From: Bjorn Brandstedt (super_deuce@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Dec 04 2004 - 16:43:04 PST
Makes a lot of sense, what you are saying, Steve, I guess I wanted to be
critical towards the FMTV design and thought about pushing down small trees
with the windshield etc. Headlights mounted within the bumper is not a good
feature in mind mind.
Bjorn
>From: "Steve Grammont" <islander@midmaine.com>
>To: "Bjorn Brandstedt" <super_deuce@hotmail.com>, MV <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>Subject: Re: [MV] FMTV was Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00
>Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2004 19:32:16 -0500
>
>Hello Bjorn,
>
> >Has anyone driven a cab-over type truck in the brush?
>
>I have a Pinzgauer 710M and it is a cab-over design. I drive it along
>very rough, highly uneven, narrow, and heavy vegetated trails on some
>remote property I own. There are many features that the Pinzgauer has
>which makes this possible to do and impossible for any other truck I can
>think of. One of them is the cab-over feature.
>
>From my lay-man's experience I've found the cab-over feature offers two
>very big advantages when operating in tight terrain. The first is that I
>don't have to take into consideration any "nose" of the vehicle. I turn
>when I want and where I want as long as the angle is not too radical and
>the length of the turn too short (this is where the Pinz's short wheel
>base, narrow width, and extra turning capabilities really help.
>
>The second advantage is that I can literally see what my wheels will be
>going over. With a standard design you have to guess because in tight
>terrain usually you don't have the luxury of driving straight for more
>than a couple of feet. That means with a standard truck you see the
>obstacle and by the time it is to your bumper (remember you can't see
>directly in front!) you might have to turn, which means having to guess
>where that obstacle pass under your truck. Not good if you are trying to
>avoid stumps or rock outcroppings as I have to.
>
>Anyhoo... I'm not saying that standard designs are inferior in all cases
>to cab-over designs. In fact, in a fender bender I'd rather have a lot
>more in front of me than a couple pieces of sheet metal and glass :-)
>But driving around in close terrain... the Pinz is my 1st choice if I
>need something bigger than my MULE.
>
>Steve
>
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