Recovery next weekend...

[Heath_h49008]

So I am picking up my baby next weekend...

I have tools, I'm taking fluids, she has been running all winter and has powerservice run through her. The seller has been using her to jump and air up other trucks and as general yard horse. Fullsize 6tl batteries are good and holding. (Solargizer will be added shortly to keep them alive.) She's a M35A2 wo/w, peeling desert tan over green, airfield truck formerly attached to a Texas ANG helo unit, with a "C" turbo. Non-dropside.

I'm licensing her as a normal truck. She already has a Michigan title as a 1976 stake truck. Insurance is $290 per 6 months with multicar discount through a small local agent who handles multiple vendors.

She comes with a full set of extra filters, a couple extra tires, jack, lugwrench, spare, and a heater kit that needs to be installed.

...and I already have work lined up logging as soon as the plates and paperwork are in order. I'm not entirely happy about using her to drag out logs from a half frozen swamp... but she needs to earn her keep. (And her long list of upgrades/spares/rebuilds/repainting.)


The recovery will be on Saturday... 163 miles down the interstate with a chase Taurus. Max speed is planned at 50 mph...

So...

Any advice? Spares I should pick up? Any last minute words of wisdom or requests for parts from the seller? He has tires, trucks, parts, surplus and beefalo. I'm taking requests for transport as space will allow. I can get it from Copemish to Kalamazoo via GR on 131.

Pictures will be taken as well as video...


Any words of wisdom about logging with a deuce would be greatly appreciated as well. I'm reading everything I can. It will be a mix of saw logs and firewood... all the work I could ask for for the next few months.

Thank to all you guys who have made this possible.

 

[Heath_h49008]

Here she is...

 

[SPCWarning]

Heath, congratulations! I've been seeing "coming home 2-04-12" on your signature since I've been on SS. Looks good! I know you're excited about getting her home!

I did my share of logging a while back, but never skidded logs with a Deuce. I'd say since you have more vital organs exposed under the Deuce than a Skidder or Dozer (brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank, suspension components, etc), just be very careful traveling thru the woods, cutovers, and loading grounds, not to get a snag under her belly. Watch the tires too, even the humungous skidder tires get big gouges in them from stobs. Also watch your mirrors, you don't want to snag them on a tree or limb.
We used small pulpwood trucks at times (1 tons with home made racks on back), and maneuvered them thru the woods with not much ground clearance at all, just staying aware of what we were running over at all times. When in doubt, stop and see what's under the truck. It could save your truck!
She ought to pull all you need 'er to pull and then some! Again, congrats!
Jimmy
ps, more pics when you get her home??

 

[rrrr]

I think the older deuce has one weak link; single brake system with fluid that is a pain in the a$$ to check. Put on a remote brake resevoir. Do a search lots of info on this. Enjoy and welcome to the whistler club !!

 

[STrider3]

The only thing I can add is make sure that ALL of the tires are up to pressure. I picked up mine 2 months ago and then drove around for a week before I got an air hose off ebay and then checked the pressures only to find two inner rear tires with zero pressure. They all looked so full. So that is why I ran through an entire tank of fuel so fast. One other thing is that while you are filling the fuel tank you will get lots of foaming with the screen filter in the tank and will be unable to get the tank full before running out of patience. I ultimately took the screen out when I was at a fuel station to see just how full the tank was. Turns out that I was really only filling the tank to 3/4 when I thought it was full. Good luck with the trip. I know how you feel about now.

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

I think you'll be disappointed logging in the mud, ice, and water with NDT tires. You better get a winch for that truck while you're there!

 

[Heath_h49008]

Thanks guys. I have an electric winch on "The list"... but some of the US Army methods of using a cable wound to the duals to drag yourself out of a hole seems like a good idea in the meantime.

My biggest concern at this point is "We just need a truck to haul them out and to the mill" seems to be turning into "Well, we can see if we can get a loader..." "We can try this mill or this mill..." This is as opposed to " No problem, all we need is the truck." This conversation happened THIS MORNING.

Seasoned fire wood is only selling for $120 a cord around here... If I can't get saw logs loaded, the whole operation is bust. I couldn't cut, split and load enough manually to cover. Definitely not green wood.

My grandfather was a sawyer, and I grew up in the mill... but logging is a new industry for me. (Aside from felling our own firewood/timber on the farms.)

I'm thinking I might be looking at grabbing a trailer... dragging the logs onto that with the truck, and then towing that to the mill. Just use the deuce bed for firewood from scrap branches.

Things always seem to get far more complicated when it's time for work to start and what was "No problem" becomes "You need to figure out how to do this."

And people wonder why I prefer to work alone and why I tend to over-plan.

