which truck series is the best/most reliable

[ihscoutsniper]

dealers licsence in the plan right after we see how easy/hard it is to offload the first oneIhave talked to a few places doing the bobs , say they average 1 sale every 3 weeks,
That would be great but think 1 every month or 2 probably safer bet.only time will tell.
Want to make sure I don't half ass it either, rather take my time and make sure it gives someone years of pleasure , only problem is have to recoup that in sales price.
Also my major concern is trying to school potential buyers that these are slow lumbering trucks and to not heed the warnings would be dangerous to themselves and others and of course to the truck itself. If I sell one to joe teenager and he decides to try an drive it at 65-70 miles an hr and grenades the engine or what have you,, I don't want him telling me (or others) that I sold him a piece of junk truck.
Afterall , you all saw what i thought in the beginning.....

 

[drgreg]

I think the Business Insurance issue is interesting.
To restore a vehicle would be one thing. But to heavly modify a truck and re-sell it? I would think the liability would be huge. I know guys do it, but I wonder how many are properly structured or insured.

 

[Oldfart]

I think the Business Insurance issue is interesting.
To restore a vehicle would be one thing. But to heavly modify a truck and re-sell it? I would think the liability would be huge. I know guys do it, but I wonder how many are properly structured or insured.

To some degree this is addressed as a part of the Business License. In the case of dealers, a Bond is usually required by the State and auto business insurance usually includes mandatory Garage Riders that deal with the liability issues up to some dollar value. The premiums depend on what kind of work your "Garage" does and how many units pass through the doors.

 

[ihscoutsniper]

I need to sit down with my insurance agent and make sure she fully understands what is involved , we discussed it briefly and she of course said no problem we can set it up.
No discussion of cost or anything, i directed her to look at a picture of actual deuce and pics of bobbed trucks. So that is really the only insight she has , so a sit down in the near future will be needed.]
I have the paperwork for business and dealers liscence are in my desk drawer waiting to be filled out.
Another future problem will be a new location. First few will be done in my driveway. Neighbors already informed and are cool , I have done some other work already with no problems as far as they are concerned, but as the proprty is zoned residential , it will not take long before the township says something.
so after a few to feel it out I do have my eye on a shop close by, that should be obtainable cheap as many businesses have folded up and disappeared leavinfg alot of empty real estate.
So not moving in totally blind, ave been doing homework for a couple of months prior, but still doing research as we go.
Worst case scenario, my brother gets his A3 first and we don't sell any. we all wanted one anyway, so no great loss. i already have all the tools i should need, wrenches to 2 1/2", sockets to 3 1/4, 1' impact gun , 5 welders , plasma cutter, 2 ton truck crane .etc. etc. backhoe for heavy lifting, the list goes on.
But,please, keep the precautions coming , eventually someone will come up with that one i haven't thought of,I 'm sure there are more, like interstate trucking, that one eluded my radar.
I guess my point is it doesn't cost me anything to do a couple and test the waters, if it seems promising then we will invest in proper permits , insurance, etc. I said earlier ,I don't want to do it half assed, but I also don't want to outlay money to start a business that fizzles.

 

[ihscoutsniper]

73m819,
Ron, you've been wwith this post since the beginning practically, i Do appreciate your input. thanks to yopu and all others.
On the subject of the 819 in your avatar, How rare are they, and do they still show up on gl.
Probably one of the coolest trcks on here,IMO., I want one.

 

[rchalmers3]

.... I have local access to about 30-40 a2s from a dealer with very low prices( almost current auction price) so it won't last forever....

Sounds to me like the dealer has all the gold. And he who has all the gold....

Have you considered purchasing these trucks in bulk? Prices are on a steep rise. You will have a worthy return the next few years, probably in excess of investing in the stock market. Plus your investment will be in a commodity you will know inside out. That is intelligent investing.

Here's another thing you might consider: I foretell that within 5 years that stock refurbished trucks will sell for more money than a modified unit. It always happens this way as supplies disappear.

I know you did not ask for my thoughts but you got them anyway!

Rick

 

[ihscoutsniper]

Thanks Rick, that does make sense, will have to see how things go, I thought about approching the guy and seeing what he would have to have fopr all plus the property,
He ha sa building (large) stuffed full of parts, also have to get a better feel for whats on the lot, what runs, etc. That could be a chunk of change though say 35 trucks @ Avg 2000 would be 70k, plus parts etc,
I personally don't have that kinda money, and if I did, not sure i could just let it sit until market goes up. On the other hand that would be good return on investment, worth thinking about.
And I always appreciate opinions and ideas , so keep 'em coming.

 

[yolner]

Here's another thing you might consider: I foretell that within 5 years that stock refurbished trucks will sell for more money than a modified unit. It always happens this way as supplies disappear.

I know you did not ask for my thoughts but you got them anyway!

Rick

That's my opinion too. Most of us own guns here and I think the a2 market is going to do what the MG market did after 86. Yes the pool of potential buyers is much smaller, but so is the supply.

