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Isuzu Truck Grafter Tipper Road Test
£19,450 – £21,970
| Available as | Engine options | Volume (m³) | Payload (kg) | MPG |
| N35.150(ST) 3.5t Tipper | 3.0TD 150hp Euro 5 |
Not Applicable | 1,135 – 1,215 | TBA |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Our Verdict
Isuzu Truck's 3.5 tonne Grafter Tipper is a sturdy, well designed and eminently practical conversion based on a chassis cab that ticks all the right workhorse boxes.
Isuzu Truck's 3.5 tonne chassis cab, the Grafter, was heavily revised in 2008 with the introduction of a more spacious cab and a new engine. By the end of 2009 the engine had been modified to meet Euro 5 emission regulations.
Available in three wheelbases with the choice of either single of twin rear wheels Grafter can also be had ready-bodied as either a Dropside or a Tipper.
The Grafter Tipper is a narrow-bodied 3.5 tonne workhorse with a body designed in-house and fitted to the chassis at Isuzu Truck's assembly plant in Portugal.
Tipper Body
The entire tipper body is constructed from corrosion-protected hi-tensile Swedish steel with the underframe, frame, headboard, floor and rear vertical pillars finished in electrostatically applied black gloss paint. The side panels and tailgate are finished in white.
Driver and passengers are protected from the load by a full-height tubular steel headboard with full width cross bars. Ladder stops are provided at both ends of the top rail and there's a pull-out foldable access ladder fitted on the nearside of the body.
An electro-hydraulic pump operates the scissor-type ram tipper mechanism and it's controlled by a wanderlead housed in the cab. A steel safety prop is provided for protection when access for cleaning and servicing is required.
As well as being a tipper, the body can also be used as a traditional dropside thanks to both side panels being bottom-hinged. The tailgate features hinges top and bottom for easy loading and unloading. Spring-loaded, flush-fitting latches are provided.
Weights & Measures
With a load length of 3,200mm, width of 1,780mm and height of 400mm, the Grafter Tipper is capable of handling a gross payload of 1,215kg. If the twin rear wheel option is specified this reduces to 1,135kg. The maximum braked trailer weight for all Grafters is 3,500kg.
Drivetrain
Featuring Exhaust Gas Recirculation — so there is no need for any additives like AdBlue — and a Diesel particulate Diffuser, the four-cylinder Euro 5 3-litre common rail turbodiesel powering the rear-wheel drive Grafter is capable of generating 150hp. More importantly, however, it develops peak torque of 375Nm between 1,600rpm and 2,800rpm. A sure sign of a very tractable engine.
Access to the engine for fluid top-ups and servicing — required every 10,000 miles — couldn't be easier. Grafter is a forward control design — the driver sits on top of the engine — and thanks to its truck heritage the whole cab tilts forward to 45°. A release handle is provided at the rear nearside of the cab.
A five-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard and unusually it features a dog-leg first gear shift pattern. First is found in the bottom left position, opposite reverse. It's nothing to worry about as drivers soon become accustomed to it and it does mean that the remaining most often used gears are in an H-pattern.
Steering, Suspension & Brakes
As should be expected in this day and age the steering is power assisted and in this case hydraulically.
Suspension is independent at the front with coil springs and dampers and the rear, with its live axle, is taken care of by steel/alloy leaf springs and dampers. Ventilated discs are fitted at the front with drums at the rear.
Cab Interior
Cab access requires a bit of a step up thanks to the forward control design, but a non-slip step and a grab handle are provided, and the doors open to 90° to ease the process.
Anyone familiar with the pre-2008 N Series — on which the current Grafter is based — will immediately be aware of the much more spacious interior. It's been achieved by making the A-pillars more vertical.
The steering column is adjustable for reach and rake, and the gearstick is situated just to the left of the driver's seat at a sensible height, just in front of the handbrake.
Standard specification is not bad for this type of vehicle and includes remote central locking, electric windows and driver and passenger airbags.
The inclusion of this latter item means that there is no glovebox and as the door pockets are pretty minimal we can imagine that the two large bins mounted above the windscreen are going to be well used for storage.
Behind the Wheel
Having climbed up into the cab it takes no time at all to set a comfortable driving position thanks to a rake- and reach-adjustable steering column. The angle of the steering wheel is much more truck- than car-like as it's inclined towards the horizontal rather than the vertical, but this doesn't cause any problems.
The gearstick is well positioned and we're glad to report that Grafter has a conventional handbrake lever sited next to the driver; not an umbrella-type sticking out of the dashboard. The dog-leg first gear configuration takes a few moments to become accustomed to, but is not an issue as the remaining four most-used gears are arranged in an H pattern.
The gearchange quality is par for the course for this type of vehicle; a bit long-throw and doesn't like to be hurried.
All-around visibility is great thanks to the high seating position, big windscreen, the deep cut side windows and the large, foldable, door mirrors.
The engine is a gem with a seemingly endless supply of torque; and it's available from very low revs. It's also a very refined powerplant with good noise isolation and little vibration. Isuzu Truck reports that real-world users are getting average fuel consumption of around 27mpg which is not bad in anyone's book.
There is a fair amount of road and wind noise, and the tipper body isn't exactly quiet, but this is to be expected.
Ride and handling are well up to standard with the former on the hard side. After all this a hard working vehicle expected to cope with being loaded to the maximum.
