miltruckman
Member
- 200
- 2
- 18
- Location
- Lebanon, Indiana
I want to thank everyone who participated in the convoy from Indianapolis, IN to Montrose, MI. I could not have done it without you!
Here is how it went.
I had been preparing for the recovery effort for a couple of weeks. Loading up the new M105A2 parked in the garage with everything I could think of inc. tools, parts, and supplies. I also borrowed three tow bars from various people here in Michigan. Just in case.
Chuck and Rod drove in Wed night before the trip and stayed overnight at my house. Mike came down early in the morning. We left my place about 06:45 and picked up the rest of the crew in Montrose at 07:05 AM then headed for Indianapolis.
The drive went smoothly except for taking a wrong turn and ending up in the Indianapolis airport. Several more wrong turns followed taking us on a pretty complete tour of the airport and its parking lots. They were kind enough to let us out without paying for driving through the long term parking lot
We finally made it to the guard post where the trucks are stored at about 13:00 Again we drove around a while looking for "Joe" from Fort knox/gov liquidation. He was working out of his car. He had a borrowed M1009 CUCV from the site & was driving it around to jump trucks using a NATO slave cable with an adaptor when needed. Joe told me his Boss wanted to be out of there by 15:00 so we had to hurry.
They had the trucks parked in rows three deep facing in. Six of the trucks started right up. One of those I had to jockey back and forth a couple of times to get it out to the side, and one we had to jump. As we started each, one of the guys would hop in and Joe would escort the truck to a front lot where we were assembling them for the convoy off site. There the guys would start looking it over, add fluids, pump up tires, etc.
We finally found the last truck in behind two others. We had to move them both to get it out. The first one we jumped to get it started and the throttle return spring broke and Joe shut it off. I had a spare spring in the van so I put it on and we jumped it again and Joe moved it out of the way. I recovered my spring and Joe tried to start the next truck. It would not start but only cranked. Joe said it was late and he would have to get the gov to move it and we would have to return tomorrow to get the last truck! I suggested he just use the starter motor to "crank it” out of the way. Joe did not know what I meant and said I was welcome to try it myself if I wanted. So I hopped in, put it in first and cranked away. Within seconds I had it moved. Joe said "when you thought you've seen everything then you see something new!" Well that is a pretty old trick and I am sure I am not the first to use it.
When we finally got to the truck it had a flat front tire. I had a spare one in the M105 so I jacked it up and tried to break it loose. Well, as you know, jacking it up first was not too smart. So I had to lower it down again so it would not turn the whole tire. Then I tried and tried but the nuts were just too tight. So I tried just airing it up. Thankfully it held. We drove the last truck out to the assembly lot in front and Joe looked at his watch and said he wanted us out of there in 10 minutes. The guys were still working on the trucks and had checked all the gearbox levels and engine oil, and break fluid levels. They were still dealing with a flat rear dual but could not break it loose. We were only going 18 miles that night to my brother in law's employer's parking lot so we decided to drive on it and change it there.
We got there around 15:00 and after a little confusion and the convoy getting split in half we parked them all behind the building. It was raining and the trucks still needed some work so we headed over to Denny’s about two blocks away to get something to eat and try and wait out the rain.
The rain would just not let up, so some of us put on raincoats and we all worked on the trucks changing wiper blades, killing wasps, checking oil again and changing that flat rear tire. It was really! really! stuck on there, and only with one of those gear drive lug nut wrenches were we able to get it loose. It takes two people pulling in opposite directions on one of those and it was the first time I had ever seen one used. (Definitely worth the $50 price I payed for it on ebay!)
Then we started driving them in lots of two to the nearest gas station to fill them up for the drive north in the morning. Here I ran into another difficulty! The gas stations will only allow $75 to be put on a card at the pump so I took my card in and they charged $200 on it for each of the two pumps I was using. When the two trucks were full we had only put $238 into them & they would not refund the difference in what they had charged and what we had pumped. Their computer would not allow a refund on the card and they said it was against the rules to give cash???? I argued for a while and they still refused?? I had to threaten to call my credit card company and void the transaction and drive away with their fuel before they would call the owner who finally told them to pay me the diff in cash.
