Flatbed Haulers, Part 1: Hot Wheels Fast Bed Hauler, Cabbin' Fever, and Matchbox Flatbed Truck's
.JPG)
Tow trucks are the popular form for collectors to show off in a display or diorama, and as for kids it's a way for added play to their imagination. The main tow trucks have always been the hook and boom type where one section of a vehicle hangs from the hook as its being towed away. In the 1990's a shift toward a new-style approach was definitely needed. With the increased use of all-wheel drive vehicles making hook and boom towing more difficult, not to mention badly-damaged vehicles or vehicles in need of a major restoration, the need for a tow truck that can carry a vehicle without one set of it's axles still moving on the ground was needed. Hence the flatbed was born. In this blog i'll showcase the newest flatbed from Hot Wheels, Fast Bed Hauler, against the previous flatbed called Cabbin' Fever, the Ramp Truck, and Matchbox Flatbed Truck's. Along with a brief overview i'll subject the vehicles to various flatbed loads by size, weight, and width to see how they hold up.
.JPG)
Click here for Photo Gallery
Ramp Truck: Flatbed at angle
Before flatbeds arrived, the earliest form of this type was the ramp truck. In a ramp truck, the bed rests at an angle. Look closely and you can see two rolls of cable used to raise and lower the vehicle on the ramp. As an added bonus the lower edge of the ramp has detent cloaks to further support the vehicle weight on the ramp. In diecast terms, the ramp usually tilts to allow unloading of the vehicles off the ramp. This Hot Wheels version introduced in the early 1990's has a classic Kenworth COE look even though the vehicle is generic. The base is metal and the windows are clear even though there really isn't an interior. The ramp does a good job holding average vehicles, but as the wheels get bigger and the weight gets heavier, the limits of the detent cloaks get reached and what usually happens is the vehicle ends up rolling backwards right off the ramp. Also another downside is the ramp can only support vehicles at a determined length before the front wheels start riding on the front cab. The Ramp Truck, despite being liked by collectors, didn't last long as the casting was final runned in 1999. Matchbox did revive the ramp truck in 2003 on a (really) generic casting. This ramp used a sliding tray instead of tilting. Again that one did not last long. Finally Maisto made one with the same exact ramp as the Hot Wheels version, but the casting Maisto used was a generic version of an Isuzu COE truck.
Click here for Photo Gallery
Click here for Photo Gallery
2000: The year flatbed's arrived at Mattel
Before I get into these two, there was one diecast manufacturer that produced a very realistic flatbed truck: Road Champs International Flatbed Truck. Even though it was 1:64, it was twice as long as an average 1:64 vehicle and the flatbed can handle longer vehicle length's. The International body was nicely done and the graphics very realistic. Metal on Metal with plastic flatbed. Flatbed has multiple grooves to hold vehicles with different length's. The flatbed also slides back and tilts down for easy loading. The one biggest downside is that the flatbed was too narrow! The only 1:64 vehicles that could fit on the flatbed without riding the ends is a few old Yatming 1:64 castings from the '70's and '80's.
Click here for Photo Gallery
In 2000 both Hot Wheels and Matchbox released flatbed trucks. Now here's the kicker: When the 2000 Hot Wheels poster was shown a sketch of what Cabbin' Fever was shown. What you saw was a ramp truck with classic '50's cab styling. What you ended up with is a flatbed truck with an extended ramp piece that, in it's folded stage in blistercard, looked like a glider for a possible replacement for the Custom Fleetside Skyshow vehicle last used in the 1970's. As for the cab: still had classic curves, but was more modern-retro than classic retro. Either way the big, six-wheel truck was impressive and looked good. The front has angry-looking triangular headlights with classic round grille, wrap-around window, angled flatbed and lower trim, and hot wheels logo in between the taillights.
Click here for Photo Gallery
The flatbed was the best with a long length to accommidate various lengths and sizes of 1:64 vehicles and, as an added benefit, the ramp tilts forward toward what I like to call the 'catcher's mitt' end at the back of the cab to securely hold the vehicle in place. Not even a heavy, all metal truck can upset the weight of this truck! Cabbin' Fever has had a good run in the last decade, then mysteriously disappeared in the past few years. As for the original sketch: The original designer of Cabbin' Fever got a second chance by designing the original as an Hot Wheels Collectors.com Red Line Club model in 2013. Featuring metal on metal base, the classic retro-styled cab, ramp truck bed that tilts back to reveal the mid-mounted engine. It was a cool piece, as long as you were a RLC member. For the rest, we'll have to take the new Fast Bed Hauler.
