ATV 350
From Reach
Originally designed as a Chinese troop transport, the half-tracked ATV 350 has become a staple of travelers on Reach
Contents |
Locomotion
The 350 utilizes a venerable half-track system. Conventional wheels in front provide the handling of a wheeled vehicles, with a set of crawler tracks in the rear to add cross-country power. The 350 is fairly fuel hungry; it's 50 tin fuel tank carries it 800 miles before needing to refuel.
Design
The 350 looks like something out of an old Earth World War 2 movie. A compartment for the engine juts out in front of an enclosed main cabin. The main cabin seats three, with room behind the seats for supplies and a single cramped cot. Generally, three people man a 350 in shifts: one driver, one navigator, and one asleep in the cot, allowing the vehicle to drive around the clock. The main cabin connects to the rear cabin through a small hatch. The rear cabin has two collapsible benches which each seat five, and additional standing room for five more, leading to a total capacity of 18 crew and passengers. Without passengers, the rear cabin can be used to carry several tons of cargo. On the stock model, both cabins are fully enclosed and armored, making it ideal for operation in Reach's more corrosive environments.
Cost and Maintenance
Reliability is the main selling point of these vehicles. Every component is tough, corrosion resistant, and backed up by another redundant part. Many owners love to tell stories about their 350's driving into town heavily damaged, usually ending: "And I swear, I left half of the engine 600 miles out on the savanna, and it still brought me home." Maintenance is cheap and easy; 350's in the hands of competent mechanics with access to spare parts generally outlive their owners, and cost only a few tins a month to keep going.
Prices vary heavily, depending on condition and customizations, but a stock 350 in decent condition would sell for about 2000 tins.
Customizability
350's find themselves in a variety of roles, and are frequently highly customized. The modifications are too numerous to recount, but some of the most popular include: improved ventilation system to keep the cabins cool, removing the armored cowling on the rear compartment to carry more cargo in safer regions, numerous engine upgrades to improve efficiency and power, and all sorts of weapon mounts.
Common Upgrades:
Miscellaneous
350 owners get awfully attached to their vehicles, often giving them custom paint jobs, identifying marks, and modifications to fit their purposes. Almost no two 350's look alike. Explorers and traders love the 350 for it's reliability, versatility, and cargo capacity, making it one of the most common vehicles on Reach.
