Do the Weight Police have jurisdiction off road?

[noteven]

Article

[ppine]

I met some friends in Elko, NV. They were all making good money in the mining industry. In the winter there is not that much to do. They were all back country skiers and big fans of heli-skiing. They went in together and bought a Sno-Cat for backcountry skiing in the Ruby Mountains. Who needs a ski lift?

[noteven]

specta wrote:


That sounds awesome!!!!!

Ya it is an all round pretty nice camper. It would be pretty much a "true 4 season" camper in Idaho.

[noteven]

Alde information here vs my long winded post above:

Alde website

[specta]

noteven wrote:


I have the same camper. I don't have a snow cat ...

The Alde heating system is made in Sweden since Mr. Alde invented it in 1949 for vehicle heating. In the camper it is a propane/electric atmospheric combi heating boiler / hot water heater. Low amp 12v powers the circulating pump and combustion fan/ignition. Glycol heating fluid is circulated to copper/aluminum convection heat exchangers situated around the perimeter of the camper and in the basement. The unit will heat with propane, 750w ac on 15 amp shore power, 1500w ac on 30 amp, or a blend of propane and ac electric. If you set it on "electric 1" or 750w it starts on ac. If it cannot supply enough heat it will fire the propane burner at the same time. It has auto night set back temperature then warm up in the morning before you get up. The temperature control is very consistent and comfortable vs the roaring fan RV forced air furnace. It is not a pressurized system so the piping elbows and connectors are big floppy rubber material made to take the shake rattle and roll of being installed in a vehicle. You can add a heat exchanger to use transfer heat from the engine coolant to the Alde system. The heating function can be used in "dry camp" mode when the potable water system is drained/winterized. It is very quiet in operation. The combination of convection and radiant heat warms the materials in the interior of the camper so everything is warm to the touch.

It uses maybe 1/3 the fuel an RV air furnace does and 10% of the battery power.

I've camped with water on board in -25C low -10C high but that is about the limit for the water drain valve area of this camper. The interior was sitting at 20C (70F) I have dry camped at -36F/calm wind in Montana. The system maintained 65-70F inside, running almost 100%.

Alde systems costs more than $412.00 wholesale so expect it is of no interest to 98.457% of the RV industry. 🙂

That sounds awesome!!!!!

[noteven]

Tvov wrote:
Well, this thread has gotten weird!

Very cool article about the snocat camper (I've always spelled it "snocat" - maybe that is a brand name?).

I am curious why they would leave the plow on the front? Wouldn't the machine be lighter and more maneuverable without it?

The article does highlight that they built a jack system to be able to pickup the camper to service the snocat when they need to.

And... what about the heating system? The article seems to make a big deal about the "Alde hydronic heating system".... how does that work?

I have the same camper. I don't have a snow cat ...

The Alde heating system is made in Sweden since Mr. Alde invented it in 1949 for vehicle heating. In the camper it is a propane/electric atmospheric combi heating boiler / hot water heater. Low amp 12v powers the circulating pump and combustion fan/ignition. Glycol heating fluid is circulated to copper/aluminum convection heat exchangers situated around the perimeter of the camper and in the basement. The unit will heat with propane, 750w ac on 15 amp shore power, 1500w ac on 30 amp, or a blend of propane and ac electric. If you set it on "electric 1" or 750w it starts on ac. If it cannot supply enough heat it will fire the propane burner at the same time. It has auto night set back temperature then warm up in the morning before you get up. The temperature control is very consistent and comfortable vs the roaring fan RV forced air furnace. It is not a pressurized system so the piping elbows and connectors are big floppy rubber material made to take the shake rattle and roll of being installed in a vehicle. You can add a heat exchanger to use transfer heat from the engine coolant to the Alde system. The heating function can be used in "dry camp" mode when the potable water system is drained/winterized. It is very quiet in operation. The combination of convection and radiant heat warms the materials in the interior of the camper so everything is warm to the touch.

It uses maybe 1/3 the fuel an RV air furnace does and 10% of the battery power.

I've camped with water on board in -25C low -10C high but that is about the limit for the water drain valve area of this camper. The interior was sitting at 20C (70F) I have dry camped at -36F/calm wind in Montana. The system maintained 65-70F inside, running almost 100%.

Alde systems costs more than $412.00 wholesale so expect it is of no interest to 98.457% of the RV industry. 🙂

[ticki2]

jimh425 wrote:

devildog1971 wrote:
The so called weight police, have a jurisdiction that primarily deals with commercial vehicles, technically a dual wheeled axle can haul 22 thousand pounds and not be overweight the same with the steer axle.

