• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

New LMTV owner

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Small update. Picked up the Bow set for my cover this weekend from my parents who picked them up a while back from a member on this site as part of a pay it forward. I am going to clean them up and paint them before i install them on the truck, but should be nice to have more dry storage in the bed for the stuff i want to keep on the truck all the time.
 

mccullek

Well-known member
196
288
63
Location
Oxford MS
I have seen you post this before and obviously it did not work for me. So good luck to others. Hopefully they aren't as stuck as mine were.
I must have been lucky, as all I had to do was remove the screw and the caps slid right off with no effort. I got lucky on my truck because it was listed as a "non-runner" and it had a flat on one of the tires, and one of the side rear windows was broken out, so the bidding was low on it. I took a chance on it and feel like I got a steal on it.

I picked it up for $5,400. I put two batteries in it, and it fired right up. The CTIS filled up the tire automatically and I was ready to roll. I had to put a rear side window it and I had to rebuild the hydraulic pump and manifold. A few of the knobs were missing on the heater controls and it needed a new fan switch for the heater. Other than that, it runs and drives great. The flat has a very slow leak on it, so I do need to fix that at some point, but it holds for a couple of weeks before going flat, so as long as I crank it every few days, that's not really an issue. The truck appears to be in good condition based on some of the other stories I am hearing. Oh, and it had no speedometer, but I picked up one of the Chinese GPS units for cheap and it works well.

I also picked up some of the desert tan paint at Home Depot and while it doesn't match my faded paint, I think it is the correct original color and I plan to spray the full machine next. I've been busy with some other projects, so I haven't spent much time on it lately, but I enjoy driving it and tinkering with it when I have time. I've been offered triple what I paid for it, but I don't want to part with it. lol

Does anyone know what the going rate on one of these in good working order is worth on the open market?
 

BERZERKER888

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
414
892
93
Location
Daytona, FL
I must have been lucky, as all I had to do was remove the screw and the caps slid right off with no effort. I got lucky on my truck because it was listed as a "non-runner" and it had a flat on one of the tires, and one of the side rear windows was broken out, so the bidding was low on it. I took a chance on it and feel like I got a steal on it.

I picked it up for $5,400. I put two batteries in it, and it fired right up. The CTIS filled up the tire automatically and I was ready to roll. I had to put a rear side window it and I had to rebuild the hydraulic pump and manifold. A few of the knobs were missing on the heater controls and it needed a new fan switch for the heater. Other than that, it runs and drives great. The flat has a very slow leak on it, so I do need to fix that at some point, but it holds for a couple of weeks before going flat, so as long as I crank it every few days, that's not really an issue. The truck appears to be in good condition based on some of the other stories I am hearing. Oh, and it had no speedometer, but I picked up one of the Chinese GPS units for cheap and it works well.

I also picked up some of the desert tan paint at Home Depot and while it doesn't match my faded paint, I think it is the correct original color and I plan to spray the full machine next. I've been busy with some other projects, so I haven't spent much time on it lately, but I enjoy driving it and tinkering with it when I have time. I've been offered triple what I paid for it, but I don't want to part with it. lol

Does anyone know what the going rate on one of these in good working order is worth on the open market?
awesome to hear a "good" story from an auction... only heads up I can give you is check your battery connections from the batteries through the Polarity Box to the alternator... scrub/wire wheel until your fingers bleed !.. also depending on your climate, 86 2 of the 4 batteries and run a 2 battery set up.. your charging system will thank you.. especially if your alternator is the 100 amp anemic type .. GL

...as a side note.. your first year of ownership can be quite expensive getting all the systems squared away for reliability...
 

mccullek

Well-known member
196
288
63
Location
Oxford MS
awesome to hear a "good" story from an auction... only heads up I can give you is check your battery connections from the batteries through the Polarity Box to the alternator... scrub/wire wheel until your fingers bleed !.. also depending on your climate, 86 2 of the 4 batteries and run a 2 battery set up.. your charging system will thank you.. especially if your alternator is the 100 amp pesky type .. GL
I started with the two-battery setup, so plan to keep that. I live in the South, so it rarely gets below 32 degrees here for very long. So far, the dual batteries are fine.
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Spent some time the last couple of days painting the frame and got my straps in via UPS this morning from Red River Parts and Equipment. After lunch decided to put it all together. In another thread it was noted you needed 8 hands to keep everything together since this is the old heavy style frame, but i managed to do it by myself. Now to get the top on somehow. couple of pictures from my wife. she didnt know she was going to be a ground person today handing me what ever i forgot.

