Adding a tilt cab franchise like Isuzu (includes Chevy, GMC badged counterparts), Mitsubishi, UD (Nissan), Ford LCF/International, is a very good thing. Learning how to sell them once you have them is another challenge for many. It's really easier than it seems, but a dealer has to change their thinking a little bit to make it work well. I've seen a lot of dealers get the tilt cab and then fail to make a go of it and then stop selling them. So, here is a series of short pieces that will help make adding a tilt cab to your commercial mix a success.
The first thing to change in thinking is to let go of the 84" CA ideal. With a conventional cab inventory mix at most stores in light duty upfitted trucks, the 84" CA is preferred and stocked heavily, especially in contractor bodies, flatbeds, combo bodies and service bodies. For the tilt cab, 108" and 120" CA will be the preferred length.
I know a lot think that putting a 12' unit on an 84" CA tilt cab makes it turn on a dime and is very impressive, but that short of a body on the tilt cab doesn't make effective use (generally speaking) of the virtues of the difference between the conventional cab and the tilt cab as it relates to wheelbase, overall length and CA.
Because of the design of the tilt cab, the engine is directly over the front axle, while it is well behind the front axle on the conventional cab. This allows the combination of the shorter cab and the placement of the cab over the engine to transfer the 4' of hood area of the conventional cab into cargo area on the tilt cab instead. So, to make it make sense, the cargo length is 4' longer on a tilt cab for the same overall length of the truck when comparing it to a conventional cab. Another way to look at it, is the 84" CA tilt cab has a 4' shorter (48"!!!!) overall length than the 84" conventional cab. Yet another way to look at it, is the body can be 4' longer on the tilt cab for the same overall length of a conventional cab with a 4' shorter body. So a 12' flatbed on an 84" CA conventional cab, means that a 16' flatbed on a 120" CA tilt cab with match (approximately) in overall length.
That is one of the biggest selling features of the tilt cab vs the conventional cab and why to stock 108" and 120" CA. To me, it is the number one selling feature.
Look at another. Take a 108" CA tilt cab and put a 14" service body on it. Park it next to a single rear 9' service body and they are very close to the same overall length! Take a 60" CA conventional cab with a 10' flatbed and they are within millimeters.
That translates to VALUE!! I can buy this truck and carry 4' longer material and still have the same overall length. That is huge. HUGE! Did I say Huge?
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