I have a new rig! It's an aluminium, German 4 wheeler passenger rig  - really lovely, stable and just what I needed.

I know that for the working trials next season I will need to know what it weighs, and I'd like to know anyway. The manufacturer doesn't have a website that I can find, and so I have no idea of the weight. How do those of you who did the NSDC rallies last year weigh your rigs for the races?

The rig's got a plate on it with info and phone numbers which says it is a NOWA. It was imported from Germany last year. It has a ground anchor with it which looks excellent but isn't attached at the moment. I don't know if I would be able to dig it into our granite trails, but I'd be interested in how the Fritz Dyke ones work - if I remember rightly they lift the rear wheels completely off the ground?

I had my rigs weighed using a spring weighing scale thingamyjig my dad had in his garage
The only Nowa cart i could find was a go-kart!
you do know you're not allowed to use the engine

I think somebody forgot to install the engine in mine! 





It's light enough for me to lift the brushbow, but not as light as my racing rig. It's not as heavy as my quad though. I'm not sure that will look good on the entry form though.....

If you are carrying a passenger, do you have to weigh the passenger too?

Catherine, That looks almost identical to what Phil is selling at Culpeppers.


Maybe he can tell you how much it weighs?

p.s. when can I have a ride? 

cat,  that's a Fritz Dyck cart that Culpeppers appear to be selling.

Fritz 4 wheelers are either 145 lbs or 188 lbs, and the double seaters are another 20 odd lbs..


Catherine

This pic shows the prongs of the digger brake in operation. As ypu can see, it does lift the rear wheels off the ground, transferring the weight of the rig onto the front and the digger brake. If the dogs pull forward, the brake then digs in, sort of like a plough. Depending on the surface, it may not always hold a big team, but it sure slows them down.
It is operated by a long lever, which makes it easy to apply and disengage.

That's exactly what the brake that came with mine looks like - I just can't work out how it fits and how it would lift the back wheels - maybe there's a bit missing?

I would be surprised if it was as much as 145lbs, but it could be.....I'm really rubbish at judging that sort of thing. If I could find a weighbridge would it weigh something that light? I like the idea of dangling it from the roof of Brian's Dad's garage though........ 

Cat - your place on the passenger seat is duly booked as soon as the temperatures drop enough to think about taking the gang out. This weather is so miserably hot!

Any chance of a closeup photo of the brake on yours from behind, Peter? Ideally I need the footplates extended because they are too short and so I am standing with my legs too far apart  .....risky when you're running a team! But I don't want to add anything until I have the anchor in place because being able to lift the back wheels up is more important I think.

When you are running in the trials and carrying a passenger, do you weigh your passenger as part of the rig?

I'll take a couple of photos of the brake etc tomorrow and post them here.

As for weighing the passenger.....  I'd say yes - if you think they'll admit to it   

Catherine I will have to say right now I OBJECT!!!   

I can tell you how much I weighed last time I stepped on the scales but it was about a year ago!!

Catherine,

I haven't forgotten. I have actually taken the photos - I just appear to have "mislaid" the cable for downloading the images onto my laptop.  Joyce will doubtless find it for me..............

OK, cable found, here are some of the photos. I hope they show the detail you are looking for.


Digger brake down


Digger lever up, brake not engaged, this is how it is when rolling.


Lever down, brake hooked in.


Close up of brake down


Close up of brake up

Looks like a decent piece of equipment Catherine, but just out of interest - where would the passenger put their feet as the seat looks very far forward?

When Graeme ran he used a filled water carrier for additional weight, I have used similar in the past, at Balloch I had a passenger, their weight was included with the rig weight 

HTH

The passenger's legs sort of stick out at the front, or they bend their knees and put their feet on the brushbow.

It's not perfect, but it should be a reasonable substitute for the quad once it's been converted to a tiller.

I use the quad in a similar way to Ewan - I was taught by the folk I visited in Europe that the best way to use a quad was to support the team with the engine in such as a way as it maintains a steady speed both up and down hill and prevents them running too fast. That allows them to learn the correct pace for long distance work and teaches them not to slow down up hill and charge down hill like mad things. It also prevents them from switching to anaerobic respiration and getting cramp which would reduce their endurance.

However, my main reason for using it is my disability - I need a vehicle that is heavy enough to stop and hold a team when needed so that I can manage them on my own, but of course if the fig is heavy enough to stop them it is too heavy for them to pull easily so I need the engine to help them up the hills, so keeping the pace steady and remaining under control.