Increased payload capacity and a longer wheelbase option are among the changes Mitsubishi Fuso has brought to its line of Canter cabovers.
Increased payload capacity and a longer wheelbase option are among the changes Mitsubishi Fuso has brought to its line of Canter cabovers.
Increased payload capacity and a longer wheelbase option are among the changes Mitsubishi Fuso has brought to its line of Canter cabovers.
Increased payload capacity and a longer wheelbase option are among the changes Mitsubishi Fuso has brought to its line of Canter cabovers.
Increased payload capacity and a longer wheelbase option are among the changes Mitsubishi Fuso has brought to its line of Canter cabovers.

Canter moves up in payload capacity

Nov. 1, 2014
NTEA Truck Product Conference 2014 report

MITSUBISHI Fuso Truck of America’s new Canter FE130 work truck boosts GVWR and body/payload capacity by 700 pounds over the previous FE125 model—from 12,500 to 13,200.

“It’s largely a carryover from the model it replaces,” said Leighton Good, manager of product and applications. “There is no change to the frames, suspension, axles, wheels or tires.”

MFTA had added a long-wheelbase option to the 2014 model FE125 as a running change in the fall of 2013, and the new 169.3” wheelbase option allows installation of 20’ bodies, which greatly expanded the cargo volume capabilities of MFTA’s lightest truck. It’s targeted to benefit customers who transport high-bulk items, who could only take advantage of the longer wheelbase if the GVWR also increased.

Individual axle ratings for the new FE130—5360 pounds front and 9880 pounds rear—are 2040 pounds more than the FE130’s GVWR.

Good said that a 700-pound increase in body/payload capacity, particularly when coupled with the long-wheelbase option, significantly improves the efficiency of the truck, allowing the operator to carry more in each trip, and thereby reducing overall transportation costs.

What does that mean? It would translate into two more zero-turn landscaper mowers or 700 pounds more mulch per trip. Or 33 additional cases of soda, 560 loaves of bread or 1806 bananas.

The Canter FE130 also offers a number of other improvements, especially a performance increase to go along with the increased GVW rating.

While the horsepower and torque rating of the engine haven’t changed, engineers have been able to make refinements to the programming that manages the complex interactions among engine operating parameters, transmission shift points, and emissions control system behavior. As a result, the new FE130 will outperform an equivalent FE125, not only in acceleration from a stop and while underway, but also in responsiveness at steady speeds and during deceleration. At the same time, the truck remains in full compliance with OBD II and EPA 10 emissions requirements.

Additionally, to simplify daily checks, MFTA will be making a running change early in the model year to relocate the engine oil dipstick to the driver side and position it to allow the oil to be checked without tilting the cab. The new dipstick location is intended to encourage Canter owners and operators to perform the regular pre-trip fluid checks it recommends as an integral part of a professional maintenance program.

The DEF tank cap color is being changed to bright blue to reduce the risk of something other than diesel emissions fluid being added to the DEF tank.

Another advancement is the new Engine Protection System (EPS) that warns the driver when dangerous conditions such as low oil pressure or high engine temperatures have been reached.

The new EPS will shut down the engine in the event of critically low oil pressure and regulate fuel flow to reduce engine heating upon sensing elevated coolant temperature. This system acts as an automatic back-up in the event that the driver fails to respond if the instrument cluster indicates low engine oil pressure or rising coolant temperature.

New 2015 model Canters will come from the factory with the EPS installed. Btu MFTA will also be installing the EPS on all of the Canters in inventory at its ports-of-entry before they’re shipped to the dealer network, and MFTA will retrofit this system for owners who request it from a local authorized Fuso dealer. This is a software upgrade that takes advantage of the sensors already installed on the truck. It can be performed easily during a normal maintenance visit and it requires no hardware changes.

A 33-gallon, side-mounted fuel tank is optional on all Canter models with a wheelbase of 133.9” or longer (except the FG4X4, which comes standard with a side-mounted tank).

A new Idle Limit System (ILS) is also available to automatically turn off the engine of a running Canter after a specified time of three, five, or ten minutes when parked. This dealer-programmed optional feature is a significant benefit for drivers who operate in areas with regulated maximum idling times.

Good also explained the body lighting through the SAM (Signal Detection and Actuation Module).

If the completed truck will use only LED lighting (discarding the factory incandescent combination lamps), the SAM must be programmed to control LED-type lamps via a Fuso diagnostic laptop at a port-of-entry or dealer. If this programming is not performed, a SAM code and rapid “bulb-out” flash rate of the turn lamps will result due to low amperage draw of LEDs. The initial amperage draw of a cold incandescent filament is significantly higher than its steady state amperage due to the higher resistance of a hot filament.

Each left and right stop/turn/tail and the license plate lamp circuit must be utilized since they are monitored by SAM for minimum amperage draw. If a circuit maximum amperage value is exceeded, the SAM will protect the circuit by shutting it down.

Power to the circuit will be restored once the excessive load is removed from the circuit.

The two-wire “side turn” option connector must also be turned on via the Fuso diagnostic laptop.

On the body marker/ID lamps, a connection to this wire at the three-pin harness (Green/White tracer wire) may be made with a load up to 8A.

The connection to the van body dome light at the three-pin harness (Red wire) may be made with a load up to 5A. The van body dome light switch is standard equipment on the instrument panel.

If using chassis stop/turn/tail circuits to power trailer lamps, generally, unless the trailer lights are LED type, the circuits on the chassis-cab must be used only for relay signal wires with dedicated fuse-protected load wires for the trailer lighting.

A 3-2 wire converter must be employed if a trailer or body will use a combined stop/turn lamp per side (generally the case for lighting systems which do not use a dedicated amber turn lamp per side).

If not using a mating connector from MFTA: The referenced wire needs to be cut (not removed) at the back of the connector and spliced into the body wire with a soldered and weatherproof sealed connection. Available wire length is short, so MFTA recommends removal of the fender mud flap for improved access to exterior option connectors. ♦

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.