Hino 500 1424 Tilt Tray 2022 Review

When we were invited aboard the Hino Roadshow we didn’t really know what to expect. Sure we’d get to drive a range of Hino’s trucks, but which one or ones would we choose to feature here?

Our Roadshow drive program included a visit to the Townsville round of the Repco SupercarsChampionship – the Townsville 500. Prior to leaving Melbourne, our Hino PR person asked me if there was anything I’d like to do during our time at the car races.

I was wondering what link there could be between trucks and car racing. Sure, the racers need race transporters to get all their gear and their cars to the track, but what else is there? “What about the recovery truck?” she asked.

“Can you get me in the recovery truck?” said I. And so, I was hooked up with the boss of the recovery team for the Supercar races. I was positively fizzing with excitement to be an honorary member of the recovery team!

So imagine my surprise when I arrived at Day One of our Roadshow drive program and there was a Hino 500 tilt tray all bedecked with Repco Supercars signage! It was there, the official Supercars Recovery Truck.

Well, naturally I had to pick out that truck as one of the trucks that I’d feature here on trucksales.com.au, and I organised myself accordingly.

The recovery truck is a Hino 500 FE 1424 Crew Cab. To break that down, it means that it is the biggest of the 500 Series Standard Cab range with a GVM of 14 tonnes and with 240hp.

The engine is Hino’s A05, which is a four-cylinder, five-litre turbo-diesel that puts out 833Nm of torque. It drives through a six-speed Allison 2500 series full automatic gearbox and it has a diff ratio of 4.875.

The Hino FE 1424 has a full suite of Hino’s safety features which Hino calls SmartSafe, including a Jacobs-type engine brake, vehicle stability control (VSC), anti-lock brakes, and a pre-collision system that includes autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian detection.

Other features include lane departure warning, distance warning and adaptive cruise control, the latter operated via buttons on the steering wheel.

The 500 Series gets a 200-litre fuel tank and a 19-litre AdBlue tank and complies with Japan’s pPNLT emissions standard, which is equivalent to Euro 6.

Inside, the Crew Cab features ISRI's next-generation 6860/875 NTS 2 driver’s seat, and it comes with automatic weight adjustment, an integrated seat belt and headrest, and heaps of adjustment, including pneumatic lumbar support.

The cab is very roomy and with tilt and reach adjustment on the steering column, it’s easy to get comfortable. The view from driver’s perch is great, with thin A-pillars and a deep, wide windscreen, and the mirrors offer an excellent view to the rear.

The 500 Series dash is well laid out and very informative with a seven-inch TFT screen giving heaps of information. This is operated via the buttons on the left of the steering wheel, with the buttons on the right operating the adaptive cruise control.

In the centre of the dash is the Hino’s smart multimedia unit, which has WiFi connectivity and dedicated GPS.

There are handy storage compartments all around including overhead, in the dash and door pockets. There are also drink holders in the dash, between the seats and in the doors. And if you need to charge your devices, there are also USB and 12-volt plugs up front.

The 500 Series is one very easy truck to drive. It’s one step up into the cab, through the wide-opening door and up onto the comfortable ISRI seat. Then a pull on the steering column lever to get the wheel set in the right position, and it’s time to hit the road.

The Allison auto is a beauty and with just a tilt tray and a car for load, the 500 proved to be a bit of a hot-rod. The 500 Series has bags of torque and it really was showing during the hilly parts of our drive program. On the flatter sections on the Bruce Highway run from Cairns to Townsville, it was simply a matter of getting up to speed, setting the cruise control, and just letting her rip.

There is an amazing amount of space in the cab of these Crew Cabs and the rear is a genuine three seater. Hino actually calls it a four seater, but it is a comfortable three. It’s an upright seating position in the back, but there is plenty of legroom so you can get comfortable – even for a longish journey, as we found out when we travelled for while three-up.

While cruising the highways and byways of Far North Queensland in Hino’s trucks was fantastic, there is nothing like using a truck in the environment for which it’s designed to get a proper feel for it.

So, when we got to Townsville I was introduced to Alastair Walker, the head of the recovery team for the Repco Supercars Championship. Alastair has been with Supercars for around 15 years, so he really knows his stuff.

I was briefed, given some forms to fill out along with a Recovery Team shirt, and there I was: an official (albeit temporary) member of the Supercars Recovery Team.

It is really amazing to see just what goes on behind the scenes at one of these big race meetings. Al told me that around the track he had five tilt-tray trucks, three Ford Ranger utes and a staff of 30 people – and that’s just for the recovery team!

“Sometimes you need more than five trucks,” he said. “Sometimes you need seven. And I guarantee that sometime today we’ll run out of trucks.”

My first assignment was with Al and his offsider Aaron in the ute, when we parked inside Turn Five and I got the feel for the communications. In the trucks we can hear the track announcer, the Clerk of the Course and the Recovery Communicator, who decides who to send to an incident. It might be just the recovery team, or the fire team, or medical, or the lot.

Soon the radio crackles: “One into the wall at Turn Five. Tow Five stand by. Medical will take the driver. Tow Five go, but give Medical priority.”

It’s a slick operation. The Medical crew grab the driver and take him for assessment as the towies swing into action – the car is extracted from the wall, winched up onto the truck and is gone in what seems like just a few minutes.

My next assignment is to join the Hino 500 at Turn Two. I wander down there and introduce myself to Lou and Greg, the guys in charge of the Hino for the duration of the event. Lou is the driver and is actually a tow-truck driver from Toowoomba who volunteers his time to help at the Supercars.

Lou has owned his own trucks in the past but says he currently drives for another company. Given he’s been driving tow trucks for longer than he cares to remember, I ask him what he thinks of the Hino.

“I like these Hinos,” he said. “They make a great tow truck. And the Allison auto is a charm, especially after changing gears for so many years. They’re very comfortable too,” he added. “I love these air ride seats.”

Our job was to wait at our station until we’re called. And all too soon there’s a pile-up right on our corner and the team swings into action. These guys know where all the tow points are on the different cars and it’s amazing how quickly they can assess a situation and get the cars up and onto the trucks.

Then it’s a matter of getting them off so the truck is clear of its burden in case there’s another incident. After the race, the trucks deliver the cars back to their respective teams for repairs.

During the day, there were many and varied tasks for us to perform. From pulling a V8 out of a tyre wall, to picking up pieces of broken Porsches, or loading Toyota 86s onto our tray and delivering them back to their paddock. There was hardly a dull moment.

It was remarkable how slick the team was and how quickly they could clean up the carnage of a mid-corner pile-up. Fortunately, no-one got seriously hurt and the level of safety was outstanding.

Our day at the Townsville 500 was far more exciting being part of the crew. I have to thank Alastair and his team for giving me an opportunity to see the racing from a totally different perspective, and also for seeing the Hino 500 Series FE 1424 Crew Cab hard at work in its natural environment – and a trade it plies with ease.

Specifications: Hino 500 Series FE 1424 Crew Cab
Engine: Hino A05 five-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Power/torque: 240hp (177kw) / 833Nm
Transmission: Six-speed Allison 2500 automatic
Wheelbase: 5540mm
GVM: 14,000kg as presented (optional 12,000kg)
GCM: 21,000kg
Axle layout: 4x2
Emissions: Japan pPNLT (Euro 6 equivalent) utilising Hino DPR + SCR
Diff ratio: 4.875
Fuel: 200 litres
AdBlue: 19 litres
Body: Ekebol tilt slide – car recovery / carrier
Extras: Flashing amber recovery lights; Hino genuine four-post bullbar