TooTallMike

The book is Tankograd publications no. 6005

US WWII Autocar U-7144-T & U-8144-T tractor trucks.

This but with soft cab and winch:

Mine's the 5- to 6-ton U-8144 K-31 Radio wagon. It's technically very similar to the U-8144-T pontoon tractor but with a longer chassis. All had winches (although there is debate about the radio wagons) and are on 12.00 x 20 tyres.

You're looking for the 5-tonne U-7144-T which is on 9.00 x 20 tyres. It has a shorter chassis and did not have a winch.

- Mike

ps. have you got the Tankograd book on these?

Well done guys! Let me know when you want the wrecking crew in attendance?

& when Mark's crane falls off, you can borrow mine :-D

They are still out there to be found. Good luck in your search. Here's me with the Autocar grin after unloading (it goes along with the WLF and MUTT grins :-D)

- Mike

PM sent.

I don't know about width limits but that big JCB tracked tractor at the Bunker Bash was registered as an agricultural tractor and is well over the 2.55m 'limit'. See this link for the (impressive) spec. of the MT800B: http://www.challenger-ag.com/agco/Challenger/ChallengerUK/TrackedTractors/700800.htm

I know I didn't spell it out, but what I was getting at with this is that it might be worth talking to Caterpillar UK or a farmer who operates one of these (eg. the Essex Bunker owners) and ask for a photocopy or details of a V5. You then go to the DVLA and tell them it's a similar vehicle.

- Mike

Isn't the MVT affiliated to the HBHVC??

Yes, as far as I know.

Also try the Federation of Historic British Vehicle Clubs (FHBVC) as they are very active on the legislation front and will know the ins and outs of this new 'limit'.

- Mike

The bit about:

 

 

Sounds good!! Tracked vehicles are designed primarily for use off-road and 25mph top speed sounds reasonable. Not sure I'd want to go much faster in one of these with other road users around. It's only 10 mph slower than the average speed of a Stawart too.

 

Anyways - I had a thought last night :idea: - dangerous I know but.... - and wrote to the MVT to see what they have to say about this.......

Strictly speaking you're limited to 12mph on tracks anyway as there is no suspension between the solid rubber road wheels and the road surface. The same restriction applies to solid tyred lorries, buses, traction engines etc. (I believe by this logic a Hagglunds should be permitted to go faster as it has pneumatic tyres...?)

That said, the OT probably does fit this bill. I don't know about width limits but that big JCB tracked tractor at the Bunker Bash was registered as an agricultural tractor and is well over the 2.55m 'limit'. See this link for the (impressive) spec. of the MT800B: http://www.challenger-ag.com/agco/Challenger/ChallengerUK/TrackedTractors/700800.htm

We had a Zil 131 tractor unit with a Russian SAM-2 missile on an artic trailer which had been registered (by a previous owner) as an 'agricultural tractor'. How this or a Stolly ended up in this class is a matter for some conjecture, but we do all know how these things happen... I wouldn't expect to get away with it nowadays and there might be some very awkward questions if there was an accident and it was found that the person registering the vehicle had intentionally misled the inspectorate.

- Mike

You walked in Catweazles tent while i was there and asked Pat for three cups of tea.lol

Oh, that was you was it! :idea:

I will be poping along on Saturday to have a look around.I will be on the south coast,so might as well pay a visit.

I missed you at the Bunker Bash so do come and say hi. We'll be there with the sand coloured MUTT.

- Mike

A shorter version of a similar thing just for reference

 

http://www.milweb.net/classifieds/large_image.php?ad=41120&cat=8

I have one of these S-250 shelters installed in a US M101A2 trailer and it's very comfortable. It's the size of a 9x9 tent but comes ready-built. The US military have several different types and sizes of shelter so you might like to look at those too. It will be much easier to install something ready-made if there is one the right size.

- Mike

4 days before the Big Bang on the M25 we had changed the gearbox in Mark's truck for the one in the scrapper as Mark's one had begun to make odd noises on the way back from Salisbury. It took us 1.5 hours to remove the old 'box, 3 hours to remove the other one and swap parts across, and another 1.5 hours to re-install. We went for a successful test-drive at 21.30 that night!

