/pages/sides/3_doors_open_tray_out-1.jpg

[Doin_It]

When it's that cool, you can bring it up from the dead any time, (in my opinion any way.)

[calamaridog]

Carl,

That thing has tons of potential. Roof rack, maybe a roof top tent. Slide out storage, fridge, etc.

Very cool:exclaim:

[CLynn85]

It's times like this I should really stay away from MSpaint :hehe:

[blaze one]

i love the look of those too , but have heard the I5 is a weak engine , especially if towing or running larger tires .
Wait a 2-3yrs , and see if they change that .
The interiors and exterior have been known to have poor build quality too . I after seeing a few in person and sitting in a few , I agree , very cheap plastic on the inside.
But is is one of the best offerings from General Motors though , Factory Elocker available is a nice touch .
Although , ARB and other major offroad manufactures are reluctant to build products for GM midsize platforms . Just look at how many S10's there are , compared to there after market support . :mad:

[Nullifier]

Yea the topper was available at the time I posted they just dfid not have any great photo's available showing it. I think for some reason though I would prefer a custom canvas "topper" with a rack integrated to it.
I like how the one with the topper is more narrow and doesn't stick out past the cab on the sides.

[haven]

The width of the Ute Ltd tray (aka flatbed) isn't a big deal. The width of a standard F250 is 80 inches, and the Ute tray for a full-size truck is 84 inches. So it won't stick out farther than your mirrors. The cab width of the 2006 Tacoma is 75 inches, and the corresponding "mid-size" tray is 78 inches.

edit: I think the width of the Chevy Colorado is 68 inches. The tray in the photos is probably the 78 inch wide model, so it sticks out 5 inches on each side. Ute Ltd also offers a 72 inch wide model.

Chip Haven

[BCJC]

hi guys, first time poster here. excited about the site. sorry to bring this thread up again, but i own a 2004 gmc canyon 4x4 (sadly not a flat bed), with a 5 spd I5, and g80 rear locker. so far it's been great! i've got 33" bfg at's and 4.11 gear ratio and it does all the admittedly mild stuff i ask it to! i have plans to keep it and make a capable "expedition rig", and am very glad to have found this site!
cheers
jackson

[blaze one]

welcome to the site , and it is nice to see a fellow Chevy guy here , and a BC one at that . Don't forget to post a pic up of your rig in the "pics of your rig" thread .
Welcome again .

[datrupr]

Welcome to ExPo!! Not to burst any bubbles here, but the G80 is a limited slip, not a locker. But, it is such an awesome unit that it can easily be coherced into full lock up if your truck has a hand brake. I have been workining on mastering this art with my 98 Trooper with the G80. If you have the G80 you really do not need a rear locker, just get locked up front, and keep the LSD and you will be good to go. Please, post up some pics of your rig....... You Know, they are actually designed after the Asian (Thailand) spec Isuzu D-Max trucks. Not that I am a fan of Isuzu or anything:rolleyes: .

[BCJC]

hi, well i'm certainly not a mechanical wizard, but i've always heard it called a locker. apparently it senses one wheel spinning faster, and automatically locks the diff. if this is a limited slip, then i stand corrected. anyways, it works quite well in loose sand, gravel, snow etc. i'll try and post some pics, but please bare with me...

[datrupr]

Please, do not get me wrong..... I was not trying to bash you here, but I have the G80 LSD in my Trooper. It is awesome, probably the best LSD ever put out on the market. Why I am practicing the full lock up technique is that I have never had to use it, the LSD usually always seems to know when to lock up and when not too.... Except on very wet rainy roads(I'll explain later). The I-5 (also Isuzu based) with a Dana-44 (same as on my Trooper) is an awesome set up. I think you have a great truck there. Where are you located? Would love to go wheeling with you. Can't wait for the pics.

[BCJC]

thanks, i'm happy so far, enough power with good mpg (approx 21 avg), that was a real selling point for me, not to mention it was quite cheaper when i bought than the other trucks i looked at. well here goes with the pics, i'll try one and see if it works, if not could someone let know how? thanks

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_6_full.jpg

[BCJC]

cool it worked, but how do i get them right in the post?

[BCJC]

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_7_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_9_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_8_full.jpg

that last one is with the canopy i got off an early 90's isuzu! it lines up perfectly flush inside, just the rails on my canyon taper on the outside eges, but hey, i saved 1000 bucks!

[blaze one]

to get the image directly in the post , click the yellow icon with the moutains on it , then paste that same url in the box that opens .


BTW - great looking truck . And finally some pics of the beautiful BC scenery .

PS> did you need any lift to fit those 33's ? --- you should open up your own mod thread

[BCJC]

thanks. yeah, i put 2" shackles on the rear leafs, and cranked my torsion bars about 1". cheap mod, cost me 70 bucks plus the allignment! but i did upgrade shocks, tires, skid plates etc. but i'm looking into a 4" skyjacker and soa conversion in the rear for a "real" lift. well, sorry to hijack this thread, and this site really is great!

[datrupr]

Very nice truck you got there. Try using photobucket to host your images. Then, when you have a pic that you like, highligh the [IMG] section (third one down on photobucket) and paste, then you should be good to go. Or, Scott has aphotos gallery site here on ExPo that you can use to do the same thing. I have not used it yet, so I do not know how well it works. Any more questions please feel free to ask, we are all happy to help you out in any way that we can.

