Team-BHP - Need advice choosing a small commercial vehicle to carry milk + supplies to the farm

Hi guys,
I am opening a small dairy farm in Himachal. So am looking for a vehicle for delivering milk as well as carrying supplies for the farm. On most days payload won't be more than 300kgs, but am looking for around 1Ton capacity as it might be used to carry a cow in case of emergency.
Need a somewhat rugged vehicle which can handle Himachal's bad roads and on many occasions, kaccha roads as well. Of course, tackling steep gradients is a must as well.
Have Mahindra and Tata dealerships nearby but I have personally been enamored by AL Dost. Also from online reviews it seems newer chassis technology being used by Mahindra and Tata are better. Would prefer the vehicle to have power steering and good brakes as I will be driving the vehicle myself occasionally as well.
Looking forward to getting some real feedback and suggestions from people who use them for their businesses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdst_1 (Post 4628749)

. On most days payload won't be more than 300kgs, but am looking for around 1Ton capacity as it might be used to carry a cow in case of emergency.

Considering this, you would need a longer load bay. The ones on the Bolero / V-Cross / Tata 207's (all the double-cab versions) will not work. The only way these will work is if you have some additional frame type thing to accommodate the cow.

AL Dost looks more suited here. Have you driven the Dost ? Or you could check the newer Tata Super Ace with the 1.4 litre engine.

Btw, you have not mentioned your budget. Which are the popular vehicles in the area ? That should also give you an idea of which vehicles are suited to that terrain and also gives indication of the service network.

Sorry. I should have mentioned that I am only looking for mini-trucks and not pickups. Would need a loading bay at least 7.5ft long.
Dost and the likes have loading bay in excess of 8ft and pickups usually have a higher loading bay which will be cumbersome as a milk delivery vehicle as well.
What I see in my neighbourhood are mostly Mahindra vehicles and a few Tata as well. Dost is a very capable vehicle but is marred with service issues like availability of spares is what I could garner from the internet.
I would like to spend the least amount of money but the product should meet all my requirements.

I also want to know, if I can somehow cover the engine area of these vehicles. Most of them have an exposed engine underneath the seat or rear axle. I don't want a flying stone to cause damage to some expensive engine component as that is a possibility on kuchha roads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdst_1 (Post 4628817)

Dost is a very capable vehicle but is marred with service issues like availability of spares is what I could garner from the internet.

I also want to know, if I can somehow cover the engine area of these vehicles.

Regarding the spares availability, please speak to the owners (not the A.S.S). Internet is not always a suitable place for information, especially for the LCV you are looking for. Ground reality at your location is important. Also check (with owners) in the nearest town which A.S.S is good. Always good to have a back-up A.S.S

Regarding the engine cover, yes you can. Once you get a vehicle, check the under-body for dimensions you will need, and suitable mount points. You may need brackets. But try to use existing points as much as you can (Non-critical nuts).

How about the Bolero pickup-ups ? Rugged machines.

Thank you for the feedback guys.
There are multiple reasons to prefer a mini trucks over pickup trucks.

a) In general, a minitruck usually has a lower loading deck. For delivering milk and other daily utilities, it is easier and less time wasting as driver can reach for the items without having to climb into the deck. I may be wrong about this but all Bolero pickups I see around me have a high deck.

b) Load v/s price - Since my load requirements as well as my daily travel requirements are not that high, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money just for ruggedness. On 95% of the days, the vehicle will barely carry 300kgs for a distance of 20kms and then return empty for another 20kms. Only very few days of the year, it will be used to carry supplies to the farm like feed and fodder or a sick cow to the doctor in case of emergency.

These are the price points of products available in the market (ex-showroom prices) -
a) 3-3.5L - Mahindra Jeeto/Tata Ace Zip.
Engine between 12-16HP and deck length available between 5-6.5 ft. These would be perfect for the delivery part as they have a payload of 600-700kg and are very compact and nimble which helps in tackling the narrow lanes of most Himachal cities. They are also the most fuel efficient as local Mahindra Jeeto owners are getting average of over 20km/l in the hills. Mahindra is actually killing it with this compact mini truck as I can see them all around me. Even my very small town has more than 10 of these.

b) 4.5-5L - Mahindra Supro Maxitruck/Tata Ace Mega XL
Engine options between 26-45HP. Deck length over 8ft. Payload of 1Ton.
These are actually the perfect fit for my requirement. I just don't have a clue about their ruggedness.

c) 5.5-6L - Mahindra Bolero Maxitruck Plus/Tata Ace Supermint/ Ashok Leyland Dost
Engine options between 60-70HP. Deck length over 8ft. Payload of 1.5 Ton

d) 6.5-8L - Mahindra Bolero Pik-Up/Isuzu D-Max/Mahindra Imperio/ Force Kargo-King
Everything similar to above but with better torque figures and cabin and deck options upto 9ft.

