Initially, the all-terrain vehicle was conceived as a very reliable, durable and not the most expensive model, available not only for the elite. We can say that the designer succeeded.
Sherpas are easily transported without the use of special equipment to the place of operation, most other all-terrain vehicles will have to be towed on a heavy trailer using a truck or tractor. It is convenient and already affordable for the city dweller. True, the price of the all-terrain vehicle itself looks somewhat overestimated if you evaluate the cost of its layout.
You can name a number of other all-terrain vehicles, which are much more difficult to manufacture and more expensive at cost, but they are cheaper on the market than Sherpas. For example, “Forester”, “Junta”, “Husky”. All of them have the main difference from Sherpa – they are controlled using a standard car steering wheel. Such a system, of course, is more familiar to the ordinary driver than tractor control. However, it has many drawbacks – it is more difficult to manufacture, it has a larger turning radius, and fewer opportunities for the driver when passing difficult sections.
I must admit that while driving on bare asphalt, such cars will have slightly less wear on the treads. Yes, and the maximum speed at the same “Junta” is better – up to 70. However, you have to pay for it with worse cross-country ability. Still, when a person acquires an amphibious all-terrain vehicle, he rather wants to ride everywhere than just drive fast.
There is a car for this. To date, Sherp has no serious competitors in its class, is produced in Russia and Ukraine, and is also sold abroad to Canada. Its high price can be considered not a payment for the manufacture of an all-terrain vehicle, but a payment for an original idea and concept that allowed him to do what he can.
There are many modes of transport used by hunters and fishermen. All-terrain vehicle Sherpas – an offer specifically for them. It is quite simple to manage, has a phenomenal cross and is very unpretentious in operation and maintenance.
Meet Sherp
He was born in 2015, and was announced a little earlier. This is a fairly young model, which is not focused on intelligence services, exploration enterprises or troops, but is specially created for a comfortable stay of urban and rural residents in remote corners of the country. The chief designer of the all-terrain vehicle is Aleksey Gargashyan. He worked on it for more than three years, as a result, a model was born that has phenomenal reliability and convenience.
The name of the all-terrain vehicle, Sherp, has its origins at the foot of Everest. Sherpas are a nation that lives near this mountain.
They provide services for tourists who climb, for a small fee, are ready to carry luggage, provide guide services. Many people who boast that they have conquered this peak, also forget to say that they were brought there almost in their arms. Thus, Alexei Gargashyan emphasizes the purpose of this car – a workhorse that is unpretentious and capable of delivering even an inexperienced driver to wherever needed to get out of any hole.
Body and layout
As usual, the all-terrain vehicle has a wheel configuration with all driving wheels. Since this car is quite compact and designed for a small number of passengers and luggage, it has only four wheels. The body is a waterproof box consisting of two parts – the upper and lower. The lower part is actually a boat and is able to stay afloat even on flat wheels. It contains the main nodes of the all-terrain vehicle.
Front and rear of the bottom are doors for entry and exit. They have a tight seal, many small features that make them comfortable to use. At the bottom there is also a hold, in which you can put tools for maintenance and repair, luggage, shotguns, rods and other luggage. The bottom itself does not have any protruding parts, which allows the all-terrain vehicle to crawl quietly on the belly over stones, twisted fixtures, snags, logs. It is made of viscous armored steel made in Sweden, it is almost impossible to break through it with something.
The upper part of the body of modern models is made of aluminum, before there were models of another material. All parts in contact with the outside world come with galvanic zinc coating, not with the notorious “galvanization”, as is the case on most production cars. This means that the life of the body without serious corrosion will be more than ten years.
The all-terrain vehicle has a cabin in front, which is part of the cabin. There is no hood, and it is very good! There is an excellent view directly from the cab, allowing you to evaluate the situation right under the wheels. To protect against impacts, the all-terrain vehicle in front and behind has a durable welded bumper, which works like a kenguryatnik. This virtually eliminates the possibility of damage to the body when hitting obstacles. On the bumpers there are bosses for attaching a winch cable, such as a tow bar.
The cabin has two full beds. You can sleep on seats that are located along the sides, or on special lockers that are included in the package of the all-terrain vehicle. The seats are laid out on lockers, and a very spacious extra bed for two people is formed. The same lockers can serve as seats. In total, four people can sleep in the all-terrain vehicle cabin.
The all-terrain vehicle has rather large windows: a windshield, side windows – of triplex, rear window – of polycarbonate. On the front and rear are the wipers. These glasses can be raised and left the all-terrain vehicle without opening the doors. There are also emergency hatches in the roof front and rear, however, they are unlikely to be used, given the good cross and indestructibility.