[Scott Brady]

hi guys, first time poster here. excited about the site. sorry to bring this thread up again, but i own a 2004 gmc canyon 4x4 (sadly not a flat bed), with a 5 spd I5, and g80 rear locker. so far it's been great! i've got 33" bfg at's and 4.11 gear ratio and it does all the admittedly mild stuff i ask it to! i have plans to keep it and make a capable "expedition rig", and am very glad to have found this site!
cheers
jackson


Jackson! Welcome to the ExPo and what a sweet GMC. Those Canyon's have great reliability ratings and are an efficient package. It will be fun for us all to see it change, and hopefully see it on the trail! :beer:

[BCJC]

thanks, i'm very glad to be here! here's a couple more pics.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_12_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_13_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/2351000-2351999/2351712_15_full.jpg

[CLynn85]

Not to bring this one up from the dead again or anything, but what can I say, I'm good at it.

Anyways, these kinds of aluminum utility beds are becoming very common here in rural VA. Usually see them on 3/4+ ton trucks, not often on mini/mid size. Anyways I've seen one on a ranger in town a couple times and today followed him to see the manufacturer, googled it, and was awarded with the manufacturer's website, complete with that same truck lol.

http://www.tgsales.com/pix/minipix02.jpg
http://www.tgsales.com/minitruck.html

Just thought I'd share, neat to see them becoming more popular. If I had a truck with a rusted out bed I'd consider one, although something needs to be done about that departure angle and the bit hanging down...

[CLynn85]

Oh and for more cool ute-ness

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ute-Top-Camper_W0QQitemZ200094057831QQcategoryZ32633QQssPa geNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[navara-au]

This is very weird.
When I joined an American frontier forum a year ago and posted my Navara (same as the frontier) everyone thought it was hideous and pitied me for having an alloy tray.
To think I payed extra to take the tub off and put an alloy tray on.

I need the extra space you have in the tray for work and it is great when going on holidays.

Its actually going the opposite way here in Oz more people are buying pick ups these days.

[Grim Reaper]

This is very weird.
When I joined an American frontier forum a year ago and posted my Navara (same as the frontier) everyone thought it was hideous and pitied me for having an alloy tray.
To think I payed extra to take the tub off and put an alloy tray on.

I need the extra space you have in the tray for work and it is great when going on holidays.

Its actually going the opposite way here in Oz more people are buying pick ups these days.

Trays/flat beds don't go over well with the average American that drives a pickup as a fashion statement and their big load is their overweight dog and picking up the lawn mower from repair. Those of us that actually use them for utility have a different opinion. My only complaint with a tray is a little higher load floor to clear the wheels when hand loading heavy items but I would put up with that for all the rest of the advantages.

[Nullifier]

Now if we could get it witht he diesel they offer in south america. It called the D-Max in Ecuador! I guess a through back to the big U.S. brother.

[mightymike]

Does anyone know what they cost for a Tacoma?

[Nullifier]

Does anyone know what they cost for a Tacoma?

I looked at the ute ltd units I think the small unit was 1100 and an extra 500 for the drawer. Of course shipping would be on top of that. I think the whole thing shipped to me would be about 2k.

Now if ya had a brand new truck you might be able to sell the factory bed for that or close to it. Then it would make $ sense. But for my '96 no way is it financially sound. I figure about 1k to make my own after the cab swap is done.

[jingram]

Very funny thread to me.... growing up in Ranch Country in Eastern Oregon, lots of people had a flat/ute bed on their trucks. Perfect to haul hay, firewood, etc. They were on everything from Fullsize Chevy/Ford to Toyota and Nissan PUs. I didn't realize that it was that uncommon elsewhere in the US.

[Youngunner]

I am an avid UTE fan. When I buy a new truck down the road, my 03 Tacoma will get a tray and finish it's life as a rancher.

OR....if I take a job in Oz, a UTE style LandCruiser will be my first purchase.

I've also been anticipating a removable camper unit for a tray, and remember having a talk with a certain forum sponsor about their future plans to develop such a product............:coffee:

[Youngunner]

I agree with jingram above, the "flatbed" pickups are everywhere in the western ranch states. Mostly full size, deisels tho. There are a couple old flatbed 4x4 Toyotas around here too.

[ExpoMike]

As an FYI, here is the company making the ones that are being offered for the Colorado line. They offer the specific Colorado model and the more universal ones (think like 5 different sizes)

http://www.uteltd.com/

[adi]

So, since this thread was started 5 years ago, how popular are the UTE style in the US for expedition use today?

[Kilroy]

I love mine. Wouldn't get another pick up with getting a tray.

[Flagster]

These have the load capacity for a FWC?...says 5000lbs...too bad we can't get the flat tray style FWCs here...I wonder if they will fit a double cab short bed tacoma?

[Northern Explorer]

too bad we can't get the flat tray style FWCs here...?

I don't see why they wouldn't sell them in the States. If there's a market for them why not.

[Flagster]

Actually Stan from FWC emailed me yesterday with some pics...seems like they are available... man are the wheels turning...since I only have the shortbed tacoma a flatbed would give me the extra few inches to fit a Finch FWC...or maybe even a Hawk/Eagle...