Sometimes a vacuum truck is too big to reach remote, off-road locations to clean up small spills or clean small drains and sumps. The towable All-Terrain Vacuum System from Elastec/American Marine provides access to such sites.
“We basically downsized a vacuum trailer for smaller applications in places you can’t reach with a conventional truck,” says Stewart Ellis, vice president of sales and marketing. “With this lightweight machine and its low center of gravity, you can reach remote spills with minimal effect on the environment.”
The 110-gallon aluminum vacuum tank weighs 738 pounds empty and 1,664 pounds full — within the towing capacities of most large ATVs. Walking-beam suspension, which allows each pair of large, high-flotation wheels to pivot up and down independently, makes travel on rough terrain easier.
The tank chassis can carry up to 3,000 pounds, and optional tracks enable it to traverse soft ground or snow. Two full-opening doors, one on each end, make the tank easy to empty and clean. The tank has a 4-inch camlock with a valve on the rear door, two sight glasses for level indication, an automatic shut-off with a bypass valve, and two suction ports with 2- and 3-inch camlocks.
The rig is 9 feet 10 inches long with the tow bar extended, 5 feet wide with tracks installed, and 5 feet tall. The tank is removable, allowing the chassis to serve as a trailer.
The tank was originally developed to handle oil spills in environmentally sensitive areas of Alaska, where a low-equipment footprint is essential. “But we’re seeing loads of applications for customers that have to go off-road and suck up sludge, mud, oil, or clean portable restrooms or septic tanks,” Ellis says.
The tank can be used with almost any vacuum, including the All Terrain Vac from Elastec, which also can be towed by an ATV or utility vehicle along with the all-terrain tank. The pump chassis has high-flotation wheels and walking-beam suspension, and can be rigged with tracks.
A 3-cylinder diesel engine powers the pump, which delivers more than 300 cfm airflow and 15 inches Hg. The pump has a safety relief valve, a cyclonic separator, and an exhaust system. For more information, call 618/382-2525 or visit www.elastec.com.
