With Isuzu, the Colonel is right to tow

In the hot, dry and mostly sandy ground soil conditions of Western Australia, growing a healthy green lawn is tough going. That’s where professionals like Dan Clynk from Colonel’s Mowing using an expert set-up including his Isuzu NLR 45-150 Traypack step in to lend a hand.

Dan Clynk started Colonel’s Mowing in 2015 and with a nod to the long-running television program, Hogan’s Heros, he worked Colonel Klink’s name into the business.

But while Dan’s focus is managing the lawns of Perth residents into tip-top shape, his work doesn’t stop with a four-stroke mower. In WA, demand is steadily increasing for lawn improvement, and Dan is moving with the times, offering top dressing, lawn aeration, vertimowing (for lawn restoration) and just about any service that a lawn in need of good doctoring could desire.

“In Perth we have a lot of sand… the soil is really lacking in important growing materials,” said Dan.

“And in modern home builds, I see a lot of turf being put straight on top of sand, rubble and building waste. I use an organic compost soil mix, combined with wetting agents for top dressing and levelling of lawns, and an aerator for de-compaction.

“The hydraulic aerator pulls out soil to a depth of about 75 millimetres and around 120 holes per square metre, allowing oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, as well as nutrients and water… it’s very good for compacted or thinning lawns,” Dan added.

It’s a holistic turf management service like no other, and Dan has a substantial 12-foot by 6-foot trailer loaded to the brim with mowers, aerators, barrows and other equipment which means there’s some solid towing involved.

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In previous years, Dan relied on utilities to move the load around but found them lacking in both load capacity and safety for towing the trailer.

“When I started the vertimowing and aerating and carrying a lot of weight, the ute lacked performance.

“Even though it’s advertised as having a ton and a half capacity, put a cube of soil on the back and it really sagged.

“After more than a few dramas I decided that was that. It was time to find something stronger and with space for everything I needed.”

With that firmly in mind, Dan checked in to Major Motors Isuzu at Forrestfield in April this year for a spin in the 4500kg GVM Ready-to-Work NLR 45-150 Traypack, and in it found a safer, more capable transport solution for his business. To top it off, he visited local print and signage experts C Results Printing & Display for a sleek wrap on the trailer.

Dan had a few non-negotiables in mind; namely secure access at his home base to ensure his gear was safely locked away overnight. Eventually opting for the short wheelbase variant, Dan explained the logic.

“I went for the shorter wheelbase because I've got limited space at home to get through the carport. In the end I had 40 millimeters to spare and can now back the trailer into the shed and have everything locked up. I didn't want 50 grand worth of equipment sitting outside, so it was important to me that I could do that.

“I also didn't want to go too long because with a trailer on it, it keeps my overall size down and I'm not blocking off people's driveways on jobs, especially in the more modern estates where they end up having a very narrow frontage.”

Storage and access aside, Dan also opted for Isuzu’s Torque Convertor fully Automated Manual Transmission (TC-AMT), with optional manual operation mode, for ease of use in and around the suburbs of Perth.

“I bought the automatic because it's easier for me day in, day out, no changing gears all the time and stop-starting. With a load in the tray and a trailer out the back, the AMT has been great.”

Another key advantage of the AMT, and the use of a truck in this application more broadly, are the productivity and fuel savings under towing. Benefits Dan has noticed since switching from a ute to the NLR Traypack.

“It's really good on fuel. It uses less fuel then my ute does, which I was not expecting. My first thoughts were that getting into a truck was going to cost me a fortune to run. So, it’s been great to see some savings there.

“It handles the towing so much better than a ute does, too. The driving position is higher with better visibility and a standard Colorado with my trailer behind was struggling. I actually had to tune the ute to try and cope… now I'm probably taking more weight than I have ever done, and my truck's still standard.”

The NLR 45-150 Traypack powered by Isuzu’s efficient 4JJ1-TCS, four-cylinder, direct injection engine. And it is no slouch, producing 110kW (148hp) at 2800rpm and torque of 375Nm at 1600 to 2800rpm.

When quizzed on the prospect of switching back to a ute, Dan’s response was concise.

“When it comes to a truck, there's so many pluses over a ute. I'll never buy another one.”