Amphibitruck

The Amphibitruck is a six-wheeled amphibious all-terrain vehicle sold by a maker of fibreglass products and hydraulic equipment that had been in business since 1992. The company described it as its most popular product.

Design

The body is a reinforced fibreglass boat about 6 ft by 10.5 ft (roughly 1.8 x 3.2 m). Power comes from a 30 hp air-cooled engine. Instead of the chain drive and skid-steer brakes used on most six-wheel amphibious ATVs, each wheel has its own hydraulic motor, similar to those used on compact loaders. Because each side can be driven independently, one side can turn forwards while the other turns in reverse, and the hydrostatic drive does away with brakes altogether. Two hydraulic cylinders can raise the body by up to 17 inches (about 43 cm) above the ground, which the maker said almost eliminated getting stuck.

In the water the vehicle can be driven by its wheels, and a shaft-driven propeller was available as an option. The propeller sits within the hull so that it can slide over rocks and logs without damage.

Performance and equipment

The maker quoted about 20 mph (32 km/h) on land and up to 8 mph (13 km/h) on water. Payload was 1,200 lb (about 545 kg) on land and 800 lb (about 360 kg) afloat. Standard equipment included 26x12 tyres, two bucket seats with side storage, carpeted surfaces, navigation lights, two halogen headlamps and a 6-gallon fuel tank with a 1-gallon reserve. Options included the hydraulic body lift, a canopy frame, heaters, a winch, a windscreen, a pedestal seat on the top deck, a skid plate and a purpose-built tilt trailer. The hydraulic parts and body had a two-year warranty and the engine a one-year warranty.