paulob1

the stalwart is great fun for playing, the clutch is a pain and the linkage gets a bit difficult to engage the gears when she is under load but with the jolly engineering ignition the engine runs a treat...

we were doing the hole at broxhead, no one could get through today but the stalwart did it with ease, so too a unimog but only the easy bit for the mog as it had a long body overhang and could not do the tight holes...]

take a look at some of the vidoes.

she eventually made the holes a bit slippery and dug a few ruts in the exits until she got a bit deep in one of the holes and had to be winched out using her self recovery winch....amazed that the winch worked as they are not the strongest and i did not use a snatch block to increase the load...

was a good day...

amazing how well they move when the brakes are not working, nd yet they wont move when they are working...diesel engine sounds pants in the ferrett but it must be lovely to drive one with auto box and loads of torque...

Partners son doing it for his dissertation....he will do a 20 minute documentary on the plans to build the museum...once done will post it on the web site, and facebook page...http://www.thecoldwarcollection.co.uk

I think its a blasted great idea and I raise my hats to them...its this sort of thing that keeps our hobby alive and interesting......

ooh spring tides a bit tough...will make the journey across a bit more difficult but cant see why she would not make it, they are pretty sea worthy with the covers on...the ones on the phots are the ones from john up north, they were used in the sea for tours before age and legislation did them in....most are totally screwed up rust buckets, i would doubt that any are sea worthy at this time, they would need a ton of work to get them there, but the engine conversions were good and if you put the perkins diesel into a stolly it works well..i have one of those conversions but have not yet given up on the b81 which i love so much...

understand about maritime lights port and starboard will be useful to have on board but wont be seen during the day so yellow flashing light was my idea...

the choppy waters can be a pain but as long as your safe from wash over on the body you should be fine

tiger he very big...massive indestructible tank.... interesting perspective,

footman james are getting worse and worse...they have insured my chidlren for two years no accidents and no claims now they wont do anyone under 25. its just turning into a money grabbing self determining, people abusing std insurance company..

Massive idea and easily achievable, cannot believe the ssand banks will bother you.

I will come along with my two jetskis as back up. Ideally though you need someone with a bigger boat just in case you need a tow, my two jet skis are 300 bhp total so will easily pull you along.

my thoughts.

Launch at lee on solent, perfect place, water shallow enough at low tide to drive in and high enough to swim onto the ramp. No cost to launch.

Go for it, there are a number of things I would do..

1. Fit floatation bags everywhere...I would certainly fit additional floats under the hull to assist bouyancy. I would fill the back with IBC containers fixed in place that would keep the truck above water if the bilge pumps failed, or the engine failed. these need to be very very secure. I would think with 6 ibc containers in the back she would not sink. If you were to go, fit a second bilge pump in the front, this allows for the water washing forwards and backwards.

2. Carry an auxiliary 100 hp engine with plenty of fuel. Fit it to the rear so you can fire it up if your engine fails. maybe even two. Mount them on the back of the rear cargo door...

3. Fit a cover over the air intake and the cargo hold that keeps splash water out. this is the most important issue in my eyes. Yoiu do not want water going into hull over the top, and the area just behind the cab is extremeley vulnerable to waves...so protect it...

4. Fit a second bilge pump. Already said that but I think it needs to be said again. Fit extra set of batteries to run the bilge pumps if the engine fails...

5. Drive in wet or dry suits with demand valves and air tanks in the cab just in case, if she goes under there is no way you would survive a trip to the bottom without this. Unless you bail well before she goes under...

6. Ensure you can open the hatches easily...

7. Grease up the seals around the sides with water proof grease.

8. Fit tow ropes to the front and rear for emergency, say if the old girls needs a tug...they need to be strong lines...

9. I would have a go at sealing up the winch cable and box, this would add additional buoyancy to the front. If not sealing it I would remove the plates under neath and fill it will strong bags of floatation material, or if you have a mind to, fill it with bags and then fill with expanding foam....this will fill the whole area without contaminating it, will stop water ingress and make sure you have extra buoyancy. at 4 knots practial it will take you about an hour and a half to cross from lee on solent...I would think. its only about three miles, but with tides and waves and the drag of the water I would think best to allow a couple of hours...

