Fuso Fighter 1627: Review

The building and construction industry in Tasmania is currently leading the nation according to the latest ABS figures. Over the past year the total value of building and construction work in Tasmania grew 15.3 per cent in real trend terms, which was the strongest growth rate in the nation and is in stark contrast to the decline of 6.1 per cent experienced nationally.

Meantime over the same period, engineering construction work in the state grew 20.6 per cent over the year, which was also the strongest growth rate in the nation. The value of this building work increased by 10.2 per cent, making Tasmania the fastest growing state, and bringing the total work done over the year to nearly $1.7 billion.

This is welcome news to DLM Transport owner David Abraham, but it’s been a long time coming. DLM Transport have been servicing the building and construction industry for the best part of three decades and their relationship with CJD Equipment extends back to the inception of the company.

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“We’ve been dealing with Chris Saltmarsh from CJD Equipment in Launceston for over 30 years now and we get excellent back up services from them,” David said. “We keep our Fuso trucks for approximately 10 years and during that time we’ve never had any issues with them. The only money we ever spend on them is regular servicing,” he added.

“We found the CJD team to be very proactive in working with us to agree on the specification of our Fuso Fighters checking all the details were correct to ensure the trucks are really suited to our application.

“The overall package, including the fitment of the truck-mounted cranes was very competitive too so all in all this prompted us to continue to choose Fuso trucks from Chris and CJD over the years. We currently have 12 Fuso trucks in our fleet working out of Hobart in the South and Launceston in the North of the state.”

DLM Transport is truly a family business with David’s son Lachlan managing the day to day running of the transport side of their operation, including scheduling and maintenance, leaving David to manage their earthworks and the corporate side of the business, while wife Trish manages the office and administration.

Powering the Fuso Fighter is a six-cylinder in-line OHC flour-valve 7.5-litre Euro-5 engine. It uses a variable geometry turbo charger with air-to-air intercooling that punches out 199kW with 784Nm of torque.

The transmission is Eaton’s ES-11109 nine-speed manual synchromesh gearbox. The gearbox features low range of 12.64:1 through to a direct drive in ninth gear. Reverse gear is 13.21:1 for ease of manoeuvrability in tight and steep delivery locations. The transmission also has provision for two standard six-bolt PTO mountings, the front left PTO position turns at 77 per cent of the engine speed and the rear left position turns at 47 per cent of the engine revs.

The front axle is Fuso F650T reverse Elliot I-beam with a 6300kg capacity connected to 1400x80mm parabolic leaf springs with double acting shockers.

The rear axle is Fuso R080T/D10H full floating hypoid style differential with a 10,800kg capacity with a final drive ratio of 4.625:1, riding on a trailing arm air suspension with double acting shockers.

Brakes are dual circuit full air front and rear drums, which feature auto slack adjusters with ABS plus ASR (Anti-Slip Regulator) and an engine exhaust brake. The park brake is rear wheel spring actuated.

The Fuso’s interior is designed for practicality and functionality. The dash displays all the important traditional gauges, speedo with odometer, tachometer, fuel level, coolant temperature and dual air pressure. An information display between the main gauges allows the driver to view fuel consumption, maintenance reminder, clock and tripmeters.

The multi-media system is pretty much the same as you find in modern passenger cars, and it displays truck-specific navigation if needed. The 155mm (6.1-inch) touch screen can be connected to three cameras if required. Along with all the navigation functions the system doubles a CD/DVD player with AM/FM radio and USB port for iPod and other devices.

There is generous storage overhead as well as on the dash and in the doors, and there are two drink holders on the middle of the dash.

The driver gets a premium ISRI air suspended seat with lumber support and left-hand arm rest. Meantime the passengers are treated to bench seats.

The Fuso Fighter utilises 24V negative earth electrics. It features an 80-amp alternator with two 12V 65Ah batteries. Inside the cabin there is a 24-volt accessory power outlet.

Service intervals on the Fuso are 30,000km 12months or 600 hours (whichever occurs first) keeping the vehicles’ operating costs to a minimum. In a first for a Japanese truck manufacturer in Australia, Fuso has increased its standard manufacturer’s warranty to five years on all new trucks. Fuso says it is a full manufacturer’s warranty and includes genuine Fuso parts and service from an authorised Fuso dealer.

The warranty lasts for five years or, varying between models, a certain number of kilometres or operating hours, whichever comes first. The distance or hours covered depends on the model.

"Fuso is prepared to back our vehicles with a class-leading warranty that gives our customers real peace of mind," says CJD Regional Sales Manager, Chris Saltmarsh.

The warranty covers almost everything on the vehicles, except for tyres, consumables, accidental damage, wear and tear items, non-factory supplied accessories and non-approved aftermarket modifications.

Safety and environment features are high on the priority list of the DLM Transport and their clients, the Fuso Fighter 1627 ticks all the boxes.

On the safety side, the Fuso Fighter 1627 includes ISRI driver suspension seat, transom window, cruise control, airbag, and keyless central locking. The truck also boasts great vision from the driver’s seat as can be seen in our photo of the pedestrian standing beside the passenger’s door.

Meanwhile Lachlan cites its ease of serviceability and the back-up service he gets from his dealer as a major swaying factor in the purchases decision as well.

In terms of suitability for the job, Lachlan admits the Fuso Fighters have been doing an admirable job. "The drivers like them too which helps," he added. "They’re very comfortable to drive, with good vision and there’s plenty of room inside for all the things delivery drivers require.

"More importantly, the Fuso engines have been performing faultlessly, with our older Fuso already notching up over a million kilometres.

Lachlan cites the great headroom and legroom in the cabin of the Fuso Fighter 1627 as delivering superior operator comfort for his drivers.

"The doors open a full 90-degrees making entry and exit a breeze for the drivers," Lachlan said.

In terms of the driving position, all the major controls and instruments are in easy reach and the dash shapes around the driver to create a console-like feel.

The Fighter is one of Fuso’s most popular trucks thanks to its strong reputation for efficiency and durability. Over the years, the truck’s design also developed a good balance between driving pleasure, safety, performance, and reliability, as David can testify.

"The reliability and fuel economy we’re getting from the Fighters is what we expected," David said. "With margins so tight these days you need your equipment to be reliable and economical and it’s just a bonus when they’re so comfortable to drive."

Specifications:
Make: Fuso
Model: Fighter 1627 4x2
Engine: Fuso 6M60-9AT2
Displacement: 7.5 Litres
Horsepower: 266hp (199kW) at 2500rpm
Torque: 578 lb/ft (784Nm) at 1100-2400rpm
Auxiliary Brake Exhaust Brake
Air Dryer: MD4
Alternator: 24V – 80 amp
Battery: 2x12V, 65Ah/5hr
Gearbox: Eaton ES-11109 (9-speed synchro)
Steering Ratio: 22.4:1
Front Axle: Fuso F650T (6300kg)
Front Suspension: Parabolic with double acting Shockers
Rear Axles: Fuso R080T/D10H Full Floating Hypoi
Rear Axle Ratio: 4.625:1
Rear Suspension: Air with double acting Shockers
Brakes: Hydraulic dual circuit with ABS with ASR
Wheels: 22.5x8 Disc 10x335mm PCD
Fuel Tank: 200 litre rectangular steel
Adblue Tank: 40 litre
Cabin: Steel forward cab (manual tilt 44 deg.)
Interior: Vinyl Trim
Sat Nav: 6.1-inch LCD with 3 years maps
Driver Seat: ISRI air suspension
Passenger Seat: Forward folding
Service Intervals: 30,000km, 12 months or 600 hours
Warranty: Five-years