would a local please explain to this newby

[William Leland]

Why do the Major Japanese manufacturers not import/sell single cab 4x4 pick up trucks like in America so you have a usable sized bed to haul materials, I refer to Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Honda and there neat Ridgeline. All I've seen are the 4 door trucks with a child size bed, try putting a 4' X 8' sheet of plywood in this toy.
Please reply if you have a idea so I can forget about buying one I went to Manila and visited every dealership, even Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, I know these trucks are all available in America.
Bill email rottweiler.maxi*gmail.com thx

[Memphis Raines]

My answer would be simple. Practicality.

During the early 1980's here, the Philippines saw the first transition of single cab pick-up trucks into the now popular double cab configuration. The Isuzu KB model had single cab ones as the front runners in sales followed by the double cab version which did not even have a rear cab door at that time. It only featured a large plastic 'bubble' type window which of course evolved into having ones with rear access doors as seen in the early Nissan pick-up trucks.

The successful evolution from single to double cab stems from the fact that filipinos have also turned their 'work trucks' into family cars for the weekend which meant that the an extended rear cab would protect the extra occupants from the weather.

So as we see most the pick-up trucks sold here today, some of them are not even used for their main purpose which is to haul cargo. Heck, some even buy them just for the sake of having a macho, sporty image.

Cargo? Most large hardware and lumber materials here are delivered by the stores that sell them as compared to most U.S. territories where buyers haul their own building materials in those large F-150s and Dakotas.

just my 2 cents.

.

[MAXBUWAYA]

kokonti DIY dito sa atin

plus even the dual cab pick up marami hindi naman talaga ginagamit ang pagkapickup

[coiter]

agree to the earlier posts.

pickups here are mainly for fun, leisure and machismo. no way will anyone spend more than a million bucks and thrash their trucks while hauling construction materials, gravel, wood, etc. that's reserved for the delivery vehicles which are usually the 4/6-wheeler dropsides, low end AUVs, passenger jeepneys, commuter and panel vans and even tricycles.

there's just no market for single cab pickups here since nobody sees any practicality in it.

[_Qwerty_]

because there are other cheap alternatives.. if you want to haul something.. just rent a truck or 'lipat bahay'

[niky]

Reminder guys. English-spokening foreigner is the thread-starter. Please post in de Ingles only, plis.

There's not much to add to the rest. Single-cab pick-ups just aren't practical for Filipinos. Unlike in the US, where a carpenter might conceivably drive to work with a bed-load of ply, a pick-up will more likely be hauling families... or, if being used for work, a work-crew and a small amount of equipment in the back, while the materials are delivered in bulk to the site by a delivery truck or panel van.

What you're probably looking for in terms of cargo capacity would best be served by the Isuzu IPV, which can, if I'm not mistake (though I probably am), be bought in "drop-side" variant with just two doors and a front cab (based on the old Isuzu Fuego, but with the face of the current Isuzu D-Max series). The "drop-side" variant has the advantage of extra utility from the side-loading construction. Sadly... most IPVs I see are the "box" version... as this offers better weather protection to your stuff.

Not quite a modern pick-up, but it drives better than a cab-forward truck and comes with Isuzu's nifty and frugal 2.5 turbodiesel.

[jatcos]

There's a little demand for single cab here in the Phils simply because of practicality and economic reasons(already mentioned above).

If you want an extended ute, another option is to install a tow hitch for pulling a trailer. You can load whatever form of cargoes in the trailer.

[Gerbo]

I've seen some old single cab pickups still on the roads but not brand new ones.

Their functionality is superseded by the "commercial cab/chassis trucks" like the N series of Isuzu and K2700 of Kia where close van, dropside and even passenger cab varieties are available. By the way, there are also double cab options for these vehicles too. These will do the job of hauling things but they are not designed for driver and passenger comfort.

As you may have noticed, most pickups in the Philippines are evolving towards becoming a hybrid of a luxury sedan and a truck, yet do not have the best characteristics of each.