The Cat R/T 444 rough-terrain bed truck from Camex is designed for ease of use in extreme oilfield rig moving operations. Using a Cat 740 ejector dump truck as its base platform, the truck features a hydraulically operated octagonal gin pole (engineer-rated at 130,000 pounds) and electronic weight indicator with in-cab read-out. The pole has a standard working height of 31 feet.
Bed components include Camex's standard rig-up package, hydraulic winches that include a 7-foot center lift roll and 12 3/4-inch main live tail roll with 7-foot roll height and oversized 66- by 25-inch floater tires to handle heavy loads in soft, muddy and challenging off-road conditions. When not in use, the pole lays countersunk in a steel trough with a mesh bottom that allows water and debris to filter through. Both the octagonal pole and bed subframe are made of T1 steel.
The octagonal pole offers a safer alternative to twin gin poles commonly used on bed trucks, says Robb Brandl, designer and manager for Camex Equipment winch rig-up division. "The unique octagonal pole that I designed has a 5:1 safety ratio. It will stand up to unlimited vertical loads and substantial side loading and abuse. In our live yard testing, we lifted an 80,000-pound vertical load and 46,000-pound side load at 20 degrees offset. Safety and security was of paramount importance and the primary driving force behind the octagonal pole's design."
The bed truck is equipped with two-speed hydraulic planetary winches – the main is a Tulsa RN130 (65 ton, 1 1/4-inch line) and the secondary is a Tulsa RN60 (30 ton, 1-inch line). All hydraulic functions are controlled from inside the cab.
"Visibility and maneuverability are the superior aspects of the unit, which ultimately enhance the operator's situational awareness," Brandl says. "We put (day and night infrared) cameras on the sides and the back. The cameras also are voice-activated, so if your assistant or other workers are outside the truck and you are unable to see them, you can hear them. And that's a big asset when the back of the roll is over 7 feet high."
The truck stands 12 feet tall and 13 feet, 2 inches wide from the outside tires. The 100,000-pound truck is 56 feet long. Bed width is 12 feet, 6 inches and rated to carry 150,000 pounds. The steel and wood deck has independent 7-inch lift rolls for quick unloading and a bolt-on Holland heavy-duty fifth wheel for attaching an oilfield float. Dual-skirt push bars provide fine adjustment of components, while articulated steering adds efficiency and maneuverability in tight areas. "The reason we went with the Caterpillar platform is its proven drivetrain," Brandl says.
Safety measures include oversized rear view and large convex mirrors for greater visibility at long distances, wider steps, reinforced handrails and easy-access air-over-hydraulic hand controls.
"When we build these trucks, we take into account that they're going to work off-road, they're going to get dirty and we try to make them as easy to clean as possible," Brandl says. "That may seem like a small thing, but for the operator ... we don't want him to spend a day washing it. There's less corrosion when he can keep it clean, and they'll get more life out of the unit." 877/955-2770; www.camex.com.
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