M 880 Facts

[oddave715]

Taken from Olive Drab site:

Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 M-880 CUCV

The M880 series trucks procured from Dodge in 1976 and 1977. They were equipped with a 150bhp@4000rpm Chrysler 318 V8 gasoline engine, automatic transmission, disk-front/drum-rear brakes, and a 12/24 volt electrical system. They were intended to replace the M37 Cargo Trucks and the M715 Cargo Trucks and related variants.
Variants of the M-880 included;

• M-880 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4
• M-881 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp Kit
• M-882 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp and Communications Kit
• M-883 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp and Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-884 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/100-Amp and Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-885 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-886 Truck, Ambulance, 1-1/4 Ton, 4x4
• M-887 Truck, Contact Maintenance, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4
• M-888 Truck, Maintenance, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 Tactical Telephone

Anybody know what trucks had blackout lights and which ones didn't? Other specs?

 

[rosco]

Maybe I'm color blind, but I can't even read that blue stuff. Did you want Folks to read it?

 

[saddamsnightmare]

March 8th, 2010.




The site you copied was excellent, it's just that some of us are computer challenged, especially with the odd colors. Now that you mention it, I'm not sure what blackout lighting arrangements the M880 series had, though I would suspect it would be like the M715 and early CUCV's?

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[oddave715]

I just copied and pasted from Olive Drab site. They are links to some other stuff and I guess that is the problem.

 

[Bob H]

Black Out Lights kits were typically installed at unit level by units that were deemed tactical or deployable.
as the M886 was considered a front line ambulance, all likely would have had them.
I would also assume all radio trucks would have also received them.

other specs
Dana 44F front axle 4.09 gearing
Dana 60 / Dana 60 HD rear axle 4.10 gearing
open differentials
9.50R16.5 radial tires
NP203 full time transfer case
727 Torque Flight 3spd automatic transmission

All were 1976 or 1977 model year Dodge trucks, produced at the Dodge Truck plant in Warren, Michigan. Not much different than the civilian W200 PowerWagon.
dates of delivery ranged from late 1975 to early 1978.
Approximately 44,000 units were produced of which around 4000 were ambulances. (M893, M886)
It is my understanding that many of these trucks that were deployed to the middle east in the First Gulf War, did not come back to the US.

After being released by the DoD, many went to the US Forest Service and served well for many years, and can still be found in service today being used as Brush fire trucks.

There are still a few in (limited) service on bases in the US today.

Also worth noting, The M880 series truck was the last Dodge to receive an M series designation. Ending a long long history of Dodges in the Armed Forces.

 

[Lifer]

I was assigned to a TAC unit at Shaw AFB, SC in 1979/1980 when we had to swap our M37s for M880s. We hated the M880! If any vehicle ever needed power steering, that was the one, and it didn't have it! They were so bad that we'd rather take a deuce to base supply to pick up a case of toilet paper! Our unit commander refused to even ride in one. He had a "personal" M151 with a hard top and a "personal" chauffeur, too, so he wasn't too baly inconvenienced.

 

[N1265]

In the Marines we loved ANY motorized vehicle, including the M880. Lack of power steering was not a problem for us...

 

[emr]

I know a couple of guys who liked em, but they were extremly low milage and like never used, most of the 880's were like most of that era dodge, prone to alot of brake downs and a ton of little things going wrong. But hey if someone likes em go for it...

 

[hklvette]

I have a plain-jane 880 that has been beaten to tears. Still runs well, but leaks a lot of oil and currently has a seized alternator that I need to fix. Its great for hauling hay wagons around due to low gearing, but little else.

 

[MWMULES]

I have a plain-jane 880 that has been beaten to tears. Still runs well, but leaks a lot of oil and currently has a seized alternator that I need to fix.

NAPA has them $54 http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Re...tor&Ntk=Keyword&N=599001+101977+50022+2022016


Also don't forget the

• M890 - 4x2-wheel drive version of the M880.
• M891 - M890 fitted with additional 60-amp 24-volt generator.
• M892 - M890 fitted with additional 60-amp 24-volt generator and communications kit.
• M893 - 2-wheel drive ambulance version.

My 890 has the black out light kit but my 880 and 886 don't. 890 is a lot smoother ride and get way better gas mileage.

 

[Bob H]

I know a couple of guys who liked em, but they were extremly low milage and like never used, most of the 880's were like most of that era dodge, prone to alot of brake downs and a ton of little things going wrong. But hey if someone likes em go for it...

