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Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc.c/o Mail-Well Graphics7625 Suffolk AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19153
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit # 05115Philadelphia PA
Power up with a PTOA Power Take Off (PTO) will make your Mitsubishi Fuso
truck more versatile on the job. Mitsubishi Fuso stocks a broad
selection of PTOs for a wide variety of applications.
Aerodynamic enhancementImprove your vehicle’s aerodynamics
with a mountable roof deflector. This
device creates an air stream that
decreases wind resistance. If your trucks
do a lot of highway traveling, the roof
deflector can help save some fuel. ■
accessories
The Magazine from Mitsubishi Fuso Truck
of America, Inc.
SEPTEMBER 2003
Have truck, will raceFG keeps on truckin’
21
Is the Mitsubishi Fuso FG a
recreational vehicle or a work truck?
It depends on who the owner is. Carl
Hunter and Randy Barnard, both of
Vancouver, B.C., would say the FG is
strictly a recreational vehicle. They’ve
equipped their FGs with modern camper
units so they can travel on the back
roads in style and comfort.
Don Heitlauf, of Crossroads
Appliance in Seattle, Washington, will
tell you the FG is a great delivery truck,
and the first truck he has owned that
can defy Seattle’s rainy weather.
Meanwhile, the County of San
Bernardino, California, recently
purchased a fleet of 14 FGs for plowing
snow from the county’s 445 miles of
two-lane roads in the San Bernardino
mountains.
Whatever the application, owners
of the FG would agree: the FG is one
unstoppable truck. And for good reason.
It’s the only four-wheel-drive cabover
truck available in the U.S. and Canada.
There are two FG models: The Class 3
FG639 that comes equipped with a
4-speed automatic transmission, and
the Class 4 FG649 that has a 5-speed
manual transmission.
A wide variety of specialized bodies
can be fitted to the FG chassis—dump,
utility, tool carrier, stake body, and dry
vans—making the truck adaptable to
virtually any vocation. And, as some FG
owners have proven, it’s good for
recreation as well. ■
the unstoppable
FG
The Magazine from Mitsubishi Fuso Truck
of America, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
News from Mitsubishi Fuso
of America
SPECIAL FEATURERoad Rally Ahead:
Mitsubishi Fuso FMis key to racing team’s success
Featured accessories:PTOs &
Roof Wind Deflector
i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
1
2
6
On the road againIn the May issue of in motion, we featured Carl Hunter’s Mitsubishi Fuso
FG camper unit and his adventures along the Silk Route. Now comes word
of another FG camper, this one owned by Randy and Pearl Barnard who
live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, just south of Vancouver.
While they haven’t taken their FG to any exotic locations, they recently
returned from a two and a half month trip exploring the Southwest and the
Four Corners area. In the near future, Randy says he and Pearl plan on
driving their FG camper to Alaska and to the Yucatan, to explore some of
the more remote Mayan ruins.
If you have an unusual or interesting story about your
Mitsubishi Fuso, please let us know by sending an email to
Randy and Pearl Barnardhave equipped theirMitsubishi Fuso FG with abooth expedition camper,manufactured in Victoria,British Columbia, Canada.
Cover Photo: Lars Gange, Blackbullet.com
21
Is the Mitsubishi Fuso FG a
recreational vehicle or a work truck?
It depends on who the owner is. Carl
Hunter and Randy Barnard, both of
Vancouver, B.C., would say the FG is
strictly a recreational vehicle. They’ve
equipped their FGs with modern camper
units so they can travel on the back
roads in style and comfort.
Don Heitlauf, of Crossroads
Appliance in Seattle, Washington, will
tell you the FG is a great delivery truck,
and the first truck he has owned that
can defy Seattle’s rainy weather.
Meanwhile, the County of San
Bernardino, California, recently
purchased a fleet of 14 FGs for plowing
snow from the county’s 445 miles of
two-lane roads in the San Bernardino
mountains.
Whatever the application, owners
of the FG would agree: the FG is one
unstoppable truck. And for good reason.
It’s the only four-wheel-drive cabover
truck available in the U.S. and Canada.
There are two FG models: The Class 3
FG639 that comes equipped with a
4-speed automatic transmission, and
the Class 4 FG649 that has a 5-speed
manual transmission.
