Thread: Who else has a 110 HCPU????

I believe the real reason is the development of aluminium trays. Low mass, carry anything within reason and star pickets don't as easily go through the later generation ones. My tray is steel as it came with the truck. Kids have ali and I know it is a lot lighter.

Originally Posted by dromader driver

I believe the real reason is the development of aluminium trays. Low mass, carry anything within reason and star pickets don't as easily go through the later generation ones. My tray is steel as it came with the truck. Kids have ali and I know it is a lot lighter.

I don't think so - the change was well under way by 1970 when alloy trays were very rare. Nearly all the Series 3 lwb utes (probably the biggest seller) had steel trays, either built by Leyland Australia or for local distributors or dealers.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

It is interesting to speculate why the trayback has almost entirely replaced the well type tray on working utilities in Australia. This started to happen in the 1960s, and was virtually complete by the end of the seventies. Not just Landrover, but almost all other makes.

My guess, for what it is worth, is the introduction of forklift handling of the sort of goods that are transported in these vehicles, replacing manual handling. For example, I go to the local rural supply place here, and anything I buy that weighs more than about 20kg comes out to the ute on a forklift. And it is a lot easier to load a tray than a well that way, as you can do it from the side. Same if I go into Bunnings, for example to buy half a dozen bags of cement etc.

John

Good observations John.
In my opinion, a trayback utility is so much more functional than a wellback ute. Though probably not common back in the 70s, a trayback ute can be fitted with a tipping mechanism, which a wellback ute cannot. The sides can be removed from a trayback deck to create a wide platform for overwidth loads (think haybales) or a nice work platform to work off in the paddock. The only negative I can think of a trayback ute is the load sits higher than a wellback ute, where the load sits between the wheelarches.

To the OP, I have only ever seen one 110" HCPU in Bunbury, a rare beast.

Cheers,

Very rare , maybe 20 of the puma hcpu sold here. And no longer any more sales of this model ceased last month.

I did read the series 3 was available as a hicap here but never seen one.

I definitely agree that the tray was more functional- I could strap stuff down easier, hit stuff with it when offroad, I clamped things to it and used it as a vice, loaded it up with firewood and didn't worry about it being dented/scratched and my bike fitted a bit better in it.

BUT

Since I put larger tyres and longer travel suspension with more uptravel (gwyn lewis challenge kit), I had to raise the tray by about 3.5". As I am not a tall man, and I have a large dog, I found loading him into the tray was all but impossible without doing my back in. I also found it difficult to reach anything in my toolbox. The solution? Find a HCPU rear tub.. somehow, by the alignment of the planets, I managed to find and purchase two within a month of each other in Sydney. And another in the UK.. which is still there....right Juddy haha.

It is now so much easier to load things as the deck height is much lower, and the wheel wells allow for more uptravel. Also, people have no idea what it is and it always gets a conversation out in the bush. I do miss being able to throw firewood in the back and not care though

As suggested, for many uses the flat tray is more useful, so the only question is perhaps not why it became more common, but why it was not always more common. A possible reason is that the flat tray is heavier and more expensive, and so only became more popular as engine power and prosperity increased.

A related question of course is why the same factors operating in Australia did not apply in the UK, where the HCPU is apparently quite popular, and traybacks uncommon.

Or in the USA for that matter!

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

As suggested, for many uses the flat tray is more useful, so the only question is perhaps not why it became more common, but why it was not always more common. A possible reason is that the flat tray is heavier and more expensive, and so only became more popular as engine power and prosperity increased.

A related question of course is why the same factors operating in Australia did not apply in the UK, where the HCPU is apparently quite popular, and traybacks uncommon.

Or in the USA for that matter!

John

Nearly $10,000 new for a HCPU tub, flatbed tray around $4k?

I saw a new road-grey HCPU 110 2.4tdci at Trivetts a few years ago. Since then I have seen one other, a white one, parked at one of the cafes along Bell's Line of Road, probably late last year or early this year and figured it was probably yours Alex.