am I nuts to consider buying this truck?

[Anonymous Poster]

I too would love to have one of these trucks, they just look soo cool.

I'm not sure where you live but you may want to check and see if they are selling any at your local army base. Check out Government Liquidation for sale date/times, I have never bought anything via this website but have read you can get some good deals /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[wasabi]

Great questions! Our loader will lift 1200 lbs to nine feet. While we may have occasion to load the truck with the loader, I would think most times, at least as far as gravel is concerned, we'll be unloading, typically a dump and spread affair. When we get around to building dams and such we will need to load a lot of dirt, but will likely bring in a trac-hoe for those jobs. At least for the foreseeable future hauling and spreading gravel will be the primary use.

How much trucking will 10k buy? A bunch, to be sure. In trying to convince my lovely wife of the potential benefits of having one of these cool /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif mochines I presented the following thumbnail calculations... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif...we need about twenty loads (about 1/2 crush run and 1/2 clean gravel) around the new sheds we are currently building, at least ten to twenty loads will be needed per year to beef up the roads over the next five years, and about fifty loads per year for the creek for our wasabi operation. The going haul rate where we are is 50 to 80 bucks per load...we obviously won't haul for free, but if we are saving, say 30 to 50 bucks per load, it starts to make some sense over 100 loads...and that is not counting the countless loads of dirt we will need to move to eventually constuct dams, nor occasional loads of mulch, compost, brush, etc.

Am I trying to justify an iffy purchase? Maybe /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif, but as WHarv said, we could spend a whole lot more for less of a workhorse. When, a few years from now our need for the beast tails off I suppose we could sell it, but would more likely keep it around after it pays for itself. That said, I'm still gathering info and have not made a final decision. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I much appreciate y'all's perspectives and advice!! Keep it comin'!!

Sabi

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Here's some thoughts for you.

Rock and Dirt, I think they have a substantial online presence, have numerous vendors specializing in surplus military vehicles. For your situation you might consider seriously looking at a five ton dump truck.

Your duece and a half has a good bed. In the old days quite a few fence companies used that fourteen foot bed on their trucks because it was so hardy.

I'm just not sure it would be real hardy when hauling boulders. But if you got a propylene liner, saves on the dump angle and just wear and tear, might do it.

Another place to consider purchase of same is from volunteer fire departments. They usually put water tanks in them for hauling water to fires but upgrade first chance they get. A sealed bid with a gawd's will mind set, if it's gawd's will for you to have it your bid will be high, might get you one rather reasonably priced.

For about the same dollars, eight to ten thousand, you could buy a one ton four wheel drive with a dump bed that would be servicable. You'd have to give up capacity, half or less, but your resale would be closer to a hundred percent which I don't believe you'll find with the duece and a half. After all how many wasabis are there out in the real world? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

Wasabi I drove 2 hours to Memphis a few months ago and picked one up at a sale for a freind of mine. He gave 4500 hundred for a 5 ton with a dump. The dump had a bad cylinder cost 200 bucks to fix. I drove the thing back home the 3 hours back. Noheater took my infared heater out of my work truck screwd a bottle on and tarp strapped it in the passenger seat and came on home. Its been a good truck, the kind DOT officer told me i needed CDL though if i did alot of roading. Here it goes 10 miles back roads to the quarry.

 

[wasabi]

...five ton doubles duece and a half capacity, at little over half the price. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Now I have to weigh that against the sage counsel to check out a used 1.5 ton dump /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif....I clearly gotta get some more edumication before I buy me one!!

Sabi

 

[Egon]

Remember a yard of gravel weighs in at 3000 to 3800 pounds depending on the agragate and grading.

Egon

 

[5030]

You need to park your tractor and get what we have for loading your new toy.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

If you're not fully conversant with the cute little idiocyncricys of military 2 1/2 ton trucks, such as air over hydraulic brake systems, and 24 volt electric systems, as well as a competent truck mechanic, you want to do a lot of learning before jumping into a Duce. A 5 ton is a far superior truck, especially in terms of frame. There are plenty of military trucks, both duce and 5 ton on the market at the present time, and 8 grand for a duce is HIGH $$.
As far as your chances of getting one direct from Uncle Sugar, unless you are a savvy surplus buyer, you'll get skinned. The company running the sales has a terrible reputation in the Mil Vehicle community, and the post sale paperwork will drive you nuts trying to title and register your truck.
There's a lot of information on mil trucks on www.milveh.org
Depending on your location, there should be a dealer specializing in military trucks within a few hundred miles.
Stay away from anything with a multifuel engine, they are a nightmare.
Also consider the cost of operation, these rigs are NOT known for speed (good cause the brakes suck) nor are they known for fuel mileage.

 

[dummy]

What about those good lug tires they are normally equipped with? Work extremely well off road, but leave a whole lot to be desired on a wet paved surface. Usually added to the excitement of a cross country movement! Another site to watch is GSA

 

[wasabi]

Sorry to be out of touch...I was in the woods for a few days and, when there, despite high speed satelite conection, I'm not one to surf much except for necesary business communications.

You guys are the best!. The above various important caveats are noted! I'll not make a move on the deuce plus, a five ton, nor any other, uh, tool /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif, before cross checking and confirming these important details.

I do know that whatever vehicle we end up with, while clearly not "faster than a speeding bullet", (did I mention that I came across a military fellow's claim of the World Record for land-speed of an M35 at a whopping 56.4 MPH with the pedal to the bolts and all canvas tied down), must nonetheless be able to "leap tall buildings in a single bound" (translation: climb some seriously steep logging trails with a heavy load of gravel or dirt).

Before I do anything more, I'm going to check into potential need for commercial liscence together with plates and insurance.

Sabi