By liflod (Liflod) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

I went to the local Gander Mountain (outdoor sports store) where they sell amphibious trailers. The 2 axle model looks just like the lower hull of a 6x6. I think the price was about $700 for the whole trailer, but if someone determined who built the trailer, it may be a good source for a home-built AATV body.

By Motown's (Bigwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The Polyethylene plastic molded ATV trailer that Gander Mountain handles are probably the Otter Outdoors Brand. Otter Outdoors is one of several companies that manufactures portable ice fishing shanties using the plastic molded tubs. This is a real good example of these manufacturers finding new ways to use thier existing ice fishing tubs and sleds for other marketable products like the ATV trailers. There are also a couple of other manufacturers that do the same thing with their plastic tub products. The price that you mentioned seems to be a bit high versus what I was looking at, I think the prices I saw were around $300 to $400 for a complete ATV trailer kit package.

Otter Outdoors has a web site that you can visit and check out their products, and I think you may be able to buy from them online now! Their web site address should be http://www.otteroutdoors.com.

If you are really interested in locating a plastic tub to use for a home built ATV, you may be further ahead to find out where the manufacturers of the Max or Argo have their tubs made, and try to by one direct from their sub supplier, or even check and see if they toss out any non salable lower bodies. I do belive that the Max bodies are made at a plastics manufacturer located in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. I do not know which manufacturer they are using there, but it would not take much time to call around and locate them.

I could not tell you if they toss out any misformed or blemished units, because they may just recycle the bad ones, by grinding them up and remelting them with a mix of virgin polyethylene material.

At least that is what we do with misformed or blemished polypropalene material used for truck and car splash sheilds.

By David Keeso (Argomag) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Bigwolf, ARGO I know makes their own. Vaccum formed HDPE. They have a huge furnace almost and the sheet of HDPE goes on flat and is heated- Door opens and the sheet starts getting pushed up in the middle by air, and then the vaccum kicks in and forms the body in seconds. I've seen the process and it was pretty neat to see. I don't know what MAX does though.

By liflod (Liflod) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

The trailers on otteroutdoors are much smaller that the ones I saw. They looked exactly like a lower hull. I'll see if I can get more info.

By Motown's (Bigwolf) on Unrecorded Date: Edit

Hello David,

So Argo does manufacture their own polyethylene bodies at their factory! I did not know that! One of these days, I have got to cross over the bridge and take a tour of their factory. They are located only about an hour away from me here in Detroit.

I do beleive that both Argo and Max use a very similar type of hot sheet vacuum forming process, to make the upper and lower bodies for their machines.

I am sure that if some one wants or needs to buy body shells, they could get them through a distributor or dealer of either brand. In fact if a person wanted to make their own amphibious trailer using the Argo or Max lower body shells, that would be a doable project also.

I have to keep this note short, I need to head out to the farm and get the tractor running and get some brush hogging done this week end.

I have not been online or posting much lately, been very busy trying to get my work caught up around the house this spring. Fishing season was a complete wash out for us this spirng, with all the storms and rain and flooding we have had. The wife picked up on that fact, and has been cracking the whip on me to get some work done around here!