Ridiculous items flagged during inspection

[m109guy]

Had the same issues for the holes in the floor when I went to get an iltis jeep inspected. They said that the truck cab had to be water-proof. Since you can't argue with them, I just went to the store I picked up some rubber plugs. Didn't have the same problem when I passed the M109 through safety though.

Sun visors? Sounds pretty stupid. Tell them that it never came with them. Though if you still have a problem with it, I can get the visors out of an MLVW that will fit (yeah the MLVW had them).

Not sure about the defroster thing. My truck did come with a heater, and they did make sure that it sent air up to the windshield.

Marker lights. Well for that you are pretty much screwed. I had to install 18 of them on the M109 to pass safety. I tried to get away without installing them on another military vehicle a few years back but was told that they do not care that they did not come originally on the truck and that it was needed. I just got through installing a dozen of them on an M1010 Ambulance so that it would pass safety as well. No choice, so I just installed them and got it over with.

Good looking truck though. I hope you are able to get her through safety and drive her back on the road soon!

 

[GoldComet6]

If they wrote you up for holes in the floor, then I'm glad they didn't mention these missing items too!!

- No Anti-Lock Braking System
- No door beams
- No traction control
- No pollution control devices
- No stability control
- and no cup holders!

Seriously....what do they expect???? It's a former military truck......

 

[MyothersanM1]

Take this to them!!!!!!!!!!!!

I likey!

Surprisingly enough, California hasn't sweated me for much of anything for the reg. They just want you to have CDL's to drive the big iron.

 

[zout]

RDGL and M109guy
know you members go through quite a trialing inspection up there in yoru neck of the woods as members.

Gotta admit the lights are a great safety item to have for people behind you up there - rubber shifter boots off semi tractors work well to seal the shifter and transfer shaft holes without the trim rings.

Input on the steer simple fix and play in the steer shaft an easy fix.

Sunvisor (does the sun shine up there) if you need a couple off a semi I would be glad to assist you and send em up off a downed tractor I have.

good luck - get er done and get it on the road

 

[Rgdl]

oh and great looking truck by the way glad you got it back to the house okay. Sorry about the government raining on the parade oursis fond of doing it here too.

how did she ride with the 52" tires on her?

I didn't find it too bad at all, and I think Andy had them at ~85lbs each. I'll play around with the pressures a bit one day once I'm driving it.

Had the same issues for the holes in the floor when I went to get an iltis jeep inspected. They said that the truck cab had to be water-proof. Since you can't argue with them, I just went to the store I picked up some rubber plugs. Didn't have the same problem when I passed the M109 through safety though.

Sun visors? Sounds pretty stupid. Tell them that it never came with them. Though if you still have a problem with it, I can get the visors out of an MLVW that will fit (yeah the MLVW had them).

Not sure about the defroster thing. My truck did come with a heater, and they did make sure that it sent air up to the windshield.

Marker lights. Well for that you are pretty much screwed. I had to install 18 of them on the M109 to pass safety. I tried to get away without installing them on another military vehicle a few years back but was told that they do not care that they did not come originally on the truck and that it was needed. I just got through installing a dozen of them on an M1010 Ambulance so that it would pass safety as well. No choice, so I just installed them and got it over with.

Good looking truck though. I hope you are able to get her through safety and drive her back on the road soon!

I'm not overly worried about rectifying any of the flagged items. I understand why it's done and it will all get addressed somehow.

I am however having trouble undertanding the lights on this thing. The way Andy explained it was "one tick to the right for running lights, and two ticks for headlights". He was referring to the top lever on the signal stock. Where should the bottom lever be for normal driving? And shouldn't the battery cut-off switch cut power to the lights? Mine doesn't.

One more thing. I'm told I need to have a "compliance" sticker or tag of some sort in the cab that states something to the affect of "highway use allowed", but if I have something that states "for off-road use only" I won't be able to register it. The truck is still at the shop so I can't go check this out right now. Does anyone know what exactly I should be looking for and where in the cab to find it?

 

[BKubu]

In terms of the defroster, why not install a fuel burning heater? There are kits available for sale on this site, I believe. I realize you said you won't be driving it in the cold weather, but it would be nice to be able to!

