International Payhauler 350B (Erik Fontain)

Erik hat mal wieder ein außergewöhnliches Projekt auf die Räder gestellt.
Aus dem Muldenkipper wurde ein Abschlepper.
Für die Umsetzung des Projektes standen Erik nur wenige Vorbildfotos zur Verfügung, so dass hier viel improvisiert werden mußte, weshalb er hier auch nicht die Lackierung des Original übernommen hat.
Alle Fotos mit freundlicher Genemigung von Erik.
Jetzt erst mal die Bilder (Text im Anschluß).
2 Fotos vom original:

Hello,

This is my latest model (no 323), its a International PayHauler 350B

Normally this truck is only available as heavy dumptruck or as tractor unit with an even bigger dumptrailer. But as far as I know is there only one PayHauler converted into a recovery truck. Therefore the dumper body has been removed and replaced for a modifycated Challenger 8080 recovery crane. From the crane the main boom has been shorted and at the top of the boom there is mounded the lifting triangle. At the rear and of the body are two outriggers and in front of the crane are concrete blocks to give enough traction at the frond axel when towing a vehicle.

I wasn’t able to collect much information of the real truck, just 10 photo’s and some users information. From the photo’s I have converted the measurements as good as possible. So I had to gamble some measurements and do some assumptions. That is the reason the model is not painted in the same colors as the real truck.

The truck was in America in use in a sand quarry. Because of the soft underground often dumpers and shovels are stocked in de mud. The company want to have “a tool” that could recover the trucks, something that was not possible with conventional recovery trucks. They also want to have “a tool” that was able to trail the sand piston vessel from pond to pond ( I hope I used the right words) With this truck it was possible to do both jobs.

To build the model, I have used the reissue of the AMT/ERTL kit of the PayHauler (no 38469). I have build the kit out of the box and Instead of mounting the dumper body, I have build the recovery body. Therefore I have used a modified Challenger 8080 crane of the Revell Can-Do kit (7541) the main boom has been shorted and it is placed on H-profiles at the top of the chassis. At the rear site of the body are two outriggers, between them there is a thick plate mounted with attachment point and towing hooks on it. The topside of the body is covered with tread plate and there is mounted a railing around it. In front of the cane I have made concrete blocks as contra weights, these are made of wood and fixed with tensioners (again, I hope I have used the right words). From evergreen sheet, I have made protection for the drivers cab, engine and other technical components.

It was not a big job to build this model, but the model is very big! The real truck is four meters wide and high, more than nine meters long and when the dump body has been raised the truck it is almost 10 meters high. The weight of the truck is 33 tons and has a loading capacity of 50 tons. The engine is a V16 of 608 Hp. To give an impression I have took a photo of my smallest recovery truck (a Suzuki Carry) next to the PayHauler. When I was building the PayHauler I found on internet an incomplete model of another one. With de leftovers from the first one, I could restore the second one and with this model hooked on the crane, it looks very impressive. For trucks like these, there is no carwash and washing by hand is no option. That is way this models are very dirty.

If you want to see more photo’s, take a look at my site, www.modelbergingstruck.nl (at newest model)

Erik.