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Rebuilt Army Vehicle Hauls Hay Through Deep Snow
"It's great for getting hay out to cattle even in the deepest snow," says Charles R. Hays, who rebuilt an old 1945 Army steel-tracked vehicle for use on his cow/calf operation.
"Francis the Blue Mule", as Hays calls the rig, was originally built by Studebaker as an open-topped tracked vehicle for transporting fue
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Rebuilt Army Vehicle Hauls Hay Through Deep Snow TRACTORS Made-It-Myself 19-1-7 "It's great for getting hay out to cattle even in the deepest snow," says Charles R. Hays, who rebuilt an old 1945 Army steel-tracked vehicle for use on his cow/calf operation.
"Francis the Blue Mule", as Hays calls the rig, was originally built by Studebaker as an open-topped tracked vehicle for transporting fuel and other supplies across the frozen tundra of Alaska. It had 22-in. wide steel tracks on rubber mounts that ran the entire length of the vehicle, and it had a Studebaker 4-cyl. engine, automatic transmission, and 2-speed rear end. At the end of World War II it was sold to an Alaskan sporting club which added a wooden deck, side racks, and a plywood cab to enclose the bucket seats. Eventually it was used by a woodlot operator in eastern Oregon for skidding logs. However, the heavy work caused an axle to bend, and Hays found the vehicle with a "for sale" sign attached, sitting alongside a highway.
He rebuilt the tracks, replacing all the ' missing rubber pads and broken track pieces. Then he cut off and discarded the entire outside structure and built a 6-ft. long, 3 1/2-ft. wide box with 1 1/2-ft. high sides. He also built a new cab complete with a paneled, carpeted interior and 1 1/2 in. of foam insulation around the sides. Then he spray painted the entire rig blue with white trim.
"It weighs 6,600 lbs., but it only sinks into the snow about 4 to 6 in. so we can use it in waist-deep snow," says Hays. "The rubber pads sink down and give the track's steel cleats a chance to grip the snow. It's about the size of a Chevrolet Luv pickup aid has everything a pickup has including a horn, windshield wipers, turn signals, fog lights, brake lights, heater, and defroster.
"It goes up to 36 mph even across snow. I often drive it to work in Boise, Idaho. As far as I know it's the only track vehicle of its type in Idaho that's licensed for highway use. However, it doesn't work well on icy roads because the track tends to `skate'. "The seller wanted $3,500 for it. However, he agreed to accept a custom-built trailer that I spent $1,500 to build."
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