Snow and swamp vehicles are a very useful device that is necessary not only for villagers, but also for fishing / hunting enthusiasts. After rainfall, most of the country roads become, to put it mildly, impassable, and even the Niva will not be able to drive on some of them. The only salvation in such cases can be an all-terrain vehicle on low-pressure tires, designed just for such difficult driving conditions.

Snow and swamp vehicles are universal all-terrain vehicles for which there are almost no barriers

What are these snowmobiles?

Numerous videos emphasize the patency of this miracle technique. So, in the video below, you can clearly see that for the described all-terrain vehicles there are no barriers in principle.

And it doesn’t matter whether the terrain is rocky, swampy or sandy - the snow and swamp vehicle will cope with it perfectly, mainly thanks to these same wheels.

Note! It has been proven that the maximum flotation of this type of technique is achieved under conditions when the area of ​​the flat part of the tire in contact with the surface corresponds to 1/3 or 1/4 of the diameter of the tire itself.

As a result, the pressure on the surface under the weight of the vehicle is minimized. Moreover, if the pressure in the tires exceeds the surface pressure on them, then plastic deformation disappears. The car simply cannot move on such surfaces, so the pressure is reduced (within reason, of course).

Design features

A distinctive feature of all representatives of the considered class of equipment is that their frame is articulated. It is thanks to this that the wheels are able to be located at almost any angle (not exceeding the indicator provided for by the design) in relation to the rest. And this, in turn, significantly increases the cross-country ability of snow and swamp vehicles. Also, such a frame reduces the risk of turning the car on its side, which is extremely important in extreme driving conditions - for example, on rocky ground.

All-terrain vehicles can have two or three axles, the specific number depends on operating conditions. The engine can be of two types:

• diesel;
• carburetor.

If the machine will be used for hunting, then it is better to give preference to the second option.

Varieties of all-terrain vehicles on low-pressure wheels

The classification of the described equipment is based solely on what soil it will move on. As a result, there are only three such varieties, let's get acquainted with them.

• Swamp walkers. As the name suggests, they are intended for driving in swampy areas. They are considered a universal technique, since there are no barriers for them - they are not afraid of stones, shallow water, or snow.
• Snowmobiles. These vehicles are used mainly in the northern regions of the country, where snow lies almost all year round. For such a harsh terrain, this is usually the only possible technique for movement.
• Amphibians. Inside the rims of such cars are floating fillers, the bottom is completely sealed. In order to move on the water surface, a special water jet is often used. By the way, in some modern models, the rotation of the wheels acts as a driving force in this case.

How much does this technique cost?

There are many types of snow and swamp vehicles equipped with low pressure tires. As an example, consider the most popular of them.

• Perhaps the most popular of these is "Niva" on the MARCH, created on the basis of the VAZ-2121 way back in 1995. Externally, the car is no different from the original, only the wheel arches have changed. Due to the movement of the wheels, this "Niva" is able to move through the water, however, at a speed of only 4 km / h. To date, no more than 400 such all-terrain vehicles have been produced, which is not surprising, the price of the Niva Marsh starts at 1,200,000 rubles for a basic model (that is, even without a winch).

• Another serial swamp is SHERP, released last year by the company of the same name. It looks compact and unusual. The suspension is pneumocirculatory (in other words, when one of the wheels hits an obstacle, part of the air from it passes into the general system; thus, all tires are balanced). This is the main drawback of the SHERP swamp: if one wheel is pierced, then all four will be lowered. The cost of standard equipment is approximately 3,850,000 rubles.

Note! Some craftsmen make such all-terrain vehicles with their own hands, which is quite understandable, because it costs at least several times cheaper.

This requires not only appropriate skills, but also special equipment. Let's see how this process takes place.

Do-it-yourself snow and swamp vehicles - is it possible?

It is possible, but the procedure, as noted above, is not simple. Start by choosing an engine. For high throughput, the following units are suitable:

• motors from ZAZ models;
• motors from motorcycles;
• walk-behind tractors;
• engines from domestic cars.

As a rule, for this, craftsmen use motors from walk-behind tractors. As for the chassis, independent suspension is required here. You can make it yourself from pipes, corners and channels, both articulated and solid. But in general, the manufacturing process consists of six main stages.

Stage one. First, a base is selected on which all parts will be installed. It can be a frame from a motorcycle or a car, and a home-made design.

Stage two. Next, the suspension and rear axle are created. The suspension must be independent - this is quite laborious, but the cross-country ability of the all-terrain vehicle, as well as the level of comfort while driving, will be higher. To connect the suspension to the rear axle, a steering sleeve and a special rack are used.

Stage three. After that, the wheels are installed on the suspension. Iron hubs are used to mount the cameras.

Note! Here you can use ready-made wheels with low pressure from KamAZ or Ural. This will increase the adhesion of a home-made vehicle to the surface, and driving safety will increase markedly.

Stage four. The previously selected engine is installed, and the cooling system for it is also equipped.

Stage five. Installed exhaust and brake systems, clutch. In parallel, a building of the future design is being built. At the end, wiring is arranged, all light sources are connected.

Stage six. A test run is underway. So you can check how efficient the created all-terrain vehicle is. If there are any problems or malfunctions, they must be fixed immediately.

How to make a swamp buggy with your own hands (video)

What is important to consider?

1. Attention to work should be paid daily. If you are not sure that you can do it, then it is better not to start anything at all.
2. Create a draft of the future design in advance. If necessary, use the drawings of other inventors, since there are a lot of such on the Internet.
3. Get your budget right. Yes, making your own hands will help save a lot, but for this you should calculate the cost of consumables and purchase them in advance. You also need to set aside a little in case "not enough."

As you can see, the described snow and swamp vehicles are very useful for difficult terrain. They are quite expensive, but if you have the skills and the appropriate equipment, you can save a lot by building a vehicle with your own hands.