V-Plows and weight

[kelly-p]

I see on another fishing forum it is being stated that if a truck with a "heavy" V-Plow made it the ice should be O.K. for pickups. That is not true. The V-Plows do not weigh all that much.

The trucks plowing out there now are older trucks that are very light with ALL extra weight cut off, even the box's removed. They have one person in them with no extra weight. They do not weigh as much as a pickup with two people and their fishing gear. Plus the V-Plow spreads the weight out over a far larger area. They are basicly balancing on their front tires. They also have skids welded on underneath them so that if the front tires break through they will slide along to better ice rather then snag the edge of the ice on a cross member, rear end, etc,.

Do not automaticaly assume that because the V-Plow made it that the ice is O.K. there.

[milnortech]

if i read it right they also said to check with the resort owner before heading out. but thanks for clearing up the weight issue. most people just dont know.

[Random guy]

I got to thinking about this and this is what I came up with:

A 2006 Ford F-150 comes in with a curb weight of 4,500-4,700lbs depending on options and extras off the showroom floor. This is a empty truck with zero gear in it. Chop all that up and look up the footprint of the standard tire to come on a Ford F-150 and figure out the pounds per sqaure inch you will come up with 18lbs per inch spread over a 144 inch wheel base or a piece of ice 96 squares, roughly.

Now take a 1985 F-150 custom cab with a curb weight of 4200 and strip off the box, all the things removed to make a plow rig the truck looses about 420 lbs. So now you are at 3,780lbs. Now add the plow, frame, hydro lift and skid beams you gained 730 lbs on average so you come in at 4,500 lbs. 200lbs less then a standard truck and thats all that goes in, no gear, coolers multiple passengers or other items of weight.

Now this is where it gets to float. A plow truck has the foot print of the plow edges and skids on the ice making for less pounds per sqaure inch, roughly four pounds per sqaure inch less spread out over 260" inches of "wheel base" (even if some of the base slides instead of rolls)or a piece of ice 168 square verses the 96 sqaures of the street truck. We are talking a huge difference!

Now another thing to factor in is surging or suspension travel. Most trucks get to bounce up and down as they travel making that nice ride. Of course when this is happening the truck is forcing up and down like a hyper kid jumping on the bed and we all know what happens to a bed after the kids jumped on it all while the babysitter watched TV. Plow trucks normaly have the suspension pinned down or chained for towing big skid ice houses and keeping the truck under control when plowing.

Now you get into those skids Kelly mentioned. When the tires break though the truck lands on the skids and slides along as the front tires pop back onto the ice. Now this sounds trajic as heck but really it just feels like you hit a sluch pocket ot a patch of rough ice. So the plow truck may have just broke up the ice and didn't even know it with the best of intentions. SO you may think you are following the plow but during early ice you may be following the ice breaker.

All in all a plow truck impacts the ice much less then a standard street truck so don't let them fool you. They may look big and heavy but as we know about pick-ups around these parts looks aren't everything.

[InTheSchool]

Who the heck was your math teacher? I am very impressed! (I didn't check your work so I hope it just isn't the "captain" talking...)

Everyone...Just trust Kelly, Buddy, Tim, and the rest of the plow operators. It just isn't worth second guessing them,

[reelguy]

with posts like that, Jon just gives truth to his "signature" about throwing his dreams and money away! But being a rich number cruncher doesn't seem nearly as fun as being a poor fisherman!! Good choice Jon.