 

[73m819]

Remember, the LONGER you take to get your return on your investment, the higher it will be, it just takes a lot of guts, a pair of BIGENS, nerves of steel and a lot of TUMS

 

[ihscoutsniper]

well, i could close out my retirement funds and invest heavily in OD GREEN futures,
If only I had a retirement fund, oh well.
Also need to get onto lot and see , i am guessing at number, may be alot more than previously stated, definatly not less.Problem is I don't have a clue how many actually runners, I have not personally spoken to the guy , I know he sells them and sells for one price no matter which one. But it almost looks like a hoarders lot, terribly disorganized and visible trucks in various stages of sitting disease. It doesn't look like he could fit one more truck on lot, if yopu wanted one in back take days to dig it out.
But they are there and lots of them the parts would be more than the individual cost, so still worth it.

 

[drgreg]

I guess the stupid question is, if the supply is local why come to WI for the prise? (if I remember an earlier post correctly)

 

[ihscoutsniper]

I guess we decided to try the auction route first also wanted an a3 because newer, thought would sell better, but will be about 3-4k more to sell , so this was the experiment, but honestly in hindsight may have been better off to get one local and then go further.
Maybe we should have waited for the next auction, my thought process was, I am laid off, so I have a limited time to devote to this and make it go before I am forced to find a job and go back to work, so every auction we have to pass on cut down the time we had . so we jumped .
In the beginning I was convinced that thwe a3 abetter deal , newer more modern, etc.
But now after reading posts not so convinced. I guess neither is reall better than the other, both have their advantages/disadvantages, flaws shortcomings.
But a2 still the cheaper buy right now. So , why the auction route, wanted an a3. this guy has all a2 and older 5 tons.

 

[Truckoholic]

I have been really interested in your thread here. I too have had thoughts of starting a business doing the same thing. My main business is I am a truck owner operator. I own a logging truck and haul logs to lumber mills in the spring summer and fall. However, all winter time my truck sits with nothing to do. Used to be, that I could make plenty of money during the on season, that I could sit all winter long and live perfectly happy on what I made. But not anymore. Now my money won't last through the winter because they just don't pay us enough with the price of diesel fuel being so dang high.

So since I love working on trucks, and have the mechanical know how, and a shop to do it in, with all the tools and equipment I need, I have recently started thinking that it might work out good for me to start acquiring cheap military vehicles from government auctions during the summer months when I have money coming in, and then spend my off season in the winter, fixing them up and selling them. That way, hopefully I could keep money coming in year round doing what I love doing. So, I am currently bidding on a truck, so we shall see what happens.

I haven't wanted to talk too much about it, because I didn't want anyone feeling like I was going to be taking business away from them if I did it. I would just be a small seasonal operation anyway.

But I read something that disturbed me last night. Someone here on SS, in a thread a while back, (not sure where it was now) said that people who buy from GL, are not allowed to re-sell the trucks for 3 years after they buy them. Is there any truth to that?? I searched all through GL's website, and searched this forum trying to find something to back that up, but have not been able to find anything else that implies that. I just realized that would REALLY suck, if I put a bunch of money into acquiring 6 or so trucks between now and this winter for me to work on and sell only to find out I had to sit on them for 3 years. Then I would have no money in the bank to live off of in the winter, nor would I have work for my logging truck, nor would I be able to get any money from selling the trucks I was counting on being able to sell. Any ideas on the truthfulness of that 3 year waiting period thing??

 

[ihscoutsniper]

Thats is the first I have ever heard that.I can't say with 100% certainty, but I don't believe that to be true. My brother does all the paperwork thru gl, He's pretty thorough I can't believe he would have missed something like that, plus also if true I would think someone would have pointed out that critical drawback by now.
Again not 100% but that sounds like bunk to me.
I do think that GL asks you to declare if your buying with the intention of selling. But since I don't handle the paperwork side thru GL , not sure there either.
I too was alittle worried about stepping on toes , but that is the beauty of free trade, competition, as long as you can be competitive , you can build and sell as many as you can, no one holds the patent, so build on.

 

[Truckoholic]

Yeah, I am pretty sure you are right. Seems to be someone that was confused. I just spent a while trying to find the post I was referring to, but I can not for the life of me find it again. Guess I'll just forget I ever saw it.

 

[73m819]

if that was the case the FLIPPERS would be OUT OF BUSNESS

 

[doghead]

You can always read the GL bidding agreement. Its a contract between you and GL.

Also, you can get answers online with GL though their live chat.

 

[91W350]

The EUC has a box for the end user if you know who your buyer is before you fill out the initial EUC, so I doubt pretty seriously that there is a 3 year clause. I read through all the fine print several times, trying to see what all I am agreeing to and do not recall seeing any time period. I know that if you get a vehicle for a law enforcement agency, you agree to keep it in service for X number of years. That may be what you are referring to, vehicles transferred to fire departments, law enforcement, emergency preparedness, etc... Those are through DRMO though and not GL. Glen

 

[Truckoholic]

Well thank heaven! Cause that really had me worried! I had read through the ENTIRE GL bidding agreement AND the entire EUC form before I came across that post about the 3 years thing. That's why I was skeptical of it, but figured I would ask if there was any truth to that at all.

One other thing........I notice in the GL bidding agreement, that it mentions that you need to have general liability insurance that lists GL, and the base where you are pickingup up the vehicles, as "additionally insured". Is this an absolute requirement before you go pick up your vehicles? Is that the insurance they check when you enter the base? Or do they just want to make sure you have insurance on the vehicle you are driving onto the base?

 

[91W350]

I never had them check the vehicles I drove off. I think that is a cover GL's butt clause if you do damage on base with a vehicle that was released through them, just a venue to dump the liability on you. I always had that insurance paper with me, but have never had to share it. Glen