Pickup Question for M934 out of Randall, Minnesota

[Gunny65]

I have the money to buy an M934a1 van but the shipping to here is $4300 on average. The inspection report has all 3 stars on it, the pics look good and it says runs with jump. The other M934 has a video with sound of the engine running and shows a little bit of vapor blow-by so it seems they do a decent job of inspecting. I was thinking about renting a car and taking my tool case and diesel can, driving there, and then driving the M934 back home, (about 1100 miles) I am Northern Idaho. I am in no hurry as I am self employed and can take a week if needed. I am just wondering how trustworthy the inspection report is and if I should take the chance. Since you all have been doing this for some time, what do you think....Good, bad or go ahead a take the chance knowing there could be problems?

Thanks

 

[bikeman]

There's two guys on here, technoweenie and Alaksaboy who have bough M934 vans out of Bragg and driven them across country... one with no problems one with some problems.

You will want/need more than just a tool box. You will need some spare parts, such as 24v bulbs for the taillights and running lights, spare headlights, possibly a jack, air tools if you get a flat, and, most importantly, a credit card. I think an Air dryer is also a recommended piece of equipment.

 

[smittyjr355]

Call Greg Williamson 941 888 2366 for a shipping quote. Tell him Matt Smith recommended him to you. He will beat that price!

 

[Gunny65]

Thank you both for the info. I will get the parts suggested together AND give a call to Greg. Thanks much!

If there is anything else please feel free to provide input. This is brand new to me so I don't know much about these trucks. I work on vehicles/engines all the time but never on one of these.

Is there an easy reference for the part number equivalent for NAPA or Carquest? I am going to need to purchase the bulbs, lights, dryer etc. The air dryer, you mean for the brake system? I have a 20ton bottle jack associated equipment to reach the axle should I need to change a tire. Is there a connector that hooks into the air supply trailer connectors to run air tools?

 

[MtnSnow]

You should pickup fuel filters and some diesel fuel conditioner. As for using Air from the truck's system you will need an Air hose with a gladhand on one end and air tool coupling on the other that fits your air tools.

 

[bikeman]

If you're not overly familiar... please make sure you stop by the TM section, download, and read over the manuals.

no clue on cross over part numbers, I don't have anything that size, permanently.

 

[KaiserM109]

Two years ago my wife and I rented a car and went from Denver, CO to Ft. Benning, GA to pickup an M923A1 that said "Vehicle does not run". I could see in the photos that it had 2 flat tires, but that was the only thing out of the ordinary. The GL yard man jumped my truck to an M925 next to it and it started and ran fine.

Among a lot of other things, I took a long air hose with a glad hand connector. I aired up the tires and after a couple of hours checking it over, off we went toward Dallas, TX. It threw a water pump belt in Jackson, MS, but with the help of TMs I copied off of this site, I got it fixed.

A year later, at Christmas time we drove the truck from Texas to Denver in -20 degree weather. Because the truck had transmission oil rated for 10 to 110 degrees, it blew out the transmission 16 miles from its storage spot. The batteries died away from any electrical hook up, so we bought a small generator so that I could charge the batteries up completely off-grid.

What to take, if you have a portable tool, take it! An air hose with a glad hand connection was essential for me. A 700 watt generator (or bigger) and a 24 volt battery charger will be welcome sometime in the life of your truck. RE charger I highly recommend a NOCO G26000 ($200) or a NOCO G7200 ($100) if your pinching pennies and can tolerate an 8 hour re-charge time.

Good luck, and above all, BE SAFE. I don't care what you can crank your RPMs up to, 55 MPH is the fastest you should be driving. You will find that there is a big difference in the MPG between 50 MPH and 55 MPH.


PS As bikeman said, copy all the TMs for your truck onto a laptop computer. I would have NEVER figured out how to tighten the water pump belt with out them.

 

[Gunny65]

I called Greg. Yes, he had a much better price. If I get the M934 for a low price I will use his services.

If I have to pay close to max allowed, I will go pick it up and hope for the best on the way home. I Will take the extras that everyone suggested if I go pick it up though.

What about trip permits? I guess I better call Idaho dmv tomorrow and get the scoop. Is there anything I need to tell the dmv in order to make getting a trip permit easier?

