(Willy's) Jeep vs. (VW) Kübelwagen vs. (VW) Schwimmwagen

[Kocjo]

Which is the best vehicle for all types of terrain?

Are there any accounts of Vet., using all three vehicles?

Regards,
Kocjo

[Tom Houlihan]

Never having been privileged enough to drive any of the three (although I got to poke around a real 1943 vintage kubel once!), my understanding is that the jeep did better overall. It was specifically designed for off-road, 4X4 type driving, where the other two were based on regular cars.

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

I would say the Schwimmwagen would win in/on deep water.

Waleed

[Tom Houlihan]

Well, define "deep water." The jeep was capable of being fitted with fording equipment for the intake and exhaust, enabling it to 'wade' through about 4 foot deep water. I'm sure the 'Schwimmer' was more fun, though!

[Dan Mouritzsen]

Hi

Two years ago I had the pleasure to try out all 3 types of vehicles on the same day, and I must say that each type has its own good and bad points. I if should pick an overall winner, it must be the Jeep, as it has the best off road qualities of them all.

Regards

Dan Mouritzsen

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Tom

By "deep" I mean swim without the wheels touching the bottom.
The "bath-tub" could float and with help from the "externeal"
engine hidden in the trunk it could be converted into a boat
using the front wheels as a rudder. If I had the choice I would
also go for Dan's choice.

Waleed

[Tom Houlihan]

Well, in that case, I would definitely choose the "Schwimmer!" Like Dan, I would take the jeep as the overall choice. If you get water that deep, just call the engineers! Bridge it, or use a ferry!

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Hi Tom

Check out this interesting site on the Schwimmer,
it has some good pictures of the car, external engine, facts, history,
stories etc.

http://www.vw166.com

enjoy

Waleed

[big_buddha]

I've driven both Kubelwagen and Jeep extensively and I'd have to say the Jeep was vastly superior off-road as it was designed for it, but this is reflected in how unrefined it is to drive on the road. The Kubelwagen is much nicer to drive on the road, but is poor off-road, I'm sure they were next to useless in Russia, where the Jeep would have handled the conditions with ease. A Jeep will go through mud that a kubelwagen will get stuck in, but a kubelwagen is much better to drive on the road. The jeep will probably be more reliable in the field too as they are very hard to break, as witnessed by how many WWII-era ones are still running. The VW engine in a Kubelwagen is very strong but underpowered for a vehicle of that type. In my opinion the good old British landrover is superior to both (and the first ones had bodies made from the aluminium of downed german bombers).

[stab131]

The jeep!

However, if you believe the History Channel's Tactical to Practical all "Baja" racers are based on the VW Type 82, since it had the best power train plan of any WWII vehicle.

But what do they know?

Jeff

[big_buddha]

I'd say that Baja Racers use the VW power train because it is so small and light compared to others. The other big advantage is the air-cooled engine which wouldn't suffer from the problems of overheating and boiling in a hot dusty desert environment. Radiators are notorious for clogging up with sand if you drive fast which would cause the engine to overheat, not a problem with a VW engine. Oh, and they would be easy to get hold of and cheap too. In my honest opinion the best powertrain from a military point of view would be the one that broke down least and was most robust.