Nope. Weight police on this forum is the imaginary group composed of members here who complain about what others are doing. They have no legal standing, but it doesn’t stop them from letting their opinions be known.

Thanks for playing. 😄

Nope , weight police is a derogatory term used by folks who don't like another persons opinion and dampens any further meaningful discussion of the issues. I have yet to read of anyone declaring themselves as a member of the weight police .

[Kayteg1]

Tvov wrote:

And... what about the heating system? The article seems to make a big deal about the "Alde hydronic heating system".... how does that work?

Hydronic applies to system who is using liquid for heat transfer.
When they did not explain it- my first guess is that they used Webasto, diesel-powered heater as this is pretty popular item in RV.
Since they deliver supplies by helicopter - bringing propane is probably having lot of safety issues, while CAT is having big diesel tanks, who will supply fuel for camper for whole season without a need for refueling.
I can assume guy paying $40,000 a night wants to get his money worth and keeping camper cozy would consume 2 propane cylinders a day.

[specta]

Tvov wrote:


I am curious why they would leave the plow on the front? Wouldn't the machine be lighter and more maneuverable without it?

Here's a couple of examples where the plow would be a necessity.

[Tvov]

Well, this thread has gotten weird!

Very cool article about the snocat camper (I've always spelled it "snocat" - maybe that is a brand name?).

I am curious why they would leave the plow on the front? Wouldn't the machine be lighter and more maneuverable without it?

The article does highlight that they built a jack system to be able to pickup the camper to service the snocat when they need to.

And... what about the heating system? The article seems to make a big deal about the "Alde hydronic heating system".... how does that work?

[specta]

jimh425 wrote:

devildog1971 wrote:
The so called weight police, have a jurisdiction that primarily deals with commercial vehicles, technically a dual wheeled axle can haul 22 thousand pounds and not be overweight the same with the steer axle.

Nope. Weight police on this forum is the imaginary group composed of members here who complain about what others are doing. They have no legal standing, but it doesn’t stop them from letting their opinions be known.

Thanks for playing. 😄

I frequent another RV forum and it has no weight police. 🙂

And the experts help others and don't criticize or try too make everyone think that they know everything.

[specta]

Grit dog wrote:

specta wrote:


And, I'd never own a snowmobile. :B LOL

But you have a snocat!! cool.........

I much prefer my ATV. If it gets stuck I just hook up my winch cable and within minutes I'm out.

I've got a snowmobile stuck and it sucks. LOL

The one I got stuck was a pretty big one, tons of power and FAST.

FAST = I'd kill myself. :B

[jimh406]

devildog1971 wrote:
The so called weight police, have a jurisdiction that primarily deals with commercial vehicles, technically a dual wheeled axle can haul 22 thousand pounds and not be overweight the same with the steer axle.

Nope. Weight police on this forum is the imaginary group composed of members here who complain about what others are doing. They have no legal standing, but it doesn’t stop them from letting their opinions be known.

Thanks for playing. 😄

[devildog1971]

The so called weight police, have a jurisdiction that primarily deals with commercial vehicles, technically a dual wheeled axle can haul 22 thousand pounds and not be overweight the same with the steer axle. That does not mean you can haul that weight it is a guide for commercial vehicles there is also a bridge law (nothing to do with actual bridges) the distance between the front axle and drive axles and then the rear trailer axles, 22 thousand pounds usually can never be shifted to the steer axle cab over trucks usually can shift more than a conventional tractor, the overall weight of most tractor trailer trucks is a maximum of 80 thousand pounds. I doubt any state scale house or officers with portable scales have ever stopped any truck and camper and checked their gross vehicle weight sticker. If your rig wobbles uncontrollable or your bumper is dragging the ground you might get stopped for a safety violation. If you drive through a state weigh station in a R.V. they usually wave you on unless you pull to the side and they are not busy with trucks backed up then they will weigh you give you a print out and say goodby

[Grit_dog]

Kayteg1 wrote:

So from what you are saying, such picture is not going to happen in real life?
Just like Jeeps being lifted on top of the mountains for advertisement pictures.
At the end, it does sound like weigh police after all.

Give it a rest, bud.

Unless you're an expert on snocats too....in which case you'd not be arguing about it, so obviously you're not.
I'm not an expert either, but having driven one before and helping get a groomer un-stuck once, no they're not powder machines. Just like the folks who think a wheeler or SxS with tracks can go anywhere a snomachine does......just = long walk or alot of digging...