Yes, I did bid on a truck today. I will find out Wednesday how it goes. Here's hoping nobody else is interested in this one.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

For what it's worth, I have mine insured through Progressive Commercial. FULL coverage on the truck and liability. $812/year. Didn't have to do anything crazy, and they know EXACTLY what it is (never mislead an insurance company.) I was able to do everything over the phone, with the exception of them emailing me a sheet that required my signature. I printed it out, signed it, and sent it in. But I was insured instantly, even though the sheet they sent for me to sign didn't arrive until several days later. In fact, the whole process, with a few back and forth calls only took about 2 hours. Did it a few hours before I went to pick up the truck from the parking lot where it was being displayed. Even though the trip back to my house was only 10 miles, I wanted to play it safe and have it insured just in case.

Good luck with your bid dude! Hopefully you will be joining us soon with a ride of your own

 

[porkysplace]

This thread may be of some help to you
[h=3]Insurance[/h]The mods frown on insurance discussions and usually lock the threads .

 

[Gunny65]

This thread may be of some help to you
Insurance

The mods frown on insurance discussions and usually lock the threads .

I have read that, thank you. I was not trying to discuss insurance per say but talk out what I need to do in preparation for rescuing my "possible" new truck and see if I am missing anything from those who have done this before. Personal experience helps tremendously. Thank you to all that have helped. Please do not upset the Mods and discuss specific insurance issues. However, thank you Johnny for providing your personal experience and insight. I appreciate all the help I can get.

OH! And I just finished downloading all the applicable TMs listed in the stickies. Thanks to those who took the time to post those. They will help for sure. I also found an outlet to get all my parts in preparation for the pickup, Filters, seals, lights, air hose/glad hand setup, etc. The only tool I am missing is a 1" impact wrench. I guess it is time to visit Harbor Freight or Ebay. If this truck I bid on does not come through, there will be others so getting these items will not be in vain.

 

[wreckerman893]

An M934 cannot be shipped (legally) on anything other than a Removable Gooseneck Trailer (RGN) and they tend to cost more unless you catch someone deadheading back your way that will cut you a deal.

 

[Gunny65]

So far the lowest price I have gotten for shipping is between $3300 and $3800 depending upon who is coming this way at the time and a few other issues. If I do this on my own the diesel will run about $750, the car/gas there about $275 for one way rental, truck pieces and parts to take with me maybe another $300 or so, food and probably a hotel for one night is about $120. There is always some extra costs. I figure anywhere from $1450 to $1800 for me to go pick it up myself AND if nothing else goes wrong. If things go wrong, the sky may be the limit. I would love to save that extra cash for fixing the truck up so I am leaning on going and getting it myself. I have all the TMs downloaded. The only tool I will need to purchase is a 1" air impact wrench and a air hose/glad hand. I have everything else. I guess I could give it a shot and if things go wrong, have it delivered. I am one to think it will be okay. I just need to do a deep once over before I pull it out of the storage yard.

Should I just take some new batteries with me? What is a good NAPA part number for the batteries. NAPA and Carquest is all I have around here. I downloaded a parts reference from this site but didn't see a battery listed.

 

[Jon Giovani]

I called Greg. Yes, he had a much better price. If I get the M934 for a low price I will use his services.

If I have to pay close to max allowed, I will go pick it up and hope for the best on the way home. I Will take the extras that everyone suggested if I go pick it up though.

I gotta find out how to insure it for the trip home. So far USAA has been good to me. I will call them and see if they will insure it. Oh, what about trip permits? I guess I better call Idaho dmv tomorrow and get the scoop. Is there anything I need to tell the dmv in order to make getting a trip permit easier?

Yes, I did bid on a truck today. I will find out Wednesday how it goes. Here's hoping nobody else is interested in this one. ��

I guess insurance must really be different in other states,.I have my M925 insured on my Nebraska Farm Bureau policy, full coverage and road side assistance up to $100.00 per incedent. Annual premium, $187.00 per year.

 

[therooster2001]

Is there an easy reference for the part number equivalent for NAPA or Carquest? I am going to need to purchase the bulbs, lights, dryer etc.

