The Unpalletable Truth
Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2021 3:47 pm
Introduction:
No one gave a continental crap about pallet sizes, wrt to pick ups (bakkies) until VW launched their 1st home grown* bakkie, the Amarok, & lauded it's ability to carry two 'Euro Spec Pallets".
This was clever marketing by VW as their bakkie actually had a very small 'bak'.
The whole thing became moot, wrt Single Cab bakkies, when the Amarok Single Cab was discontinued after dismal sales.
But now, with the launch of the new Ford Rangerok, VW has obviously asked Ford to ensure that the new Ranger can carry a Euro Pallet.
So, what's with a bakkie & it's ability to carry a pallet?
Background:
In order to follow the 'Pallet Bullsh!t' you need to be aware of three things:
1. Pallets come in various sizes, a Euro Pallet is the around smallest at 1200mm x 800mm, the US size is 1016 x 1219, but most pallets are around 1200mm x 1000mm.
2. Most bakkies have a gap, between the wheel arches, of over 1000mm, but less than 1200mm.
3. ALL bakkies (Single Cabs) available in SA right now, have a bak length of under 2400mm.
The Truth:
Single Cabs:
Any bakkie can carry a pallet, I can load one on my Isuzu KB5, as the forklift picks it up long-wise, so as the gap between the arches is over 1000mm, it fits.
I say long-wise asa forklift (not Fok Left) needs to get the prongs under the pallet & that's the direction the purloins run..
But, two pallets is a problem as no bakkie has a bak that is 2400mm long.
The current (2021) Hilux, single cab has a bak only 2315mm long, for example.
Whilst the long discontinued Amarok Single Cab had a very short bak (load bin) length (only 2200mm long), it was wide, about 1615mm wide.
It had over 1200mm between the wheel arches, so if you loaded two, sideways, the two Euro pallets together would be 1200mm wide & 1600mm long, leaving 600mm of the length.
Even two normal pallets would fit as they would be 2000mm long combined, still leaving 200mm over.
Double Cabs:
All Double Cabs have a load box (bak) that exceeds 1200mm therefore any double cab can carry a pallet.
Conclusion:
So, the only bakkie that could carry two Euro Pallets was the Single Cab Amarok, it never sold & was scrapped.
Why did the great feature not help sales?
Because, in most cases, two pallets of anything would exceed the bakkies payload.
In fact, in most cases, one pallet is close to payload.
Generally, only heavy stuff (tiles, bricks, motor parts etc.) are packed in pallets.
Besides, if your requirement is the ability to carry two pallets you'd buy a van or a L100 type bakkie (like the Hyndai H100).
So it had the ability to do something no one gave a crap about.
The new Ford Rangerok will be able to fit a Euro Pallet between the wheel arches.
All this means is the gab between the wheel arches exceeds 1200mm.
But the real solution is for manufacturers to offer a bak with an inside length that just exceeds 2400mm, for some reason they don't/won't....
* I said 'home grown' asVW had a previous bakkie, called the Taro, which was just a re-badged Hilux.
Next year VW will launch the 2nd Amarok, which will basically be a re-badged Ranger...
No one gave a continental crap about pallet sizes, wrt to pick ups (bakkies) until VW launched their 1st home grown* bakkie, the Amarok, & lauded it's ability to carry two 'Euro Spec Pallets".
This was clever marketing by VW as their bakkie actually had a very small 'bak'.
The whole thing became moot, wrt Single Cab bakkies, when the Amarok Single Cab was discontinued after dismal sales.
But now, with the launch of the new Ford Rangerok, VW has obviously asked Ford to ensure that the new Ranger can carry a Euro Pallet.
So, what's with a bakkie & it's ability to carry a pallet?
Background:
In order to follow the 'Pallet Bullsh!t' you need to be aware of three things:
1. Pallets come in various sizes, a Euro Pallet is the around smallest at 1200mm x 800mm, the US size is 1016 x 1219, but most pallets are around 1200mm x 1000mm.
2. Most bakkies have a gap, between the wheel arches, of over 1000mm, but less than 1200mm.
3. ALL bakkies (Single Cabs) available in SA right now, have a bak length of under 2400mm.
The Truth:
Single Cabs:
Any bakkie can carry a pallet, I can load one on my Isuzu KB5, as the forklift picks it up long-wise, so as the gap between the arches is over 1000mm, it fits.
I say long-wise asa forklift (not Fok Left) needs to get the prongs under the pallet & that's the direction the purloins run..
But, two pallets is a problem as no bakkie has a bak that is 2400mm long.
The current (2021) Hilux, single cab has a bak only 2315mm long, for example.
Whilst the long discontinued Amarok Single Cab had a very short bak (load bin) length (only 2200mm long), it was wide, about 1615mm wide.
It had over 1200mm between the wheel arches, so if you loaded two, sideways, the two Euro pallets together would be 1200mm wide & 1600mm long, leaving 600mm of the length.
Even two normal pallets would fit as they would be 2000mm long combined, still leaving 200mm over.
Double Cabs:
All Double Cabs have a load box (bak) that exceeds 1200mm therefore any double cab can carry a pallet.
Conclusion:
So, the only bakkie that could carry two Euro Pallets was the Single Cab Amarok, it never sold & was scrapped.
Why did the great feature not help sales?
Because, in most cases, two pallets of anything would exceed the bakkies payload.
In fact, in most cases, one pallet is close to payload.
Generally, only heavy stuff (tiles, bricks, motor parts etc.) are packed in pallets.
Besides, if your requirement is the ability to carry two pallets you'd buy a van or a L100 type bakkie (like the Hyndai H100).
So it had the ability to do something no one gave a crap about.
The new Ford Rangerok will be able to fit a Euro Pallet between the wheel arches.
All this means is the gab between the wheel arches exceeds 1200mm.
But the real solution is for manufacturers to offer a bak with an inside length that just exceeds 2400mm, for some reason they don't/won't....
* I said 'home grown' asVW had a previous bakkie, called the Taro, which was just a re-badged Hilux.
Next year VW will launch the 2nd Amarok, which will basically be a re-badged Ranger...