Warranty
All Grafters come with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and roadside rescue is included in the package. The tipper body and its mechanism are covered for one year.
Isuzu Truck's 3.5 tonne Grafter Tipper is a sturdy, well designed and eminently practical conversion based on a chassis cab that ticks all the right workhorse boxes.
Isuzu Truck's 3.5 tonne chassis cab, the Grafter, was heavily revised in 2008 with the introduction of a more spacious cab and a new engine. By the end of 2009 the engine had been modified to meet Euro 5 emission regulations.Available in three wheelbases with the choice of either single of twin rear wheels Grafter can also be had ready-bodied as either a Dropside or a Tipper.
The Grafter Tipper is a narrow-bodied 3.5 tonne workhorse with a body designed in-house and fitted to the chassis at Isuzu Truck's assembly plant in Portugal.
Tipper Body
The entire tipper body is constructed from corrosion-protected hi-tensile Swedish steel with the underframe, frame, headboard, floor and rear vertical pillars finished in electrostatically applied black gloss paint. The side panels and tailgate are finished in white.
Driver and passengers are protected from the load by a full-height tubular steel headboard with full width cross bars. Ladder stops are provided at both ends of the top rail and there's a pull-out foldable access ladder fitted on the nearside of the body.
An electro-hydraulic pump operates the scissor-type ram tipper mechanism and it's controlled by a wanderlead housed in the cab. A steel safety prop is provided for protection when access for cleaning and servicing is required.
As well as being a tipper, the body can also be used as a traditional dropside thanks to both side panels being bottom-hinged. The tailgate features hinges top and bottom for easy loading and unloading. Spring-loaded, flush-fitting latches are provided.
Weights & Measures
With a load length of 3,200mm, width of 1,780mm and height of 400mm, the Grafter Tipper is capable of handling a gross payload of 1,215kg. If the twin rear wheel option is specified this reduces to 1,135kg. The maximum braked trailer weight for all Grafters is 3,500kg.
Drivetrain
Featuring Exhaust Gas Recirculation — so there is no need for any additives like AdBlue — and a Diesel particulate Diffuser, the four-cylinder Euro 5 3-litre common rail turbodiesel powering the rear-wheel drive Grafter is capable of generating 150hp. More importantly, however, it develops peak torque of 375Nm between 1,600rpm and 2,800rpm. A sure sign of a very tractable engine.
Access to the engine for fluid top-ups and servicing — required every 10,000 miles — couldn't be easier. Grafter is a forward control design — the driver sits on top of the engine — and thanks to its truck heritage the whole cab tilts forward to 45°. A release handle is provided at the rear nearside of the cab.
A five-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard and unusually it features a dog-leg first gear shift pattern. First is found in the bottom left position, opposite reverse. It's nothing to worry about as drivers soon become accustomed to it and it does mean that the remaining most often used gears are in an H-pattern.
Steering, Suspension & Brakes
As should be expected in this day and age the steering is power assisted and in this case hydraulically.
Suspension is independent at the front with coil springs and dampers and the rear, with its live axle, is taken care of by steel/alloy leaf springs and dampers. Ventilated discs are fitted at the front with drums at the rear.
Cab Interior
Cab access requires a bit of a step up thanks to the forward control design, but a non-slip step and a grab handle are provided, and the doors open to 90° to ease the process.
Anyone familiar with the pre-2008 N Series — on which the current Grafter is based — will immediately be aware of the much more spacious interior. It's been achieved by making the A-pillars more vertical.
The steering column is adjustable for reach and rake, and the gearstick is situated just to the left of the driver's seat at a sensible height, just in front of the handbrake.
Standard specification is not bad for this type of vehicle and includes remote central locking, electric windows and driver and passenger airbags.
The inclusion of this latter item means that there is no glovebox and as the door pockets are pretty minimal we can imagine that the two large bins mounted above the windscreen are going to be well used for storage.
Behind the Wheel
Having climbed up into the cab it takes no time at all to set a comfortable driving position thanks to a rake- and reach-adjustable steering column. The angle of the steering wheel is much more truck- than car-like as it's inclined towards the horizontal rather than the vertical, but this doesn't cause any problems.
The gearstick is well positioned and we're glad to report that Grafter has a conventional handbrake lever sited next to the driver; not an umbrella-type sticking out of the dashboard. The dog-leg first gear configuration takes a few moments to become accustomed to, but is not an issue as the remaining four most-used gears are arranged in an H pattern.
The gearchange quality is par for the course for this type of vehicle; a bit long-throw and doesn't like to be hurried.
All-around visibility is great thanks to the high seating position, big windscreen, the deep cut side windows and the large, foldable, door mirrors.
The engine is a gem with a seemingly endless supply of torque; and it's available from very low revs. It's also a very refined powerplant with good noise isolation and little vibration. Isuzu Truck reports that real-world users are getting average fuel consumption of around 27mpg which is not bad in anyone's book.
There is a fair amount of road and wind noise, and the tipper body isn't exactly quiet, but this is to be expected.
Ride and handling are well up to standard with the former on the hard side. After all this a hard working vehicle expected to cope with being loaded to the maximum.
Warranty
All Grafters come with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty and roadside rescue is included in the package. The tipper body and its mechanism are covered for one year.