Attention!! Please use caution when driving vehicles home from auction!

[steelsoldiers]

Hello all,
Numerous threads have been brought to my attention lately. Unfortunately, the problem with these threads has been the description of illegal or unsafe actions while recovering a vehicle from an auction site.

There have been tens of thousands of vehicles auctioned off from GL and GSA auctions over the last couple of years. Many of the vehicles range in size from 3/4-ton CUCV's to 5-ton 6x6's. I am sure that Steel Soldiers members have been some of the busiest bidders out there (myself included) judging by the action on the forums. The vehicles that we have been buying are sometimes as good as a fresh rebuild and sometimes as bad as a residue truck. This can either make the task of recovering that vehicle from the auction site easy or a nightmare.

Here are some of the problems that I have been seeing in threads:

• Driving a truck home with no insurance
• Driving a truck home with no tags
• Driving a truck home with poorly functioning brakes or no brakes
• Driving a truck home with lighting or other electrical problems
• Driving a truck home with broken or missing drive line parts
• Driving a truck home without performing a basic check of important fluids and systems
• Driving a truck home that you don't really know how to drive
• Driving a truck home with flat tire(s) or tires in poor condition
• Etc, etc, etc....

We as a group need to be extremely careful when recovering and then operating our military trucks on a regular basis. All it would take is one serious accident where the MV owner was negligent for the government, LEO's, politicians, news media, and others to clamp down on our hobby. We don't need the bad press and you don't need the jail time. Ignorance is not a good defense!

I know a lot of you are operating on a limited budget, but you really need to allow for a little extra expense when you are setting your max bid in case you need to hire someone to recover a less than perfect truck for you. At least that way you won't feel trapped into driving your new truck with problems off base.

If you have never driven a deuce, 5-ton, etc..., contact a SS member near you that has one and see if they will let you test drive it. You will feel a lot more confident in your skills and won't be trying to learn how to drive it coming off the GL lot.

There are a bunch of threads on here about recovering vehicles. Read up and you will learn what to do and what not to do. Download all of the manuals from the SS server and familiarize yourself with all of your new truck's systems.

With a big truck comes a huge responsibility. A 13,000 lb deuce or a 22,000 lb 5-ton will smash a normal car into little metal meatballs. God help you if the car is occupied.

If you take all of the necessary precautions and still have a problem, please think twice before posting it on SS. We don't need to give any groups who are against the MV hobby the ammunition to put us down. From now on, threads that describe unsafe or illegal behavior when recovering a vehicle will be edited or completely deleted by the moderators.

Please feel free to add to my list of other unsafe or illegal activities if you think of others. This thread is not directed at any one particular person, so please don't PM me and ask if I was talking about you. If we work together on this we can make a difference and protect our hobby.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[bassetdeuce]

I fear that a bad accident is inevitable with some of the carelessness going on, but I hope I'm dead wrong. Who was it that said "tires and brakes rule, else the driver is a fool"? They were correct. It also helps to train your brain to react to a stuck throttle situation, ie engine stop/ cutoff, clutch, and brake. Trying to think wayyyy ahead when driving a truck you're not used to is prudent. The DRMO building at Ft Jackson comes to mind.

 

[m16ty]

If you take all of the necessary precautions and still have a problem, please think twice before posting it on SS. .

I understand what you're getting at but sometimes problems may need to be talked about. For instance, if you bought a truck and on the way home the driveshaft fell out and I read that it had happened to you I'd think " the next time I drive a truck home I need to double check the driveshaft so I don't end up like Chris". I'll admit the harm may outweigh the good though but it's something to think about. I agree that illegal activity should be posted.

 

[frodobaggins]

I don't really see a problem with no tags, but if you are driving home an unsafe truck, or a truck with no insurance, you are an idiot. There is no excuse for those two, none at all.

 

[DUG]

Some of the M105 recoverys I've read about here are pretty scary. Two stacked on top towed by a small truck or the guy who towed two behind and steadied them with cargo straps. Classic.........................

 

[m16ty]

I don't really see a problem with no tags

I don't either if you want to risk the ticket but I think what Chris is saying is just don't post on here bragging about it .

 

[DavidWymore]

Maybe this post should have been a mass PM?

 

[papabear]

I think the post served it's purpose.
Some fellers seem just hell bent to overload trailers, disregard safety concerns and even drive MV's without insurance.
As somewhat stated above...individual actions/risks may effect us all in the hobby.

If we can't afford to do it right...let's just save up and wait until we can. As stated...once that tragic accident happens...the person on the ground will feel the immediate effects...but we will all feel the after shock!

It really ticks me off to read on the forum...or anywhere else about an SS troop taking crazy risks/chances that may effect us all...so please...if ya can't do it right and safely...leave it alone until ya can.

PS...If ya do something stupid...and get by with it...please don't brag about it here...others may try and not be so lucky!

