Did the military ever have fiberglass hard tops?

[Machineman]

Did the military ever use fiberglass hard tops on the deuces or the 5 tons? I met a guy that an 813 with a glass top and claimed the military used them. Where these rebuilt with these?

 

[M715VFD405]

From what I understand the fiberglass tops or Arctic tops were used by the military on a few vehicles however many "hardtops" have been home made out of a few different materials.

 

[clinto]

I do not believe the military used any fiberglass tops on M44/M39/M809 series vehicles.

I strongly believe that. To that end, tell your friend to find an NSN for this fiberglass top.

I'll bet dollars to donuts the glass ones he has seen have been put on by civilians after the trucks were surplussed. Multiple suppliers have sold them over the years.

 

[wreckerman893]

Memphis Equipment and other surplus dealers refurbish trucks. Many of them used fiberglass tops. I'm not sure if they were used by the military unless it was the National Guard. Guard units had more leeway in the purchase of off the shelf items to go on their trucks.

In my 34 years of service I never saw a fiberglass top on a tactical vehicle.

 

[patracy]

I do not believe the military used any fiberglass tops on M44/M39/M809 series vehicles.

I strongly believe that. To that end, tell your friend to find an NSN for this fiberglass top.

I'll bet dollars to donuts the glass ones he has seen have been put on by civilians after the trucks were surplussed. Multiple suppliers have sold them over the years.

Ditto.

 

[steelandcanvas]

 

[quickfarms]

Memphis Equipment and other surplus dealers refurbish trucks. Many of them used fiberglass tops. I'm not sure if they were used by the military unless it was the National Guard. Guard units had more leeway in the purchase of off the shelf items to go on their trucks.

In my 34 years of service I never saw a fiberglass top on a tactical vehicle.

Ditto

The fiberglass tops and front ends were common on civilian water trucks

 

[Stonepicker1]

 

[maddawg308]

I do not believe the military used any fiberglass tops on M44/M39/M809 series vehicles.

I strongly believe that. To that end, tell your friend to find an NSN for this fiberglass top.

I'll bet dollars to donuts the glass ones he has seen have been put on by civilians after the trucks were surplussed. Multiple suppliers have sold them over the years.

 

[wb9btz]

OK... with all of the above having been said, are these fiberglass tops worth putting on a vehicle? Anyone have one who can fill us in on their experience installing and owning one?

 

[maddawg308]

I have met a couple folks with the fiberglass aftermarket tops, and have heard nothing but good things about them. psycobob had one on his ERDLator deuce this past weekend at Rausch Creek. As long as there are no cracks, I say go for it.

 

[rlsnide]

I had one on a 5 ton and I hated it. The one i had didn't have a back glass so it was hard to see out of. It didn't fit around the doors or the top of the windshield frame at all and leaked bad. It was extremely loud. The aftermarket ones are poor quality and have no bracing so the whole top viberates. I have never seen a military fiberglass top.