Should I Buy a Dual Cab Ute for My Business?

Dual cab utes are a common sight on construction sites. They are a tradie’s best friend thanks to their tough build and superior cargo space. These workhorses help tradies transport heavy duty loads such as tools, paint and building materials from A to B with ease. If you’re in the trade industry, investing in a dual cab ute for your business is a worthwhile endeavour for many reasons. Here’s how it can make your working life easier.

Payload capacity

The main benefit of having a dual cab ute is its practicality space-wise. Dual cab utes are usually offered in two ways: chassis cab or pick-up body. The difference boils down to their physical build.

Your pickup truck is what springs to mind when you think of a commercial work ute. It features a standard front cab attached to a boxed pickup bed. Pickups deliver a smooth ride and are perfect for light to heavy duty jobs. Chassis cabs, on the other hand, are speciality commercial pickups. They replicate the cab concept of the classic pickup truck but instead of having a boxed bed, chassis cabs enjoy a reinforced platform that can be outfitted to install customised body configurations to fulfil a specific commercial need. Basically, you buy your pickup truck complete, but your chassis cab unfinished.

Chassis cabs generally have a higher gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and a significantly higher payload capacity than pickups. These customisable trucks are built to carry a lot of weight over the rear axle, which makes sense when you consider all the weight saved from the absence of a traditional boxed bed.

Towing power

Of course, you won’t always be able to fit everything in the tray, so it’s important to think about how much your dual cab ute can tow before making a decision.

Check out the vehicle’s maximum towing capacity. Bear in mind that this number usually isn’t realistic – if you were to hook up 3500kg to the back of your ute you likely wouldn’t get very far. You often hear of braked and unbraked towing capacity. Essentially, braked weight is the maximum weight of a trailer with its own brakes. Unbraked towing capacity is the maximum weight of a trailer that is not capable of braking independently.

The next figure to look at is the tow ball down height. This refers to the physical pressure applied to the tow bar which keeps the cab and trailer at level while on the road. Because your trailer may carry different loads every day, it may be worth keeping a two-ball gauge in your kit.

Safety features

As always with cars, safety comes first. Most dual cab utes on the market are loaded with safety features to keep you and your workmates out of harm’s way. Trade environments can be rough and ready, and this is taken into account during the design and manufacturing phases. The Mitsubishi Triton, for example, has an impressive five-star ANCAP crash test rating and a whopping seven airbags for its dual cab variants. The GLX-R Double Cab has high resolution cameras and tough surface sensors to help track accident red flags and prevent them. It also boasts a suite of systemised features such as forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, brake overriding, active stability control, emergency brake assist and anti-skid brakes.

Offroad-ability

If you work on a site, you’ll need a dual cab ute that is equipped to take on off-road conditions with ease.  Dual-cab utes traditionally rely on a dual range 4x4 system but there has been a recent spike in specialised off-road functionality among major players in the motor industry. This is the case with Mitsubishi’s Super Select II four-wheel drive transmission. It has a low-range transfer case, a lockable centre, and rear differential which enables it to tackle any terrain. You also have the option to use the conventional two-wheel drive mode for optimum fuel economy.

If you decide to purchase a dual cab ute for your business, make sure to find a reliable dealer. As always, we recommend Motor Matcher. At Motor Matcher, everything we do is modelled around providing customers with the right tools and empowering them with rich information, helping them make sound decisions when buying and selling cars. We offer a faster, simpler way to compare new and used cars online, creating an ideal and safe marketplace for all car buyers and sellers.

Visit our website today at www.motormatcher.com.au.