 

[steelsoldiers]

I understand what you're getting at but sometimes problems may need to be talked about. For instance, if you bought a truck and on the way home the driveshaft fell out and I read that it had happened to you I'd think " the next time I drive a truck home I need to double check the driveshaft so I don't end up like Chris". I'll admit the harm may outweigh the good though but it's something to think about. I agree that illegal activity should be posted.

Right. I was going to add something about exceptions to the rule just for that reason. There are some things that happen that none of us would expect to happen and those should be talked about. Thanks Ty.

 

[Bill W]

I don't either if you want to risk the ticket but I think what Chris is saying is just don't post on here bragging about it .

 

[fulleraviation]

Hey Guy's/Gal's I am a new member here and LEARNING FROM YOU AND YOUR ACTIONS!

I am sure that many others are too. I am in the process of begining to bid on GL, and have the usual questions on recovery and use the search button to see how it is "REALLY" done.

I think it is very important that we do not screw up and set bad examples. At the same time I have gained valuable information from members sharing their close calls and lessons learned while reading old posts.

From reading recent posts, I was begining to think it was a free for all when snatching equipment and brining it home. As long as you had a flip top box of Marlboros you were good to go. LOL..

As a mechanic myself, my first truck is on its way via flatbed semi truck from Oklahoma supposed to be a fully restored bobbed duce. I want time to learn the systems and operate the equipment while in "good" shape. I paid a pretty price, but should have a very sound vehicle. This is my starting point. I plan on buying some pot luck vehicles from GL soon, but my best asset is that I can recognize WHAT I DO NOT KNOW, and I know that right now I do not know squat about these trucks and am not about to cross country a demilled surplus vehicle until I know what the heck I'm doing.

Even then I would prefere a tow bar at minumum and at best a large flatbed trailer with a winch.

See I already need a 5 ton tractor and trailer. God help me!!

Later,
Rut

 

[Recovry4x4]

I can't stress this enough. There is no substitute for seat time in a deuce. I'm not alone in saying that I can sit in the truck blindfolded and grab every control in the truck and manipulate it. The last thing you need to be doing is looking for the kill cable in a crisis and grab the throttle cable in haste because you were not infinitely aware of the operations of said truck. The manuals will greatly prepare you for the impending seat time but operating the truck to the store, to the laundry or whatever is paramount to learning every control or function on your first drive.

 

[Blythewoodjoe]

I am so glad Chris posted this. I have thought it but I didn't feel it was my place to bring it up. I agree 100%. Some of the guys on here take way too many chances. If you don't think so, call the state troopers and get them to smoke over what ever your moving and see what they think about it. Have your wallet handy.

The thing that buggs me the most is someone buying a truck at auction then posting a "please help me I'm broke and have no way to pick up my truck that I don't know how to drive but I'm going to throw a new battery in it and hit the key" post.

If you don't know, find out. If you shouldn't do, don't. People say if you don't feel right saying something around your mom, you should say it. Well if you don't feel comfortable pulling into a weigh station with your rig, maybe you should not be on the road.

Joe Trapp

 

[Speddmon]

I agree with what Chris said in his post, there is no excuse for purposeful negligence!!! Driving without insurance is the dumbest thing any of us can do. If you were in an accident you could ruin some family's life forever, and without insurance, most likely you own family!!!!!

But on the same token I agree with some of the other members, and that a little discretion needs to be used before a post is edited or pulled all together. Some unsafe acts are not intentional, merely an item overlooked. Even if it is a rather large item, I have done it myself many times over my career. You get your mind racing about doing something the right way, and next thing you know you went over an entire truck, and did a pre-flight inspection on a vehicle that is missing the engine. You didn't mean to overlook it, but it does happen. Members need to be told about such things so they can make a conscious effort to not allow it to happen to themselves.

 

[cranetruck]

I don't think posts that reflect unsafe actions should be deleted. They should be discussed and responsible members should be able to comment.

 

[neilhendrix]

Talking to my ins. agent told me I was covered on my trip home. No tags but covered. Folks could ask their agents. This may differ from company to company.

Thanks Chris

 

[cranetruck]

Time of day and weather should be considered when driving a vintage MV .....

 

[Speddmon]

I don't think posts that reflect unsafe actions should be deleted. They should be discussed and responsible members should be able to comment

That's kind of exactly what I was trying to get at...unless someone is openly bragging about doing something stupid, the other responsible members should have the chance to comment on what needed to be done to do it safely.

 

[Crazyguyla]

I was unlucky enough to have my brakes fail on me while i was moving my duece. I knew better than try to move it, but deceided to risk it due to time constraints. Brakes failed and I hit my ford ranger (it was towing). I was lucky enough that it was only the tailgate that suffered and my dad was alright. After paying a tow truck big $$$ to move it from the right of way and the help of fellow SS members to get it to my parents house. Here's a the link to my adventure: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/11680-runs-maybe-not.html

it's always better to plan for the worse then have the worse happen from cutting corners

 

[nk14zp]

When i drove my truck home I had ins and tags.If you cant do it right don't do it.and yes I have over 300k miles of seat time in mvs.