Ahhhhh, Truck Trials Again

[Brody]

Here are a few videos from the 'Big Boys'. Nothing like seeing these massive rigs off road:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GGrHhywzsA&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3tKIu7g8qU&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi8SlYGt0YM&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLAEB5415EF8383CF4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49OqRPpR7no&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Epd4WZypvA&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLF9456737319FEF6A


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y2JOxN9zVk&feature=related

Hell, who needs wheel travel when you are locked up X6, X8, or X10 and have a huge diesel turning the wheels? What some more? Google 'Tantras and Dakar' or 'DAFs and Dakar'. The boys driving those huge rigs at speed sitting over the front axle with only a tire or two on the ground at any one time are pretty damn good.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention your basic 16X16 grocery getter nuclear missile hauler, the last video. Pretty much your FU highway rig that you can do some off roading with....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cTOhQGdXaM&feature=related

And, last , but not least, some of the DAFs at Dakar. Yes, these are as big as they look, too. We saw a DAF in Aruba that was set up as a sight seeing 'troopie' and carried up to 10 people in the back. Leaf sprung, too. with leaf springs that are about 1/2" thick.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfi5XO1T6aU&feature=related

Not sure if this is a DAF. Same driver, so it probably is. The DAFs and Tantras look similar. Still an entertaining driver's view of driving something this big off road at speed:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UWnZMMeVqo&feature=related

And how about this for a turning radius? Something to be said for having who knows how many wheels being able to turn (some of them, if not all of them, are duals. I didn't bother to count...):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWtJqdzw5as&feature=related

[Cr33p3r]

I met a mechanic last Sunday that is building a Army ton into a pick w/o the tandem axles sounds like it is going to be pretty cool ride when has it done. He showed me some pics of it and it is looking really good so far. Was talking to him about join us on here, said he'ld check it out.

[Brody]

The company that make the DAF are a Dutch manufacturing company. DAF merged with Leyland sometime back when, the same company that makes Land Rovers. They started entering Dakar races in 1982, partly to dispute the claim that DAFs were 'slow'. At one point, they entered a 1,000 bhp twin engine truck in Dakar. Their main competitors in Dakar are the Russian built Tatras:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eu5OBI1O-0

Which have won a fair share of Dakar races, too, and Russian Kamaz:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCQEdq1QJX0

Here is a video of a huge and heavy DAF driven by Jan DeRooy racing against a much lighter Peugot 405 in one of the Dakar races. Realizing that both of these guys are on the flat and are hammered down makes this even more impressive as the DAF is more than holding it's own. The 1986 DAF was clocked at 215 kph in the Dakar race, which translates to 133/5 mph. Not bad for a huge truck in the dirt. These truck weigh in at 10.2 tons.:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Xar-CD6MM

There are probably more of this style of big trucks racing in Dakar races, but these are the biggies. The Czech Republic holds the biggest 'truck challenges' of anywhere else and watching some of those videos as the drivers try to get through an obstacle course designed to give these rigs a challenge is entertaining. Other videos of Dakar footage show these rigs with all wheels off the ground, two wheels up in the air and sideways around corners.

Having ridden in a MOG and a Pinzgauer where the seating is over the front axle, I can imagine what it is like 8 feet up in the air..

[mattzj98]

Tatras are some BAMFs! I remember when my dads company was starting up, he was using those for Dump trucks. had 3 or 4 of those.. I remember doing some crazy stuff with that lol MAN also makes some pretty good trucks

[Brody]

MAN also makes some pretty good trucks

I knew there was at least one other biggie! Thanks, Matt!

Here is the MAN truck on a pre Dakar test being driven by Elisabete Jacinto, a woman driver. Action starts around 60 seconds or so. Maybe the music is OK before that. I usually have the sound off on my computer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNwWFpPg44g

[mattzj98]

No problem Pete.. those Tatras though.. I remember my dad and I setting fire under the oil pans just to get that thing going in -30 humid weather lol

i think he still has a few firetrucks !

[glacierpaul]

These make the environmentalists absolutely bonkers! Diesel guzzling, earth killing machines:lmao: Love em!

[Brody]

Yeah, I was wondering when someone was going to pick up on the tree destroying stuff. It is quite obvious that the Czechs don't have a real vocal environmental lobby....

[EldoradoFJ60]

The benefit of a long wheelbase. I wonder if they would issue you an OHV sticker for a 6X6 Tatra? :lmao::lmao:

[mattzj98]

Well, Northern Chech Republic gets flooded really bad almost every springs.. soo, those 6x6 diesel guzzling tatras are what the environmentalists have to drive themselves to get places hahaha that's why they can't complain!

And as far as I know you have to register those as regular dump trucks regardless of what you do with them..

[jesse05lj]

sweet!