The wheels of the all-terrain vehicle are huge, with adjustable pressure. This is the main feature of this machine – pneumocirculating suspension type. The pressure is applied to all four wheels and on each, depending on the load on the wheel, it can be different.
It can also be adjusted manually from the cab, thereby increasing throughput in connection with the needs of the driver. If necessary, it can be completely blocked. The all-terrain vehicle showed that it is able to leave the swamp, swim and overcome obstacles when it does not have two rear wheels. That is, if they are torn or just fell off, Sherp will continue to move and return the passengers home.
According to the official state classification of Russia, the amphibious all-terrain vehicle Sherp belongs to the class of light tractors. To drive it, you need to get a tractor driver-driver certificate for a class A2 tractor in Rostekhnadzor. The control is very similar to the control of a tractor, however, there is no steering wheel here – to the left of the driver are two levers that control the rotation of the right and left wheels. In this regard, it is somewhat similar to a caterpillar tractor. However, you get used to this type very quickly, and for an all-terrain vehicle with such a transmission it is much more convenient. On Sherpa there are marker lights, as well as the main dipped and main beam headlights. They are quite bright, powerful and provide comfortable movement at night, in fog, blizzard and other difficult weather conditions.
All Terrain Features
As already mentioned, Sherp is an amphibious all-terrain vehicle. It can move where a person could not walk at all, for example, through thin ice or a swamp bog, walk in deep snow and not fall through. All this is due to the reduced specific pressure on the soil. Due to the large diameter of the wheels, it easily climbs onto a steep step 100 cm high. The tread pattern plays an important role in this. It is made with transverse lamellas, which he rows when moving on water. With them, he can literally cling to the ground like claws when moving.
The maximum elevation angle is 35 degrees. This is quite a lot – for example, in the BTR-80 it is only 30. However, the real one may slightly differ from the nature of the soil. On snow, sand or slippery clay, this figure is underestimated for all modes of transport. A very useful feature for fishermen – an all-terrain vehicle can climb ice! For example, there are swamps that practically do not freeze in winter. Pass on them on most existing all-terrain vehicles is impossible. Sherp will easily pass through such a quagmire, despite the crust of ice, which will constantly interfere with the wheels, will easily get out onto the ice surface if it falls into the wormwood. Not all cars can do this!
The capacity of the all-terrain vehicle is 1000 kilograms, this is with its own weight of 1300. It easily shows all its capabilities with a given load. And when this is not required, in addition it can easily tow a trailer of the same mass. Such running and power characteristics make it an excellent horse for a fisherman, hunter and tourist. By the way, he can turn around literally on the spot, which makes him a good rider through the forest among the trees that have to go round.
Another of the features of the all-terrain vehicle is the large amount of fuel that it can take with him on the road. In addition to the main tank with a capacity of more than 50 liters, it is possible to install an additional tank in each wheel.
It gets into another 56 liters of fuel. Total – more than 250 liters of diesel fuel, which will provide not only the engine, but also heating, and the operation of internal electrical devices connected to the on-board network, computer equipment. By the way, Sherpa’s heating is diesel, it is possible to turn on a diesel stove, which will give heat even in the most severe frost. In winter, you can ride with the windows open.
Specifications
- Dimensions: length 3400, width 2520, height 2520;
- Fuel – diesel, engine of the Japanese company Kubota, four cylinders, very quiet;
- Engine power – 44.3;
- The handbrake is independent;
- Maximum speed – 45 kilometers per hour;
- Minimum speed – 1.5 kilometers per hour;
- Ground clearance 60 cm;
- Tires – tubeless, low pressure, 1600x600x25;
- Number of gears – 5 forward and one back;
- Fuel consumption – 2-4 liters per hour.
The power of the all-terrain vehicle, at first glance, is insufficient. However, this is a misleading impression, because its task is not to accelerate in five seconds to two hundred, where high power is needed, but to provide good torque in off-road conditions. And he copes with it perfectly. Fuel consumption is very small for cars of this class and is even comparable to off-road vehicles.
Transmission and suspension
As in many all-terrain vehicles of Alexei Garashyan, the original, in fact, revolutionary scheme of transmission and suspension, which is rarely seen on other machines, is used here. Sherp has a transmission in chain transmissions. Yes, it has several chain transmissions that transmit torque from the main shaft, which is connected with the control, to the wheels. Such a scheme is more typical for caterpillar tractors, however, an all-terrain vehicle is not really a car, is it?
