After Mitsubishi Fuso provided details on installing bodies and equipment on their chassis, NTEA members were able to observe firsthand.
After Mitsubishi Fuso provided details on installing bodies and equipment on their chassis, NTEA members were able to observe firsthand.
After Mitsubishi Fuso provided details on installing bodies and equipment on their chassis, NTEA members were able to observe firsthand.
After Mitsubishi Fuso provided details on installing bodies and equipment on their chassis, NTEA members were able to observe firsthand.
After Mitsubishi Fuso provided details on installing bodies and equipment on their chassis, NTEA members were able to observe firsthand.

NTEA Truck Product Conference: MFTA offers enhancements

Nov. 1, 2012
MITSUBISHI Fuso Truck of America's (MFTA) 2013 medium-duty cabover Canter comes standard with dual batteries, and also includes a factory-installed power

MITSUBISHI Fuso Truck of America's (MFTA) 2013 medium-duty cabover Canter comes standard with dual batteries, and also includes a factory-installed power takeoff (PTO) wiring harness designed to receive an optional, matched control switch that also makes connecting the PTO to the vehicle easier.

The 33-gallon side-mounted fuel tank will once again be available as a factory-installed option, while mirrors will have new, wider mounting arms that facilitate the installation of bodies with outside widths up to 102 inches on all Canter FE models, including the Canter FE160 crew cab.

In addition to the five cab colors MFTA has traditionally offered, the 2013 Canter can now also be ordered in solid black — an option that could save customers money by not having to paint the cabs to match their fleet's colors.

Leighton Good, manager of product and applications, said Canter FE models, both single and crew cabs, are 62" from the ground, an increase from the 2010 models. The Canter FG4X4 (FGB72S) model is 60" from the ground.

A look at the trucks:

• Class 3 FE125: 12,500 GVWR, 7,165-7,285 body and payload weight, 10-18 feet body length.

• Class 4 FE160: 15,995, 10,285-10,505, 10-23 feet.

• Class 4 FE160 Crew Cab: 15,995, 9,800-9,845, 12-19 feet.

• Class 4 FG4X4: 14,050, 8,075, 13-15 feet.

• Class 5 FE180: 17,995, 12,285-12,505, 10-23 feet.

“Just a reminder: Towing capacity does not equal the Gross Combination Weight Rating,” Good said. “GCWR is the sum total of all weight: the towing vehicle, trailer, and payloads for each including occupants. There is a simple rule for Canter since the 2102MY: GCWR equals GVWR plus 7715 pounds. Since our DUONIC is based on a manual transmission, GCW ratings are higher than ever—from 20,215 to 25,710 pounds.”

Kits are available for 102-inch-wide mirror stays (arms), which will be factory standard for the 2014MY, which starts production in January. Fill neck kits, specifically hoses, are expected with the production start.

Good says there is an interim solution for dealer- or third party-installed wide stays: a 3" diameter replacement hose from Goodyear/Veyance and a 5/8" vent hose.

Muncie Power Products is supplying the PTO (base model name/number: TG6S-M9018), which requires an aperture adapter (29TK5308), has a ratio to engine of 0.56 (56%), a maximum intermittent duty torque of 126 lb-ft (maximum 5/20 minutes of operation), and a maximum continuous duty torque of 88 lb-ft (over five minutes of operation). Based on the maximum programmable speed of 2000 rpm for the 4P10 engine, the maximum PTO output speed is 1120 rpm. There is stationary vehicle PTO operation only (transmission selector in “park” or “neutral”).

Muncie Power Products is supplying the engine clutch pump, with a kit model name/number of CMKE12-3000-P8-AC and kit contents of an add-on pulley and hardware, mounting bracket and hardware, tensioner, belt, and installation instructions. The maximum operating horsepower is 16 hp and the ratio to engine is 1.18 (118%).

Good said that while rear tank packaging is improved compared to MFTA's 2010 version, particular attention must be paid for rear-mounted equipment such as liftgates and dump hinges to prevent interference.

He said 44" of afterframe, as measured from the rear axle centerline, is required to accommodate the fuel fill pass-through. On some bodies, such as a 12-foot L van (on the 110.2" C wheelbase) or a 14-foot L (on the 133.9" E wheelbase), a floor extension may be required, depending upon the liftgate model.

Fisher Engineering and Meyer Products are supplying FG snowplows, with custom bolt-on mounts to receive various blade types in steel, poly, and stainless steel.

“Don't forget: Aft-of-rear axle ballast is needed to make sure the front axle is not overloaded,” he said. “New chassis cabs since the 2012MY are significantly lighter on the front axle, so ballast is pretty modest. On this particular application, I think it was only about 200 pounds.”

Factory-standard dual batteries are 750 CCA each, with BCI group size of 27F and a box sized to accept a Group 31 battery.

On FE models, there is a factory-optional side fuel tank (133.9" E and longer wheelbases), and the 33-gallon capacity replaces the rear tank and is left-side mounted.

Standard incandescent and optional LED parameters are mutually exclusive. All wires, left side and right side, must be utilized (“Stop” or “Tail” can't piggyback to one side). If the truck body lamps (clearance and ID) are LED, but MFTA combination lamps are being kept, then the factory-standard Signal Detection and Actuation (SAM) Module should be kept. A 3-2 wire-powered converter is required if combining “Stop” and “Turn.”

The license plate lamp circuit also must be utilized.

“The catch: There must be a minimum 0.25A load — 3W ~incandescent,” he said. “Grounding via the frame is acceptable.”

How to check for LED programming:

• Inquiry to dealer or to MFTA (if optioned at POE).

• The best method is to check the type of S/T/T coding, whether the chassis-cab comes from a POE, a Fuso dealer, or another upfitter: Depress the four-way hazard switch (no key or engine start is required) prior to the start of any work. If the flash rate of all four of the factory incandescent turn lamps is rapid—~150 pulses per minute—this is confirmation that the SAM has been programmed for LED-type S/T/T lamps.

“Please note that the rear combination lamps must be connected to the original wiring circuits,” he said. “Each L & R combination lamp set has a multi-pin pigtail. These are often disconnected during chassis transport.”

The SCR system is right-side-mounted and EPA10 emissions compliant, has diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) injection, requires ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (maximum 15 parts per million), is 5% biodiesel compatible B5, and has a 3.2-gallon DEF tank that is standard across all models and can be translated aftward up to 600mm (23-5/8"), utilizing existing holes on the chassis frame.

The aftermarket side fuel tanks are supplied by Truck Tank & Equipment Sales of Concord, Ohio. Standard aluminum comes in sizes of 35, 45, 55, and 65 gallons.

The aftermarket dual battery box is supplied by Truck Tank & Equipment Sales and is sized for two BCI Group 27F or larger Group 31 batteries.

Good said common dimensions for a 2WD Single Cab is 20.7" from axle center to back of cab. There is a minimum setback of 8.3" for a combined 29" to calculate for required usable cab-to-axle.

About the Author

Rick Weber | Associate Editor

Rick Weber has been an associate editor for Trailer/Body Builders since February 2000. A national award-winning sportswriter, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Fort Myers News-Press following service with publications in California and Australia. He is a graduate of Penn State University.