M35A2 from Southern NY to Northern NH

[RangerBob]

At about 1400EST tomorrow I will begin driving my new deuce from a friends place in southern NY to my place in northern NH. In order to do this I had to just drop everything at work and will have to pay for it later, but I've got to get this move done ASAP. Being unfamiliar with the truck, I plan on taking it slow and easy and will probably hold up somewhere between Albany and White River Junction/Lebanon for the night. Attached is a map of the planned route.

 

[mikey]

Where rt 17 meets I81 in that map you have Kublo's surplus in Brackney, PA. You should have his contact info in case you have any early issues. You also have wildchild in Binghamton. I keep my deuces close to Binhamton, but I won't be up there until the weekend.

Good luck. Have a safe trip.

 

[RangerBob]

Thanks. Got 'em entered in the GPS.
N41.945555
W75.917528
Kublo's Military Surplus
2660 John C. McNamara Drive
Brackney, PA, 18812
Phone: (570) 663-2805
Email : kkublo@frontiernet.net

Of course I hope to not have any issues that soon into the trip.

 

[General Mcgregor]

PM Me if you would like my contact info. I know a local place to get parts in a pinch if you have a breakdown near NH.

 

[RangerBob]

Because of rain, fogging windows, traffic, and sleep deprivation, I am holding up in Sidney, NY tonight. It's going to be icy in the morning.

So far she purrs like a kitten. I've been trying to cruise at an even 50mph on the speedo, but the GPS says I'm actually doing 53. There appears to be a small leak at the base of the forward oil filter, but I don't think I need to address it until I get home tomorrow. Gotta dig out some wrenches to adjust the pax-side mirror. It tilts down too much making it difficult to be sure I'm not side-swiping someone when getting into the right lane. Yeah, that's right, you heard me, I've been spending time in the fast lane.

So, what does everyone do about fogging windows?
1. Installed a gas/water heater with defrost ducts.
2. Installed window blisters.
3. Left all the windows down.
4. Put a lit can of sterno on the dash.
5. Windows? What windows?

Attached, a quick picture after we did the systems checks and a walkaround, and just before I hit the road.

 

[greenjeepster]

So, what does everyone do about fogging windows?
1. Installed a gas/water heater with defrost ducts.
2. Installed window blisters.
3. Left all the windows down.
4. Put a lit can of sterno on the dash.
5. Windows? What windows?

Put cardboard over the grill to increase engine temp, run her a little hotter.
Crack the front windshield open a hair.

Careful at you get farther north... Deuces don't do well on slippery blacktop.

 

[mikey]

Because of rain, fogging windows, traffic, and sleep deprivation, I am holding up in Sidney, NY tonight. It's going to be icy in the morning.

So far she purrs like a kitten. I've been trying to cruise at an even 50mph on the speedo, but the GPS says I'm actually doing 53. There appears to be a small leak at the base of the forward fuel filter, but I don't think I need to address it until I get home tomorrow. Gotta dig out some wrenches to adjust the pax-side mirror. It tilts down too much making it difficult to be sure I'm not side-swiping someone when getting into the right lane. Yeah, that's right, you heard me, I've been spending time in the fast lane.

So, what does everyone do about fogging windows?
1. Installed a gas/water heater with defrost ducts.
2. Installed window blisters.
3. Left all the windows down.
4. Put a lit can of sterno on the dash.
5. Windows? What windows?

Attached, a quick picture after we did the systems checks and a walkaround, and just before I hit the road.

I don't know if this will work, but when I played hockey we would rub dawn liquid soap inside our visors to prevent fogging. That was plastic, not sure if it works as well on glass. You have to clean the window, then dry it. Then put the Dawn on your fingers and rub it in real good. Then wipe with a towel or rag.

Mikey

 

[emmado22]

Take the tarp off the back, no reason to subject it to wind if you dont have to.

 

[gunboy1656]

Nice truck.

Pull the cover (will help it last longer). I think I have now seen one of the worst places to put a solargizer. I can't see how that is going to be much help where it is.

As for the de-fogging I crack open a side window just a bit to help. Be safe and smart if is icy out, take your time.

 

[RangerBob]

The first day and night I had a lot to deal with, for a deuce newbie at least. My butt sure hurts from the thinly padded seats, but thanks to the air ride feature I didn't bust my tailbone on a couple of potholes. Between that and the rain and traffic, I got worn out pretty quickly and called it a day around 6PM in Sidney, NY. As seen in the picture below, there was an issue with water spraying up from the windscreen seal into my face. Refreshing, but still a bit of a nuisance.

Didn't need to crack the windows as there were plenty of leaks as it was. I did get a can of RainX and that improved things a bit. On the second day it got very cold and the fog was no longer and issue.

