Quick review of Astro Tuff Truck (UK Built)

[athornett]

Wow! Last week purchased Stacey's Astro Tuff Truck off her. Thanks Stacey for sale! Lovely piece of kit well made robust stable and the inflatable tyres make pulling my heavy astrophotography setup in amd out across grass a breeze. I need a knee replacement and needed something easier to move and more stable than the homemade dolly I have used last 5 years. It had done a great job but physical illness meant this was time was something better.....and the Astro Tuff Truk definitely seems to do the job well.

My version is one with pier - great addition - and EQ6 plate on top of pier - needed to provide my own north post - I really don't know why manufacturers don't provide north posts for these things - and optional accessory tray - in my view not really optional but necessary!

Comes in bright white nicely done.

Highly recommended. And it is UK built.

The photos show the Astro Tuff Truk with my homemade dolly next door to it.

More photos on my website www.astronomy.me.uk

Andy

Edited June 8 by athornett

[TiffsAndAstro]

8 minutes ago, athornett said:

Wow! Last week purchased Stacey's Astro Tuff Truck off her. Thanks Stacey for sale! Lovely piece of kit well made robust stable and the inflatable tyres make pulling my heavy astrophotography setup in amd out across grass a breeze. I need a knee replacement and needed something easier to move and more stable than the homemade dolly I have used last 5 years. It had done a great job but physical illness meant this was time was something better.....and the Astro Tuff Truk definitely seems to do the job well.

My version is one with pier - great addition - and EQ6 plate on top of pier - needed to provide my own north post - I really don't know why manufacturers don't provide north posts for these things - and optional accessory tray - in my view not really optional but necessary!

Comes in bright white nicely done.

Highly recommended. And it is UK built.

The photos show the Astro Tuff Truk with my homemade dolly next door to it.

More photos on my website www.astronomy.me.uk

Andy

This looks great

[JeremyS]

Looks brilliant.👍🏻

All it needs now is an engine 🤔

[TiffsAndAstro]

18 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Looks brilliant.👍🏻

All it needs now is an engine 🤔

the three posts by the each wheel 'snap down' and lock? so if you did a polar alignment you could drop them in the same place/position each time? on a patio?

dare i ask how much this cost? oops asked wrong person, sorry

Edited June 9 by TiffsAndAstro

[bosun21]

5 hours ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

the three posts by the each wheel 'snap down' and lock? so if you did a polar alignment you could drop them in the same place/position each time? on a patio?

dare i ask how much this cost? oops asked wrong person, sorry

Look up their website for the prices. They have several different designs.

[TiffsAndAstro]

48 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

Look up their website for the prices. They have several different designs.

wow they're pretty reasonably priced. im quite amazed. hand delivered too by the looks of it.

i love people who make this sort of stuff, especially in the uk. 

they should look at offering a variant with metal rollers/railway spindle type wheels that could run along a rail and lock at a pre fixed point near the end.

could use a simple shed with doors and roll it out on the rails into exact place every night

Edited June 9 by TiffsAndAstro

[carastro]

I know that at least one of the two people who make and sell these is an amateur astronomer just like all of us.  

[Carbon Brush]

1 hour ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

they should look at offering a variant with metal rollers/railway spindle type wheels that could run along a rail and lock at a pre fixed point near the end.

If you have a specific requirement, why not talk to them?
At PAS I found them very helpful and interested inexpanding the range.

[TiffsAndAstro]

38 minutes ago, Carbon Brush said:

If you have a specific requirement, why not talk to them?
At PAS I found them very helpful and interested inexpanding the range.

no i have no use for that but who knows in the future? i just think its a neat idea and at 500kg load will be just about able to handle the telescope i'll get one day

[TiffsAndAstro]

2 hours ago, carastro said:

I know that at least one of the two people who make and sell these is an amateur astronomer just like all of us.  

i think they'd have to be, its so specialised.

500kg maximum load! im currently bidding on Hubble for when its finally decommissioned on ebay. now i know what i can put it on to move it around the garden. 

[AstroTUFFTRUK]

Thank you everyone for the great comments and ideas I like the "roll out TRUK" idea, that's the beauty of hand built gear, anything is possible.

The best part of this venture is helping people get back out there and enjoy this beautiful hobby. We had an absolutely wonderful old chap of 82 call

us a while back as he just got back into astronomy and wanted a solution to get his 10" Celestron dob in and out without bothering his lovely wife.

The joy of seeing him be so happy with getting set up and packed up with one hand was a reward i can't but words to, meeting people at the shows

and talking about how to solve problems is great fun and basically where all the models evolve from, you, the astronomer

Unlike most other companies out there this is a side hobby for us but one we put a lot of love into, each TRUK we hand build is a personal journey

with that customer, with many emails or phone calls to make sure we get the right solution for them and their set up so we have made a lot of new

friends along the way all over the world now to which we are beyond grateful.

Big thanks to Mike for letting us show his picture.

Clear skies all 🔭

[TiffsAndAstro]

9 minutes ago, AstroTUFFTRUK said:

Thank you everyone for the great comments and ideas I like the "roll out TRUK" idea, that's the beauty of hand built gear, anything is possible.

The best part of this venture is helping people get back out there and enjoy this beautiful hobby. We had an absolutely wonderful old chap of 82 call

us a while back as he just got back into astronomy and wanted a solution to get his 10" Celestron dob in and out without bothering his lovely wife.

The joy of seeing him be so happy with getting set up and packed up with one hand was a reward i can't but words to, meeting people at the shows

and talking about how to solve problems is great fun and basically where all the models evolve from, you, the astronomer

Unlike most other companies out there this is a side hobby for us but one we put a lot of love into, each TRUK we hand build is a personal journey

with that customer, with many emails or phone calls to make sure we get the right solution for them and their set up so we have made a lot of new

friends along the way all over the world now to which we are beyond grateful.

Big thanks to Mike for letting us show his picture.

Clear skies all 🔭

This is great stuff. Sadly the only similar gear I have compared to the gent with his dob  is a matching purple top

Good luck with your business.

[Stephenstargazer]

Had a look at the lads website and can imagine a solution for my next 🫰 house, where portability, storage and several viewing positions may have to be resolved. The fact that they are bespoke will be key to fitting my present pier on their truck plus a nice little mower shed.........🤔