What kind of problems have you had with your Fuso?

[engineer]

I have one with 330k still on its first clutch, I suppose about 30-40% was @ 6 ton with 2 ton of trailer behind it over Cape York roads.
Issues so far have been,
Selector cables for transfer case rubbing through on front cross member,
Use of non genuine wheel cylinders lasting less than 40,000klm.
Anyone who doesn't use FAG bearings in the rears needs to reconsider, they are the only bearing that i can repack at 40,000 and then replace at 80,000 (klm)
genuine air filters are the only ones i've found that work 100%. A Donaldson pre-cleaner helps if you do sever dust conditions.
Clean the A/C pre filter every 20,000klms, otherwise you'll be spraying coil cleaner in your Evap to get the dust out.
Hinges on glove compartment are useless, sailtape is the best I've done so far.
Chassis cracks, not too much you can do if you drive them as hard as we do.

[GaryD]

My wife and I are considering a Fuso based camper in the US and one of the questions I have is - how reliable are they? Despite lots of reading here and some Googling (which mostly yields press releases), I have not turned up much info on problems and repairs. By comparison, in thinking about a used Earthroamer, I found all sorts of commentary on multiple forums about the Ford 6.0L and 6.4L engines and related pickups. Could be because there are much fewer problems with the Fuso - but I am guessing it's more likely, since Fusos are mostly commercial vehicles, that there is less enthusiasts' chat about them.

This thread is pretty short - so that's encouraging in terms of few problems listed - but maybe there are others who can add more experience since it was last posted? Or someone can suggest a commercial forum with info to check out? Thanks for any input. .............Gary

[kerry]

I think it's a combination of low numbers of FG's and Fuso's in general in the US and fewer enthusiasts on the web. Sunbelt Rental has owned lots of Fuso's so their fleet manager might be one of the most knowledgeable persons in the country on general reliability. I got the complete maintenance records from Sunbelt on my FG. Apart from regularly scheduled maintenance, the only thing I could find that had been replaced in 176k miles was the alternator and the driver's seat cushion. I don't think those record were complete however since I'm virtually certain that the engine was replaced at some point. I did have the local Fuso dealer look up the warranty records on my specific truck and it only showed one warranty claim at about 6 or 8k miles.
I got the transmission rebuilt and clutch replaced recently. Clutch was original according to the dealer. Syncros were badly worn. Cost about $3k. I have about 192k on it right now.
The oil leak I mentioned earlier in this thread was solved by tightening the bolts on the vacuum pump. Rear main seal was replaced when the clutch was out.

[westyss]

I think Kerry nailed it, not a lot of FG's out there, but they are known to be reliable and maintenance free( other than normal service) depends on how you intend on driving it, a friend who owns a large construction company has a couple and he speaks highly of them, he has never had any issues yet! and his employees drive the $hite out of them, he says the guys like to take the Fg because they can go through the Tim Horton's drive through, they also do a ton of work in rough country where the need for 4x4 is required to access excavators to re-fuel, this he says is where the Fg's earn their keep. Several construction companies here in BC use these trucks.

[mog]

I haven’t had my 2002 FG that long, but the service records are very complete. With 60,000 miles on it, the only services that have been done are the routine book service items.
It needed a quart of oil, and new wiper blades before driving it home from Colorado….hunk of junk
I’ve done a complete service/inspection on it and only have had to repair the passenger window motor (I was able to ‘overhaul’ it, but just cleaning up the brushes and communator) and reconnecting the water separator after cleaning (it was very dirt, so someone’s idea of a repair, was to bypass it).

So it is not a very good example at only 60k, but I’m impressed with it so far. And as the first truck I’ve had with a tilting cab for access….I’ll never go back. Nothing like having a front tire as a chair as you perform maintenance. The F-250 sure is getting nervous in the garage.

[kerry]

And as the first truck I’ve had with a tilting cab for access….I’ll never go back. Nothing like having a front tire as a chair as you perform maintenance. .

Me to. It's a mechanic's wet dream.

[FG Surfari]

I have a 2004 FG that I bought with 20K miles on it, a couple of years ago.
To date, I have driven the truck 30K additional miles, including a trip from Virginia to California, and back, last May.
The truck, which has admittedly led a sheltered life, has performed flawlessly.
I change the oil (synthetic) every 6K miles, along with the fuel filter and the air filter. I grease all chassis, steering, and suspension points regularly as well.
Front tire wear on 235/85-16 BFG All Terrains has been acceptable, given the configuration of the truck. I got 30K miles out of the first set on the front, and the backs are still like new.
Driving the FG from Virginia to Key West for spring break.

[GaryD]

Thanks for the replies - that's all very encouraging. Going to check out the EarthCruiser at the Expo next week and wanted to make sure there were no chronic issues with the Mitsubishi platform I should be aware of if we decide 1) we like it and 2) we want to spend whatever the cost turns out to be.

Of course, as noted elsewhere, the new 2012 trucks have a different engine and transmission and all the new emissions equipment and related electronics so that's another story... I found some more owner chat on an Aussie site -exploreoz.com. If I look hard enough I might find out what the Europeans say about the new engine since they have had it for over a year.

........Gary

[John E Davies]

If I look hard enough I might find out what the Europeans say about the new engine since they have had it for over a year.

Gary:

What did you think of the EarthCruiser at Overland Expo? My wife and I crawled around in it for half an hour and we both love it. It's very encouraging to me, since she rarely gets emotional about any truck. She likes the EarthRoamers for their luxurious interiors, but we both realize we could never take one on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National park, our "benchmark" trail. Even the EC would be pushing it due to the overall height (projecting ledges on the shelf roads) but it could make it with some careful driving. The forward driving position would sure make those pesky blind approaches easier - we were driving our Series 80 and she had to get out a couple of times to see what was on the other side of a couple of steep ridges, obscured by the long hood.....

Did you ever find some info from Europe on the new 3.0 drivetrain? I haven't searched yet - can you provide any links or a summary of what you learned?

Thanks.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[jhrodd]

I have 48,000 miles on my '06 with no problems or repairs apart from the bulb in the interior light that burned out. Replaced the steer tires @ 40,000 mi.