GAZ-3409 "Beaver" snow and swamp vehicle: description, specifications and reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Many regions of Russia are not equipped with roads accessible for ordinary wheeled vehicles. The situation is often not corrected by various off-road vehicles. To deliver people and goods to such places, a special class of all-terrain vehicles with caterpillar propulsion has been created. GAZ-3409 "Beaver" belongs to such machines.

General parameters

"Beaver" began to be mass-produced since 2006 at the production facilities of the caterpillar tractor plant in the city of Zavolzhsk, which is part of the GAZ group of companies. The machine is supplied for the needs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, medical care services in remote areas, and is also in service with a number of law enforcement agencies (OMON, etc.). The all-terrain vehicle is also used by lovers of active and extreme recreation, who are not stopped even by the high price of the car.

One of the features of the all-terrain vehicle GAZ-3409 "Beaver" is the ability to move afloat. The only limitation can be the speed of the water flow in the barrier. To improve the behavior of the machine afloat on itoptional deflectors can be installed. Movement on water is carried out due to the rotation of the caterpillars, while the speed of movement does not exceed 6 km / h. When driving on a good road, the car is capable of speeds up to 65 km / h. The mass of the Beaver all-terrain vehicle prepared for movement is 3.6 tons.

The design of the machine allows operation in a wide temperature range from minus 40 degrees to plus 40. The propulsion system allows the transporter to be used in the mountains at altitudes up to 4650 meters.

Body and engine

The body of the GAZ-3409 Beaver snow and swamp-going vehicle is based on the body of the Sobol minibus. To access the salon, two doors are used on the right side of the body and one on the left. There are two versions of the all-terrain vehicle - the passenger version and the cargo-passenger version. In the first version, the car carries up to 6 people and 600 kg of cargo, in the second - up to 3 people and 800 kg of cargo. The second option has an open platform at the back, which can be covered with an awning.

In front of the driver's cab, a standard instrument panel from Sobol is installed. The machine is partly controlled by levers, which are used to brake and turn the machine. The pedals control the clutch and engine speed. Instead of the steering wheel, a plastic plug is installed, while there is a block of steering column switches. One of the useful options for the "Beaver" is air conditioning.

To ensure the technical characteristics of the GAZ-3409 "Beaver" is equipped with a four-cylinder Cummins diesel engineISF2.8. Exactly the same engine is used in various light trucks of the GAZ plant. The motor with a volume of 2.8 liters develops a power of about 131 forces. Air is supplied to the engine through an air duct leading to the roof level. This solution completely eliminates the risk of water entering the intake manifold. The stock of diesel fuel on board is 185 liters, which is enough for at least 600-650 kilometers.

The basic equipment option provides for the installation of a five-speed manual transmission. Optionally, the machine can be equipped with an automatic transmission. Regardless of the type of box, the all-terrain vehicle is capable of towing trailers with a gross weight of up to 1.3 tons.

Chassis

The caterpillar mover of the GAZ-3409 “Beaver” all-terrain vehicle consists of two drive wheels installed at the rear of the vehicle, a pair of front-mounted guide rollers and 12 dual road wheels (6 per side). The suspension of the road wheels is made on balancers and torsion bars and is equipped with shock absorbers on the outer balancers.

The track consists of small links with a width of 500 mm and a pitch of 100 mm. The caterpillar mover allows you to turn the machine on the spot and provides it with good cross-country ability. For example, "Beaver" without problems moves uphill from dry and hard ground with an angle of up to 35 degrees. The all-terrain vehicle is able to move confidently through deep loose snow or sand. To expand the scope of use, it is completedcaterpillars with removable rubber pads. Thanks to them, the GAZ-3409 "Beaver" does not destroy asph alt roads and weak soils.

Emergency Vehicles

A search and rescue all-terrain vehicle is mass-produced on the basis of the vehicle. Standard equipment includes:

• Additional autonomous interior and engine compartment heaters.
• 4 ton electric winch.
• Additional 12-volt sockets in the cabin, rated up to 16A.
• Sunroof.
• Tubular roll cage front.
• Optional roof rack and access ladder.
• Extended tool set, which includes various saws, an ax and shovels. There is a regular place for storing tools in the Beaver salon.

There is a fire option to extinguish fires in hard-to-reach places. The car is equipped not only with fire-fighting, but also with rescue equipment. Equipment includes:

• Portable 2kW generator and reel with 30m of electrical cable.
• Equipment for cutting electrical wiring (scissors, gloves, boots).
• Several different spotlights and lanterns.
• Rescue kits.
• Ladder and climbing kit.
• Optional lifebuoy and wetsuit may be present.

Rigs

A drilling rig with various types of drive can be installed on the basis of "Beaver" - from a gasoline or diesel engine or with an electric drive. Such a settingcapable of drilling wells up to 100 meters deep.

The small length of the machine (a little over 4.5 meters) allows such an installation to pass between trees and bushes and perform work in places inaccessible to other mechanisms. At the same time, fallen trees will not be a problem for the Beaver, which has an impressive ground clearance of 430 mm.

Purchase cost

The price of the GAZ-3409 "Beaver" all-terrain vehicle starts from 2.5 million rubles for the passenger version, the cargo version is noticeably more expensive and already costs 3.05 million rubles. Optionally, cars can be equipped with more comfortable seats with leather trim, electric windows and mirrors, and an extended multimedia system. The interior of the all-terrain vehicle is sheathed with additional sound insulation.

Such exclusive options can cost up to 4.4 million rubles.

Opinion of owners

The owners consider the GAZ-3409 "Beaver" a fairly comfortable car, even in the cargo-passenger version. The all-terrain vehicle is well suited for trips of several people for hunting and fishing in remote places. All owners note the specifics of the behavior of the car, which stops very abruptly when the gas is released or the brakes are pressed with levers. The behavior of the machine on the move is very soft due to the rubber pads on the tracks. However, on small and frequent bumps, the all-terrain vehicle begins to shake violently. At the same time, the track drive is almost silent and does not emit a metallic clang.

When driving through the mud, "Beaver" easily wins off-road UAZ. The disadvantage is the sliding of the caterpillar when driving alongslopes. On the water, the all-terrain vehicle reacts very nervously to waves and currents. Many owners criticize the poor build quality of individual machine components that have to be sorted out immediately after purchase. And the main drawback of the car, almost all owners call the price.