Arctic Trucks, converters of Toyota products (Hilux, Fortuner, Prado and Land Cruiser) designed to tackle the harshest terrain and Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) have agreed to a collaboration that will see six locally-built Hilux pick-ups undergo conversions to prepare them for use in the Antarctic.
Arctic Trucks opened shop in 1990, as a division of the Toyota distributor to Iceland. The Reykjavik-based firm soon became independent, converting 4×4 vehicles to handle the demanding local conditions due to varying landscape. Over 20 years the AT (Arctic Trucks) conversions proved popular with adventurers, scientists, enthusiasts and companies that operate in harsh conditions for their outright ability and reliability as back-up and support vehicles.
What all the conversion have in common are running boards, a fire extinguisher, torque wrench and a first-aid kit, but the list gets longer as the conversion names suggest. First up, the AT35 sports 35-inch tyres on, flared wheel arches and a suspension raised by 40 mm. The AT38 gets 38-inch tyres, a choice of either a manual or automatic gearbox and can be fitted with a heavy-duty suspension and heavy-duty differential locks on both axles. Also optional are a 110-litre fuel tank and two 80-litre tanks for a combined 160-litres, extra heavy-duty air filtration system, 24V generator.
The range gets really serious with the AT44, which rides on gargantuan 44-inch tyres that, deflated, allow for the AT44 to traverse extremely soft and loose surfaces. The AT44 can be ordered with a manual or automatic gearbox, while the transfer case is fitted with a trawler gear that offers a 5.132:1 low-range ratio. The aforementioned two 80 litre tanks can be fitted or a combination of a 135 litre and 55 litre tanks for a total of 190 litres. Ground clearance is 480 mm.
A 6×6 model is very much a specialist vehicles, with all of the features mentioned above, and can be ordered in any AT specification, albeit with a much longer load bay – with an off-road capacity of three tonnes and possible fuel capacity stretch to 400 litres. Rear drums are brakes on both axles and coil spring suspension is used all-round.
Two of the models TSAM have been commissioned to build will be built to AT44 specification, while another two will receive the AT44 treatment as well as a full 6×6 configuration. The four will be used as back-up vehicles during the gruelling Antarctic Ski Challenge to the South Pole later this year. The fifth Hilux (also to AT44 spec) will be built for the Indian National Centre Antarctic and Ocean research purposes, while the sixth Hilux will get an AT38 conversion.
The conversions will be done at TSAM’s Sandton-based workshops in a partnership with 4×4 Mega World – a cost effective way for Arctic Trucks to do conversions before shipment via Cape Town to the Antarctic
“We are very excited about this partnership with Arctic Trucks. Not only does the Arctic Truck conversion showcase the strengths of the Hilux in extreme conditions, but the various Antarctic projects’ aim at creating awareness of environmental issues also underscore Toyota’s strong commitment to sustainable mobility and the protection of our habitat,” says Andrew Kirby, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.
Despite Arctic Trucks constantly expanding its operations, its presence is predominantly inn the Northern Hemisphere, with the promise of more markets to come. For registration regulations and more information, visit www.arctictrucks.com
