World's Handiest Pickup

World's handiest pickup PICKUPS Accessories 12-6-1 You don't have to lift a finger to load the world's first and only drop-bed pickup. The bed and tailgate lower hydraulically to ground level for easy, drive-on loading. Once loaded, you simply flip a switch to raise the bed back up and off you go down the road. "It's the perfect light-duty pickup for farmers," says Bob Honan, president of Kelpie Industries, . North American manufacturer and marketer of the new-style pickup, designed and developed in Australia. Called the Kelpie Kargo, it's slated for full-scale production next summer at a new $50 million factory at Monterrey, Mexico, which is being "tooled up" to produce 20,000 of the new vehicles within the first 12 months, according to Honan. "We're now in the process of setting up Kelpie dealerships throughout the U.S. and expect to have our marketing program in place and ready to go when the first production models roll off the assembly line next summer." Both the rear axle and differential have been eliminated to allow the bed to move up and down a total of 11 in. for "liftless" loading. On production models, the box, which doesn't have any space taken up by fender wells, will be 8 ft. long, 51 in. wide and 32 in. deep. It'll have 90 cu. ft. of capacity, and a payload capacity of 1,800 lbs. A 12V electrically-operated pump powers two cylinders which raise and lower the bed. The on-off switch for controlling the lift is tied to the truck's ignition to ensure safe operation. If the bed isn't fully upraised, the pickup's engine won't start. It only takes about 10 seconds for the hydraulically-operated bed to raise up 11 in. into transport position with a load. "Because of our company's close association with Chrysler Corp. through the use of Dodge and Chrysler components, the majority of the 250 Kelpie dealerships we're setting up will be Dodge or Chrysler affiliated," notes Honan. Power is provided by a Chrysler 2.5 liter, overhead cam, 4 cylinder diesel engine. Other features include front wheel drive, 3 speed automatic transmission, 3.56 gear ratio, power-assisted rack and pinion steering, front vacuum power-assisted brakes and rear drum brakes, front independent coil suspension and rear two-stage multi-leaf suspension, and a Kelpie-built chassis. Suggested retail for the one standard model being offered initially will be $15,000 to $17,800, depending on options, which include air conditioning, fiberglass or aluminum camper shell, AM/FM stereo cassette and alloy wheels. "We already have a number of specialty applications for the unique drop-bed feature on the drawing board," says Honan. "It's ideally suited to such things as livestock carriers, mini buses fox the handicapped, ambulances or camper vans." Except for a small pickup offered a few years ago by Volkswagen, the new Kelpie is believed to be the first and only pickup on the market with front wheel drive. "The vehicle's wheel base is extra long (124 in.) to put added cargo weight on the front drive wheels," notes Honan. "We've success-fully tested the prototype's traction under full and partial load in a wide variety of steep hills, mud and other problem situations." Because of its front wheel drive and the drop-bed feature, the new Kelpie won't be factory-equipped with a trailer hitch. Honan notes that the bed's hydraulic lift is enclosed, protecting it from freezeup in ice, slush or snow. For more information, including the name of your nearest Kelpie dealer, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Kelpie Industries USA, 4030 Spencer St., Suite 105, Torrance, Cal. 90503 (ph 213 371-0977).

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