Locally, the best network seems to be of Mahindra. I have a sales/service outlet just 5kms from my place. There is a Tata outlet too, but not seen much activity over there. Overall Mahindra seem to have a better network all over Himachal and it shows in vehicle sales as well. Ashok Leyland has the least presence out of the top 3 but even they have a sales/service outlet roughly 35-40kms away.

Right now, I am confused between options (b) and (c). For just 50-60k more, we get much better and powerful engines and cabins. The whole Bolero range has the same engine and so the Maxitruck Plus is like the cheapest Bolero Pickup one can buy. The only thing the other vehicles have over it is lower turning radius. It's turning radius is 1-1.5m longer than other options in front of it, because of engine placement and it is also the heaviest and least frugal. Other options are between 200-350kgs lighter than it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdst_1 (Post 4629113)

Right now, I am confused between options (b) and (c). For just 50-60k more, we get much better and powerful engines and cabins. The whole Bolero range has the same engine and so the Maxitruck Plus is like the cheapest Bolero Pickup one can buy. The only thing the other vehicles have over it is lower turning radius. It's turning radius is 1-1.5m longer than other options in front of it, because of engine placement and it is also the heaviest and least frugal. Other options are between 200-350kgs lighter than it.

Dear rdst_1,

Just read all the posts above and here are my two cents.

One of my close relative owns a fleet of Mahindra Bolero Maxi Trucks and Pick-ups, these vehicles ply in places such as Darlaghat, Bilaspur, Kiratpur etc. and obviously on those kutcha roads, as per the business needs. I often provide a helping hand to him when I visit my home town. Would like you to suggest Bolero Maxi Truck for the reasons mentioned below:

1). Peace of mind, service and spares are easily available, not only authorized center will be nearby but even road side garages can quickly repair these if need be.
2). When you are not transporting milk cans or cows, you can earn additional moolah by deploying your Bolero in other businesses. Bolero Maxi is spacious and can be used to carry variety of loads like cement, sand, bricks, iron rods, hell even people occasionally. For that matter, even AL Dost can be used for the same but I am not aware if Dost can withstand heavy abuse.
3). Excellent re-sale value of a Bolero Maxi Truck if such a situation arises, will not leave a hole in the packet. I think Al Dost was launched somewhere in 2011-12 and I don't see many of these in Himachal.
4). Long term reliability, transport vehicles take a lot of abuse on the road and Bolero Maxi Truck is tried & tested.

Just for your information, since you are starting a Dairy business, there is one Kamdhenu Milk in Bilaspur which was started few years ago and they are doing brisk business in the region. They have developed a good business model, check on that. All the best :thumbs up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motor_Nut (Post 4629169)

Dear rdst_13). Excellent re-sale value of a Bolero Maxi Truck if such a situation arises, will not leave a hole in the packet. I think Al Dost was launched somewhere in 2011-12 and I don't see many of these in Himachal.

Dost seems quite popular in Tamil Nadu compared to the Supro (no surprise given this is the home base for Ashok Leyland). I see it being used to haul vegetables / flowers etc perishable commodities on the highways, and whatever engine they have in there (I hear, one from Nissan) literally pulls like a train.

So if you find reasonable AL dealership / service nearby please don't rule it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdst_1 (Post 4629113)

b) Load v/s price - Since my load requirements as well as my daily travel requirements are not that high, it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money just for ruggedness. On 95% of the days, the vehicle will barely carry 300kgs for a distance of 20kms and then return empty for another 20kms. Only very few days of the year, it will be used to carry supplies to the farm like feed and fodder or a sick cow to the doctor in case of emergency.

Since 95% of your needs will be met by the Jeeto, why don't you go with it and rent a bigger vehicle when needed. You will have a lower buying price, maintenance and fuel costs.