In case anyone ever gets struck by the bizarre desire to do this themselves, it is done as follows:

- chock truck (some people like to use small floodlights for this purpose)

- drain gearbox oil and muse upon small metallic hedgehog found on drain plug

- remove roof and fold down windscreen

- remove all floor sections to gain decent access and light

- remove battery and box

- remove gearbox to transfer box propshaft

- remove 2 transfer box levers and handbrake lever

- remove clutch air cylinder

- support weight of gearbox (in our case using a chain fall and strops though the floor)

- remove bellhousing bolts

- ease gearbox backwards and lower onto wheely pallet thing underneath

- oh yes, and don't forget to attach the Land Rover to the front end so you can shunt the truck back and forth as necessary.

Replacement is pretty much the reverse. We put the best spare clutch in. fat lot of good that did eh!

One more bit of news to get you and the lads moving on the transplant, have been asked if iboth can be used for another shoot :yay:

Do you want mine and the Jeep as well? :cool2::cool2::cool2:

If you have more than 16 seats including driver, you could try registering the thing as a bus? If nothing else it would confuse the bu***s.

Then it would have to be tested as Class 5 (no exemptions from testing, even for steam power), seatbelts required, PSV licence etc. etc. :nono:

Amusing idea though :-D

The 2.55m thing simply cannot be true for every vehicle type. There must be exemptions for 'special types' otherwise how would people like Ainscough register new heavy cranes? A quick peek at their website reveals that some of their 200+tonne wagons are 3m wide. Their fleet must change periodically and you're not telling me that they are going to be limited to 2.55m wide??? Also, what about new heavy haulage tractors? - I know most are based on commercial chassis but the really heavy ones are very wide.

Incidentally does this mean there may be problems with collectors who want to register newly-restored Antars, Pacifics etc.? Even the bloomin' WLF is 2.5m wide and that's not even a big truck! What about Mack NOs & NMs, White C666s etc. etc.?

I've been trying to find info. on 'special types' (as a vehicle type, NOT taxation status) but am struggling to find anything. Can anyone help?

- Mike

what a ton of bad luck, I do hope this will be the last chapter in the saga.

 

Why not stick the Diesel in straight away? Will save you the trouble of having to do it twice.

Here at WLF Towers we've discussed the various options and concluded the diesel is a large undertaking. It has sat unused for 20 years so is unknown (though probably fine), it needs new mounts, exhaust routing, modifications to the winch prop routing, different front end panels, different wiring, different fuel system and uprated 2-line brakes to cope with the extra power. (I planned my conversion for 3 months before doing it.) The petrol engine is a like-for-like swap of a known running engine that Mark already has sitting in his garage. If he wants to get back on the road before W&P, the petrol is the way to go. I've done the job at least 6 times on mine and I'd reckon that with 4 people it's a comfortable day's work.

- Mike

There were a couple of other things lying about. Specialy for the chassis lovers :-D

 

 

 

It was a brilliant weekend. Thanks to all the team for their hard work. It was great to meet old and new faces and I think a good time was had by all.

Photos to come when I've sorted them. This show will definitely be in the diary for next year!

:tup::

- Mike

We're hoping to be there in the MUTT. Planning to do the usual camping arrangements but with a teeny-weeny vehicle it's going to be a challenge . Also we'll be reduced to sleeping in cots as it doesn't have an air system. D'oh!:argh:

- Mike

Construction and Use regs apply to vehicles and trailers based on their dates of manufacture and aren't retrospective so you can tow an unbraked trailer if it was built as such at a time when that was legal.

The towing capacity of the truck is therefore that which is authorised by the manufacturer, ie. whatever the cab dataplate says.

- Mike

I think Mike and I need to modify our sofa now.....

...with an engine though I think :cool2:.

Looking forward to the show. We should be there from Friday afternoon 'til Sunday afternoon. All are welcome to join us round our brazier - the only condition is to bring whisky. The older it is, the further away from Grasshopper you're allowed to sit :-D.

Loading one of the trailers tonight...

- Mike

ps. note that ours has the optional extra front and rear side light and indicator guards made from bent rebar :idea:.

It looks like the same conversion as yours so I wonder what the story is? The roll bar is well made and well engineered - could it be a military modification?