thumbnail (1).jpegthumbnail (2).jpegthumbnail.jpeg
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Did some work this weekend tie downs for troop cover poles were missing so I ordered materials and made my own. Wife sewed for me. Troop seat straps all rotted off so with remaining material made two
More material on the way to finish all of them. Also put the cover on by myself. I new it was not going to be fun and it was not. Couple of issues 1 step ladder blew over stranding me in the truck second got the cover on and realized it was backwards.
 

Attachments

Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,702
19,733
113
Location
Charlotte NC
Did some work this weekend tie downs for troop cover poles were missing so I ordered materials and made my own. Wife sewed for me. Troop seat straps all rotted off so with remaining material made two
More material on the way to finish all of them. Also put the cover on by myself. I new it was not going to be fun and it was not. Couple of issues 1 step ladder blew over stranding me in the truck second got the cover on and realized it was backwards.
.
Looks Good @FarmingSmallKubota !
Glad to hear that you have somebody who could do the sewing for you.
Yessir, once the cover is on, sneaking out of the truck bed onto the fuel tank is over...
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
.
Looks Good @FarmingSmallKubota !
Glad to hear that you have somebody who could do the sewing for you.
Yessir, once the cover is on, sneaking out of the truck bed onto the fuel tank is over...
After my daughter put the ladder up, i went ahead and got the troop ladder back on. pretty hard for that thing to fall off
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
1 thing that is missing with this cover is a piece of pipe going through the back flap part number 12420275 If someone out there could measure the pipe length and id od i would greatly appreciate it. I also toying with the idea of painting some parts on the truck a different color. RIght now i have a few green parts, but i was thinking of using the leather brown paint for my Grasshopper and painting the grill and bumpers just to break it up a little, The tan is getting a little blah.
 

Third From Texas

Well-known member
2,765
6,494
113
Location
Corpus Christi Texas
Did some work this weekend tie downs for troop cover poles were missing so I ordered materials and made my own. Wife sewed for me. Troop seat straps all rotted off so with remaining material made two
More material on the way to finish all of them. Also put the cover on by myself. I new it was not going to be fun and it was not. Couple of issues 1 step ladder blew over stranding me in the truck second got the cover on and realized it was backwards.
I've dragged the cover up onto the bed, then up to the roof of my house, then rolled it onto the frame. No, not fun...more like a challenge.

Flipping it 180 isn't too horrid (the straps hanging down are a pain, though). But it's just a big heavy burrito at that point and not too hard to rotate in stages.

Good job on the seat straps. Much better than the OEM design with the H bracket and the rubber band.

Looks like you added a couple extra flat spars. Good job, I did the same. No pools of water up top as a result.

I've never put up fore/aft top straps, but I should. I've just had the forward wall straps and the straps at each pole holding it all down.
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
I've dragged the cover up onto the bed, then up to the roof of my house, then rolled it onto the frame. No, not fun...more like a challenge.

Flipping it 180 isn't too horrid (the straps hanging down are a pain, though). But it's just a big heavy burrito at that point and not too hard to rotate in stages.

Good job on the seat straps. Much better than the OEM design with the H bracket and the rubber band.

Looks like you added a couple extra flat spars. Good job, I did the same. No pools of water up top as a result.

I've never put up fore/aft top straps, but I should. I've just had the forward wall straps and the straps at each pole holding it all down.
I thought i would just set it up there with the tractor, but did not have enough reach. the wind did not help my situation and yes turning it the straps kept catching. For the initial hoisting, i used 2 long 2" ratchet straps, threw them over the truck pulled each one half way up the truck. tied them off then got up on the bed and drug them over the rest of the way.
 

Awesomeness

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,813
1,518
113
Location
Orlando, FL
1 thing that is missing with this cover is a piece of pipe going through the back flap part number 12420275 If someone out there could measure the pipe length and id od i would greatly appreciate it. I also toying with the idea of painting some parts on the truck a different color. RIght now i have a few green parts, but i was thinking of using the leather brown paint for my Grasshopper and painting the grill and bumpers just to break it up a little, The tan is getting a little blah.
Mine was missing, and I just put a piece of PVC pipe in there. I think it was 1/2" ID.
 