10. Wrap the steps up onto the cab with rope to make them anti slip.

11. Fill the tyres with 40 psi, or more to aid buoyancy.

12 I assume you know about the bearings in the dowtys and making sure they are well oiled and not leaking...

13. Have a large pole on the front and rear with flashing lights, and with a large metal plate to ensure you make a big signal on any radar screens.

14. VHF radio of course..

15 Flares may help but cant help but think you wont go un-notoiced...and if you have the support boats then you will have help.

I use the place all the time in the jetski and those big ships dont half get a move on once they are in the shipway. The waves on the water can be variable but it can be dead flat sometimes too, so if you pick your moment it could be great fun.

ANyway if I can be of help let me know..PM me. Where are you based, i am about 30 miles fromlee on solent, which I think is your best bet for launching, its the old hovercraft route....a few places you could launch...wish I was brave enough to take mine in the water but salt water would destroy my old girl I am sure...

I am in Guildford, dont have a tank but an MTLB and a 432, she can come and have a go for sure...got a few other trucks and things too but if it helps

bmp 1 great fun, stronger more durable than an abbott, asuming 432 standards of parts...( ie I have never owned an abbott) and parts mostly repairable and can be sourced from Europe, so in the end its take your pick...I think the Abbott is more tank like than the BMP to be fair...

gosh the nissan hut had an insulating layer of air..they never felt anything but freezing to me...i used to stay in them in a camp called Nesscliff in Shropshire...wonder if they are still there, doubt it in these modern times of sell anything that is or isnt fixed down...

it had to be, I guess its just that the clutch and gearbox are weak for such a heavy truck...use the best modern materials and you may have a much better vehicle...

How on earth do you find the time to dance??

if I didnt dance I would go loopy, its the only thing that empties my head and gives me a few hours of peace...you cannot dance and think of anything else....pure therapy...

gets me close to one of the most dear things in my life...

that looks damn cool...

I keep trying to answer this question but dont know how to...

I own satellite teleport, we provide internet to the developing world.

I own a 200 acre spread, looking for more..

I log it, for fire wood and wood chip

I farm it with Highland Cattle

I nurture it for its SSSI wildlife.

I own a garage car repairs

I own a collection of military vehicles. Looking for a permanent home.

I part own a satellite wholesale business.

I own a green power company and am about to fire up my first biomass generator and boiler

I own a business park

I own private properties for rent

I teach ballroom and Latin dancing

I am about to part own a maritime communications company

I am about to own a heavy plant sale and finance company...

so what classification do I go in...I have no idea...

at last I got my age document from the Munga club in Germany...two of my cars were ex lord carringtons...only last year after nearly 50 years the DVLA decided they did not believe the age of them and wanted to tax them as 4x4's at 400 odd quid, not free. SO I had to get them aged, they have hounded me with letters and phone calls...its taken me over a year of emails and letters and hassle to get the age letter and I am looking forward to telling the DVLA where to stick it.

Its ridiculous that this department has so many draconian powers to annoy and iritiate. What they say goes and it is not right. They justify their jobs by intoducing yet more legislation to annoy iritate and force people to do ever more documentation knowing that by not doing it they can fine people...which they do regularly to increase revenue to justify their jobs, a circle of life for them alone...

whinge over DVLA

got to agree, not cheap but by far the most reliable russian spares man around...Vlad the lad...I call him...

LOL alot easier than the Fox :-D. But I think you are right, I am going to try and make one good box out of the two of them..

This is the box that is in the SKOT now...

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]71015[/ATTACH]

 

This is the so called spare!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]71016[/ATTACH]

Anyway..wish me luck. I may get to actually drive the SKOT someday

Is the box preselect, looks a bit like a british preselect box...

Was the air working properly before you decided it was duff as it will not work without the air, and this includes air leaks and such...

Ed if you can that would be great,... not sure what the plan is yet but as I say i may have to have them off my place for a few months whilst work progress'

What is the going cost for storing an MV these days...indoors and or outdoors, anyone got any ideas...may have to store some of my collection off site for a while...

so as long as your not overloading the axles lifting the non driven axle without a wheel is not a problem...

yes seen that abroad many times before, common practice. is it really illegal in the UK? I wonder how it would be illegal...?

wow never thought of that, will have to give it a try...sounds plausible. it only works forward I guess unless the truck is empty then you could use the arm to pull the truck backwards maybe..or fix the load to something and pull backwards bit of an emergency measure but suppose in an emergency it could work...