A MAN van with caterpillar drive for operating in tough terrain

04/21/2022 | Print view

MAN Truck & Bus has presented a van with caterpillar drive. Here we show how the van can be fitted with its caterpillar tracks to master even snow-covered slopes and muddy mountain meadows.

For the caterpillar TGE, mountain meadows, ski slopes and other extreme terrain where a wheeled vehicle could not go are the perfect places to operate. "You glide along on the snow with a caterpillar TGE, it's fabulous," reports Martin Zeller, branch manager of MAN Truck & Bus in Innsbruck, of his experiences with the TGE converted to caterpillar drive.

The MAN service company he manages has made the conversion of a normal road transporter into an off-road miracle a reality. "TrackSystems - the developer and manufacturer of the track conversion kit - is also based in the Austrian province of Tyrol, and together we wanted to show that this unusual combination works with the MAN TGE," says Zeller.

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The initiative for the conversion came from the two van salesmen in Tyrol, Austria: Thomas Kofler and Fabian Bonora. What they put together amazes everyone who lays eyes on the vehicle: A TGE Kombi van with a total capacity of 8 passengers plus a driver, or a vehicle that can transport both people and goods. Supplying remote pastures even in winter or bringing guests comfortably to their snowed-in alpine hotel is no problem at all for the caterpillar TGE.

Which vehicles can be converted to caterpillar drive?

An odd couple: the MAN TGE with and without caterpillar tracks.

The conversion can be applied to the entire range of vehicles, so for example a panel van or a double cab with a flatbed can also be equipped with it. The conversion to caterpillar drive only takes one hour at the most.

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The installation or removal is carried out in the same way as a wheel change, it is not necessary to visit a special workshop. An adapter plate, which is fixed with the original wheel bolts, establishes the connection to the axles.

How long does the conversion to caterpillar drive take?

The simple conversion makes it possible to use the van all year round: In winter with caterpillar drive, in summer with tyres. The additional weight due to the caterpillars compared to the regular configuration with tyres is about 300 kg. As a result of the conversion to caterpillar drive, the width of the TGE increases to 2.40 metres.

Climbs any mountain and fords every stream: The caterpillar drive also works well on muddy ground and steep meadows.

How fast can the caterpillar TGE go?

Off-road, the caterpillar drive manages 25 to 50 km/h and is usually in 1st to 3rd gear on the recommended 8-speed automatic transmission.

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Thanks to the Seikel chassis, which is raised by about 3 cm, the Innsbruck crawler transporter also has sufficient ground clearance to fulfil its function in extreme terrain.

Braking of the caterpillar drive is done by the standard disc brakes, no modification is necessary here. However, in its modified state, the caterpillar TGE is not permitted to drive on public roads, so it will need its tyres back.