M109GUY had a good idea about the sun visors. If that falls through, you could always look into using HMMWV sun visors. They are available surplus.

Did they hit you up for mud flaps? I don't recall reading that in your post. If you need a mud flap kit, PM me. It is not mine, but I know where you can get one.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

June 4th, 2010.

RGdl:

Congrats on the truck, condolences on the bureaucrats..... Down here in the states, we have what is known as 49CFR 471-7(c), which states as regards safety and emissions regulations that these vehicles ONLY have to meet their original construction specifications and acceptance trials with the using branch of the military... and that the exemption transfers to later owners of the truck... The bogus beggars who created the Wisconsin DoT think they are lawyers and able to interpret the DoT regulations howsoever they please, and the historic military vehicle people rolled over for their parade queens, but quite probably when it gets to Federal court down here with an awake lawyer, then some interesting fireworks will occur. I regret that the foregoing choice of words is likely gonna rile some folks on here, but most of us recognize a travesty when we see one. So be it.

Most US state DMV jurisprudence and regulations recognize that a motor vehile designed and built before 2010, cannot be expected to meet standards that were nonexistent when the design was created and not in the contract it was built under. Model T and Model A Fords in their original form cannot be expected to meet FMV standards created after 1971..... The 5 ton and 2-1/2 trucks are a product of an original 1948 request for bids by our US Army, and no matter when they were built, they were just later runs or continuances of the contract. Some state legislators, like those here in Texas, are very cognizant of this fact, others, like California and Wisconsin, connot be expected to use common sense in matters like this one..... Canada, as they say is a law unto itself, and likely the provinces can all be found to be different (like Quebec)...

Your truck can be fitted with a heater and the defroster ducts are already incorporated, you will need lots of grommets and screws, as Uncle liked lots and lots of holes in his cabs, for fresh air..... Good luck, get a set of chains, or winter in Canada's going to be like bobsledding a 8 ton bobsled.... or Luge..!!!

N.B. There was no highway compliance sticker on this truck in its original form. See 49CFR471-7(c) (David Doyle posted the material a few weeks back on here), Wisconsin has been the anal bunch of DMV peckerwoods about that..... And most states down here recognize these are unique design vehicles, off road and on road capable. They are no different then Ford firetrucks of the same era as regards original safety equipment and compliances..... ONLY the original DOD contract specifications are operative in regards to this design, as the design was owned by the United States Government, so multiple vendors could create interchangable vehicles, this grew out of the GM M135 and M211 fiasco in 1948/9.

 

[Rgdl]

In terms of the defroster, why not install a fuel burning heater? There are kits available for sale on this site, I believe. I realize you said you won't be driving it in the cold weather, but it would be nice to be able to!

M109GUY had a good idea about the sun visors. If that falls through, you could always look into using HMMWV sun visors. They are available surplus.

Did they hit you up for mud flaps? I don't recall reading that in your post. If you need a mud flap kit, PM me. It is not mine, but I know where you can get one.

Defroster/Heater: There's a small radiator shop right beside my office that I deal with all the time. I'm pretty sure the boys there will be able to rig something up for me.

Sun visors: I'm just going to pull a couple off a rusted out Suzuki Samurai I have sitting in a friends acreage. A sun visor is a sun visor.

Mud flaps: Yes, they did flag me. I'm going to rig something up to make them removeable.

 

[m109guy]

The "on/off" switch only cuts power to the ignition. You cannot start the truck without it "on". It will not stop power from going to the lights. That way you can keep your truck turned off safely and still have the lights working to see at night (if you are working outside). Only way to stop the lights from being able to come on would be to install a kill switch between the batteries and starter (or the batteries and ground cable). I installed a kill switch in my truck. It also helps in stopping someone from running off with your truck when your not watching it

For the light lever switch: If you just turn the top level on tick to the right, it will just give you driving lights (breaks, turn signals, etc). Sort of like daytime lights on your normal car. If you move it two ticks to the right, it will turn on all the lights (marker, break, turn signals, head lights). The bottom left switch only really controls the dash lights. I would just leave it in the far left position during the safety check. You can leave it off when driving during the day. Mine sits in "off" unless I am driving at night.

For the compliance sticker: As long as it is more than 25yrs old, there is no need. After 25yrs old, the truck becomes an "antique vehicle" and does not need to conform to those standards.

