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We are used to off-road vehicles being large, powerful, gas-guzzling monstrosities. After all, an off-road truck has to be powerful, right? Not really.
A small, lightweight, versatile, and maneuverable truck can actually be the ultimate off-road utility vehicle, as long as it has the right mods. And, while the small Japanese kei trucks are usually meant for city and country roads, they can very easily be upgraded into the perfect off-road trucks. Here’s how and why kei trucks are the ultimate off-road vehicles with the right upgrades.
What Makes (Upgraded) Kei Trucks So Great for Off-Roading?
Kei trucks are typically meant for the perfectly smooth and even Japanese streets. Anyone who has ever been to Japan to see these small trucks glide on Japan’s perfectly maintained streets has a hard time imagining such a vehicle on America’s and Europe’s hole-ridden streets. So, given kei trucks’ small tires, low body and lack of skid plates, as well as their light-duty suspension, how can such vehicles be suitable for off-roading?
Granted, some upgrades are necessary if you want your kei truck to be off-road viable. Below, we’ll go over our suggestions for the key upgrades you’d want to consider. However, with the right mods on, kei trucks can easily become the ideal off-road utility vehicle, thanks to their many key qualities.
1. They are light and compact
Kei trucks aren’t as powerful and heavy as most American trucks, but that’s actually a benefit on a rocky off-road adventure. Heavy vehicles get stuck easily, and their power is usually wasted on a terrain that requires slow and maneuverable progress. A powerful truck can roar up an elevation, but a lighter truck can do so even more easily because it doesn’t have that much weight to carry uphill.
2. They are maneuverable and versatile
Kei trucks aren’t just lightweight, they are small and easily maneuverable. A kei truck can fit into and go through places that a larger truck can have no hope of passing through. This is as crucial on an off-road trip as it is on the busy inner-city streets. With a kei truck, you can just go places you can only wish were accessible with a larger vehicle.
3. They are affordable and economical
When talking about off-road utility, it’s important to keep our eyes on the vehicle’s fundamentals and not just on the off-road specifics themselves. And the fact of the matter is that kei trucks are often ten or more times more affordable than a new American truck and consume several times less fuel per mile. The standard kei truck has an mpg (miles per gallon) of 30 to 40, whereas most American pickup trucks are in the 10-15 mpg range at best or lower.
So, yes, the light frame and not-too-powerful 660c engines of kei trucks allow them to carry cargo of no more than 770 lb (350 kg). However, the trucks themselves are so affordable and fuel-efficient that those 770 lb cost much less to drive through any terrain than they would with any American truck that can carry twice as much but costs you ten times more. In other words, if you want extra cargo driven somewhere off-road, it’s still much more efficient to get two kei trucks than one giant American pickup truck.
How To Upgrade Your Kei Truck for Off-Road Challenges?
The above may sound great, however, there are necessary upgrades to change that are fairly simple to pull off. You will need some extra parts, but those are easy to get, especially from places that specialize in working with kei trucks. Oiwa Garage is a good example of that, as it has most of the upgrades you’d need for any kei truck model. And, thanks to kei trucks themselves being so affordable, even with the right upgrades, they are still much more budget-friendly than any larger vehicle.
Still, making the right upgrades is crucial, so here’s what you’d need to do:
1. A lift kit
Kei trucks are low vehicles without much ground clearance, as they are made for the flat and smooth Japanese streets. So, a suspension lift kit is a must if you want your kei truck to be off-road viable at all.
2. Off-road tires
This is true for any vehicle, as good traction and reinforced sidewalls are always a must.
3. Other suspension upgrades
Getting a more heavy-duty suspension upgrade is crucial, as is adding struts and shock absorbers to support heavier loads.
4. Skid plates
Kei trucks can last decades with the right maintenance, but that also includes adding protection for the off-road. Skid plates are key to keeping your kei truck’s undercarriage safe from rocks and debris.
5. Convert to four-wheel drive
Some kei trucks come with a 4WD conversion, but if yours doesn’t, you’d want to get it for better handling and traction.
6. Recovery gear and winch
These couple of upgrades are a must in emergency situations, such as getting stuck somewhere.