TomTime

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
678
1,664
93
Location
MD.
1 thing that is missing with this cover is a piece of pipe going through the back flap part number 12420275 If someone out there could measure the pipe length and id od i would greatly appreciate it. I also toying with the idea of painting some parts on the truck a different color. RIght now i have a few green parts, but i was thinking of using the leather brown paint for my Grasshopper and painting the grill and bumpers just to break it up a little, The tan is getting a little blah.
I don’t know, does it actually come with a bar for the back flap?
I got a soft top cover kit, cover, supports/rails, and troop call switch, new in sealed wooden container and it didn’t have a second bar for the back flap.
The TM’s for the M1083 (which I have) only shows one bar, which they call a metallic tube (TM 9-2320-366-24P-2, figure 462, number 28.)
Maybe the cover for the LMTV is different?
 

Awesomeness

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,813
1,518
113
Location
Orlando, FL
I don’t know, does it actually come with a bar for the back flap?
I got a soft top cover kit, cover, supports/rails, and troop call switch, new in sealed wooden container and it didn’t have a second bar for the back flap.
The TM’s for the M1083 (which I have) only shows one bar, which they call a metallic tube (TM 9-2320-366-24P-2, figure 462, number 28.)
Maybe the cover for the LMTV is different?
There are several versions of the cover. At least one of the versions has a pocket in the bottom of the rear flap, where a bar goes. However, if you put a steel pipe/bar in there, water sits and it gets rusty, which is why I used PVC.

I have 3 different tops for my LMTV, and only 1 of the 3 has the pocket for the bar. That top also has cool strings attached, that act as a pull-cord to raise the rear flap, like window blinds.
 

Third From Texas

Well-known member
2,765
6,494
113
Location
Corpus Christi Texas
There are several versions of the cover. At least one of the versions has a pocket in the bottom of the rear flap, where a bar goes. However, if you put a steel pipe/bar in there, water sits and it gets rusty, which is why I used PVC.

I have 3 different tops for my LMTV, and only 1 of the 3 has the pocket for the bar. That top also has cool strings attached, that act as a pull-cord to raise the rear flap, like window blinds.
I kinda figured it was something like that. I've owned three covers and none came with a pocket for a bar to weigh the lip down.
 

TomTime

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
678
1,664
93
Location
MD.
There are several versions of the cover. At least one of the versions has a pocket in the bottom of the rear flap, where a bar goes. However, if you put a steel pipe/bar in there, water sits and it gets rusty, which is why I used PVC.

I have 3 different tops for my LMTV, and only 1 of the 3 has the pocket for the bar. That top also has cool strings attached, that act as a pull-cord to raise the rear flap, like window blinds.
Yeah, mine has a slot in the front flap just like the rear does. When I put it on I was wondering if it just wasn’t put in the box when packed.
When I looked at the TM’s that is where I seen it was only showing one metal bar.
I did the same thing, I put a piece of PVC pipe in the front slot so I could roll it up when needed.
 

FarmingSmallKubota

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
466
1,103
93
Location
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Nice weather this weekend a job that I have been putting off changed out the hydraulic manifold I finally have valves that do not leak and go to the correct position. That was a tight spot to get to those hoses out and keeping track of where they go was fun. Air line fittings would not come out so I cut the airlines 2 napa stores in two towns and a return to the first store later due to wrong size repair couplings . Finished up today left slack in the airlines incase it had to come off again in the future. 20221126_152932.jpg20221125_160116.jpg20221125_160105.jpg
 

Reworked LMTV

Expedition Campers Limited, LLC
Supporting Vendor
1,504
1,169
113
Location
TN
sent you a PM about OH folk
I concur with Awesomeness. ASAP replace the oil line of death and get your driveshafts balanced. Removing "OSU Football bumper stickers" will improve your overall diesel mileage, as it us always "Up Hill" for OSU :ROFLMAO: Even if your driveshafts have a "D" on them, get it done next week. Tell the driveshaft shop that you are not commercial. They may give you a better rate.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks