Amphibious vehicles

[mike65]

Hopefully this is ni the right place.

Have read th thread about Stolly swimming and had a thought.

 

I remember a TV programme where they restored an Amphicar and had to get it tested for use on water, some sort of waterways/maritime MOT. Yes I remember that in the closing title was a little nore saying "shortly after filming it sank".

 

So do all amphibious vehicles (Stolly, DUKW, CET whatever) need to pass this test if used on water?

 

Not meaning to get at anybody or spoil their fun, because it does look like fun,

Just been thinking after spraying WD40 on the memory cells, thats all,

 

Mike

 

PS:

I know thinking can be almost as dangerous as not thinking.

[Johnny]

It was an episode of Salvage Squad.

The test was quite rigarous and I seem to remember that they had to change the fuel lines to an approved type and I think there was also a problem with the fuel tank.

I didn't realise that it had sunk later though!

 

They'd "restored" a Stolly in earlier episode, but ther didn't show any sort of MOT testing in that one!

 

Just found an interesting message here... http://www.amphicar770.com/amphicarforum/general-amphicar-discussion/4634-salvage-squad.html .. from the owner of the Amphicar featured in the episode of Salvage Squad!

Copied below........

 

"Re Salvage Squad, yes, not the same quality as Top Gear but the Amphicar show was good. I must write up what really happened for the club newsletter but to answer a few questions.

 

Yes the discovery was staged, car had been in barn for 20 minutes. It had already been part restored. The doors and hood / trunk had been done well and were removed for the "discover" photos and some rotten ones were fitted, that is why they change colour at one point in the show.

 

They spent $25K on the restoration - but that all went in to body and paint. They did that very well. All joints were sealed with lead and no ripples when you look down the sides. The reason they did the quarters that way is I supplied them with repair panels from the German club. These have the correct profile at the bottom but are shorter than the ones available in the US. (Before anyone asks there are no more of those German repair panels available).

 

After the bodywork the money had run out so everything mechanical was lashed up - the engine is my spare. The starter thing was staged, they wanted to replicate the Faulty Towers scene where John Cleese hits his Austin America with a branch when it won't start.

 

The car had some serious leaks as the door seals were never fitted, the smoke I think was paint burning off the muffler but it could have been one of a number of things. It's pretty much undrivable because they fitted the driveshafts splines 90 degrees out - and the clutch is awful.

 

Filming was 4 years ago. Car hasn't done much since it was finished, I pull it out of the garage and change the fluids and wax it etc at least once a year. I'm going to need to strip it and put it together properly but no big problem - I'm happy that the money went on the body and was done well. Only really annoying part is the guy they used for chrome destroyed the vent window frames - luckily I spotted it and stopped the rest of the chrome going there. I was involved throughout the restoration as they had a few problems - which is why I didn't look surprised at the end. Oh and of course it didn't drive back to me from London. It was never finished to the point where it was road legal.

 

The show isn't on any more. The format didn't really work, TV people these days work to strict budgets and hate the unknown / unbudgeted. I had to tip at least $10K of my own cash in to the project to get it finished to the point the "reveal" could be filmed, some of the vehicles never got finished as their owners refused to do that.

 

David C "

[ArtistsRifles]

IIRC - the Amphicar had to pass a British Waterways test as they were going to swim it in a river or canal (not sure which) The Stalwart was not tested because it was swum in a lake on MoD property.

 

God alone knows what the inspector would say if I presented either the Stolly or the OT for testing!!

[mike65]

It was not just seeing the stolly swimming thread that prompted this.

That was just a reminder and I also rember seeing a program on TV about the Lake District and the episode with the amphibious vehicles, many of which went for a swin in Windemere (I think).

I believe it included a few MVs, including a Stolly.

I then just got to wondering what rules/regulations may apply to amphibious MVs if you want to get their feet wet.

 

Mike

[paulob1]

there are 31 rules that apply to boats on open waterways....

 

1 All permanently installed fuel systems and fixed engines must be

designed, installed and maintained in a way that minimises the

risks of explosion, or of fire starting or spreading....stolly complies.

2 Fuel filling arrangements must prevent any overflow from entering

the interior of the vessel. stolly complies.

3 All fuel filling points must clearly identify the fuel in use. easily complied with...

4 Marking must be provided to identify the location of fuel system

emergency shut-off devices, or their means of operation, which are

not in open view. easily complied with.

5 All permanently installed fuel systems must be designed, installed

and maintained to ensure fuel-tight integrity.stolly complies

6 All permanently installed fuel tanks and fuel system connections

must be accessible for inspection. stolly complies, if a bit tricky...

7 .not applicable

 

8 All electrical systems must be designed, installed and maintained

in a way that minimises the risks of explosion or of fire starting

and spreading. stolly complies

9 All electrical systems must be capable of being safely and quickly

disconnected from their power source(s) in an emergency. stolly complies

10 Control and emergency devices, or their means of operation,

must be marked when not in clear view, or when their function is

not clear. easily complied with

11 All battery compartments containing unsealed or open-vented

batteries must be adequately ventilated to prevent a build-up of

a flammable mix of gases. stolly complies

Electrical propulsion systems

12 All motors, controller equipment and charging equipment

relating to electrical propulsion must be adequately ventilated.stolly complies

 

 

items 18-29 refer to LPG and appliances, heaters etc...so not relevant.

 

30 and 31 apply to environmental issue, no oil discharge into the river and bilge pumps and toilet outlets should not pollute the river...please...in the stolly the bilge pump only operates when needed so pollution is minimised...

 

this answers your points I think....

 

forgot to add 16 and 17 refer to having fire fighting equipment which it must have and it must be in good condition...