After that we went to a Speedway up the street where I put $75 on each card I had (twice each) to fill the rest of the trucks. (It took five cards!)I also found that each credit card is only allowed to be used twice at each fuel vendor each day before they refuse the transaction?? What a goat rodeo
We finally got to my brother in laws house about 21:00 we were all pretty tired. We hit the sack pretty quick sleeping on sofas, beds, the floor, mattresses in the basement, pretty much anywhere.
I called Steve who was headed into Indy from Ohio to help drive and also (hopefully) pick up a trailer he had purchased at GovLiquidation.
Friday morning we all met at Denny’s for breakfast and since we had enough drivers Steve took some photos as we headed out (which he posted). I hope he got his trailer in time before Joe, the GovLiq. guy, closed the site?
The drive back to Michigan went real smooth. We stopped several times. At rest stops, a truck stop, and a gas station to add a little fuel to each truck (which was not really needed) We ate a late lunch at cracker barrel. Other drivers on the HWY were courteous and it was a blast driving in a convoy in seven M35A2’s all the way to Michigan. We pulled in to our destination about 20:00 (just before dark) and took some more photos of the guys by their trucks, before we all headed home.
All in all it was a great time. I am not sure I would want to take that big of a gamble (on the trucks running) again, from so far away but I got lucky this time!
Some statistics,
We drove 368 miles on the way down in my Chevy Express van with a fully loaded M105A2 in tow and 9 guys in the van. The van used 62 gallons of fuel averaging 6.01 MPG. It has a 6.0L engine.
On the way back with only two people in the van and pulling a more lightly loaded trailer, it used 50 gallons of fuel averaging ~7 MPG.
The trucks did a bit better. We drove between 45 and 50 MPH the whole way.
We filled the tanks all the way up in Indianapolis and would have made it home with 9 gallons in each truck accept that we added about 6 to each truck on the way north.
So each truck used 41 gallons on the 350 mile drive north averaging 8.56 MPG. Surprisingly, the trucks with canvas tops in the rear got worse gas mileage? Without the canvas top I think they were averaging closer to 11MPG. Side racks didn’t seem to make a difference.
I’ll post some photos of our adventures.
Thanks to all,
Bill
Here is how it went.
I had been preparing for the recovery effort for a couple of weeks. Loading up the new M105A2 parked in the garage with everything I could think of inc. tools, parts, and supplies. I also borrowed three tow bars from various people here in Michigan. Just in case.
Chuck and Rod drove in Wed night before the trip and stayed overnight at my house. Mike came down early in the morning. We left my place about 06:45 and picked up the rest of the crew in Montrose at 07:05 AM then headed for Indianapolis.
The drive went smoothly except for taking a wrong turn and ending up in the Indianapolis airport. Several more wrong turns followed taking us on a pretty complete tour of the airport and its parking lots. They were kind enough to let us out without paying for driving through the long term parking lot
We finally made it to the guard post where the trucks are stored at about 13:00 Again we drove around a while looking for "Joe" from Fort knox/gov liquidation. He was working out of his car. He had a borrowed M1009 CUCV from the site & was driving it around to jump trucks using a NATO slave cable with an adaptor when needed. Joe told me his Boss wanted to be out of there by 15:00 so we had to hurry.
They had the trucks parked in rows three deep facing in. Six of the trucks started right up. One of those I had to jockey back and forth a couple of times to get it out to the side, and one we had to jump. As we started each, one of the guys would hop in and Joe would escort the truck to a front lot where we were assembling them for the convoy off site. There the guys would start looking it over, add fluids, pump up tires, etc.
We finally found the last truck in behind two others. We had to move them both to get it out. The first one we jumped to get it started and the throttle return spring broke and Joe shut it off. I had a spare spring in the van so I put it on and we jumped it again and Joe moved it out of the way. I recovered my spring and Joe tried to start the next truck. It would not start but only cranked. Joe said it was late and he would have to get the gov to move it and we would have to return tomorrow to get the last truck! I suggested he just use the starter motor to "crank it” out of the way. Joe did not know what I meant and said I was welcome to try it myself if I wanted. So I hopped in, put it in first and cranked away. Within seconds I had it moved. Joe said "when you thought you've seen everything then you see something new!" Well that is a pretty old trick and I am sure I am not the first to use it.