.JPG)
Click here for Photo Gallery
Matchbox Flatbed Truck: The bad and good sides
On the Matchbox end, the Flatbed Hauler arrived interesting enough in a series with four classic exotics with one of them also used on the door logo's of the flatbed (a red Viper, and no that's a Johnny Lightning in the picture below). The Flatbed truck, also shared with the cube box Delivery Truck, is a generic truck based on the Isuzu COE truck (and looks the part). The base is metal, the roof uses police car lights, and there is an interior that is part of the clear windows. But then there's the flatbed: It's a tray, scrunched up at the front to fit in blistercard, that straightens out when you slide it back...well it was supposed to! The tray slides all the way back to tilt down for loading...only pointing up without weight on it! As for resting the vehicle on the flatbed, you get a lump in the front that raises the vehicle at the front. Worse, the transfer of weight impacts the rear where the weak tray buckles with the weight: any more heavier and the vehicle falls on it's rear end! Any longer the vehicle and the same thing happens. It is a terrible design, though Matchbox knows and in 2007 issued a revised flatbed truck.
Click here for Photo Gallery
The revised 2007 version featured an improved tray with a sturdier upper tray that slides back to extends and locks into place while the lower tray supports the front of the bed. The light bar is now integrated into the flatbed instead of the roof, and while it may not look like it at first the whole bed unit separates into two and tilts back at an angle to allow for loading and unloading. The end result is a flatbed that is now much more sturdier, cleaner looking, and able to haul longer and heavier vehicles without a problem. Unfortunately the flatbed never got much use after a few years in the Matchbox line.
Click here for Photo Gallery
Click here for Photo Gallery
Fast Bed Hauler: Looking cool while doing it's job!
For those who despise the Cabbin' Fever and never had the chance to get the RLC-only original Cabbin' Fever, then Fast Bed Hauler is for you. The front cab has the classic 1930's one-ton chassis cab look, but with the added hot-rod look to it, including the grille and headlights that resemble a few classic Hot Wheels hot rods of recent. Also shown is the fender curves, pinstriping, and backwards-opening doors. The sides under the bed showcase mid-mounted twin V8 motors (very unusual location for a flatbed truck), while the rear has a modern look with a traditional bumper and tri-taillights. The bed is a flat plastic piece that slides back up until the very end when it tilts down for loading and unloading. Now here's the dilemma: Some collectors have been complaining that the bed does not fit longer vehicles such as Blown Delivery.
Click here for Photo Gallery
Well I decided to see for myself by placing various length's, width's, and weight's on the flatbed and here's the result: For average vehicles, the flatbed works fine, just adjust the bed to fit the front overhang of the vehicle. Most of the vehicles also rests their rear wheels perfectly on the support strips at the rear of the bed. Some vehicles may have to sit backwards depending on the length and shape of the front overhang. Now a heavier vehicle, like the VW Drag Bus, did not make the flatbed even flinch, though I wonder if the mostly-plastic truck could handle the weight of the Bus (it did, almost losing the battle). Even though so far, so good, problems erupted when various width's were added to the flatbed: Normal vehicles just fit right in, but a few with a wider track (Hot Wheels Porsche 993 GT2's rear axle and the Johnny Lightning Hummer, shown, are a few examples) started to ride on one side of the bed edge.
Click here for Photo Gallery
End result: We've come a long way from the rusty beginnings of flatbed trucks to flatbeds that are perfectly done and can support almost any type of 1:64 castings while still fitting in a normal blister. About the only thing these trucks cannot haul is a jacked-up 4x4 truck or a tractor-trailer cab, but then again in the real world that's impossible to do as well. As for Fast Bed Hauler I think collectors will love this casting for the classic 1930's 1-ton Hot Rod look and a flatbed that will haul most 1:64 diecast cars with ease. Just add a metal base to future variations and it'll be one perfect flatbed truck for the Hot Wheels brand!
Click here for Photo Gallery
Coquitlam Towing Service is accessible once you require them. They appear up with the correct instruments. They have the abilities required to urge your vehicle out of peril.
ReplyDelete