What is a Swamp Buggy?

03.05.2023

Медведь, балалайка, матрешка, водка, автомат Калашникова - символы нашей страны. Независимо от того, нравится нам или нет, но именно с этим в мире ассоциируется Россия.

Если говорить объективно, к символам Российской Федерации можно добавить и болотоход. Ибо дороги - традиционная беда России. Да и огромную отечественную территорию не просто покрыть первоклассной дорожной сетью. Так что болотоход - самый прагматичный символ.

Спрос, как известно, рождает предложение. Российское бездорожье в последние годы привело к настоящему буму в производстве вездеходной техники, которая во многом универсальный транспорт. Прекрасно подходит болотоход для рыбалки, охоты, экстремального вида отдыха, исследований труднодоступных территорий, охраны лесных угодий, спасательных операций и т. д.

Порой разобраться в этом рыночном изобилии совсем не просто. Но сделать нужно.

Поэтому в статье поговорим о том, что такое болотоходы, чем отличаются от простых вездеходов и какие бывают.

What is a Swamp Buggy? How it Differs From an Off-road Vehicle?

There is an opinion that swamp buggies have nothing to do with all-terrain vehicles. As if it is a completely different vehicle. This is a common but incorrect opinion.
All-terrain vehicle (ATV) is a four-wheel land vehicle designed to travel over rough terrain and off-road.
A swamp buggy is a type of all-terrain vehicle that is capable of driving over ground with very low load-bearing capacity, including swampy terrain (hence the name). As a result, the floating swamp buggy is a common phenomenon.

Simply put, a swamp buggy is a high-passing vehicle. It will go where a simple off-road vehicle will not. This effect is achieved by applying minimal pressure to the surface. For this reason, swamp buggies are often distinguished by the type of traction – wheeled or caterpillar.Классификация болотоходов

Swamp buggy classification. The classification of a swamp buggy is not very different from that of a conventional off-road vehicle.

By propulsion (traction):

• Wheeled (low pressure tyres)

• Tracked

• Half-wheeled, half-tracked

• Hovercraft

• Screw propelled vehicles.
  

By application:

• Light passenger

• Passenger

• Cargo and Passenger.

By frame type:
   

• Single frame

• Articulated

• Linked.

Advantages and disadvantages of tracked buggies

The advantages of the tracked swamp buggy include:

• Durability of the chassis. When driving a wheeled swamp buggy, there is always the risk of hitting a giant pin in the mud or swampy terrain. If this happens, the trip will either have to be forgotten or postponed until the wheel can be replaced. Responsible vehicle manufacturers look after the comfort and safety of their customers by producing very durable tyres that are not easily punctured.
• Load capacity. Tracked swamp buggies are the most powerful of all off-road vehicles. They are also found among the wheeled buggies, which can also pull a tonne or more.

Tracked buggies also have disadvantages:

• Weight. Tracked vehicles are traditionally heavier than wheeled vehicles.
• Fuel consumption. Tracked buggies consume twice as much fuel as wheeled buggies.
• Difficult to repair. If a wheeled swamp buggy hits a pin, you can easily replace the wheel. With the wrecked caterpillar, things are much more complicated. It is extremely problematic to replace it without the right equipment and specialists.

Advantages and disadvantages of the wheeled swamp buggy

The advantages of a wheeled swamp buggy are as follows:

• Depreciation
• Manoeuvrability
• Even weight distribution and traction
• Less weight
• Clearance.

The disadvantages of wheeled swamp buggies have already been mentioned: low load capacity of many models and therefore low traction, and it is easier to damage the chassis.

However, the advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Screw-propelled swamp buggies and hovercraft

If you are interested in all-terrain vehicles, you may have noticed that besides wheeled and tracked swamp buggies, hovercrafts and screw-driven vehicles are also widely used in industry, rescue, research and other similar areas. For private use, bog buggies are more likely to be wheeled or tracked. 

Why so?

The screw-propelled vehicles work on the principle of Archimedes screws. A model, which is not convenient for an ordinary person.

A hovercraft is a different matter. It is a vehicle that is largely suspended above water (ice, ground, etc.) by means of excess air pressure. And the performance is not bad either: speed (some models reach up to 140 km/h), manoeuvrability, loading capacity, etc.

Disadvantages of the hovercraft:

• High cost. This is due to the complex design that provides the necessary pressure.
• Noise. This is because of the use of air propellers.
• Repair. The more complex the technology, the more difficult it is to restore in the event of failure.
• Wear. The flexible barrier of the air cushion (so-called skirt) wears out over time. This means it has to be replaced. And that is costly.

So it comes as no surprise that most swamp buggy owners prefer wheeled or tracked models. And manufacturers are only following the preferences of consumers.