floating an ATV

[trapper1]

I need to float a 4 wheeler across about 300 yrds of open water. Will pull it with a boat. Owner of the quad thought we should use two 555 gal barrels. To me that is way to much. (besides the fact we have to haul 2 barrels to Can.) Would to 5' pcs of 6"PVC capped at both ends get the job done? I would think between the tires and that it would float OK. Is there a web site that tells how much you need for different weight quads? Thanks

[huntnfish]

That should be a very interesting trip. I know that I was told by someone that they are supposed to float on their own(without someone on it). I haven't been in enough water to find out for sure. My biggest fear in something like this would be if the ATV were to tip over. Good luck and I hope it goes well.

[JEV]

Well, having known a few guys who have put there ATV's in deep water I can tell you this. They float alright, upsidedown. You'll have to be carefull and compensate for the fact that they get real top heavy and want to tip when they are floated.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Personal experiece here. Yup, they float allright. They float upside down just fine. They are top heavy. It wasn't pretty.

[Macgyver55]

Several years back 5 of us were riding and found ourselves a long way from camp with a river between us and where we wanted to be. (Where the food was) What we did, (and it worked fairly well) was to remove a set of tires from one wheeler and fasten them to the existing tires on another. (Picture a 4 wheel dually) We did this on each machine until the 4 with tires were across. Then we had to take a set off one of the wheelers that had already crossed and send them back with the originals for the last one to come across. It was quite an adventure, especially as each one of us floated across on top of the tires trying to stay dry, (it was chilly) as we roped them back and forth for each guy. It ended up taking longer than we thought it would, but being able to do it without carrying extra stuff was kinda cool considering we were all loaded with gear too.

[Moose-Hunter]

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I need to float a 4 wheeler across about 300 yrds of open water. Will pull it with a boat. Owner of the quad thought we should use two 555 gal barrels. To me that is way to much. (besides the fact we have to haul 2 barrels to Can.) Would to 5' pcs of 6"PVC capped at both ends get the job done? I would think between the tires and that it would float OK. Is there a web site that tells how much you need for different weight quads? Thanks

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Wow... This sounds like fun...

I've never seen any info on what would be needed to float an ATV other than going by it's weight. If it were me, I'd look into building some type of raft. The 55 gal drums would be a good start. You wouldn't really have to keep the wheeler completely high and dry. Just high enough out of the water so that your motor and drive train don't get totally flooded out.

As others have stated before, upside down is the way your wheeler is going to WANT to float. Without some means of keeping it "stable" (like outriggers on a canoe) it's gonna roll over like a drunk hippo.

Here's a picture of my buddy floating across a rain filled mud hole...

As you can see, the ATV is VERY unstable and, for obvious reasons, a VERY unsafe practice at best. I do not recommend ANYONE trying this. Also see how deep the motor and drivetrain are submerged. With the help of a few little waves and/or a boat wake, this could flood, not only your airbox but the crank case as well. Basically rendering the wheeler useless on the other side of your journey.

What ever you come up with.... PLEASE, be careful!! A sinking ATV could be quite an anchor for a boat.

[rundrave]

moose those are some great action shots lol

floating an ATV does sound like a fun challenge.

Sorry I dont have any good ideas to share.

[Moose-Hunter]

Post deleted by Moose-Hunter

[Eric Wettschreck]

Although I wouldn't recommend doing this, I gotta say Ol' Steve-O is a stud for getting that puppy out under it's won power.

And it looks really fun.

[huntnfish]

Those pictures bring back some memories. Although, unlike Moose, I had to toss the cable to my buddy. I can't believe that guy actually got that thing out, but I guess it was a Polaris.

[castmaster]

its always nice to see youngsters being shown how to "ride responsibly"!!!

[Moose-Hunter]

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its always nice to see youngsters being shown how to "ride responsibly"!!!

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Hi Castmaster...

After reviewing my post, I removed the pictures containing the "action shots" of my buddy in the water. I do agree with you for the most part. We all know kids will test the limits of both themselves and their machines. No sense in giving impressionable youngsters any wild ideas.

Personally, I would have welcomed an opportunity such as what was pictured as training. I was in a situation, not too long ago, that had me walking my floating ATV across a rain swollen creek. Slow moving water and armpit deep. (I'm a good 6' tall by the way) I would have much rather "ridden" on top of my ATV. It certainly would have kept me a whole lot dryer for the rest of the days hunt. In this case, a little deep water experience would have gone a long way.

Trapper1...

I seem to have hijacked your thread a bit. I do apologize. Have you come up with a plan for your excursion yet?

[trapper1]

the quad is a honda 500 foreman. My plan is to make to outriggers from 6" pvc and strap those on each side to the front and back racks. My buddy has a creek on his Gramps farm where it drops off to 12'. The plan is to do a "dry" run there before the bear hunt in Ontario. Maybe a guy could go around the tires to the axle and keep them lower on the quad. It's going to be interesting. I always wanted an excuse to buy a digital camera, maybe this trip is it. Cross your fingers boys!!

[tripper]

icelander, some thoughts i had on your post.

if the exhust goes under the engine can fill with water through it. think i would consider useing 2" pvc just short enough to fit inside the 6" for tansportion porppuses, and use it as cross members under the machine to build out riggers. if there is any real current i would also consider putting a bigger float on the down current side or maybe keeping the atv along side the boat instead of pulling it behide the boat.

I have never tried something like you are taling about so these were just some thoughts.

Good luck and have a fun trip.

[luckyc]

What if you took like four car or truck innertubes and a small battery operated air pump, get to your crossing, inflate your tubes, strap them to your machine and then when it's time to leave deflate them , not much to carry and I think it would keep your machine high and dry. In fact you could drop one tire inside each doughnut and keep everything dry. Think that would work?

[Walterwontfalter]

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What if you took like four car or truck innertubes and a small battery operated air pump

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I second this. You can get the little emergency 12v air pump/compressors for about 20 bucks or less and the inner tubes could be bungeed or tied with rope along side the tires to make it more buoyant. The pump could run right off your wheeler battery, if there's not a ciggarette lighter type plug on your machine just put alligator clips on the wires.

My neighbor and I used to put his boat lift in the water with two dump truck size inner tubes. We just slid them underneath the crossmember, inflated them and floated the whole thing where we wanted it, then deflated the tubes and set it down easy. Four tubes should easily float a wheeler. Just make sure they are tied on securely so you don't get in the deep water and lose the whole works.

I wouldn't think the pvc pipe would have enough buoyancy to hold up a 600lb wheeler.