From: David Dunn (dunn_d@sbcglobal.net)
Date: Sat Dec 04 2004 - 18:42:28 PST
I too have and had cab forwards, several Pinzgauers (4x4, 6x6 and TD),
Haflinger and LR 101s.
Visibility is the biggest advantage of the cab forward design...... just
some people cannot get use the lack of something in front of them other than
a windshield. ;^) ( though gaurds can be added for brush and branches).
The drawback to the cab forward is that with an empty bed, the truck can
handle in some unpredictable ways in loose downhill trails and heavy
braking.
The 6x6 Pinzgauer has less of this problem due to its extra axle, weight
( 900 lbs.)and length (30") over the 4x4 version, all this in the rear.
If the front/rear weight bias is right, I prefer the cab forward design off
road.
Dave Dunn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bjorn Brandstedt" <super_deuce@hotmail.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] FMTV was Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00
> 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
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat May 07 2005 - 20:38:50 PDT