There is a part cross reference right in the 5 ton stickies.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?t=82404

If you go (it's fun), know where the closest NAPA is or bring oil, filters, etc. I would have all of it ahead of time, as sometimes they are out of stock. Bring pretty much all of your tools, you never know what might have an issue. Zip ties, hearing protection, cell phone, separate battery for cell, and some iPod or tunes.

 

[m715mike]

So far the lowest price I have gotten for shipping is between $3300 and $3800 depending upon who is coming this way at the time and a few other issues. If I do this on my own the diesel will run about $750, the car/gas there about $275 for one way rental, truck pieces and parts to take with me maybe another $300 or so, food and probably a hotel for one night is about $120. There is always some extra costs. I figure anywhere from $1450 to $1800 for me to go pick it up myself AND if nothing else goes wrong. If things go wrong, the sky may be the limit. I would love to save that extra cash for fixing the truck up so I am leaning on going and getting it myself. I have all the TMs downloaded. The only tool I will need to purchase is a 1" air impact wrench and a air hose/glad hand. I have everything else. I guess I could give it a shot and if things go wrong, have it delivered. I am one to think it will be okay. I just need to do a deep once over before I pull it out of the storage yard.

I'll toss in my ...

Driving a M934 1,100 miles home is certainly more risky than having it trailered home. However, with more risk comes the potential for more reward! If you decide to recover the truck yourself, you will embark on a journey that you'll remember for the rest of your life. I'm sure you will face some challenges, but you will also have fun and will tell the story for a long time to come.

Risk can be mitigated but not eliminated. It sounds like you are off to a good start. You are asking some good questions, have the TMs downloaded, acquiring parts and have experience working on vehicles. Just keep in mind that if something big goes wrong, the overall recovery cost could well exceed the transportation quotes you are getting. I say make an informed decision based on your tolerance for potential risks and then enjoy your truck!

 

[Gunny65]

There is a part cross reference right in the 5 ton stickies.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?t=82404

If you go (it's fun), know where the closest NAPA is or bring oil, filters, etc. I would have all of it ahead of time, as sometimes they are out of stock. Bring pretty much all of your tools, you never know what might have an issue. Zip ties, hearing protection, cell phone, separate battery for cell, and some iPod or tunes.

Yep, I downloaded that cross reference sheet. Thanks for the link though. What I didn't find on the cross reference sheet (maybe I am missing it) was the NAPA part number for replacement batteries. Anyone have those? The truck inspection sheet said it started with a jump but would not start again after being turned off then back on. Either the batteries are bad or just need some serious charging. I imagine those batteries are quite old and have been sitting there for some time. I would rather just replace them all and know for sure I am good to go.

 

[Gunny65]

m715Mike, I agree. The risk can be mitigated but not eliminated. Since I have the freedom to take my time on the trip, I think I am going to go recover it myself. I will take Gregs number with me just in case things go terribly wrong. I don't think they will though. They did a good job of picture taking during thier the inspection. They said it did start and function. There were no detectable leaks that I could see in the pics. The tires didn't have any flat "wear marks" as I have seen on some trucks. You know what I mean, that oval side wall muddy spot where it sat for months on a flat tire. These tires looked very good. It is the internal hidden things the kind of concern me. Oh and the long drive after sitting for who know how long with no maint being done to it. That can cause problems that don't show up initially but may show up about an hour down the road when everything is warmed up. I am not going to overly worry about it. I will just go as prepared as I can be for small things I can fix on the road and hope for the best.

Even if I don't win on this M934 I will keep trying until I get one. That is why I am trying to list things I am doing to get ready. I figure if I am missing something important, somebody will pipe up and let me know. I am a bit antsy waiting for the final day though. Getting prepared is helping pass the time.

Thanks to everyone and the help given.

 

[porkysplace]

Your not going to find stock replacement batteries at your local store . Many guys have adapted to 2 type 31 batteries but I doubt this is something your going to do on a DRMO lot. And keep in mind running it with bad batteries will fry the alternator.

 

[juanprado]

O reillys can special order with a day or 2 6tl batteries:
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBL/6TL.oap?ck=Search_6tl_-1_1382&keyword=6tl

Napa warehouse stores at their distribution centers carry them in stock or smaller outlying stores can get them within a day:
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...6TL-750-NAPA-Batteries/_/R-NBD7256_0006503629