Guess I've been extraordinarily lucky the last 6 years or so.
including 1000 mile in one day recovery operations while towing.
Granted the grounds need regular PMCS on these M series Dodges.

MWMULES,
Interesting, on the M890 with blackouts along with the M886 without!

 

[Amer-team]

My 1977 M886 does have blackout lights, although the two small ones in the front are missing, the brackets and wires are still there.

It is nice to have an MV with a heater and will do 60 MPH with no problems. As I get older, the 8 foot bed in the back with a little foam pad sure beats the cot in the tent.

 

[Rich Johnson]

The 882 I am looking at buying has the blackout light kit, but now 3 lever switch. Im not sure how they are turned on, I think its a little switch on the lower left, kinda hard to remember it all went so fast.
The other 880 series I have seen with BO lights had 3 lever switches, is there something wrong with this or is it normal?

 

[NDT]

The three lever switch overrides the normal headlight switch. It does not replace it. To add to the thread, 40" monster mudders will not fit on a stock M880.

 

[N1265]

Yes and no....

It is not normal to have a M880 with blackout lights ( that work ) that do not have a 3 lever switch on the dash , just to the right of where the radio would have gone in a civi truck

However, It is normal to have wiring problems with these trucks and see the previous owners do all kinds of things to make them work.
Depending on the expertice of the person doing the work, you may have gotten a top notch modification, or a cheep azz Jerry rig.

You won't really know until you take a close look at it.

 

[Blythewoodjoe]

For what it's worth, I didn't have any running lights or head lights until I put the 3 lever switch in the "drive"? position (all the way down to the right, I suddenly can't think what that is called). With it in that position, my regular lights work off the the regular civilian switch. I keep the 3 lever switch in the above mentioned position at all time. My dome light even works in my M886 when I open the door. I had to remove little red condoms from the instrument panel lights to get them to work. Some kind of black out cover I guess.

 

[m38inmaine]

My 77 882 has the light kit with the switch, from time to time the blackout light kits for the 880 show up on ebay. I have to agree the 880 electrical system is quite fragile. I still love it though, seems to be one of my most used mv's.

 

[Rich Johnson]

I belive "Service Drive" is the position of the top lever all the way down right.
If I buy this truck, I would like to put the 3 lever switch onto it. Is there a correct wireing scematic on PDF or elsewhere I could be directed to if I wanted to retro fit it into the wiring of the truck since it has all the black out lights.

 

[Elwenil]

The M880 TM 9-2320-266-34 is in the Reference section and has the details of the blackout lamp kit install in it.

 

[oddave715]

Taken from Olive Drab site:

Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 M-880 CUCV

The M880 series trucks procured from Dodge in 1976 and 1977. They were equipped with a 150bhp@4000rpm Chrysler 318 V8 gasoline engine, automatic transmission, disk-front/drum-rear brakes, and a 12/24 volt electrical system. They were intended to replace the M37 Cargo Trucks and the M715 Cargo Trucks and related variants.
Variants of the M-880 included;

• M-880 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4
• M-881 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp Kit
• M-882 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp and Communications Kit
• M-883 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/60-Amp and Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-884 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/100-Amp and Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-885 Truck, Cargo, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 w/Communications Shelter Tie-Down Kit
• M-886 Truck, Ambulance, 1-1/4 Ton, 4x4
• M-887 Truck, Contact Maintenance, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4
• M-888 Truck, Maintenance, 1 1/4 ton, 4x4 Tactical Telephone

Anybody know what trucks had blackout lights and which ones didn't? Other specs?

Been awhile since I had originally started this thread. I was looking for this info today and ran across the list on the bottom. This is good info for folks who are new to the 880 series. Maybe this can be made into a sticky.

Variants

• M880: Standard 4×4 pickup
• M881: M880 fitted with additional 100-amp 24-volt generator
• M882: M881 fitted with additional 60-amp 24-volt generator and communications equipment
• M883: M881 fitted with slide-in shelter kit
• M884: M880 fitted with 100-amp 24-volt generator and slide-in shelter kit with tie-downs
• M885: M880 fitted with slide-in shelter kit with tie-downs
• M886: M880 ambulance
• M887: M880 maintenance
• M888: M880 telephone maintenance
• M890: Standard 4×2 pickup
• M891: M890 fitted with additional 60-amp 24-volt generator
• M892: M890 fitted with additional 60-amp 24-volt generator and communications kit
• M893: M890 ambulance version