An important transmission unit is control. It is carried out like tracked vehicles, using two levers. The main shaft connected to the engine transmits torque to the friction clutch, through which shafts are connected, which rotate to the left and right side.
Fritzkion steered, the left and right half are controlled from the driver’s cab using levers, similar to a caterpillar tractor. They are located to the left of the driver and are easy to handle with one hand. Such a scheme partially functions as a differential, however, there are more possibilities here to manually regulate the movement of the machine, choosing the right mode of movement and effort on one side or the other. Of course, this will require a certain qualification from the driver, the ability to feel the car and know how it behaves on certain types of soil.
Sherpa pendant is hydropneumatic. The air pump injects air into the tires. The pressure there is small, so its power is enough to ride on a punched wheel with a hole up to 3-5 cm in diameter. The pressure in all four wheels is regulated by a special device that automatically distributes it between the tires. If necessary, this process can be adjusted to relieve pressure in some tires and increase in others. This, for example, helps when you need to increase the area of the support by some wheel in order to get out of the pit, or, conversely, increase its elasticity.
Thanks to low-pressure tires, things like springs can be eliminated. They are not needed here, because the air chambers absorb the movement of the car. This is enough even to ride along boulders at a fairly decent speed or through a forest littered with trees and snags. Of the shortcomings of this arrangement, it should be recognized that tire wear during operation on asphalt and solid soils remains increased. Owners of the Patriots, this problem with the differential lock is familiar, but there it can be turned off on the highway, and in Sherpa it is impossible. That is why the all-terrain vehicle in the maximum configuration has a trailer, with which it can be towed to the right place by a car, and then move off the trailer and drive off-road.
All-terrain vehicle amphibian
The main feature of Sherpa is that he is able to move on water. Its swimming speed is not too high – only 6 km / h. However, this is enough to overcome the ford. The machine is well controlled in water due to the fact that the speed of rotation of the wheels on the left and on the right can be adjusted by levers. This feature of it will greatly help tourists traveling to remote places.
As you know, it is easiest to walk along rivers – there is no need to climb through forest jungle, and the route of movement can be relatively easily measured and determined on a map, simply by looking at the river bed. However, during the movement it is often necessary to face the fact that movement along the coast cannot be carried out, or it is necessary to cross the river to the other bank. Moving by water in such places is comfortable only downstream. Sherp remains. With it, you can both walk along the river bank and cross it without preparation. And even if the all-terrain vehicle has suffered the course, the driver always has the opportunity to adjust his position in the water and get to the right point.
In the swamps and ice
Of course, most of all fishermen and hunters are interested in the ability to move on an all-terrain vehicle through wetlands. We can say with confidence – he is able to pass where even a person does not pass. Its pressure on the ground can be weakened by lowering the tires, and it will easily pass through the swaying quagmire. He will do the same on thin ice – 4–5 cm thick is enough for his movement. Many bogs do not freeze at all in winter due to biological processes, and it will be impossible to pass there without Sherpa.
This all-terrain vehicle is able not only to swim in the hole, but also to get out of it. By adjusting the torque on the wheels, their pumping, rotation speed, you can climb onto thin ice without breaking it. If this does not work out, you can simply break it down to the section where it is thicker and carry out the plan. Real mini icebreaker!
The author of the article loves to go pike fishing in the winter. This happens in one swamp. In summer, there are marshy shores, and it is very difficult to get to the water. But in the winter it freezes, and you can well catch the pike on the balancer and the vents. You can fish on such an all-terrain vehicle both in winter and in summer. The places there are very quiet, secluded, and relaxation is a pleasure. Happy owners of such a machine can afford it at any time of the year.
Options and prices
Despite the fact that the design of the all-terrain vehicle itself is quite simple, it doesn’t have complicated or expensive parts, it costs a lot – about $ 100,000. This is the price of a good apartment in the suburbs of Moscow or a good cottage in the village there. Therefore, it is not accessible to everyone. Many say that such a goal is pursued by a high price – so that only the elite possessed it and can brag to others.
In total there are two models of this all-terrain vehicle – Sherp and Sherp-pickup.
You can buy a car trailer for an all-terrain vehicle, on which it is easy to transport it by hitching cars to a tow bar, a transportable trailer for the all-terrain vehicle itself, a drag that can serve as a boat and a trailer, various sets of spare parts and many other things. Sherp differs from Sherp pickup in that the first has a monolithic body, the second has a removable rear compartment. As a result, you can move oversized cargo on it, which does not fit into the cabin through the door.
