The massive increase in sales of light commercial vehicles, particularly Utes, has seen one automotive supplier meeting the needs of customers needing greater carrying capacity.
Automotive accessory company Best Bars Limited, says it has put more resources into developing and producing alloy decks and a range of accessories to keep up with the market demand.
“Ute sales are at an all-time high in New Zealand and the business of helping people to carry work-related or leisure items is booming, too,” says Best Bars Limited sales and marketing general manager John Frear.
While many utes are sold complete with factory-fitted well-sides, there is also a growing trend for specialised trays/decks to be fitted to cab & chassis versions, to better suit the work-related demands of the owners, says Frear.
Typically, in the past, most of these after-market decks were fitted to single cab & chassis utes, but there has been an increase in demand for decks on double cab utes in recent years.
“The flexibility of having seating for up to five people and the ability to carry a decent load on the back is driving that demand,” says Frear, adding that Best Bars also caters for the ‘in-between’ extra/crew cab utes that provide occasional seating for passengers in the rear.
But that trend also brings challenges, because a traditional steel and wood flat deck has a weight penalty that restricts how much can be carried on the back, which can be exacerbated when the vehicle is also carrying a crew of workers.
The answer is to go with a lightweight, yet strong, alloy deck.
Some people have turned their noses up at alloy decks in the past, thinking the aluminium construction is not tough enough to stand up to the rigours of daily working life. But new design and construction methods, as well as improved materials, have largely turned that theory on its head, with the latest alloy decks proving to be as “tough as old boots”.
Constructed from extruded lightweight aluminium, enables an additional 20% more to be safely carried, without breaching the all-up weight limitations of the vehicles. That’s particularly important for vehicles used around the farm or on undulating tracks, because the stability of the ute is not unduly compromised. It also makes a difference to how the ute handles on the road.
An alloy deck will retain its looks for much longer too, thanks to the durable, anodised finish. And when the ute is running unloaded, the lighter overall weight leads to less wear and tear on the vehicle, along with reduced fuel consumption.
Other advantages are the lighter, hinged drop sides and tailgate, which are less of a hassle to de-mount and then re-fit, in order to allow for easier loading and unloading of the flat deck. There are exterior lash-down rails to assist with tying down loads and all alloy decks manufactured by Best Bars come with a 63mm alloy headboard tube, tail light guards, alloy rear wheel mudguards, mud-flaps and rack pegs as standard. A range of accessories from Best Best that complement an alloy deck includes tool boxes, sliding under-tray storage units and ladder racks.
Best Bars also looks after ute owners who go with the standard well-side configuration, with a growing range of accessories to protect and upgrade their vehicle.
This includes the Tri-Folding Tonneau cover that can be fitted in minutes and does not require any holes to be drilled in the vehicle.
To further dress up vehicles, Best Bars has a range of side pipes and steps, plus front nudge bars, available in either stainless steel or powder coated finish options.
