There may or may not be a few people that envision something like that when I talk about driving in city traffic! Haha. I wonder if any of us would be a natural throwing something like that around after so many years of herding big trucks. I’ve always thought I could clean house at a truck rodeo.....
The Dakar trucks are the best part of the Dakar rally. As far as i know, they started out as rally support vehicles and they added race classes for them in the 80's. The Czech know how to have fun with surplus eastern block trucks.
I kind of feel the same way. I spent some years off roading propane in the backwoods on car roads in the worst winter conditions. Fire trucks before that. Learning when to say NO was the most important thing. But being a bit of a go-getter I did not want to say no if it really was a yes. I used a shovel and drug a winch line once or twice.
These would fit ANY Midwestern state Adult Playground!!
Did you forget about the Southeast?
No I did not!! Just don't live there!
Last summer getting out to a rig on a remote rural bridge job I rounded a curve to see serious mud and no way to change course. I locked the rears and gave it hell. I think the berm left by the road grader on the outside radius helped me. By the time I got in and out the only white left exposed on my truck was part of the hood, the top of the cab and the crane!
I forgot to mention, I also had quite enough of it for this lifetime. I would much rather drive on paved roads the rest of my life thank you very much. If they have to be unpaved then make them like the Army base I once visited. 4 blades wide of good gravel mixed with fines graded smooth as glass then watered and packed with a roller. There is this woods boss logger I know who goes off Jeeping on his days off. I can't figure how he does not get enough bad roads during his day job.
Bad washboard roads make my blood boil. Anytime I’m in the Pete loaded heavy and they’re beating the **** out of me really pisses me off. I’ve had them bad enough I had to adjust the door latches when I got home to keep them closed tight!
Parnelli Jones last off road ride-the drivers seat was supported by really stiff bungee cords, his spine was toast. Truck Shop
As a matter of fact I am Parnelli Jones! Best book title ever!
I saw this a few months ago. First thought was how much service body I could strap to her back till she's too heavy for the roads.
There is a powerline construction company in Topeka that has 2-3 HET's. I have no idea what they use them for.
The Kamaz rally trucks are interesting. BIG 4X4's, 1000hp Liebherr engine, 16 spd ZF tranny. They will get airborne like a buggy, Have spectacular crashes too! (Here Ivan, hold my Vodka and watch this)
There is a wildland fire contractor around here who uses one of the 3 axle ones to haul a dozer, it is only a 6 or 7 and looks silly on the big lowboy behind the big truck and no idea how they do it in California if it still has the original Detroit but I saw it one day.
Lots of days, I put Trygg three rail chains on my service truck and get as close as I can, before they hook a dozer or skidder on me and take me to a piece of equipment. I keep thinking about building an all wheel drive service truck, then I wonder why, it won’t pay any more. Why am I the stupid one that does this stuff. Have a hard time getting paid for travel time as it is. I will say, I haven’t torn up my service truck getting to something yet. Probably a dozen times a year, I get drug into someplace. Tools get pretty shook up. Open a door and duck!
Funny you say open and duck. I bounced my way out to a rig the other day and opened the door and jumped back just in time to dodge my tap and die set. How it worked it’s way out I don’t know. It’s a BIG set too. Over 1”. That woulda hurt! No hard hat on yet as it’s in that cabinet lol. Even managed to get my feet out of the way! A 4x4 service truck would just get you stuck worse! Haha.
Then if one wants to REALLY get stuck: http://www.righttracksystemsinc.com/742-2/
The Big Oly Bronco above was a neat machine. 351w, 2wd, had modified twin I beam setup out of the pickups. The roof wing shown raised folded flat with a lever on the long straights for less drag. High zoot for the time.