A wide variety of specialized bodies
can be fitted to the FG chassis—dump,
utility, tool carrier, stake body, and dry
vans—making the truck adaptable to
virtually any vocation. And, as some FG
owners have proven, it’s good for
recreation as well. ■
the unstoppable
FG
The Magazine from Mitsubishi Fuso Truck
of America, Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
News from Mitsubishi Fuso
of America
SPECIAL FEATURERoad Rally Ahead:
Mitsubishi Fuso FMis key to racing team’s success
Featured accessories:PTOs &
Roof Wind Deflector
i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
1
2
6
On the road againIn the May issue of in motion, we featured Carl Hunter’s Mitsubishi Fuso
FG camper unit and his adventures along the Silk Route. Now comes word
of another FG camper, this one owned by Randy and Pearl Barnard who
live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, just south of Vancouver.
While they haven’t taken their FG to any exotic locations, they recently
returned from a two and a half month trip exploring the Southwest and the
Four Corners area. In the near future, Randy says he and Pearl plan on
driving their FG camper to Alaska and to the Yucatan, to explore some of
the more remote Mayan ruins.
If you have an unusual or interesting story about your
Mitsubishi Fuso, please let us know by sending an email to
Randy and Pearl Barnardhave equipped theirMitsubishi Fuso FG with abooth expedition camper,manufactured in Victoria,British Columbia, Canada.
Cover Photo: Lars Gange, Blackbullet.com
2
Chris Yandell of Vermont SportsCar, the rally
racing firm that provides technical, logistical and
team management support for Team Mitsubishi.
“Our service trucks serve as mobile garages, a
sort of pit area on wheels. They go anywhere and
carry everything. They’re the backbone of the
team,” he added.
During a race, it can get really crazy around
the service trucks. Technicians are constantly
in and out, changing tires, grabbing parts, and
making repairs—all at breakneck speed. There are
three FM trucks at every race. Two of them are
service trucks, and are also used for towing the
rally cars to the venue. The other FM is stocked
with 72 spare tires, a tire-changing machine, and
an air compressor driven by an 8-hp engine.
All three Mitsubishi Fuso trucks are equipped
with 2-way radios and a 30-foot extendable antenna.
The radios have a range of 20 miles and are used
for communicating between trucks when the
crews are on the road, and for staying in touch
with the drivers during the race.
The two service trucks carry enough spare
parts to rebuild the entire car. Clint Fast, a Team
Mitsubishi technician, explained the layout. “We
maximize every square inch and make sure
3
In off-road racing,the support crewhas to bring everything it mightpossibly need to theevent—especiallyplenty of tires. Clintsays they carry asmany as six orseven differenttypes of tires, threedifferent tread configurations, andfour to five differentcompounds. Thisvariety allows themto be ready for dry,smooth gravel roads,rough mud andsnow, and anythingin between.
In a single year, each FM truck will travelnearly 70,000 miles to and from races duringthe nine event ProRally Championship.
i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 32
If watching rally cars speed along at 100 mph
on snow- and ice-covered back roads sounds like
your kind of fun, then the SCCA ProRally series is
for you. During the winter, you can test your stamina
in a remote location, such as the SnoDrift ProRally
in Atlanta, Michigan, while standing in two feet of
snow with the temperature hovering around zero.
In early summer, you might be perched on a
mountain at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
in Colorado Springs, Colorado, eyes riveted to the
rally cars as they sprint along a 12.4 mile ribbon
of gravel road with no guardrails, climbing more
than a mile up to the peak through 156 turns, all
the while hugging the sides of cliffs that drop off
more than 2,000 feet.
Fasten your seat belt. This is ProRallying
excitement at its best. It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s hard
on the cars. That’s why Team Mitsubishi carries
plenty of spare parts and tires to every event in its
three FM mobile service trucks.
“At our racing venues, we don’t have pit areas
like the Daytona or Indianapolis speedways,” said
What’s the best way to transport an all-wheel-drive 400-plus
horsepower Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally car to a ProRally
race? For Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America, the truck of choice is
the Mitsubishi Fuso FM. These Class 6 vehicles are the perfect duo for
Team Mitsubishi as it shoots for a winning record on this year’s Sports
Car Club of America’s (SCCA) ProRally Championship series.
2
Chris Yandell of Vermont SportsCar, the rally
racing firm that provides technical, logistical and
team management support for Team Mitsubishi.
“Our service trucks serve as mobile garages, a
sort of pit area on wheels. They go anywhere and
carry everything. They’re the backbone of the
team,” he added.
During a race, it can get really crazy around
the service trucks. Technicians are constantly
in and out, changing tires, grabbing parts, and
making repairs—all at breakneck speed. There are
three FM trucks at every race. Two of them are
service trucks, and are also used for towing the
rally cars to the venue. The other FM is stocked
with 72 spare tires, a tire-changing machine, and
an air compressor driven by an 8-hp engine.
All three Mitsubishi Fuso trucks are equipped
with 2-way radios and a 30-foot extendable antenna.
