Why didnt the military just update the older m1070s?

[Hawssie]

With most of the M1070s I have seen for sale being so low mile and relatively new I was wondering why the Army didnt just update them like the new model, with the Cat C18, newer 7 spd Allison and new model 1 spd transfer case, instead of replacing them with a completely new unit. But then I was looking at the M1070F that England uses and noticed the new hood/bumper. I wonder if this is because the C18 (straight six) is longer then the V8 its replacing, maybe the chassis had to be changed too? And with that it wasn't worth updating at this point. But I am not sure if all the newer models have this new hood design or if its just an English thing. By the way I AM GLAD THEY ARE REPLACING THEM! And I like the original hood better.

 

[Hawssie]

heres a bigger picture

 

[Hawssie]

Look how much longer the front end is

 

[wreckerman893]

One of the first things I noticed when I was training on the HETT at Fort Stewart in 1995 was that the engine was so far under the cab that it was going to be a PITA to work on. I had several heated discussions with the Oshkosh trainers that had been sent down to give us the required 80 hour block of instruction on the vehicle. In my opinion the truck was designed by retired Transportation Corps officers and some engineers that couldn't spell truck much less design one that made any sense. For what the government spent on one of these rigs you could have militarized two civilian trucks that would have done the job a lot better. This vehicle system had boondoggle written all over it. It's my understanding that to swap out an engine the cab has to be removed and maybe the new design addressed this issue. These trucks are not very practical for civilian use but they dam sure have a cool factor.

 

[CARNAC]

Do not equate civilian logic for government logic. What seems logical to you has different issues, concerns, politics, and priorities when you look at govt stuff. Life span of a vehicle is 25 yrs. Adapting the older models to carry the armored cab probably in the end just wasn't cost effective based on their age (to include age when the last one would have been retrofitted had they went that route) and other factors. Also, now some politician gets to say he brought home some bacon.

 

[DieselBob]

" In my opinion the truck was designed by retired Transportation Corps officers and some engineers that couldn't spell truck much less design one that made any sense." " This vehicle system had boondoggle written all over it. It's my understanding that to swap out an engine the cab has to be removed ".

I think I know were that guy went to work designing other vehicles.

 

[Flyingvan911]

Someone's brother or cousin wanted a contract to build whole new trucks for the military. Approved! (For a piece of the action.)

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

There was probably no way to cost-effectively do a Recap/ Re-buy program on the existing M1070s because, as others have noted, everything on the early model trucks was designed around the DD powerplant and transmission etc. and the newer transmissions and Clatterpillar engines just wouldn't fit without an extensive redesign that likely would've approached the cost of a new truck. Plus, I think all the HETs and FMTVs coming out at the moment are a dividend of the overall post-Iraq/ post-Afghanistan drawdown more than anything else, and that many beasts of burden are just no longer needed for the imaginary trimmer, slimmer military needs of the next decade or so. In addition, I think there's a conscious drive on to get the entire military vehicle fleet closer to current EPA standards which may be a significant factor in surplusing low-miles trucks with Detroit Diesel 2-stroke power which we really should probably be keeping in case of emergency.

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

And they *are* a cool looking truck. I was going to pick one up for work, but apparently they won't haul anything like a civvy-side commercial trailer, so you're stuck looking for a surplus M1000 trailer (which you won't find, as I believe they're all currently underneath Abrams See, now...a nice M1070/ M1000 combination would be just the thing to go hit up the Jacques Littlefield auction in Cali...because how *else* are you going to drag your Sherman or Leopard or M901 home? Pays to think ahead.