Why You Can’t Go Wrong with an Argo ATV
There might be times in your life when you need an Argo ATV to drive through the toughest terrain in the world and then scurry into the water like an amphibian.
You could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a massive amphibious vehicle. The likes of which you might see in the Army or the Marines.
But most of us couldn’t even fit one of those on our property, let alone afford such a thing without taking out a second mortgage on our home.
So, how are we going to get through all of our terrain challenges without bleeding money? An amphibious ATV, that’s how!
When looking at vehicles that will get you across literally any terrain, including water, an Argo ATV is the way to go.
This isn’t any old amphibious ATV. And we think you’ll agree with us once you’re done reading this article.
The ARGO ATV Has A Long History To Build Off
Amphibious vehicles have been around for a long time. Even before the gasoline engine was invented, man’s been attempting to breed land vehicles with water vehicles.
Sometimes the results were quite fascinating.
The Orukter Amphibolos
In 1805, a man by the name of Oliver Evans, inventor, and engineer, invented The Orukter Amphibolos.
Although it sounds like a spell from Harry Potter, it was actually a steam driven locomotive bred with a dredging barge. And it’s the first amphibious vehicle in history.
it was built for the Philadelphia City Council who wanted to make the Delaware River Dock area deeper off the Schuylkill river.
It weighed 17 tons and it was basically a barge with wheels attached. But it was certainly amazing for its time.
The idea didn’t catch on right away. Steam engines were both too heavy and too dangerous for small vehicles. And the roads at the time were made for carriages not cars.
But it began the long reaction that eventually sparked a new class of vehicle that includes the Argo ATV.
Various attempts were made throughout history to create amphibious vehicles. Some weren’t the best ideas.
People tried sail driven amphibious vehicles. But they would tip over in the sea due to lack of ballast.
So, the amphibious transition always seemed to be one of the main sticking points for the success of amphibious vehicles.
The Alligator Tug
One of the first marginally successful vehicles to transition from water to land and back again was the Alligator tug.
Logging companies needed a way to tug limber across dry areas of river beds. And in the 1870’s we didn’t have the combustion engine yet.
So, a steam tug needed to somehow tug timber across water and land.
The winch was the solution.
Just like the winch upgrade on your Argo ATV, the winch on that Alligator Tug was useful for getting loggers out of sticky situations.
They found that if they attached the cable to a large anchor and drop the anchor in the water on the other side of the sandbar, they could pull the boat across.
It traveled at an amazing 2 MPH. But it was still an amazing precursor to the Argo ATV.
The Landwasserschlepper, The Terrapin, And the DUKW-353
The names you see in this section’s title represent the three main amphibious vehicles used in both World Wars.
They weren’t used much in the first war. But by WWII, they were standard issue for both sides.
This is where the real amphibious vehicle revolution began. And it was an explosion.
The demand in the armed forces was high. And Ford Motors couldn’t keep up.
The boats were called DUKWs, and the name turned into the word “Ducks” And it stuck.
Today, we still call them duck boats, and if you visit any major city by a large body of water or river, you’ll probably find duck boat tours.
Today there is all manner of amphibious vehicles around, including the Argo ATV amphibious vehicle.
And it’s a great testament to the ingenuity of humanity how far we’ve come.
Argo’s Focus Was Adventure First
The first the Argo ATV was awesome. They climbed and rolled over everything.
But they fell apart fast.
As it turns out, the investors cared more about function than they did about durability at first.
Later, in 2004, their parent company, Ontario Drive and Gear came under new ownership.
This immediately changed the direction of the company.
They received a contract from the Canadian Space Agency and NASA for the construction of the moon rover that will launch in 2020.
This gave them the capital to completely re-engineer and re-design the Argo ATV.
It’s still a utilitarian vehicle with very little going for it in aesthetics. But it’s a much more durable vehicle with comfort and ergonomics a little bit better than before.
Should You Really Care About The Looks Of An ARGO ATV?
Do you care how your hammer looks? Maybe if you collect antique hammers.
The Argo ATV is a tool. It’s not something your daughter would probably want her date to pick her up in for prom. (If she does, then kudos to her.)
The look of the Argo 8X8 is a cross between a Panzer and a nylon wheelbarrow.
But that’s what makes it great.
You wouldn’t want to be worried about chipped paint when you’re plowing through the bush or crunching over rocks in a river bed.
You won’t be spending much time looking at your ride anyways. It’s just calling for you to hop in and blast through some mud and muck.
The design is minimalist in nature.
It uses motorcycle handlebars, has low profile seat backs with minimal support, The foot well is small but big enough.
It features a USB to charge your portables and a Jenson audio system to boot.
It’s brawny and bold.
It handles like a tank. A very sensitive tank that takes every twitch of your arms into account.
It turns like a tank too.
When you turn, the wheels on one side of the vehicle cease up while the others spin.
This allows the wheels to remain in one place for the later use of floatability.
The ARGO ATV Is Utterly Stable And Capable
Who would buy a vehicle without any suspension?
Anyone who wants to be able to go over anything and everything and still ride through water.
The Argo ATV relies on thick tires and low air pressure to tackle the terrain.
The ability of the tires on this thing to absorb massive shock and keep going without unseating the rider is incredible.
These wheels are bead-locked to the vehicle. But they don’t require any kind of suspension whatsoever.
It’s so stable and capable that you forget that you’re riding in an overly supped up wheelbarrow in no time.
The Engine Will Tackle Anything
Where a Jeep or a regular ATV would fail, this beast excels.
It features a 30-HP, 0.7 V-Twin engine. And that engine is attached to a 1450 vehicle (weight with engine).
The exhaust pipe is a foot long and it appropriately shoots out the top left side of the engine. You wouldn’t last long in the water otherwise.
It doesn’t have a very high top speed at about 20 mph (some models are a little bit faster), but that isn’t really a concern here.
It’s Amphibious
Of course. It’s amphibious. Why didn’t we all think of that one?
But the design of the Argo ATV, although ugly, is there for a reason.
The wheels are the propulsion both on land and water. So they have to stay in one place. And the construction has to be light enough to float and yet durable enough to cruise on land.
Once you think about it, the non-aesthetic design makes sense. Too many extra frills will make this thing completely unusable.
It’s not a fast boat. It can only cruise at a few mile per hour. But it’s an ok boat for an ATV.
Speed doesn’t matter much when your goal is either to get to the other side or just go fishing.
All Weather Capability
The upgrades for winter are incredible.
You can add a molded rubber track system to the vehicle in winter. You now really do have a tank!
Then there’s the canopy upgrade if you were worried about windburn. Adding the interior heater keeps you from getting frostbite while you’re out hunting.
If you need to get grandma and grandpa out of their snowed-in house, you can attach the 81-inch snowplow to the front and dig them out.
The Other Accessories
Argo offers any number of great additions if you want to put down some extra cash.
If you need a step up, their entry step has a saw-tooth top that will keep you from slipping.
The dump box can handle up to 1000 lbs, so you can move loads of dirt, rocks and other debris.
Expand seating with a rear bench seat, or add a flatbed deck on the back.
And if you want a little bit more speed, you can get an outboard motor bracket to attach to the front or rear of the Argo ATV.
Conclusion:
The Argo ATV is a beast for the beast in all of us. You really can’t go wrong with this incredible amphibious vehicle.
If you’re interested in buying or testing out an ATV, contact us or visit our location for more information.