This paper deals with commercial off-road vehicles: farm tractors, construction, logging, over-snow and recreational vehicles. Their history, their requirements, and their future trends are discussed.
Farm tractors and construction and logging vehicles evolved to satisfy a need for more power than animals were able to furnish. These vehicles went through many false starts while attempting to break away from processes based on the anatomy and power of animals. Future trends point toward more automation, bigger machines, and driver comfort.
Over-snow vehicles have specific technical requirements. It seems, however, that only recreational over-snow vehicles will proliferate because of economic opportunities. The brief history of recreational vehicles indicates that bigger, faster, more sophisticated and consumer oriented machines can be expected in the coming years.
