The "Cathouse"

So... Was able to get my hands on this from a great guy out of Salt Lake. Yes it's gonna take a lot of work. Part of the fun, right?

Plan is to pull it with my 98 Tucker 2000. It currently has seating for 16... I am posting for ideas and any information you all may have on it's history.

It's "shell" is all aluminum. Sub frame and hitch assembly are steel tubing. That being said it is HEAVY (6,000 lbs) and not much "ground" clearance so it will not be a deep snow rig.

Current thoughts are removing half the seating, install bunk bed setup in that area, that would still seat 8 and sleep 4. Diesel fired heater, some batteries with inverter, stereo of course!

The short list of repairs at this point are windows and seals, clean up of exterior, same for interior, at some point either paint or wrap (Omaha Orange of course, wrap would be cool to incorporate some Tuckerish graphics), powder coat sub frame Gray of same heritage.

Our 2000 has the eaton hydrostat setup for groomer... Ideas have included torque hub drive motors which would make the cat trailer combo a 6x6. Need to research this a bit. Possibly incorporate the ability to transport a couple of sleds... This will not happen anytime soon, but thoughts like this occur when these kinds of things are in the presence of 45 year old adolescents...

And yes, Momma Bear approved the name.

Hello ktalley,

I remember seeing this a couple months ago when I was thinking about options for bringing friends along in the two seat camo patrol we got recently. This unit was bigger and wider than what I had in mind but same idea. I seriously considered something like this (pics below), pull the box off, put the truck sleeper on. Solar/batt/inverter to power lights, electronics, ect. propane heat, Honda generator if needed. And yes easy to add a sled or snowbike. Take it in park it at a hot springs for the weekend and your cat is unencumbered to run around the mountain. Cool.

A couple of the bigger cons, to me. It better be a pretty horizontally level track, or you need to be able to blade it to that. Not that I'm overly experienced but, I envision that if the trailer starts slipping off the side of a mountain dragging the cat sideways, things could get real interesting in a hurry. Could turn into a lot of work at the very least. And then there is getting the thing backed on or backed off a trailer regularly in all kinds of conditions. I know for a fact that loading tracked equipment on an unlevel trail can be tricky. Unlevel, covered with snow, backing a trailer, doable but one better have some skills. I may still put something like this together yet, but for now I went with the other option of a passenger cabin on the back of the cat. I'll get a tread going on that here pretty soon. Obviously your use might not involve transporting it regularly, mine would.

A couple thoughts that come to mind off the top of my head when thinking about powering the trailer tracks. Somehow one would have to contiually sync the hydraulically drive track speed with the tucker speed or the trailer will be dragging like an anchor or trying to pushing the cat into a jackknife constantly. The gooseneck frame doesn't look like it's built for much long term pushing. Never been around a Hugglund but I imagine it took more than a little design work to pull that whole concept off.

Just my thoughts, have fun and keep us updated.

Transporter to the hot springs. I’d look into hooking up some brakes, the axles might already have some if they are trailer axles. What keeps the tracks on the tires?

I’d also consider dropping the cab on an old thiokol 2100 or piston bully, there’s a few around cheap enough. There was a prinoth across the lake from you with a smashed cab. Looks like a decent trailer could be had from under there ta boot.

the bv 206 is direct drive via a drive shaft in the coupler there is a transfer case that splits power between the front and rear car. think of it working like an articulating loader.

mlang2005 said:

Transporter to the hot springs. I’d look into hooking up some brakes, the axles might already have some if they are trailer axles. What keeps the tracks on the tires?

I’d also consider dropping the cab on an old thiokol 2100 or piston bully, there’s a few around cheap enough. There was a prinoth across the lake from you with a smashed cab. Looks like a decent trailer could be had from under there ta boot.

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There are lugs inside the tracks. In pictures they are not installed correctly. The wheels are actually duals. So six tires each side. I like the brake idea.


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Snowtrac Nome said:

the bv 206 is direct drive via a drive shaft in the coupler there is a transfer case that splits power between the front and rear car. think of it working like an articulating loader.

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So that takes care or track speed sync. Are they hydraulically articulated like a loader too?

1boringguy said:

So that takes care or track speed sync. Are they hydraulically articulated like a loader too?

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Yes. National Equipment in Madera has two or three. They happen to be across the street from us.


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ktalley said:

Yes. National Equipment in Madera has two or three. They happen to be across the street from us.


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Click to expand...

So that pretty much leaves the coupler strength and range of movement design. Simpler than I thought.

I'm sure in the age of self driving electric cars, a hydrostatic drive system could be made to manage 4 tracks. If I remember right the shocks on my car can adjust 200 times per second. One of the reasons ev cars have great track times is because of torque vectoring to each wheel.

I like the idea of the bv206 the reality after of 15 years of working on them is the passenger compartment isn't wide enough for modern men and working on them is like skid steers no light and doing everything laying on your belly through a door. the final straw is the cost of parts uncle sam cant afford to keep his fleet running 100 percent and my pockets aren't deeper than his. I know there are those out there that like them but I wouldn't call it the holey grail of snow cats.

A little off track perhaps, but thinking back to this thread when I saw this. Tesla says they can essentially eliminate jackknife of truck and trailer of their semi trucks by torque vectoring of the four motors on the drive axils. I'm sure they can figure out a trailer with a motor driven axil and a pickup. Add 100kw of batteries in the trailer, drive axil to the trailer, solar roof, 5th wheel. It's got potential.
https://insideevs.com/news/386402/tesla-cybertruck-5-wheel-trailer/

Update. Had to replace a few carrier tires. Had been sitting flat for a while and would not seat. Got the tracks installed correctly over the carriers. Removed the windows, having new replacements made and will install with new rubber. Interior stripped. Now time to clean up and put it back together with fresh interior upholstery, insulation and furniture. Installing a Webasto diesel fired heater. Cal Fast Distributors in Fresno is willing to reupholster all panels, which are made of aluminum.

