Amphibious ATV

An amphibious all-terrain vehicle (AATV) is a small off-road, and typically six-wheel drive, amphibious vehicle. They were developed in the early 1960s and quickly became popular in both the US and Canada. These vehicles are now used by enthusiasts and professionals worldwide for recreation and industry.

Land Tamer amphibious 8x8 remote access vehicle for disaster relief

These vehicles earned their own classification - all-terrain vehicle (ATV).[1] However, after the introduction of small three- and four-wheeled off-road motorcycles in the 1970s and 1980s, the nomenclature ATV more commonly refers to the non-amphibious all-terrain vehicles.

History

Amphibious ATVs were made in the United States a decade before 3- and 4-wheeled ATV's were introduced by Honda and other Japanese manufacturers. After the introduction of the Jiger in 1961, numerous manufacturers offered a number of similar small off-road vehicles. These vehicles were designed to float and were capable of traversing swamps, ponds and streams as well as dry land. Because they were smaller and much simpler in construction than amphibious cars, they were much cheaper to produce and quickly gained considerable popularity. By 1970 there were almost 60 companies producing amphibious 6x6 vehicles. There was even a professional racing association (NATVA) dedicated to the 6x6, holding numerous competitions across the USA.

In the early 1970s however there was a rapid decline in sales of this type of ATVs, forcing most manufacturers to cease production:

  • the 1973 oil crisis prompted many North Americans to tighten their belts and spend less on recreational vehicles.
  • the introduction of the 1970 Honda ATC90 three-wheeler offered an alternative in the $600-$800 range, where a 6x6 would cost $1,500.
  • The simple construction of the original ATVs attracted many companies that were interested in making a quick buck, but underestimated the engineering needed, leading to poor quality products that gave the industry a bad reputation.
  • With most models utilizing 2-stroke engines, the 6x6's did not run well unless properly maintained. 4-strokes were available, however, they were under-powered with at most 12 hp.

Only a small number of manufacturers of this type of vehicle remain today.

Characteristics[2]
The German Solo 750 (WP:DE) was manufactured from 1971 to 1981

Although many differing variants have been developed over the years, most amphibious ATVs share most of the following characteristics. In contrast to today's ANSI definition of an ATV: "a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the (single) operator, and with handlebars for steering control", an AATV is intended for multiple riders, sitting inside, and will usually have two control sticks (and in some cases a steering wheel or joystick) rather than motorcycle-type handle bars as stipulated in the current definition. Typically constructed with a hard plastic or fiberglass watertight body "tub", AATVs usually have six or eight wheels - all driven - with low pressure (around 3 PSI) balloon tires, no suspension (other than what the tires offer) and no steering wheels. Directional control is accomplished through differential steering - just as on a tracked vehicle - either by braking the wheels on the side of desired direction, or by applying more throttle to the wheels on the opposite side. Most contemporary designs use garden tractor type engines, that will provide roughly 25 mph (40 km/h) top speed. AATVs typically do not meet vehicle regulations in most countries, and are therefore strictly Off Highway Vehicles (OHV)[3].

Though not as fast as a straddled ATV, the amphibious 6x6 and 8x8 can be operated with precision at slow speeds, carry more passengers and cargo, and has the ability to float. Although the spinning action of the tires is enough to propel the vehicle through the water - albeit slowly - outboard motors can be added for extended water use. On land the combination of a large number of wide wheels and tires, low tire pressure and low vehicle weight all result in exceptionally low ground pressure, high grip, and off-road ability. For further enhanced off-road, snow and mud performance, optional tracks can be mounted directly onto the wheels.[4]

Vintage Manufacturers
The Spanish Artés Gato Montés (WP:ES) was manufactured in 1971

A partial list of the more than 70 manufacturers of AATV's in the 1960s and 1970s:

  • Jiger: the world's first to produce ATVs, starting in 1962
  • Amphicat: ca. 1965 - 1975
  • Allis-Chalmers: Terra Tiger, late 1960s & early 1970s
  • Pengor: Penguin, built in Canadian, with a fiberglass body, four wheeled, rear engine, rear wheel drive
  • Attex: from 1968–1983, some with 55 mph (89 km/h) top speed
  • The Coot: featured an articulated twin hull, kept all of its four wheels on the ground as much as possible, even when driving on very rough terrain. In production from 1967 - 1985.
  • The Coot2: updated Coot featuring hydraulic drive.
  • Starcraft: manufactured by the RV and boat company
  • Sears and Roebuck: Sears Sportster
  • Sperry-Rand: the Wedge
  • MAX: 6x6 models
  • Chapparel: manufactured many of the engines the AATV's used

Current manufacturers
Argo 8x8 Amphibious ATV as used in 2006, to aid in search for human remains in New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina.
SHERP 4X4 Ultimate amphibious All-terrain vehicle.

Although amphibious ATVs are not widely known today, they can be found everywhere from a farm to the oil fields. Modern AATV's are used for industrial applications due to their capabilities that traditional off-road vehicles do not possess. Recreational/sport uses (trail riding and exploration) are other common contemporary uses.

Current brands of these machines include:

  • MUDD-OX: hydraulic, skid-steer, and robotic driven 8x8 Amphibious vehicles
  • SHERP ATV: produced in Russia and Ukraine and assembled in Canada
  • Lite Technologies: hydraulically driven 8x8 and tracked AATV [5]
  • ZZGT: Russian built tracked AATV
  • ARGO: 6x6 and 8x8 models
  • HydroTraxx: fully hydraulic drive 6x6
  • Land Tamer: steel- or aluminium-hull heavy duty 6x6 or 8x8
  • Gibbs Technologies: the Quadski[6]
  • Terra Jet: 4X4 and 6X6 sport and utility models featuring front wheel steering
  • XIBEIHU
  • WildPanther
  • Tinger

Racing

NATVA (National All-Terrain Vehicle Association) was the official amphibious racing association and had its own magazine. The organization started holding races in the late 1960s through the mid 1970s. Most of the events were held in Northeast and Upper Midwest of the US. Most of the successful teams were sponsored by dealerships or by an ATV company[7].

gollark: I found it while looking for undestroyed spawners.
gollark: Er, yes, you do.
gollark: <@128499361289207808> Same offer for your claimed spawner.
gollark: <@189377980148088832> I'll buy your spawner claim (100 66 -404) for 123KST.
gollark: Ethernet over analog Redstone or nothing.

References
  1. "About this Site". www.route6x6.com.
  2. "Bathtubs On Wheels". www.6x6world.com. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  3. "ATV Laws by State | Riding Information | ATV Safety Institute". Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  4. Dyer, Ezra (2016-06-29). "This ATV Is Also a Boat". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  5. Litetechnologies.com
  6. "Gibbs Sports Amphibians". gibbssports.com.
  7. "NATVA History and AATV racing questions". 6x6 World. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
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