A short video of day 2 to follow later. Meanwhile, mission accomplished and she's at the base of the mountain. Tomorrow I need to get some chains to make sure she gets up the mountainside without issue on the first try. No room to turn around and I don't want to try to back her down in the snow! As far as the top, I had a bunch of material in the back that needed to be protected from the rain. I will be taking it off before climbing the mountain due to low and close tree branches along the access road.

 

[RangerBob]

This truck ran great! Had to take my foot off the pedal a couple of times as the speed crept up to 60mph on the flats. Temp rock solid, oil pressure rock solid, air pressure rock solid, etc. Had to drop to 4th on a couple of the steeper hils. My only real concern was a bit of sponginess to the brakes. They always engaged firmly on the first push, but a bit too close to the floor for my comfort. Successive quick pumps brought the pedal right up to the top. I think they just need a good bleed.

And the video...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Q8E48xMKg[/media]

 

[RangerBob]

So, anyway, the deuce is pretty much home. Still at the bottom of the mountain, but behind a locked gate and awaiting tire chains to complete the final 2 mile crawl uphill in the snow.

My butt ached during the first day, but I got used to it by the second. Got tennis elbow trying to drive with just my left arm as I usually do in my work truck. Started to use both arms or at least switch arms once in a while during the second day.

Almost got cocky enough to try the McDs drivethru in Lancaster, NH last night (no/minimal overhang), but thought better of it and walked in. Later I realized that even if I had managed to shimmy up close enough to the window it would have been too far down to reach for the food/coffee.

The first day I was thinking what the heck have I got myself into because this thing is a pain in the arse to drive, figuratively and literally. By yesterday afternoon I was trying to think how to drag the trip out for another day.

Got in too late for DMV. She'll have to sit title and licenseless for a few months.

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Glad to hear you got the truck home, Bob. Agree; a deuce isn't the most comfortable thing to drive, but you adapt to it after a short time. On a long trip, or in confined spaces, the air assist steering kit is really helpful and makes the truck more comfortable to drive. You might consider looking around for one if funds allow.

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Good job on the trip, glad you had a safe trip. Looks like it worked in the snow.

 

[mikey]

Congrats on the new deuce and the safe trip home.

Last January I recovered my two deuces with the help of Paul Farber. After rolling around in a foot of snow and slush PM'ing them for the day, we drove them from Mechanicsburg to his house in Gordon, PA. I drove mine TOPLESS and with no heat. When I started seeing snow flurries on 81 I was thinking that I am one crazy son of a bitch. But no matter how cold and late it was and how hungry I was, I didn't want the trip to end. Deuces are something special. I don't care how uncomfortable my deuce is, I wish I could put a lot more miles on mine than I do. And when I am driving mine, I wish my trips were longer. I love my deuce.

Mikey

 

[RangerBob]

Didn't quite make it up the hill the next day. My deuce-fu is lacking. Got about 1/3 the way up before she started to slip into the gully. If she goes in, I know I can easily back her out, but there may be some scratch and dent issues. Too nice of a truck to let that happen.

Since good weather was on the way, I left her on the side of the mountain and took care of other business for a couple of days. Just over a mile in distance and a few hundred feet in altitude to go. IWIHAW.

 

[RangerBob]

I hiked up there today to get the truck either up or down. The access road was free of snow and pretty dry. Looked like things were going to work out. First I walked the rest of the way to my camp to get some supplies. On the way back to the truck it began raining and the road instantly turned into pig snot. If I'd just driven her out first thing!!

I threw a chain from a slightly uphill tree to the rear undercarriage just as a little insurance to keep her from sliding into the gully. As soon as I tried to creep forward the rear slipped toward the gully and the chain kept her out of it, as predicted and intended. But there was no forward motion in the fresh mud. Crud. Now I have a chain under tension with no way to relieve it, so I can't even back down now.

My next plan would be to bring down one of my snowcats to pull out the truck, but no one available to me at the moment knows how to operate a stick, nevermind a deuce or a snowcat. I'm considering hooking up the snowcat so that my sister can just let out the clutch to give the truck a little tug while I try to motor out. The darn moose seen on the way out had no problen climbing the hill. Stay tuned...opcorn:

 

[greenjeepster]

Snowcat towing M35a2 up a MT.... That video isn't on youtube yet

 

[RangerBob]

No video, but how about a quick picture? I didn't try to use the snowcat (nicknamed 'Pumpkin') to pull the deuce up the mountain, just to pull it about a foot forward so that I could release my poorly thought out anti-slip-into-the-gully chain. I wasn't sure the snowcat could handle pulling that much weight uphill. The heavy overnight rains had further collapsed the side of the gully and the right rear tires were now officially in the gully. So I had to finally do what I had been trying to avoid...backing out through the gully. Anyway, thanks to the soft moss over clay over sand, no scratches or dents were acquired. She's safely parked about a hundred feet below where she was stuck. I have someone coming in a couple of days with a small track hoe to fill in the gullies.

 

[plym49]

How did this adventure end?