Surfer Kei trucks for a small handyman business?

I've had a bug in my ear for a Kei truck for a long time. Now I'm facing retirement, and I'm picturing a retirement business that includes Kei trucks. 
 

My retirement business will be a small handyman business. I will be living half the year in an active adult community in FL (picture golf cart community), and half the year in a rural recreational lake community in GA. 
 

I have this idea that a small fleet of 4 or 5 4x4 Kei trucks painted in a Jimmy Buffet theme could be perfect little trucks for getting around a golf cart community and as a visual branding for marketing purposes for the business. I'd want them to be pretty radical visually- perhaps including a lift kit, surfer graphics, surfboard, and rally style lights, roof basket, etc. Something eye catching and fun, that doesn't have to do any serious hauling, towing, or highway driving. 

I know they would have cargo weight limitations, but I don't think the needs for tools and materials for a small handyman business would be significant.

At the lake in GA, I would have a similar truck with a different theme. Perhaps lake fishing, etc. 
 

My work in FL would be primarily in new finished track home style retirement homes. Basic repairs, assemble furniture, kitchen upgrades, hang window treatments, ceramic tile,  enclose screen porches. My work in GA will be lake house repairs- docks, basic maintenance, etc.  In GA I will have access to a full shop. 
 

This is a place to post picture ideas for themes, discuss the pros and cons of Kei trucks in general, and discuss pro and con ideas for the business in general. 
 

Im especially interested in cool pics. You guys are good at that. 
 

But I'm also very interested in your thoughts on the positives and negatives of the basic business idea, and using a little fleet of these tiny trucks.

Cons of Kei trucks: Becoming legal in fewer and fewer jurisdictions in the US (unlikely to be a problem in GA, most likely issue in FL is that at some point FL emissions laws may require cars to roll coal ), also 4x4 Kei trucks are extremely rare, I can count the number I've ever seen on one hand in a place where Kei trucks were common. They are very commonly used for small handyman businesses.

Sounds like a lot of fun and I bet you could sell plenty to surfers and retirement community residents.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

The 4x4 ones may be rare in places where they are common, but they seem to be extremely common among the ones the importers are selling. I suspect those are the ones the US buyers want. 
 

Im not worried about street legality. In FL, the trucks will probably never leave a single (large) neighborhood where golf carts on the streets are common. I think we will be able to figure out how to get by. 
 

In GA?... Well, GA. 

If the idea took off and FL emissions ever became a problem, I'd start converting the trucklets to electric power. 

Clarification on 4x4...

I will NEVER need 4WD. I just want them to look beach capable. 
 

So, I could do a lift kit, ATV winch, and knobby tires on a 2WD truck and be fine. 

They are very common in Canada. Some are converted to left hand drive as well. Lots of small businesses us them. In fact my web designer uses a right drive mini van of some kind with a little diesel engine. 

http://www.jpnoid.com/

http://www.silkroadautos.com/

if you can fit in them do it

Here is the main issue, many States are now saying they can not be street tagged, and a revoking the registrations on ones already tagged.  You could wake up one day and have a fleet you can not use, and not sell easily. Golf carts get a pass because they are "low speed vehicles" and do not need registration.

It's a very cool idea though, so I'd take the risk.  The beds are bigger than some small trucks, so why not use these instead. A/C is tough to find, and usually can not be retro fitted.

I'm not a commercial handyman but I'd think a lot of the day is taken up visiting Depot/Lowes picking up just one more widget or some other needed project item.  

Will these trucks be able to leave the neighborhood to retrieve these items?

Otherwise, Catalina Island in CA used to be filled out with these trucks doing all sorts of work. It is hard and expensive to get a car permit on the island. But, golf cars are easy and these Kei trucks came in under the golf cart rules.  Many of them are outfitted for real work. Imagine an overhead ladder rack and the rack also serves as the attachment points for tarped, tall cargo area. 

Having trouble with pics. Try these links for pics

https://www.alamy.com/ghost-tours-of-catalina-avalon-santa-catalina-california-image69755969.html

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-quirky-small-fedex-delivery-truck-in-santa-catalina-island-california-121606616.html

Could it be that Kei vans with ladder racks might be better for your needs?

