I want one of them....

wheels and tracks combo....

Video DARPA Ground X-Vehicle Technologies

 

more components .. more points of failure.

 

@ghirt beat me to it!

Around here the HMMWV's are pretty much restricted to tank trails, and newer trails that are sufficiently wide. There are still miles and miles of trails that had been established by older, narrower military vehicles. (M151, M274, M880 and even the CUCV)

Then we got the HMMWV and found out right away that they wouldn't fit between the trees in places along the trails. So they crashed around in the bush, creating giant mud pits. It was quite interesting to see the wallows that these monsters created along the trails.

So now we have a "tracked" vehicle adaptation that makes the already too wide HMMWV even wider!?

I must be getting old. I think I'd rather walk.

 

And that's why I love my Samurai....

 

Those are FUN! I've had Jeeps as long as I can remember (a bad habit I'm really trying to kick!) and hardly notice how terribly narrow they are until I slip into a parking lot next to a "normal" 4x4 truck. Even my old Grand Wagoneer is tiny by today's standards.

I remember beating up a Suzuki Jimny in Japan. The driver went straight off the side of a mountain down a rock strewn gully. We made the bottom, and had come half way back up the incredibly steep climb when he stopped as asked if I wanted to see what it could do in four wheel drive.

 

That thing looks like a bloody low rider! If I recall correctly, the original Humvee had about 18" or 18.5" of ground clearance?

A buddy of mine here, who also lives in Thailand, drives his 15+ years old Suzuki Samurai back and forth. It's an old right-hand drive unit, probably originally made in Thailand? (Not certain about that, though.) He loves that old thing, although it looks like it is falling apart.

I had a 1990 YJ for a long time. Paid something like $7,000 for it at the time I bought it used. I put over $15,000 USD into it, adding modifications. It had a Warn HS9500i (newly introduced), spring over suspension, and a set of 5 new mud tires from Sears - I forget what they were called now, with bead locked rims. I had replaced all wiring in it with marine grade wire, water proofed the engine, 5 point harnesses on new fit seats. Man, I loved that Jeep. If I EVER end up back in the US, I will buy one just like it and do it over again.

 

During the time I owned mine, I towed it to many locations for off-road events, mostly East Coast. From rock climbing, to forging rivers where the water was above my waist while driving. Keep in mind, we are talking 35" tires (I just remember, the tires were GoodYear MTRs, fairly new tires of the day), a spring over suspension and a 2" body lift. So, we aren't talking mud puddles here. I once pulled a log truck out of the mud, sideways, by putting the bumper against a tree and doubling the cable. So, I wasn't easy on the ol' girl. But, it never left me stranded anywhere, not a single time.

 

Ditto! As fun and useful as some of the others are, nothing, and I do mean NOTHING compares to the old origional Mil spec Dodges! If I can get a Willies there, changes are better then even ibcan also get one of the Dodges!
Don't get me wrong, I love my Jeeps, but there's no comparison in shear capabilities, especially the 42 Truck with it's tripple winches and folding windshield! Really really want a window wagon now!

 

Why the hell would they think that is a good idea, when for the last darn near 80 years Tucker Sno-Cat has been building perfection in total off-road multi terrain capable machines that would scare a Billy Goat the places the darn things can go! My 86 Tucker with the Rubber tracks and conversion pods with stainless grousers is unstoppable, and can go places professional rock crawlers would raise their eyebrows at! You could build an armored version easy, and have all the advantages the MRAP has for IED resistence! These are also very easy to service, use common parts you can find at any NAPA store, or your local Dodge dealer, and the engines can be any thing you want, mine was originally a Dodge truck/industrial 318 with 4 speed manual, now it's a Isuzu 5.2 turbo diesel and 6 speed auto, gets about 3 to 4 times the fuel mileage, and has a much higher top speed, despite having almost triple the torque! With the track set I'm running, I can get about 1800 miles of road use out of a set of rubber track pads at a cost of about $400.00 a full set when the time comes to replace them! A far as I know, I'm the only dude on the planet running this set up, but it works well and is easy to set up! I could probably built three Tuckers for what one of those rigs costs, and put them to shame with the capabilities the Tucker has! But it has to be brand new, he at seen before cool or it ain't gettin funding and built! Such a shame too!

 

Dude, you are the only person I have ever known who even owns a Sno-Cat.

There are only two vehicles I have wanted to drive in this world, neither of which I have to date. One is a Sno-Cat. The other is a Road Train in Australia. I came close to the second one, but not within a light-year of the first.

 

Reminds me of Simon & Simon.

 

Having owned a CJ3b (first of mine) bought in '72 and CJ7/YJ/TJs over 30 years until 7-8 years ago. My opinion ,we all know about opinions, is that after the CJ5 Jeeps were made and marketed toward the shiny is more important crowd 'tho my '86 CJ7 was a beast in stock form. But only because of the Dana 300 transfer and Dana 44 rear axle. Black Bear Pass between Ouray and Telluride (both ways) and thousands of miles and more miles of trails over the years with it. The YJ and TJ that I've owned never compared to my 3b in off road capability. Seemed to be better for the asphalt hiway crowd if you wanted them to stay together in stock form. Except for the TJ Rubicon maybe.And I don't pretend to know about any produced in the last 15 years. The Humvees couldn't get to half the places the 3b could go, just to big to fit. Seems "new and improved" sometimes just ain't.