Self-made all-terrain vehicle Sherpa Garagashyan: design, performance characteristics, modifications

Do you know anything about off-roading? No, no, don’t rush to look for photos where you and your friends are sitting on the roof of a Niva stuck in the mud and a diploma about completing, for example, Land Rover Experience courses will not be an argument. And dashing stories like “Vasyan and I decided to cut through the woods in my Land Cruiser, and nothing happened - we got there!” keep it to yourself. You don't know anything about off-roading - if you don't know about Sherpa.

History of creation

Work on the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle began in 2012. The car was first presented to the general public in 2015 at the Moscow exhibition of specialized equipment. Immediately after the demonstration, the development was launched into mass production in St. Petersburg and Kyiv, and in 2017, a branch of the manufacturer opened in Canada.

Garagashyan, fascinated by technology since childhood, began with the design and modernization of bicycles and motorcycles.

Interesting! The main goal of this talented designer is to create equipment that can overcome any obstacles, while remaining reliable and easy to use.

His first all-terrain vehicle, created long before the Sherp, used low-pressure tires. The idea turned out to be fruitful. The inventor developed many diagrams and drawings, making individual parts with his own hands, as a result of which a modern model of the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle appeared, advertised on numerous videos on the Internet.

All-terrain vehicle Sherpa

About what?..

What is Sherpa? An all-terrain amphibious vehicle on ultra-low pressure tires, the brainchild of designer Alexei Garagashyan, completely different from what you are used to thinking of as a car. Dimensions - 3400x2520x2300 mm, ground clearance - 600 mm, weight - 1300 kg, wheels 1600x600x25 will make any tire shop worker faint, and the proportions of the exterior are unusual even for lovers of all-terrain vehicles - what to say about all sorts of designers there, they will immediately get a blow.

Device

The Sherpa SUV is a real gift for hunters and fishermen. The machine will overcome any obstacles and off-road conditions, swampy areas, ponds and arctic cold, and is easy to operate and control.

Appearance of the Sherpa SUV

The first impression of the Sherpa SUV is that it is a heavy, awkward and bulky parallelepiped on huge wheels. Features of the appearance of this light tractor (the class to which the machine belongs):

• The two-seater cabin offers a one-hundred-eighty-degree view due to the use, along with the windshield, of oblique triplex side windows. The absence of a hood allows the driver to assess the terrain, right down to the front wheels. The rear compartment has a window made of polycarbonate material;
• the windshield and rear windows are equipped with wipers and mechanisms that open the exit from the car without using the doors;
• front and rear bumpers, made like a “knuckle bar”, protect the car from impacts. These structural elements have grooves for hooking up the winch cable;
• wide wheels with a high tread profile and low tire pressure provide reliable traction with the soil, while simultaneously serving as propellers when moving through water;
• The bottom of the body from the outside is smooth, without protrusions and depressions. Swedish steel of high viscosity is used. In this way, the impenetrable hull is reliably protected from below from damage by stones, protruding reinforcement, snags and logs when the bottom slides over uneven surfaces.

Aluminum is used to make the upper part of the body, which extends the life of the SUV.

Interior features

Despite the apparent limitation in size, the interior does not restrict the crew. If the need arises, the car can become a home for travelers who are isolated for up to several days.

Access to the interior is provided through the front and rear doors, which are tightly closed with airtight seals. A hatch in the ceiling of the cabin and kung (for the corresponding version) allows the crew, if necessary, to leave the vehicle if exit is not possible in any other way.

The body accommodates payload and provisions, ensuring autonomy. There are special drawers on the floor for storing food and necessary items. The inner walls are equipped with pockets and hooks for attaching equipment and tools.

The capacity of the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle, including the front compartment, is up to eight people. The number of beds is four, but comfortable sleep is possible for two at the same time. When operating in low temperature conditions, the interior is heated by a special diesel “stove”.

Directly from the cab, access to the chassis and engine is available to perform emergency repairs without going outside. The crew is given the opportunity to eliminate an emergency malfunction by raising special shields protecting the units.

Sherpa all-terrain vehicle inside

Conclusion

The designers managed to fulfill the long-standing dream of many residents of hard-to-reach places who wanted to purchase a vehicle with perfect cross-country ability that can be used in any conditions: in the snow, in a swamp, in water, etc.

According to the assurances of the project manager A. Gagashyan, work is constantly underway to improve the all-terrain vehicle, eliminate its minor shortcomings, and improve its performance. The designer spends many weeks traveling to hard-to-reach places, so he is constantly aware of all emerging problems.

All-terrain vehicle capabilities

Thanks to the air suspension, the tire pressure is automatically adjusted over a wide range due to a single valve system. If one of the wheels hits a ledge, the air supply is redistributed to the other three, balancing the body.

This feature, along with a ground clearance of 0.6 m with a wheel size of 1.6 m, allows the swamp vehicle to overcome obstacles up to 0.7 m high with an inclination angle of up to 35 degrees.

Movement speed:

• over rough terrain on land - up to 45 km/h;
• in water space - up to 6 km/h.

If necessary, it is possible to tow a trailer weighing up to 2400 kg.

When moving on water, the amphibian freely moves onto the ice, thanks to the tread protrusions.

Tire pressure can be adjusted manually or switched off. This option is convenient if the two rear wheels come off in an emergency - the all-terrain vehicle will retain the ability to move on the front ones.