 

[porkysplace]

nice truck i doubt you could convince them the holes in the floor are part of the defroster system but they do make it like a sauna in the summer
as for the mud flaps any truck parts dealer should have brackets that attach to the frame for the 1/2 or 3/4 inch square steel flap holders they are coiled near the frame mud flap bolts to bar and slides in to frame bracket with cotter key in bottom for easy removal

 

[tie6044]

I guess I'm missing something here, how did you get around the "no exporting" associated with the EUC's?

 

[Rgdl]

I guess I'm missing something here, how did you get around the "no exporting" associated with the EUC's?

Shhhhhh...........it's a secret.

I just used a broker who sells these trucks and has an exporters license. It costs a little more, but I finally have my truck.

BTW with only the title and bill of sale I had absolutely no trouble at the border.

 

[Rgdl]

The "on/off" switch only cuts power to the ignition. You cannot start the truck without it "on". It will not stop power from going to the lights. That way you can keep your truck turned off safely and still have the lights working to see at night (if you are working outside). Only way to stop the lights from being able to come on would be to install a kill switch between the batteries and starter (or the batteries and ground cable). I installed a kill switch in my truck. It also helps in stopping someone from running off with your truck when your not watching it

For the light lever switch: If you just turn the top level on tick to the right, it will just give you driving lights (breaks, turn signals, etc). Sort of like daytime lights on your normal car. If you move it two ticks to the right, it will turn on all the lights (marker, break, turn signals, head lights). The bottom left switch only really controls the dash lights. I would just leave it in the far left position during the safety check. You can leave it off when driving during the day. Mine sits in "off" unless I am driving at night.

For the compliance sticker: As long as it is more than 25yrs old, there is no need. After 25yrs old, the truck becomes an "antique vehicle" and does not need to conform to those standards.

There's something funky going on with my lights or the selector if I understand your description correctly. I'll have to spend a little more time on this to see what the problem is.

 

[davidkroberts]

i havent been to canada in a decade but if its anything like the red tape crunchers here you might want to get a copy of the regulations concerning compliance in your area. things like the 25 year antique rule and such. most likely they arent used to seeing these types of trucks and may make a mistake in interpreting the regs. better to have a printoff to show them with an apology for bringing them so strange a vehicle.... dont know why that last bit works but it always does.... and be very polite

 

[nhdiesel]

Wow, and I thought NH had strict rules! As a Jeep fan, I always find it funny that I can get an inspection sticker with no top and no doors (as long as I have the mirrors relocated), but I'll fail if there is even a tiny hole in the body anywhere.

I'm going to have fun with that one when I finally get around to getting a Deuce inspected...I'll have to see where my father gets his stickers.

Jim

 

[tie6044]

Shhhhhh...........it's a secret.

I just used a broker who sells these trucks and has an exporters license. It costs a little more, but I finally have my truck.

BTW with only the title and bill of sale I had absolutely no trouble at the border.

That's good to hear, I get a few calls now and then from guys from Canada inquiring about the deuces I sell. I may have to get in touch with you the next time another Northerner wants to buy a deuce

 

[DavidB]

Sun visor is needed in Canadian trucks ! Awhile back one stopped at the scale on the Interstate a weigh in motion type set up. When the scale master told him to pull off he stated that he could not because the sun visor had fallen out a while back on the road. He told him it was not needed .The driver stated that it most certainly was,as it has the shift pattern was on it.
DavidB

 

[cleb]

On my 818 the master switch kills the lights... I left the lights on one time and was worried it would be dead the next day like my Deuce...but it wasn't. Must be an option??

 

[milspecwrench]

Hi, This is my first post here so I hope I'm not out of line, I do have what I hope ins't a stupid question, What is a Trio? Are they like cab marker lights?
(It's a term I hadn't heard before.) Thanks....

 

[Rgdl]

Hi, This is my first post here so I hope I'm not out of line, I do have what I hope ins't a stupid question, What is a Trio? Are they like cab marker lights?
(It's a term I hadn't heard before.) Thanks....

Yes. This is the terminology the mechanic used in his report.

My M818 has a canvas roof, so I think I'm going to build a head-ache rack behind the cab and mount my front and rear lights there.