 

[Tulsafireman]

Congrats! Great looking truck. Should do everything you need it to. I might go with super singles over the NDT's but the A2's seem to be way more reliable (and less expensive) than the A3's

 

[joshs1ofakindxj]

I played with firewood fire a short time and I never could get it to work out financially to make it worthwhile.

Keep in mind, unless you have a locker in the differential, you need to tie your rope or cable to both tires on the same axle to pull yourself out using the methods mentioned. Without both tires pulling, the differential will do it's thing and send all the power to the wheel that isn't tied up to your anchor point.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

CONGRATS HEATH.Take a roll of duct tape to seal winshield ,doors and back window.When you install heater,suggest under dash. Good luck!

 

[Heavysteven]

I would build a power bleeder and take some dot5 with you.

 

[ODdave]

An extra cushion for your azz.

 

[waayfast]

I would add that if you intend to skid on steep ground, you may be headed for a train wreck. If you snag a brake line on anything and dump your stopping ability on the ground at the wrong time it might get exciting-------------------.

Without a winch you are having to dead pull everything with a pretty long , clumsy truck that won't turn sharp or manuevre very well in that environment. Opps, I forgot--and NO power steering to boot!!!

The truck may be a good thing for getting the product from a landing to the main road--using the advantage over a regular -say 2 ton Chebby stock truck- but me thinks you may find getting a skidder of some sort will probly work better.

Another thing to consider is a winch pulling with an "arch". This picks up the front of the log so that only the rear is actually dragging in the dirt/rocks/mud. ESPECIALLY when doing the firewood thing , you WILL go broke very quickly cutting dirt packed wood--spending all of your time filing/changing saw chains let alone replacement costs.

A low buck skidder could be a ragged out rust bucket 4x4 3/4 ton pick-up--pull the bed-pull the doors-shorten the frame-install your winch behind the cab and run the cable thru a short A- frame with a fairlead (arch).Chain up all four corners and go for it!

Actually have seen a old toyota pick-up re-powered with a Chebby 350 set up this way--we thought it was a joke till we heard how well it actually performed. He was skidding Lodgepole so it was small stuff-- your mileage may vary---------------

Jim

 

[islandguydon]

Heath, the day finally came ha, Good for you congrats..! Where are you picking her up at..? Is it far from your LZ..? Let me know if you need any help, slave cable, tow bar and or help in general I would be more than happy to help if called to do so. Day or night.

FYI, keep the rpm between 21-2300 in 5th. I found on many interstate trips thats the sweet spot for the multi-fuel.

 

[Heath_h49008]

I'm waiting on the tax return, and a solid confirmation from this job.... Just playing the money game.

Everything is crossed waiting for two bank deposits and a straight answer. I'm paying cash for the truck... so if the work falls through, the truck might as well. Or at least be delayed AGAIN.

I will then be found in the loony bin or jail.... I've had my hopes up too many times to get jerked around again. Not to mention making me look like an ass to the seller.

Fingers crossed.

 

[islandguydon]

As my friends say to me when I get all riled up,

Chillax man, it will work out. God has a plan.

 

[Heath_h49008]

I know... it's just frustrating. 3 years ago this would have been paid for in a month out of "Play" money. Now I get months of planning upended at the last minute.

Meeting with my associate tomorrow... wish me luck. If I can't make at least $1000 a month with the truck, I'm going to have to delay. At a 1/3rd share that's less than 10,000 board feet of good saw timber. 10 truckloads of logs... for a deuce... about a weeks work with our saws and gear. Not counting the firewood from tops/branches.

If I have to build a skidding sled, find a loader or build a winch rig to load with, as well as source all the chains and truck stuff... I'm going to be seriously screwed.

To all those morons who bitch about people who own businesses being "greedy rich people"... start one. This isn't my first enterprise, won't be my last, and every single one has been at least this risky/nerve-racking. The stress and risk make the reward twice as sweet.

I just needed to vent. Thanks Don.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Workin the trucks.

My 1010 works for a living.

But you have a skidder and a log hauler, nice.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahdxo1EEFZg[/media]

 

[Heath_h49008]

No I don't. My associate was supposed to... that's the rub.

 

[Heath_h49008]

I'm hosed. Not happening... Again...

I'm back to square one. He thinks he "might be able to get some stuff... " Work in hand... 2 days worth. But not support gear to even do it.

Been here before. I hope to be able to right the apple cart and still grab the truck... but it won't be soon. Another month at least. I can afford the truck... buy all of the gear we need besides the truck and pray for more business... or pay my bills for the next 4 months. But I can't do all three. I can't invest without an expectation of a return. I won't live hand to mouth again, and I won't risk going into debt again.

So, I just made an ass out of myself.