Modern Vespa

Please don't, this is an interesting project and to those of us that don't access to the tools and don't have your skill set it's very interesting

Ditto. I haven't participated in this thread but have been following it with high interest. Please keep posting.

Best
Miguel

Load the scooter and give it a try, i bet it works fine!

I'm not saying that it won't work. Notice the in my post. I was pointing out that with an extension causing leverage, you are putting more than the weight of the bike on the front suspension. I thought we are on this site for a free exchange of information.
You do excellent work. If you're attitude matched your workmanship, this would be a great thread.

I'm just ABOUT to take the gloves off, but first, 1 more kind response,,,,,,,
if the QUESTIONS and COMMENTS were valid and showed ANY reasoning in physics or engineering,,,,,THIS WOULD BE A GREAT THREAD !!!

I'll stop there so as not to hurt anyone's feelings.

The guys that know what they're talking about know which guys I'm referring to. Some of the questions/comments show they have NEVER owned or driven a Ford Super Duty F250 and have ZERO clue in physics or engineering. Probably never owned or driven anything but a Prius.

Nice copy/paste of a diagram. Do you have ANY idea how much a snowplow rig weighs compared to this Vespa? Any idea?
Vespa= 360 lb
Carrier= 40 lb

Snowplow rig = go see, I don't have time.


I welcome negative karma because I don't believe in karma, I believe in God.

If the only reason the carrier is so low is to clear the headlights, could an extra set of headlights be added, like for a snow plow on a pickup truck?

So why are you on this forum

wow!...looks good!...load it up and take it for a rip and let us know how it goes...and yea a quality snow plow is much heavier

Hey Witness. I've been following your thread and appreciate your post and the build. Very cool. When you said a couple weeks ago that your truck can hold a snow plow, I realized it will easily hold the Vespa. Snow plows are heavy and the truck takes a lot of load when plowing snow.

MV, like all sites, have all sorts a people. Some argumentative, some really interested in the engineering details, others just trying to learn, others less vocal. Whenever I find someone getting argumentative to me, whether they are or its just my perception, I just stop responding. Life's too short.

Cheers!
Miguel

Good idea and advice. Appreciate it !!!

He's spreading the gospel of front hitch carriers at the moment.

Maybe an uncalled for comment? And to follow it up with a "popcorn" which means, "Now I'll stand back and watch the fireworks?" Come on man.

Less than 300 lbs? Or do you use a different setup?

https://www.realtruck.com/k2-snow-plows/

Please do not stop. We have talkers and do'ers here. You are a do'er and we need more people like you back on the forum.

As for Karma....".if you are talking behind my back you are close enough to kiss my ass"

lol just because you can find a light weight truck plow doesn't mean that's the capacity for a 3/4 ton f250...an f150 can handle a 400lb plow just fine...maybe look up the Front Gross Axle Weight Rating (FGAWR) of his year f250...

here's a plow that's over 400lbs...
https://www.westernplows.com/products/midweight/

here's their plow matching guide...
http://quickmatch.westernplows.com/vehinfo.asp?_ga=2.145969524.1971767922.1545319757-1355627250.1545319757

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

This post was not quite
What we were hoping to see
Try again, perhaps?

Enough discussion of the karma system already!

Jess implemented it years ago, and it has served very well. No more tweaks will be made to it. Get over it.

FAQ: Post Ratings and Karma

and from the posting guidelines: Now can we please get back to discussing this awesome front hitch design.

Thank you jimc.

I've redesigned it for you Witness. Should now be MV approved.

There are some options for getting it up there. A crane, a circus canon, or a spiral ramp all the way round your truck.

The thing on top is supposed to look like a scooter.

Now you're talking! Nothing less than helpful, this place.

What's that little triangle on the bottom?


Kind of wondering though if we should cross-post this...at least on the basis of artistic merit....

Let's Draw Scooters!

I believe the scientific name for that triangle is the tippy point.