May be I missed the question already, but would it not be more sufficient to run a trailer on skis over snow than on tracks? Seems like turning tracks via towing would take a lot of power on the tow rig., I guess unless you are mainly towing on bogg/muddy areas

Just a thought

Nikson said:

May be I missed the question already, but would it not be more sufficient to run a trailer on skis over snow than on tracks? Seems like turning tracks via towing would take a lot of power on the tow rig., I guess unless you are mainly towing on bogg/muddy areas

Just a thought

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Sufficient, as in suffice, or enough or adequate? Snow shoes are sufficient! That word has no place in this forum! Just messing with you Nikson.

To answer your question, probably. It had the tracks on it when I got it and to me is part of the cool factor.

If you meant "efficient", I couldn't answer that accurately. I am guessing a ski with the same surface area might be close to the same amount of friction generated by the track setup depending on snow conditions, which change quickly where I am at. Again, I don't know.

Thought that does come to mind when a track may be better than a ski is side hill or similar instances. Another guess here, but the track would want to stay in direction of tow better than ski's which would tend to drift or slide laterally. Maybe it's a giving up some fuel/power for safety kind of of thing.

Steering ski's went the wayside a while ago... But I do get your question, I think. In an un-powered situation, which would pull easier the track or ski?

But back to Suffice... Somebody already did the ski mounted camper trailer (think airstream), That sufficed. Trying to do something different... And Cool!

We will see if that happens here...

ktalley said:

Sufficient, as in suffice, or enough or adequate? Snow shoes are sufficient! That word has no place in this forum! Just messing with you Nikson.

To answer your question, probably. It had the tracks on it when I got it and to me is part of the cool factor.

If you meant "efficient", I couldn't answer that accurately. I am guessing a ski with the same surface area might be close to the same amount of friction generated by the track setup depending on snow conditions, which change quickly where I am at. Again, I don't know.

Thought that does come to mind when a track may be better than a ski is side hill or similar instances. Another guess here, but the track would want to stay in direction of tow better than ski's which would tend to drift or slide laterally. Maybe it's a giving up some fuel/power for safety kind of of thing.

Steering ski's went the wayside a while ago... But I do get your question, I think. In an un-powered situation, which would pull easier the track or ski?

But back to Suffice... Somebody already did the ski mounted camper trailer (think airstream), That sufficed. Trying to do something different... And Cool!

We will see if that happens here...

Click to expand...

Oh, I get it, there is no question about cool factor

I guess once it gets rolling, who's to stop it - right?! Just overthinking it and by no means am I picking at this unit specifically.

I'm also working on trailer ideas (although in my head only at this stage) thus the questioning. While the tow power available, for all one cares, he could tow it with pizza cutter spares on and no track at all...

Watching, loving the sleeper idea as it closely lines up with mine as well...

Oh, if I only had all of the day's hours at my disposal to create without considering budgets...

GL

Given that the unit is heavy and has limited ground clearance, I think the rolling Tracks are the only practical support. In lighter snow conditions they are certain to need to traverse Rocky terrain or bare ground. The ski setup would never tolerate that.
Plus, sleeping provisions mean it will be loaded, overnight, in the winter, where a ski is likely to become frozen in place. The rolling Tracks will be much easier to get moving in the morning.
And further, having tires and tracks makes a conversion to some sort powered assist a possibility.
I like it!
I am looking forward to how it turns out!

The "Cathouse"



Getting closer.

Total unit weight as is, 10.03 tons.

Trailer cheats a bit. At full lock on steering about 4’. May shorten draw bar a bit. Help with this and save a little weight. Would be giving up ability to safely jackknife if needed though. We will see.




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… cool project... lots of options. how does the 2000 do towing it around the dirt yard.....

olympicorange said:

… cool project... lots of options. how does the 2000 do towing it around the dirt yard.....

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You really can’t feel it. Maybe because of track vibration etc. But there is definitely not a lot of resistance.


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Great project , lots of potential. Can't beat tracks on a trailer, compared to skis.I used to haul wood with sleighs and now I use tracked trailers. They don't freeze in and no problem on bare patches of ground , the brakes come on pretty fast when a ski runs out of snow . Keep the pics coming.
J5 Bombardier

Have the cabin off the chassis. Replacing flooring material and carpeting. Interior panels at upholstery for a freshen up. Anxious to see how that turns out. Going with a gray tweed with some orange vinyl and stitching (of course) for highlights. Chassis is headed to sandblast then paint. Going to go with the tucker gray for the framework and wheels... New windows have been made. Waiting for wrap then those will be installed.

seeing it off the tracks: Galileo comes to mind.

is there any marking on the tracks.?

redsqwrl said:

is there any marking on the tracks.?

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You mean like a number that was cast into when molded?


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Galileo! I like it.

Back from paint


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PJL said:

Galileo! I like it.

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its got pontoons.

must be a tucker!

ktalley said:

You mean like a number that was cast into when molded?


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Yes the tucker camso logo and number is stamped molded into a square somewhere on the inside.

redsqwrl said:

Yes the tucker camso logo and number is stamped molded into a square somewhere on the inside.

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This is all I found.


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Glass going in today.


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Great Resto! What are you using for windows and where did you get your seals?