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Barstow M936's recovery

M35A2-AZ

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Tonopah, AZ
We headed out to Barstow to pick up my M936 and SS Old Lincoln County Iron’s (from NM) M936 and look at SS Maj Malfunctions (from OK) M936A1.

Matt (Castle Bravo) and I left my house in Tonopah, AZ at 0215 Tuesday morning to meet up with two other friends Charles (Groundog) and Bill. Left the truck stop at 0255 and hit I-10 and started west. Stopped for fuel and some food in Indio, CA.
Got to Barstow and the USMC base at 0845. Got signed in and was told to go park outside the GL lot and the GL rep. would come help us in 5 or 10 mins. Well after about 1:20 mins I went and checked.

We arrived at the two trucks about 1030 and started to check the normal things.
Ready to go about 1130. Drove about 5 miles and had lunch at Pizza Hut.
Then we started home. Well the first hill was not fun. Matt was behind me and will post a funny video of the hill climb. My speedo did not work, so I did not know how fast we were going, but I could say I could have gotten out and ran around the truck and got back in.

After some hills and about an hour out we stopped for fuel. My truck was full of fuel when we picked it up, so I did not take much fuel but Matt got a tank of good fuel and the truck could climb and ran better. After more fuel later they got better and better on the hill climb. So I think old fuel affected our performance early on.

It was around 1500 and I was taching 2000. Making good time and the outside air temp was 112 degrees. HOT!!! The metal in the cab was 120 degrees and the floor board was 136 degrees. Note to self: Do not pick anything up in the summer time.

After 325 miles in the blistering heat we made it back to the Tonopah truck stop and Matt made it to his house ok. Just outside of Tonopah, I hit a bad place in the road that jerked the truck over to the right. It was a tense moment. Matt was trying to figure out what the heck I was doing and then he ran into the same truck groves! I am thinking I need more air in the tires. Only had 70 pounds, but need 90.

Both the trucks have locked tool boxes so we do not know what is in them. Hope we have a lot of BII goodies! Mark from UT (Maj Malfunctions) is going to send me some keys to try . I hope one works.

:beer:
Will post more pics as I get them.
 

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1 Patriot-of-many

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I'm so jealous! I knew I should've got one in my home state when they were up. You guys in/near CA seem to have a lot going for auction.
 
554
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Sedona Az.
Albert, nice score, you have amassed a Very nice collection!
I saw on the 6:00 news it hit a 116 in PHX today, you are a brave, Brave man.
Bring a couple of your toys up north here and play in the rocks and cooler temps.
Glad you made out alright and keep us posted on the journey:)
 

Castle Bravo

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[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAso5kTlgGQ[/media]
It was a long day. That is with my foot all the way in it, by the way.
 

nf6x

Feral Engineer
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Congratulations on a successful recovery! I hope that your toolboxes turn out to be as full as mine were! Looking forward to more updates... :beer:
 

Castle Bravo

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A few more photos. I tried the "pressurize-the-cab" trick with having the side windows rolled up and the windshield open a bit, and I have to report that it works well. I believe it was cooler doing that than it was when I had the side windows down. The 936 drives like it weighs 39000 lbs. Downhill with only 5 gears sucks. Uphill with only 250 horsepower sucks.

I wish I had taken a photo of it, but we saw a F350 dually pulling a M816 with a towbar out of the base! It had Colorado plates on it. Hopefully they were just going off base to put fluids in it to drive home, but I fear otherwise. They had a guy riding in the wrecker (presumably to run the brakes) and a set of towing lights on the roof of the 816. The towbar was pointed down pretty good. If they made it home safe, hopefully the F350 transmission is okay. :p
 

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490
5
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Location
Carrizozo, NM
I really appreciate you guys picking up my wrecker! I will be headed to Phoenix Monday to meet up with Matt and bring the wrecker home! Can't wait! I wanna see whats surprises are tucked away in the tool boxes too! Thanks! Brandon :beer:
 
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M35A2-AZ

Well-known member
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Tonopah, AZ
Albert, nice score, you have amassed a Very nice collection!
I saw on the 6:00 news it hit a 116 in PHX today, you are a brave, Brave man.
Bring a couple of your toys up north here and play in the rocks and cooler temps.
Glad you made out alright and keep us posted on the journey:)
Cooler temps!!!:drool:
Thanks would love that.
:beer:
 

erixun

New member
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Utah
Very nice trucks indeed! I am glad to see I am not the only crazy one to pick one up in Barstow and drive it home! Glad you had a successful recovery, wish us luck, we are going back down next week to recover a M925..... and drive it back to Utah as well. I guess I am a slow learner. But this time it's my brother that gets to drive the truck, while I stay in the air-conditioned chase vehicle!
 

M35A2-AZ

Well-known member
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Location
Tonopah, AZ
Very nice trucks indeed! I am glad to see I am not the only crazy one to pick one up in Barstow and drive it home! Glad you had a successful recovery, wish us luck, we are going back down next week to recover a M925..... and drive it back to Utah as well. I guess I am a slow learner. But this time it's my brother that gets to drive the truck, while I stay in the air-conditioned chase vehicle!
Good luck with the recovery, just take lots of water.
I think the m925 should do better on the hills!!
:beer:
 

M35A2-AZ

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Tonopah, AZ
I really appreciate you guys picking up my wrecker! I will be headed to Phoenix Monday to meet up with Matt and bring the wrecker home! Can't wait! I wanna see whats surprises are tucked away in the tool boxes too! Thanks! Brandon :beer:
Glad we could help, Matt did most of the work on your truck. But it was fun having two trucks driving together.
Maybe I can come over to Matt's when you get here.
 
490
5
18
Location
Carrizozo, NM
Yeah, everything worked out as if it had been planned for weeks ! Surprisingly it was just tossed up
afew days beforehand. Oh yeah the day you all were at Barstow, my hauling quote came back at roughly
$2700! So everything worked out REAL GOOD! Yeah would like to meet up with you guys at Matt's,
I wont have awhole lot of time though. But it would be good at least meet. Have you opened any of your toil
boxes yet, or do you have enough willpower to wait for those keys?
 

M35A2-AZ

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,221
391
83
Location
Tonopah, AZ
Yeah, everything worked out as if it had been planned for weeks ! Surprisingly it was just tossed up
afew days beforehand. Oh yeah the day you all were at Barstow, my hauling quote came back at roughly
$2700! So everything worked out REAL GOOD! Yeah would like to meet up with you guys at Matt's,
I wont have awhole lot of time though. But it would be good at least meet. Have you opened any of your toil
boxes yet, or do you have enough willpower to wait for those keys?
No I have not opened any of the tool boxes. Trying to wait till the keys get here. If it was not so hot I would of opened them already.
If the keys make it here in time we can try them on your truck when you get here.
I just was at Matt's today and I think you got a nice truck. No leaks, things not disconnected like on my truck and a med. tow bar!!!!:grin::drool:
 
490
5
18
Location
Carrizozo, NM
Hopefully the keys do make it in time and we can all see what goodies are there!
Matt told me you wanted to look at mine on the connections. Thanks for the heads up on the tire!
I ask Matt to go ahead and get it fixed at the shop and possibility go ahead and have the shop air the tires on up for the trip home. Thanks for the complement on my beautiful truck! Oh yeah the M936 at Sparta went for $11,600!
 
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