I'm no engineer, so I'll have to take your word for it.

Well, I am an engineer, and I approve this message.

Keep an eye to trans temp, was going to do that with an ATV and it just blocked way to much air from the radiator.
It wasn't the engine I was worried about, it was the trans cooler not getting good air when towing.
You already blocked a good chunk with that bar light you installed. Right in front the the trans cooler too if it is set up like the 2000 Super Duty.

Bah! No worries I'm sure!
I mean really, how much air does a snow-plow block?

Oh, and let's let witness tell me I'm a fool for not considering snow-plows are used in winter.

You know how often auto trans go out in automatics that don't have an extra trans cooler with a fan fail in a big snow LOTS.
We lost every automatic pick up that was plowing in the big snow here a few years ago in my hood. Every one had a trans failure. (edited: State contracted) This snow was killing everything but it ate autos.
I know this as I have a friend in the state office that dispatches the plowes. He was telling me all the auto pickups were failing.
This was a HUGE snow for our area and was just too much for the small trucks.

I towed for a long time with a 2000 version of that truck, the trans is the weak link and heat is the main killer.

And they aren't towing a big trailer or in the hot summer with that snow plow on either. He has that scooter on the front for a reason which I am betting is to tow a trailer.

Schooled again!







PS, there was some white font in my post above.

Snow blocks the trans cooler, overheats.

With a plow on the front snow doesn't get to the grill in amounts large enough to block the air flow. It is the lack of Axillary trans coolers with FAN. The low speed and lack of air flow just kill the trans.

It's likely a combo of low speed, high load, and blocking the airflow.

But it's irrelevant now we've decided to put the scooter on the roof.

I think it's a work of art and he will have zero cooling issues.

Amen.

Just use common sense people. I would think anyone who plans, designs, fabricates and welds like we've seen in these photos, is very unlikely to make such a mistake in planning.

I find it entertaining how folks who couldn't touch this quality level of work will back-seat drive with suggestions and speculation on how it "should be done," even prior to learning the results of OP's work.

My two cents.

I am hoping to make sure he does understand the cooling issue so he doesn't take out a $1500 to $2500 trans
Hung out on a towing forum for a long time when I was towing a travel trailer, just because someone can build something doesn't mean they understand the cause and effect

I see these pickups with a big on Gen Set sitting in front of the radiator and huge camper in the bad and wonder how many trans they have gone through.

If he has a diesel the trans is the weak link

I agree with Jet Peddler. This man designs and builds stuff with his hands. You chase magical electron beams. Do you have a truck? Do you know witness? Have you done this project before? If you answer NO to any of those questions I for one request you back off and let the man finish his story!

(JimC, I am sorry for my rant and I won't do it again)

. I am talking about sniw packed into the radiator, not in this case where the scooter on the front would not blick enough air to matter. This rack should have worked great, i have seen it done many times while rving. Have towed a thirty foot travel trailer with a one ton and the front rack would have made no difference.

+1

But what colour will it be painted?

Black. Has to be bad-ass black.
Or red. For some reason it seems most snow-plows are red.
I don't know why, as it can't be for visibility.
You know, most recent fire engines are sort of a lime-yellow?
It's cuz you can see them better at night, which is when most fires happen.
Which begs the question why do most fires happen at night?
Of course, most alcohol is consumed at night, so that may be a reason.
Do you think drunk people driving can see those lime-yellow fire engines better...?

Nice rack, by the way.

And thanks for giving me a chance to say 'nice rack' in public without, um, repercussions.

Well this has been an interesting and confusing read

I'm pretty sure I side with JP on this but there seem to more underlying sub plots here than a GRRM novel. OK maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. More like one of his short stories.

What really amazes me is that there is an active towing forum? I mean yeah sure.. it's a big industry and all I guess. Now THAT forum forum I'd have to think would be mostly male. Your daily respectable tow truck girl thread I bet is an active one.