Engine and gearbox

The machine is equipped with a 1.5 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine made by Japanese company Kubota with a V-shaped cylinder arrangement, running on diesel fuel. The power of the power plant is up to 44 hp. With. at 3000 rpm. The volume of the combustion chambers is 1500 cm3.

The gearbox of Sherpa all-terrain vehicles is a five-speed, mechanical type.

Sherpa all-terrain vehicle engine photo

Modifications

Currently, production of the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle has been launched in two modifications. They differ only in the presence or absence of kung.

Equipment and options

The SUV lacks traditional steering. The rotation of the right and left wheels is performed by two levers on the left side of the driver, freely moved with one hand. The torque from the engine is supplied through chain drives to the clutch. The transmission developed for the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle works partly as a differential, opening up more possibilities for the driver, with the appropriate level of training.

Sherpa is equipped;

• side lights and main headlights with high and low beam;
• tubeless wheels;
• hydropneumatic suspension;
• a video camera displaying the rear view from the car on the monitor;
• backup battery;
• unique trailer for transportation;
• fuel tanks inside the wheel hubs
• a pump that pumps air into the wheels.

Note! The power of the air pump is sufficient to continue driving when there is a hole in the wheel with a diameter of up to 5 cm.

Due to the low pressure in the wheels, the all-terrain vehicle has no springs. Shock absorption during movement is achieved by the natural elasticity of the tires.

Common noun

Sherpa - what is it? In the first of the common nouns, it is still not “what”, but “who”. A Sherpa is a person who makes a path for someone. This definition appeared in the 19th century, when English expeditions needed porters and guides to explore the Himalayas. The hardy and courageous Sherpas were ideally suited for this role.

This small people lives at the foot of Chomolungma and in Khumbu on the border with Tibet, at an altitude of 3000-4000 meters above sea level. The Sherpas came to these areas from Eastern Tibet. The name of this people is Tibetan and means “man from the east.”

In Nepal, Sherpas are engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, and in India - trade and still climb mountain peaks as porters and guides.

Specifications

The SUV is distinguished by the following technical characteristics, in addition to those indicated above:

• load capacity - up to 1 t when driving with a trailer;
• the capacity of the main and additional tanks is 58 and 4 of 50 liters, respectively;
• cruising range with full fuel filling - up to 900 km;
• fuel consumption - up to 3 l/h.

Thanks to these qualities, the Sherpa swamp vehicle model turned out to be extremely balanced, with high reliability and maneuverability. At the same time, this technique is distinguished by its excellent maintainability and unpretentiousness.

Equipment and prices

The price of Sherpa depends on the configuration, which includes two options:

• standard - basic model with a tented body, wheel covers, halogen headlights, polymer body coating, internal heater and sound insulation;
• Kung - the body is made of rigid aluminum, with a galvanized frame with an increased size of the side and rear windows.

The model range is constantly being improved, with changes in the materials used, engine characteristics and other parameters.

Prices for standard Sherpa all-terrain vehicles start at 3,800,000 rubles, which is comparable to an apartment in the Moscow region. The cost of a more advanced model of the Sherp all-terrain vehicle exceeds 4 million rubles. But, given the characteristics of the machine, it remains in demand on the market, with queues for delivery of orders up to two months.

Cabin

The cabin is designed for two people and is surprising in the absence of a steering wheel, which is usual for wheeled vehicles; it is replaced by control levers. By the way, if necessary, two people can easily sleep in the back of a car.

Sherpa seats are no different from regular car seats and, in addition to the standard ones, have additional seat belts. Between the seats there is a gearshift lever and a handbrake; in front of the driver’s seat there are pedals, control devices (at the top) and control levers (like in a tank).

One of the most important pieces of equipment is a GPS navigator, located right in front of the driver’s face; in the taiga it is more important than speed readings. But although the navigator’s monitor is large, the rest of the instrument readings can also be read without difficulty.

Exploitation

Sherpa all-terrain vehicles remain in demand for special forces of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ukrainian Emergency Situations Service. The equipment is purchased by wealthy lovers of fishing and hunting in hard-to-reach areas. No matter how much the Sherpa all-terrain vehicle costs, the product remains popular. In addition to domestic deliveries, foreign partners are actively ordering cars.

The Sherpa all-terrain vehicle model (not to be confused with Sharp) is not suitable for transporting mobile groups, since movement speed is limited. The SUV performs tasks of delivering people and food to areas with harsh climatic conditions.

Application

The Sherpa snow and swamp-going vehicle is an ideal vehicle for hunters or fishermen. Hunters can use it to climb into the most impenetrable forest thickets; when duck hunting, they can “visit” any impassable swamps where no human has ever set foot.

Sleeping places in the kung and autonomous heaters allow you to spend the night right in the taiga, and the windshield that opens forward and upward allows you to organize hunting “rooms” right in the cabin, especially if the Sherp SUV is painted “to match camouflage.”

In addition to lovers of hunting and fishing, the car will be of interest to many government agencies, for example: geological exploration, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, medical services, etc. With the help of such equipment, any of these services can easily reach any point where previously they could only be reached by helicopter.

And, of course, designers are counting heavily on military orders, because we are accustomed to the fact that our military equipment has always been the standard of practicality and reliability, and the Russian Sherp all-terrain vehicle is their embodiment.