Custom the vans to look like VW bus? I've seen these on the internet.

In reply to John Welsh :

I manage about $10 million in commercial work per year, and nobody starts the day going on Home Depot runs. I know it's pretty common, but that's not how it's want to run a business. 
 

I think I can keep them in the neighborhood. 

In reply to John Welsh :

I've thought about the Kei vans. The only real advantage I see they may give is extra enclosed volume, which is really easy to add too much weight to. So, maybe...

I think I like the idea of a Kei dump truck as a first vehicle, because I can put it to work NOW at the GA lake. 

I can tell you there's a Kei firetruck in town and the owner works down on Main St. And I notice that truck EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive down the street. As a marketing/branding tool, I think you've got a great idea. There is the risk of getting a little too involved in your cute trucks if you're doing things like lifting them, though :)

In reply to Keith Tanner :

That's fair. 
 

But I LIKE cute little trucks! 

I'd look for these.  Buddy has one and it's pretty handy to have.

In reply to Steve_Jones :

Explain that to me. I've seen them, but can't figure out when that would be useful. 
 

What are they handy FOR?

In reply to SV reX :

Shed roof tearoffs

In reply to SV reX :

Loading stuff into a large passenger aircraft?

In reply to SV reX :

Cutting tree limbs, hanging lights in a pole barn, etc.  Anything you'd use a small scissor lift for, or even replaces ladders in some situations. With the small size, and 4x4, cutting tree limbs seems to be what we have used it for, one guy drives, one guy cuts.

In reply to Steve_Jones :

Landscaping and lawn care is provided in the community I am targeting, so I don't think I'll be cutting tree limbs. 
 

Barns and large garages are prohibited.

I'm not sure they are a good fit for the FL work (although they might help at the GA lake). I think I'd make more use of a dump truck version. 

If registration is a hassle how about something a bit bigger.

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-mazda-bongo-truck-1991-for-sale-640d2449d3c11e3884e4594c

bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:

They are very common in Canada. Some are converted to left hand drive as well.

I wonder if the left hand drive ones  you've seen were imported from other SE Asia countries - for instance, they use kei trucks in Taiwan and they drive on the same side of the road as we do.  I was there for work years ago and saw plenty of them (and rode in one, it was a neat little trucklet.)

Mini trucks are legal in Florida as LSVs (Low Speed Vehicles) and technically may never be operated on any road where the speed limit is greater than 35mph, except for purposes of crossing that road. That said, they're EVERYWHERE around here, and it's not uncommon to drive by one on I-95 in the Daytona area. 

I'd love one myself—it would make a great yard kart that you could also drive to the garden center—but I'm not sure I'm willing to take an $8000 gamble that I'll never be able to use my truck again if the locals decide to start enforcing the law. 

Paul you're probably in a same situation. A mini truck may be the perfect thing for your business and could work forever, but you're always one angry cop away from ruin.

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Thanks JG. That's really good info. 
 

Im really confident that I could keep them off major roads, so I am not the least bit concerned about 1 angry cop. 
 

And if it happened?  It wouldn't ruin me. 

As you probably know Im a big fan of Keis and have owned a few.   The trucks seem targeted more than others.  (Some states are outlawing the trucks but you can still get a Kei sports car or even a van and no one bats an eye)   This is probably because they are the most popular.   Still most states allow them as LSVs and you seem to be good within those parameters.   Ideally you'll make your fleet same make/model so you can have common repair and maintenance items on hand and not have to maintain a large inventory of parts.   There are a few good US based parts suppliers but it still takes time, you cant run down to FLAPs for anything.

Florida, A/C is sometimes a difficult find but not impossible.  Just something to consider.

The guy I bought my van from used to do importing but he's semi retired from it now.  Still if you were looking to grab 4-6 of them in a shot I could probably talk him into helping with the process.   Good guy, you'd like him.

And you asked for pics, as noted I dont own a truck but the bossman should ride in style anyway :)

There's a thread about Kei trucks on P1 in the Off Topic section right now. Some good first hand info from a few folks, including how to import them. 
 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/kei-truck-for-small-snow-plow-duties/240223/page1/