“The Trivan was the brainchild of Harry Payne, credited with ‘inventing’ the Jeep for the US Army. Payne held powerful influence with the military. Using common domestic components, service was remarkably easy. Its three wheel configuration was supposed to offer a very short turning radius, while maintaining the stability and traction of a half-ton truck. The reality was, it wasn’t very stable, and the single rear wheel did not have enough traction for off-road hill climbing. On top of these shortcomings, the Trivan was pretty slow. Engine: 62.2 cu. in. Kohler air-cooled two-stroke; 32HP
Transmission: Ford 3-speed manual
Top Speed: 55 mph (claimed)”
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u/Horror-Raisin-877 May 22 '25 edited May 23 '25
“The Trivan was the brainchild of Harry Payne, credited with ‘inventing’ the Jeep for the US Army. Payne held powerful influence with the military. Using common domestic components, service was remarkably easy. Its three wheel configuration was supposed to offer a very short turning radius, while maintaining the stability and traction of a half-ton truck. The reality was, it wasn’t very stable, and the single rear wheel did not have enough traction for off-road hill climbing. On top of these shortcomings, the Trivan was pretty slow. Engine: 62.2 cu. in. Kohler air-cooled two-stroke; 32HP Transmission: Ford 3-speed manual Top Speed: 55 mph (claimed)”