The radios have a range of 20 miles and are used
for communicating between trucks when the
crews are on the road, and for staying in touch
with the drivers during the race.
The two service trucks carry enough spare
parts to rebuild the entire car. Clint Fast, a Team
Mitsubishi technician, explained the layout. “We
maximize every square inch and make sure
3
In off-road racing,the support crewhas to bring everything it mightpossibly need to theevent—especiallyplenty of tires. Clintsays they carry asmany as six orseven differenttypes of tires, threedifferent tread configurations, andfour to five differentcompounds. Thisvariety allows themto be ready for dry,smooth gravel roads,rough mud andsnow, and anythingin between.
In a single year, each FM truck will travelnearly 70,000 miles to and from races duringthe nine event ProRally Championship.
i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 32
If watching rally cars speed along at 100 mph
on snow- and ice-covered back roads sounds like
your kind of fun, then the SCCA ProRally series is
for you. During the winter, you can test your stamina
in a remote location, such as the SnoDrift ProRally
in Atlanta, Michigan, while standing in two feet of
snow with the temperature hovering around zero.
In early summer, you might be perched on a
mountain at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
in Colorado Springs, Colorado, eyes riveted to the
rally cars as they sprint along a 12.4 mile ribbon
of gravel road with no guardrails, climbing more
than a mile up to the peak through 156 turns, all
the while hugging the sides of cliffs that drop off
more than 2,000 feet.
Fasten your seat belt. This is ProRallying
excitement at its best. It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s hard
on the cars. That’s why Team Mitsubishi carries
plenty of spare parts and tires to every event in its
three FM mobile service trucks.
“At our racing venues, we don’t have pit areas
like the Daytona or Indianapolis speedways,” said
What’s the best way to transport an all-wheel-drive 400-plus
horsepower Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution rally car to a ProRally
race? For Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America, the truck of choice is
the Mitsubishi Fuso FM. These Class 6 vehicles are the perfect duo for
Team Mitsubishi as it shoots for a winning record on this year’s Sports
Car Club of America’s (SCCA) ProRally Championship series.
5
everything has a place and everything’s in its
place, and it’s all easily accessible. On one side
of the truck, there’s an 8' x 11/2' workbench with a
vise. This is our main work area. Below the bench,
we store 102 gallons of high-octane race gas in
two 55-gallon drums. All of the tools are stowed
in tool boxes under the bench. Above the bench,
we keep the most frequently used parts. That
includes suspension parts, all the control arms,
springs and shocks, all of the plumbing for the
inner cooler and radiator, hoses, windshield wiper
linkage, windshield wipers and spare arms.
“On the other side, we store another 27 tires
that are mounted on rims, and a complete exhaust
system. In the very front of the truck, we have
three storage shelves. We keep a gear box and a
welder under the shelves. Above the shelves we
store a light pod that we install on the car for night
driving. Up against the ceiling, we carry front fend-
ers, front and rear bumpers, and a spare radiator.
“There are two jacks and four jack stands
inside each truck, as well as a service tent and
two ground sheets. One of the service trucks has
a high-powered washer for cleaning the cars. All
three trucks have 12.5 kW diesel generators that
provide all the electric power the crews require.”
The SCAA ProRally season starts in late
January and wraps up in late October. That sched-
ule puts a lot of miles on the trucks, but it’s not a
problem for Clint. “I’ve got an air-ride seat and turn
the air conditioning on first thing in the morning.
When we pull into a motel at night, I feel just fine.
The Mitsubishi Fuso trucks are comfortable on the
road, and indispensable at the race.”
If you’d like to experience the thrills of ProRally
racing first hand, check out Team Mitsubishi’s
website for up-to-date schedules, www.vtcar.com.
And if you hang out at the service area, make sure
to tell the crew that you, too, are a fan of the
Mitsubishi Fuso truck. ■
Photos:Bruce Smith, MitsubishiMotors North America Lars Gange,Blackbullet.com
RACINGagainst the clock, and Mother Nature
There are no ovals, pace cars, or rain delays at ProRally
events. Rally racing features real cars racing against the clock on
closed off sections of real roads that are usually unpaved and
unforgiving. Events can last several days and cover hundreds
of miles, through rain or snow, during the day or at night. This
extreme test of skill and endurance is what makes the best rally
drivers the top all-around drivers in the world.
Mitsubishi Motors is heavily involved in this growing extreme
sport and has won numerous World Championships throughout the
nineties. Now they have put together a new, two-car team, dubbed
Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America, to tackle the United States
premier rally series, the SCCA ProRally Championship. The rally
car of choice for the new team is the all new 2003 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution. The “Evo,” as it is known worldwide, is one of the
most successful rally cars in history and has just recently become
available for American enthusiasts. The team is off to an amazing
start in 2003, with lead driver and 2002 U.S. Champion David
Higgins driving to victory in five out of six events thus far.
