MAZ, GAZ, KRAZ I'm getting confused! Fortunately Biglorryblog's man in Russia--Vladimir Chekhuta---has been helping by showing me through the minefield that is the many Russian truck manufacturers, and all with similar sounding names.
Any way he's sent me some pictures a very unusual Ukranian KRAZ. However, the one above is a 'normal' one, a Kraz-260 6x4 bonneted rigid. No here's the unusual one, take a look at this baby....
Vladimir tells me, "It belong to a Russian truck driver called Ervazyan (he sounds Armenian to me) who lives in the town of Pskov (in Russia). Some years ago he bought a drop-side KRAZ-260 and transformed it into an American-style tractor." And what a monster says BLB. To find out more on how he did it click through here....
Vladimir adds; "He threw out the truck's original YaMZ engine and installed a CAT, and did the big sleeper himself." And it certainly IS a big box on the back....meanhile here's a shot of the man himself.
"All the Russian drivers know his truck," says Vladimir, "I took these pictures in Kiev in summer this year." And to close, Vladimir has sent me equally rather unusual plant carrier and the question: "Ask your readers if they know that you can use a tipper to carry a bulldozer?"
And BLB's thanks to Vladimir and Ervazyan...top truck!
too much vodka?
Interesting conversion! As for carrying excavators, that's nothing new. We regularly used to carry a customer's Drott traxcavator from site to site with our trusty old Albion Clydesdale tipper. You just have to bear in mind the high centre of gravity, and watch out for low bridges.
Even better are the alloy fold flat tipper trailers beloved of Cornish operators such as Richards & Osborne with which you carry granite chippings up north, then drop the sides and use it as a regular flat bed for the backload home. True versatility, and cheaper than a walking floor!
bonita