M1010 somebody talk me down

[riggermedic]

Riggermedic's M1010 (formerly talk me down thread)

Probably the wrong place to ask, but will some one talk me down from my addiction? Looking at a m1010, already have a gorgeous 1009, I think she may like a companion. I am ok with looking for common Cucv issues but what are the 1010 specific problems?
how can riggermedic NOT own an ambulance? (I'm half medic after all)

 

[riggermedic]

Addict seeking sponsor

Hello my name is Joe and I am an addict.
i bought my first MV in June 2015, a 3 color camo M1009.
4 months later in Oct 2015 I bought a M101A2 trailer, it was desert tan, not OD green so the fix must not have lasted so long.
5 months later, a total of 9 months from my initial contact with MV's I am now buying an M1010. It is faded 3 color camo with many yet to be discovered electrical issues. I have no wife to talk me out of this. I think I need a sponsor.
help and support appreciated.

 

[NDT]

Try this justification: If your community has a mass casualty event, you will be able to assist. That"s the angle I went with when I got the M886 Dodge ambulance.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The biggest recurring issue with the M1010 is the charging system. Seems that the military saw fit to have 2 24V alts installed and use a DUVAC box to pulse down 24V to 12V. The DUVAC is the heart of the problem. The common fix for years was an elimination of the 24V system or to use an inverter. Then Mark (m38inmaine) came up with a 12V isolated ground alt to replace the top alt and supply the truck. He reported fantastic results. As a result with this, Roy (chevyc60) took it one step further and installed 2 of the same alts on the ambulance he traded me. Not a single issue for years. So, unless you are prepared to follow suit, don't buy an M1010. I happen to really like mine and it even gives me a place to sleep when the wife is having a moment.

 

[tobyS]

You have to think bigger....5 tons...yea, that will take care of it. Recovery has the one for sale that is pictured in his avatar. Needs a bit of work and by the time your done, you will be entirely cured.

 

[eme411]

How can a bunch of addicts that are so far gone talk the new guy down, my first MV was a 42' MB in 1979, at this point I have owned more than 50, I have owned everything from DR Bikes to 3 tons and everything in between, when the Green Fangs bite they bite deep, you came to the wrong place to be talked down, my wife gets mad when I want to sell one of our restored trucks, the best way to keep the wife happy is to make sure she has her own MV, my wife's is a 1953 Ford M-38A1, the big thing for many is always storage, do you have a place to park it? JUMP!!

 

[tobyS]

How can a bunch of addicts that are so far gone talk the new guy down, my first MV was a 42' MB in 1979, at this point I have owned more than 50, I have owned everything from DR Bikes to 3 tons and everything in between, when the Green Fangs bite they bite deep, you came to the wrong place to be talked down, my wife gets mad when I want to sell one of our restored trucks, the best way to keep the wife happy is to make sure she has her own MV, my wife's is a 1953 Ford M-38A1, the big thing for many is always storage, do you have a place to park it? JUMP!!

For some reason, he thinks this is AA. NOT

 

[jpg]

I like the M1010. You can read my M1010 saga here. Now my son wants one. If you decide to pass, send me the details and I'll take a look.

As mentioned above, your biggest M1010-specific issue is the charging system. I went with the Plan B Mod and NAPA HD truck belts. These big alternators need eat light-duty belts for breakfast. Keep your old upper alternator as a spare for the lower.

Another issue is the lower radiator hose. DO NOT THROW YOURS AWAY like I did. The shape is important, and they're no longer available as far as I can tell. People will sell you one, but the lower alternator belt will rub a hole in it. A radiator shop can make you a replacement, or you can cobble one together out of parts, but this will be much easier if you have the original so you can see the shape.

I'll cast a vote for not ripping the guts out of the back and customizing it. Lots of guys get part-way through that process and run out of steam. If you think of it as a camper, rather than a living room on wheels, the M1010 as built works great. Mine has 11 seat belts, sleeps 4, and has the same parking footprint as a full size pickup with an extended cab. 13MPG, starts fine at -20F, what's not to like?

 

[riggermedic]

Going to look at it on Tuesday, It only has the lower alt, the owner has the top one, but says the po removed it and it still runs fine. Says it has the blue box thing (Duvac). Can this run ok on just the lower alt with a good Duvac? I do plan on modifying this if I buy it. Other than the regular Cucv things to check and of course running a meter across the charging system is there anything else I should be on the lookout for?
thanks jpg for the write up, it provided hours of entertainment and education.
anyone with pics of the inside of the box can you post them? This one seems to have a seat/berth on the right and a workbench on the left as viewed from the rear.

 

[mkcoen]

Can this run ok on just the lower alt with a good Duvac?

It's not a matter of running but rather you'll go through batteries left and right. The one I had would cook the rear battery continuously (over charging) until I replaced the DUVAC with a battery equalizer (before m38inmaine came up with his change idea). It was an interesting vehicle but not interesting enough that I wanted to keep it.

 

[m38inmaine]

I love my M1010 and drive it almost daily. Don't let the electrical put you off it's easily fixed.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

Did you buy it? There's a cheap one on Craig's in phx right now.

 

[riggermedic]

buying tomorrow... thats the one

 

[Recovry4x4]

Check out the drive line really close. Hard to tell from pics but it sure looks like someone put 3/4 ton axles in it. That would explain the super low price.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

Looks to be 8 lig wheels but you should def check it out. The axels are the most valuable parts of those trucks.

 

[riggermedic]

Former search and rescue truck, no top alt, no compressor, Ac guts up top missing, Ac lines cut at the engine bay, lots of confusing wires everywhere. The seller wasn't there so I looked it over but didn't start it. The lights work. What do you think price wise

 

[IsaLandr]

Is that a full floater rear axle under there? It's hard to tell for sure in those pictures, but I don't see the bearing housing and axle caps sticking out from the rear axle. I've never seen a semi-float 8-lug axle before, so maybe the pictures are misleading. Did you look at both axles and confirm it has the right running gear?

 

[Skinny]

GM makes a semi floating 14 bolt. Does anyone have a link to the pics?

I wouldn't let the electrical ruin it. Not much work to cut the DUVAC out of the factory harness and convert over to 12v if you wanted to make it simple. The bare minimum if it has 1 tons would be $2k...thats the value of your axles in my opinion.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I've looked at those pics over and over. I really believe that it has 3/4 ton running gear. Its sad that the seller either won't disclose this or got taken himself and trying to return the favor.

 

[riggermedic]

He says suburban one ton axels with3.73 gears from the po