When we finally got to the truck it had a flat front tire. I had a spare one in the M105 so I jacked it up and tried to break it loose. Well, as you know, jacking it up first was not too smart. So I had to lower it down again so it would not turn the whole tire. Then I tried and tried but the nuts were just too tight. So I tried just airing it up. Thankfully it held. We drove the last truck out to the assembly lot in front and Joe looked at his watch and said he wanted us out of there in 10 minutes. The guys were still working on the trucks and had checked all the gearbox levels and engine oil, and break fluid levels. They were still dealing with a flat rear dual but could not break it loose. We were only going 18 miles that night to my brother in law's employer's parking lot so we decided to drive on it and change it there.
We got there around 15:00 and after a little confusion and the convoy getting split in half we parked them all behind the building. It was raining and the trucks still needed some work so we headed over to Denny’s about two blocks away to get something to eat and try and wait out the rain.
The rain would just not let up, so some of us put on raincoats and we all worked on the trucks changing wiper blades, killing wasps, checking oil again and changing that flat rear tire. It was really! really! stuck on there, and only with one of those gear drive lug nut wrenches were we able to get it loose. It takes two people pulling in opposite directions on one of those and it was the first time I had ever seen one used. (Definitely worth the $50 price I payed for it on ebay!)
Then we started driving them in lots of two to the nearest gas station to fill them up for the drive north in the morning. Here I ran into another difficulty! The gas stations will only allow $75 to be put on a card at the pump so I took my card in and they charged $200 on it for each of the two pumps I was using. When the two trucks were full we had only put $238 into them & they would not refund the difference in what they had charged and what we had pumped. Their computer would not allow a refund on the card and they said it was against the rules to give cash???? I argued for a while and they still refused?? I had to threaten to call my credit card company and void the transaction and drive away with their fuel before they would call the owner who finally told them to pay me the diff in cash.
After that we went to a Speedway up the street where I put $75 on each card I had (twice each) to fill the rest of the trucks. (It took five cards!)I also found that each credit card is only allowed to be used twice at each fuel vendor each day before they refuse the transaction?? What a goat rodeo
We finally got to my brother in laws house about 21:00 we were all pretty tired. We hit the sack pretty quick sleeping on sofas, beds, the floor, mattresses in the basement, pretty much anywhere.
I called Steve who was headed into Indy from Ohio to help drive and also (hopefully) pick up a trailer he had purchased at GovLiquidation.
Friday morning we all met at Denny’s for breakfast and since we had enough drivers Steve took some photos as we headed out (which he posted). I hope he got his trailer in time before Joe, the GovLiq. guy, closed the site?
The drive back to Michigan went real smooth. We stopped several times. At rest stops, a truck stop, and a gas station to add a little fuel to each truck (which was not really needed) We ate a late lunch at cracker barrel. Other drivers on the HWY were courteous and it was a blast driving in a convoy in seven M35A2’s all the way to Michigan. We pulled in to our destination about 20:00 (just before dark) and took some more photos of the guys by their trucks, before we all headed home.
All in all it was a great time. I am not sure I would want to take that big of a gamble (on the trucks running) again, from so far away but I got lucky this time!
Some statistics,
We drove 368 miles on the way down in my Chevy Express van with a fully loaded M105A2 in tow and 9 guys in the van. The van used 62 gallons of fuel averaging 6.01 MPG. It has a 6.0L engine.
On the way back with only two people in the van and pulling a more lightly loaded trailer, it used 50 gallons of fuel averaging ~7 MPG.
The trucks did a bit better. We drove between 45 and 50 MPH the whole way.
We filled the tanks all the way up in Indianapolis and would have made it home with 9 gallons in each truck accept that we added about 6 to each truck on the way north.
So each truck used 41 gallons on the 350 mile drive north averaging 8.56 MPG. Surprisingly, the trucks with canvas tops in the rear got worse gas mileage? Without the canvas top I think they were averaging closer to 11MPG. Side racks didn’t seem to make a difference.
I’ll post some photos of our adventures.
Thanks to all,
Bill
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