Camso Tracks on Kei Trucks — SamuraiTrucks First in North America

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen a photo of a Suzuki Carry with tank-style tracks plowing through four feet of Alberta snow. You might even have seen it on Instagram or TikTok. That concept — putting Camso rubber tracks on a kei truck — started here at SamuraiTrucks. We were the first shop in North America to do it, years before it became a trend.

Where the Idea Came From

Camso (now part of Michelin) makes rubber track systems designed for ATVs and UTVs. A typical install takes a quad or side-by-side and replaces the wheels with sprocket-driven tracks, turning it into a soft-ground machine. Around 2015 we were looking at one of these Camso kits and realized the sprocket geometry and load rating were surprisingly close to what a kei truck hub could handle. The wheelbase, ground clearance, and power requirements of a 660cc Daihatsu Hijet were — with enough fabrication — compatible with a Camso UTV track kit.

Nobody had done it. We decided to try.

The First Build

The first truck we converted was a Suzuki Carry DA63T 4WD. The challenges were:

• Hub adaptation — kei truck bolt patterns and hub geometry don’t match any off-the-shelf Camso mount
• Suspension geometry — the Camso track footprint is larger than the kei truck’s wheel, so we had to adjust suspension travel and steering linkage
• Drive torque — the stock kei transmission wasn’t rated for the additional drag of a track drive, so we did gearing changes
• Frame clearance — tracks are wider than stock tires; cutting and flaring fender wells was required
• Street legality — in Alberta, the conversion is classified as off-road-only, so we didn’t need to maintain DOT compliance

The first truck took over 200 hours of fabrication and testing. It worked. It could climb grades that would embarrass a full-size side-by-side, it floated on deep snow without sinking, and it could be driven all day on −25°C mornings without issues.

Why Tracks On a Kei Truck Make Sense

The economics of a track-converted kei truck are surprisingly compelling versus alternatives:

• vs Full-size 4x4 pickup: Half the fuel consumption, half the tire wear, dramatically better soft-ground capability
• vs ATV or side-by-side: 2–3x the cargo capacity, enclosed cab with heat, much longer range per tank
• vs Snowmobile: Works on bare ground too, carries people and cargo, year-round capable
• vs Snowcat / dedicated tracked machine: 80% of the capability at 20% of the cost

Who Buys Them

Over the years we’ve built track-converted kei trucks for:

• Acreage owners plowing snow, feeding livestock, and hauling firewood
• Hunters who need quiet, fuel-efficient access to remote camps
• Cabin owners with soft-ground access issues in shoulder seasons
• Trail crews and Crown land permit holders
• Agricultural operations where traction on soft field is critical
• Film and TV productions needing an unusual production vehicle

What We've Learned

Track conversions are not just lifted kei trucks with extra wheels. The interaction between frame geometry, suspension loading, drive torque requirements, hub strength, and steering linkage is complex. After more builds than we can count, we’ve refined mount kits, adapted multiple kei truck platforms, and developed repeatable install procedures. We can now turn a stock kei truck into a working tracked machine in about 60–80 hours of shop time, down from the 200+ hours the first one took.

Talking About a Track Build

Track conversions are custom work priced by donor truck, Camso kit selection, and any supplementary fabrication you want. The cost ranges roughly from $25,000 all-in for a basic install up to $40,000+ for a fully-optioned build with hydraulic lift, winch, heated enclosure, and extended tracks. Call 780-533-3303 or contact us to start a quote — we can show you photos and video of finished builds, and walk you through what makes sense for your use case.