PINZGAUER army troop carriers have been released by the Swiss Army. Built in the seventies by Steyr-Puch of Austria, of legendary fire arms fame, and manufacturer of the Mercedes G Wagon. They are tough, very sure footed, can be used to haul freight or people on or off road, and are easy to handle. They have had excellent care by the Swiss Army and are truly the Swiss Army knife of military and off road vehicles.
PINZGAUERS can be comfortably driven on the highway at 60-65 mph and have a top speed of 70 or more, depending on tire size. They come with a 2.5 litre four cylinder air cooled, fully water proof industrial engine that produces 90 horsepower and runs on regular low octane pump gas, a five speed synchromesh gearbox, hi and low transfer case, on-the-fly all wheel drive, fully locking front and rear differentials, independent front and rear axles with retaining straps to confine axle travel within safe specifications, and a 20 gallon fuel tank.
They are very impressive off road, have a very tight turning radius, and in 4wd with both axles locked, they will go places where Hummers and Jeeps fear to tread. They have 16" ground clearance from wheel to wheel and a very low center of gravity. The 4X4s are 13' long, 5'8" wide, 6'8" tall, have an 87" wheelbase, weigh 4300 lbs. and can haul an additional 2200 lbs. of cargo, truly a beast of burden!
The soft tops are easily and quickly rolled up or removed and can be reinstalled quickly as well. If the sides are rolled up, they can be unrolled and fastened in a matter of minutes. The front doors can be quickly converted to half doors, or completely taken off.
Seats in the cargo area (for six Sumo wrestlers or up to ten normal size people) can be folded down, creating a 7'4' x 5'2" flat diamond plated area with additional storage area under that platform.
The most popular configuration is the 710M 4x4 soft top. The 4x4 is also available in hard top versions, which originally were communication trucks, but are quite rare.
LAST UPDATE: November 18, 2011
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Pinzgauer capabilities
The Pinzgauer is a remarkable offroad vehicle. Its capabilities are comparable to that of the HMMWV (Hummer) and vastly exceed the Jeep.
45 degree approach and departure angle
100% slope or until tires lose traction
700 mm (27.6 in) fording depth
Can climb down a 360 mm (14.2 in) wall
43.5 degree side-slope
1000/1500 kg of payload (4x4/6x6)
335 mm (13.2 in) of clearance (lowest point when fully loaded)
110 km/hr (68 mph) / 100 km/hr (62 mph) top speed(4x4/6x6)
Full engine power available at 4 km/hr (2 mph)
M body type carries 10 people (4X4), 14 people (6x6)
Specifications
All the first generation Pinzgauers are equipped with:
2.5 L air-cooled four cylinder engine
Power: 87 hp (64 kW)
Torque: 180 N·m (133 ft·lbf)
5 speed manual transmission with two-speed transfer case
4 or 6 wheel drive with on-the-fly hydraulic differential locks
Fully independent suspension
Backbone chassis tube
Integrated differentials
24 volt electrical system
Vacuum assisted drum brakes
Portal axles to give extra clearance
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Graphics and text by Philip Bagnall
The Pinzgauer is often compared to a Landrover. Here is how they match up size for size. As you can see the Pinzgauer is slightly longer than a Landrover 90, its wheelbase is however ever so slightly shorter! The space inside a Pinzgauer is much bigger because of the cab-forward design. Approach angles are similar.
Here are the approach angles of the Pinzgauer win.
- The Pinzgauer can wade deeper, 700mm vs. 500mm
- The Pinzgauer has the best breakover angle at 135 degrees (141 degrees LR 90/ 152 degrees LR 110)
- The Pinzgauer has a greater load capacity 1000kg vs. 895kg Landrover 110 Stationwagon
Here I'm comparing a 30 year old Pinzgauer to the latest Landrover. The Pinzgauer is much shorter than a 110 Landrover, however it still has a longer load area. The Landrover is probably better on the road with a higher top speed and better fuel consumption, but things would be more equal in these departments if it was against a 30 year old Landrover.
For off-road ability in standard setup the Pinzgauer is hard to beat. If you need better off-road performance try an Unimog or tracked vehicle. The Unimog is however a larger vehicle and may not fit down some of the tracks you can take Pinzgauer.
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