Unbelievable Towing Capacity

[pm26]

This is a picture of 6X6 Tatra 141 manufactured between 1957 and 1970 in Czech Republic. It used the original Tatra 111 engine and central tube chassis with all independent suspension and differential locks on all axles. The engine is the old air cooled 14.8 liter (about 900 cu in) V12 diesel used in WW II era Tatra 111 trucks manufactured for German Wehrmacht. The vehicle is officially rated to tow trailers of 100 metric tons (220,000 lbs)!!!!! This means it could tow three WW II Sherman tanks on a 10 ton giant trailer! (Sherman tank weighed about 30 tons).

 

At first glance the truck looks like a slightly oversized 1 ton crew cab pickup. But it is a quite a bit heavier. Its empty curb weight is 12,140 kg or 26,708 lbs. The payload capacity is 6,100 kg or 13,420 lbs. The bed is quite short for a large truck.

 

 

[jro909]

yes my a local fire dept has a deuce that came back from the war awhile ago..bullet holes and all, the thing is a beast..caterpillar diesel..oh and the ghetto lo-jack(a chaine/padlock for the steering wheel)

[pm26]

yes my a local fire dept has a deuce that came back from the war awhile ago..bullet holes and all, the thing is a beast..caterpillar diesel..oh and the ghetto lo-jack(a chaine/padlock for the steering wheel)

 

M35 2.5 ton truck is a toy compared to this one. For comparison, its tow rating is a measly 10,000 lbs (less than 5 metric tons). Tatra 141 towing capacity is 22 times that. What makes it so amazing is how old the truck is. It's basic design goes back to 1942.

[TRCM]

If it was built now a days, it probably only be rated 20 tons or so.

 

I mean, back then , they didn't derate things in hopes of having no warranty claims cuz they were actually built good, not just good enough, and they didn't have to worry about anyone suing them if something happened.