A rally car will tackle nearly 200 miles of competitive road
sections at a rally. To counter the damage from rough roads, the
teams have “service breaks.” The team’s expert rally technicians
and engineers will have anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to
make any necessary repairs. The service crew are master
mechanics and quick thinkers.
A rally car’s time in a service area is strictly enforced, and
leaving a service area late will result in a time penalty.
4 i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
5
everything has a place and everything’s in its
place, and it’s all easily accessible. On one side
of the truck, there’s an 8' x 11/2' workbench with a
vise. This is our main work area. Below the bench,
we store 102 gallons of high-octane race gas in
two 55-gallon drums. All of the tools are stowed
in tool boxes under the bench. Above the bench,
we keep the most frequently used parts. That
includes suspension parts, all the control arms,
springs and shocks, all of the plumbing for the
inner cooler and radiator, hoses, windshield wiper
linkage, windshield wipers and spare arms.
“On the other side, we store another 27 tires
that are mounted on rims, and a complete exhaust
system. In the very front of the truck, we have
three storage shelves. We keep a gear box and a
welder under the shelves. Above the shelves we
store a light pod that we install on the car for night
driving. Up against the ceiling, we carry front fend-
ers, front and rear bumpers, and a spare radiator.
“There are two jacks and four jack stands
inside each truck, as well as a service tent and
two ground sheets. One of the service trucks has
a high-powered washer for cleaning the cars. All
three trucks have 12.5 kW diesel generators that
provide all the electric power the crews require.”
The SCAA ProRally season starts in late
January and wraps up in late October. That sched-
ule puts a lot of miles on the trucks, but it’s not a
problem for Clint. “I’ve got an air-ride seat and turn
the air conditioning on first thing in the morning.
When we pull into a motel at night, I feel just fine.
The Mitsubishi Fuso trucks are comfortable on the
road, and indispensable at the race.”
If you’d like to experience the thrills of ProRally
racing first hand, check out Team Mitsubishi’s
website for up-to-date schedules, www.vtcar.com.
And if you hang out at the service area, make sure
to tell the crew that you, too, are a fan of the
Mitsubishi Fuso truck. ■
Photos:Bruce Smith, MitsubishiMotors North America Lars Gange,Blackbullet.com
RACINGagainst the clock, and Mother Nature
There are no ovals, pace cars, or rain delays at ProRally
events. Rally racing features real cars racing against the clock on
closed off sections of real roads that are usually unpaved and
unforgiving. Events can last several days and cover hundreds
of miles, through rain or snow, during the day or at night. This
extreme test of skill and endurance is what makes the best rally
drivers the top all-around drivers in the world.
Mitsubishi Motors is heavily involved in this growing extreme
sport and has won numerous World Championships throughout the
nineties. Now they have put together a new, two-car team, dubbed
Team Mitsubishi Motor Sports America, to tackle the United States
premier rally series, the SCCA ProRally Championship. The rally
car of choice for the new team is the all new 2003 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evolution. The “Evo,” as it is known worldwide, is one of the
most successful rally cars in history and has just recently become
available for American enthusiasts. The team is off to an amazing
start in 2003, with lead driver and 2002 U.S. Champion David
Higgins driving to victory in five out of six events thus far.
A rally car will tackle nearly 200 miles of competitive road
sections at a rally. To counter the damage from rough roads, the
teams have “service breaks.” The team’s expert rally technicians
and engineers will have anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to
make any necessary repairs. The service crew are master
mechanics and quick thinkers.
A rally car’s time in a service area is strictly enforced, and
leaving a service area late will result in a time penalty.
4 i n m o t i o n s e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 3
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc.c/o Mail-Well Graphics7625 Suffolk AvenuePhiladelphia, PA 19153
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage
PAIDPermit # 05115Philadelphia PA
Power up with a PTOA Power Take Off (PTO) will make your Mitsubishi Fuso
truck more versatile on the job. Mitsubishi Fuso stocks a broad
selection of PTOs for a wide variety of applications.
Aerodynamic enhancementImprove your vehicle’s aerodynamics
with a mountable roof deflector. This
device creates an air stream that
decreases wind resistance. If your trucks
do a lot of highway traveling, the roof
deflector can help save some fuel. ■
accessories
The Magazine from Mitsubishi Fuso Truck
of America, Inc.
SEPTEMBER 2003
Have truck, will raceFG keeps on truckin’