Edited August 9, 2010 by paulob1

[Desert Rat]

Out of interest, how do you stand on licensing and registration for use on the waterways ?

[ruxy]

A Stolly on Windermere would probably not be easy from private or public slip , for starters - for over 30 years for motor propulsion you need to be registered and display your large LDSPB decal No. A application would be interesting , they would need a £££££££££ bond up front for recovery in event of sinking.

Bit out of contact with the other lake regs , certainly you would not be permitted to go charging length & bredth of Ullswater as west end is sail only (other than ferry).

[antarmike]

What draft is a stollie? Is the average British Waterway's canal deep enough for a stollie to actually float. When I ran a working Narrowboat I was always grounding through insufficient dredging. I think anyone trying to take a stollie up a canal will be glad it has wheels!

[mike65]

A Stolly on Windermere would probably not be easy from private or public slip , for starters - for over 30 years for motor propulsion you need to be registered and display your large LDSPB decal No. A application would be interesting , they would need a £££££££££ bond up front for recovery in event of sinking.

Bit out of contact with the other lake regs , certainly you would not be permitted to go charging length & bredth of Ullswater as west end is sail only (other than ferry).

 

This is the bit that is of interest.

Is it like an MOT test and certificate?

 

If you had a Stolly with a hiab on you could rig a sail.

 

Rule about no oil leaks rules out making an amphibios Land Rover then, even if you can keep water out, I believe it is against the natural laws to stop them leaking oil.

 

Mike

[ruxy]

http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/lake_district_docs95/windermere_boat_registration_form_v181209.pdf

 

The decision of the scrutineers is final.

 

The cost is just to obtain the LDSPB decal No. plate so you look like a fishing boat (to the lake Police can identify you if you are clocked for speeding). Plus slip fees , very long wait for very very expensive mooring unless you have clout.

[Amphibi boy]

so could you not just drive down the road, find a slip way and go for a swim,

i remember when i was a kid, my dad's friend had a small zodiac, he had no licence, tax whatever, because he took it down to river (thames, berkshire) played, then took it out and home again! may be the rules have changed.

 

ref the salvage squad program, the stolly rebuild/restore, i was told that the guys at the tank museum did most of the work!

[jerry.ice]

There is a Stolly registered on Windermere. It is used by a management training company and based oppisite the Low Wood hotel near the marina. It can some times be seen from the road though i haven`t seen it in the lake.

I remember a couple of years ago an assortment of amphibous vehicles going through Bowness, a russian GAZ/jeep, Stolly, Dukw and some others......seem to remember them going into the lake and being on some tour around the UK......i will see if i can find more info.

[jerry.ice]

Found this Youtube video showing some of the vehicles on the lake with their lake registration numbers on.

 

[stal108]

I think about 5 to 6 ft of water for a stolly to float allowing for suspention drop say 6 ft would be fine.

[Sean N]

One of the vehicles at the Lake District amphibious do for several years was our M2 bridging rig. We swum it on Ullswater a number of times and Windermere at least once each year; it's done the full length of both lakes. It's also swum on the Thames and elsewhere.

 

There weren't any issues with Ullswater - just turned up and put it in at Glenridding pier. It had to be registered at Windermere, but again it wasn't a big deal - turn up, pay the necessary fees, and put it in at the public slip at Bowness. Unless things have changed in the last two or three years I'd have thought it'd be the same now.

 

 

 

 

 

I remember going into the licencing and whether it needed to be inspected or not, and concluded that it didn't, but I can't remembe whether that was because of the use we put it to, where we swam it or the type of craft it was.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Sean N

[Amphibi boy]

Sorry,

but just going back on about the salvage squad stolly, in the program as they were finding out about its history etc, the presenter was saying they need to find some swim gear for her, he then said its likely that she has never been swum before,

well she had, because about a month after the program i went to see my friend (ex stolly driver) and was chatting to him about it, then he took me to his office, pointed to a picture on the wall, it was a old photo of him driving out of a river in germany in the very same stolly, so it did swim in service! (just my 2 penneth worth) :-D

[berna2vm]

Some of these restoration programs are not what they seem... And they can be extremely economical with the truth :shocked:.

[Stone]

The cost is just to obtain the LDSPB decal No. plate so you look like a fishing boat (to the lake Police can identify you if you are clocked for speeding). Plus slip fees , very long wait for very very expensive mooring unless you have clout.

Why would you need mooring? You can just drive off in it

 

I'd be up for registering something Russian (not sure they made anything much that won't float!) - you'd struggle to get most things in and out of a canal, but rivers would work fine...

 

Stone

[ArtistsRifles]

Why would you need mooring? You can just drive off in it

 

I'd be up for registering something Russian (not sure they made anything much that won't float!) - you'd struggle to get most things in and out of a canal, but rivers would work fine...

 

Stone

 

Be interesting (if I lived near enough) to take the OT swimming....

[Stone]

There's a decent slipway at South Woodham Ferrers, not too far from you... (here). Last time I was there I think they had a sign up saying only members of the boat club could use the concreted side of the slipway into the water but it was free for all if you could get in and out unassisted on the muddy side.

 

I suspect the OT would manage just fine

 

Stone

Edited September 5, 2010 by Stone

[ArtistsRifles]

There's a decent slipway at South Woodham Ferrers, not too far from you... (here). Last time I was there I think they had a sign up saying only members of the boat club could use the concreted side of the slipway into the water but it was free for all if you could get in and out unassisted on the muddy side.

 

I suspect the OT would manage just fine

 

Stone

 

Interesting

All we'd have to do is get it there!! - and therein lies the problem. We can get away with the short "hop" from it's store to the Bunker - I doubt we'd get away with the trip to South Woodham Ferrers and the cost of a low-loader would kill the idea stone dead......