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Suzuki Samurai Converted Into Low-Cost "Chore Truck"
"I'm constantly amazed at the work this little vehicle can do. It works great for both hunting and farm chores," says Al Wilson, Garfield, Ky., who converted a 1987 4-WD Suzuki Samurai into a chore truck with a manually operated dump bed.
He paid $1,000 for the Samurai, which was equipped with a manual 5-speed
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Suzuki Samurai Converted Into Low-Cost "Chore Truck" TRUCKS Conversions 29-3-29 "I'm constantly amazed at the work this little vehicle can do. It works great for both hunting and farm chores," says Al Wilson, Garfield, Ky., who converted a 1987 4-WD Suzuki Samurai into a chore truck with a manually operated dump bed.
He paid $1,000 for the Samurai, which was equipped with a manual 5-speed transmission and had a rusted out rear end. He cut off the rear end just behind the front doors, leaving the chassis and frame intact. He built a 4 by 3-ft. dump bed with 2-ft. high sides, using angle iron for the frame and plywood and metal for the sides.
The dump bed is balanced in the middle and pivots on two pieces of angle iron welded to the frame. To dump the bed he simply removes a pair of lynch pins.
He gave the vehicle a camouflage paint job and also replaced the Samurai's original tires with 15-in., 12-ply lugged tires off a forklift.
"It works great. I've driven it through 20-year-old brambles and it doesn't even slow down," says Wilson. "I spent about $1,500 to build it, and I wouldn't trade it for a new utility vehicle. It has more power than a Gator or Mule and has enough power to pull a 16-ft. flatbed trailer as well as a boat. It's also built heavier. If a cantankerous cow ever decides to come after me, I'd much rather be in my Suzuki than in a Gator or Mule.
"My wife uses it to haul garden dirt, and we also use it to haul tools and feed for our animals. It works great for hunting, because I can load two deer and all my hunting equipment in the bed. In fact, I don't believe a Gator or Mule could hold up to the stuff I load onto this little rig. Another advantage is that it's easy to repair. If it breaks down any good auto mechanic can take care of it. I don't have to worry about paying $100 per hour for an ATV mechanic.
"It also has a heater which makes it a pleasure to drive during the winter. And when summer comes, I just take out two bolts to remove the doors. I replaced the bucket seats with a bench seat so I can take my girls along with me on rides."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Al Wilson, 12628 Hwy. 690, Garfield, Ky. 40140 (ph 270 536-3321).
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