If there is one TV advert I look forward to seeing its the Coca-Cola light truck one, that way I know it is getting close to Christmas. But the trucks you see in that advert are not as light-up as you might think. Sure they do have some lights on them (The Coca-Cola trucks that tour around) just not as many as it looks like in the advert, those trucks are just CGI fun! Meanwhile, over in Japan they make the real thing…
BONUS CONTENT: Top 10 Facts About Dekotora Light Trucks
10 – They Remind me of the Travailing Fun-Fairs
FACT: This isn’t just a single person hobby, whole families make them, spending months at a time fitting out these “light trucks”, and each member always adds their own little touches of personality to it, maybe a favourite toy or theme.
9 – With big side images they are often used for advertising or just to express their owners
FACT: It isn’t clear on why people started to make these amazing trucks, some say it was inspired by manga cartoons, some say Transformers, Power Rangers, and even gaudy old arcade machine have been said to have had an influence.
8 – Even in the daylight these Dekotora style trucks look amazing!
FACT: These amazing custom trucks can take almost a year to make, cost around £100,000 each, and are always hand-decorated with something relating to the family or person who made it.
7 – Set against the falling sunset they seem to look almost…beautiful!
FACT: Think it might be a bit of a drain on the battery? Well, the truth is no battery could handle this many lights and so each and every truck was extra generators fitted under the chassis.
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6 – None of these have been “thrown” together. Time and thought have gone into every one.
FACT: While they might look amazing in images you might want to take that photo quickly because even with the generators at full most of them overheat in less than 20 minutes!
5 – With this many lights maybe it is best they are not road legal!
FACT: The effect of all these lights is so blindingly brilliant that they have been known to be seen from over 5 miles away! And as if you need to be told they are not road legal with their lights on any time of the day, but this kind of goes without saying.
4 – These trucks are called several things: bling-bling, light trucks, Dekotora or Decotora
FACT: Fans and makers of these trucks gather at massive truck meets to show off their latest modifications and light shows, and ALL of the meets even if they are “off the book” meet ups always try to raise money for Japanese children’s charity’s!!!
3 – On their own they are impressive, as a meet-up they look incredible.
FACT: Apparently the biggest number of bulbs on one single truck stands at 163,290! And if you think that is a lot, just imagine the heat that would emit!
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2 – At night you get to see the detail of the lights, in the day the detail of the whole truck.
FACT: Shades at these shows are a real must as it has been said that these trucks can impair your vision if looking directly at them when turned on for several days afterwards!
1 – For me, it just doesn’t get any better than this T-Rex inspired truck.
FACT: It is not just the outsides of these trucks that are amazing, inside they often have carpeted walls and ceilings, tv’s, display screens and some even have chandeliers!
