M939 Series 5 ton as Daily Driver?

[ODFever]

The 5 tons have power steering and auto transmissions. There is more leg room in a M939 series than in a Deuce. Drive both first, and imagine what your life could be like every day living in the cab. Imagine how much interior space you will lose when you add insulation. Deuce wheels weigh less than 5 ton wheels. I don't know how well NDT's handle snow and ice. Do your research before investing in a Deuce that has NDT's. It's VERY expensive to buy new tread for either a Deuce or a 5 ton.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Interesting thought. I just like the feel and character of the 939 series better I guess. I admittedly wonder how the university is going to feel about me parking a M939 there though. Worst comes to worst I'll get a small car that's really easy on gas for that commute, (Did I mention I might be living 100 miles away and commuting every week?)

 

[Shirehorse]

I concur on the fuel fired heater bit. That +air ride seat and you'll be good to go. The increased maintenance will be a thing to consider, but you've been here long enough to know that.

With the fuel fired heater, you won't need to insulate your cab. You need those cracks to regulate the temperature to comfortable levels, so you don't have to take your t-shirt off.

That, and Jatonka's winter fronts for the m939 series would be on my list for sure.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Yeah, I need seat time. I HAVE helped (unsuccessfully) roll-start a Deuce, and have ridden in one (On all unpaved roads, no less!) so I know how they drive and "feel". Haven't been underway in a 939 series 5 ton but trying to keep a being-towed-by-a-material-handler Deuce straight with it's "Armstrong" steering helped settle me on a M939. It's an experience I will never forget, though!

From everything I've been told the NDTs SUCK in ice/snow. They do like to "slip" for sure...(I've had the experience of being in a Deuce with NDTs on snow-covered dirt roads). I might use up an existing set but would replace them with something else for sure!

I only recently learned while reading some 939 series TMs that the canvas winter fronts existed! Seems like a good idea for my situation though!

 

[ODFever]

I have to be brutally honest with you, 71DeuceAK. Focus on your education first. Bust your tail, take a full 15 hours per semester during fall and spring, and take a full load of classes over the summer terms. The sooner you graduate, the sooner you can get out into the workforce and make some green. Buy a reliable vehicle now so you can get to and from school. Relying on one military vehicle as your sole means of transportation over a long distance is a recipe for disaster, especially considering the harsh winters in Fairbanks. You will likely miss class when (not if) your truck breaks down. You may miss a test or a very important lecture. Your grades will suffer. Why risk your precious education so you can drive a big green truck everyday? Look into buying a 5 ton when you have the time to work on it and have the cash flow to afford the parts.

I had a 60 mile round trip commute to the first university I attended. Some mornings it took me TWO HOURS to get there due to the horrible weather conditions (Buffalo NY), and that was using the expressways! Can you imagine how long it would've taken me to travel 100 miles with near zero visibility?
Think long and hard about your decisions. I know you've been bit by the OD bug and you have OD Fever. I can tell!! Satisfy your craving for all things olive drab by living vicariously through the posts on SS. Dump your savings into your education so you can minimize the amount of money you'll owe Sallie Mae in loans. When you graduate and start pulling in a stable paycheck, save some coins for the truck you've been dreaming of.

Another option is to buy a M1009 and make it extremely reliable. I have one and I use it as my daily driver. It took me years and thousands of dollars to get it to that point. My M1009 is a great truck. It handles nice on the highways at 65 MPH, and it is fine off road. It's easier and cheaper to buy fuel for and maintain a CUCV than a M939. I get about 20 MPG.

My + tax. I hope it helps you a bit - I'm just looking out for your best interests.

 

[71DeuceAK]

Education first and foremost for sure! I'm glad to hear other people also being sensible about it! Otherwise I'd already have one...but I have more important things to spend my money on...

As far as Sallie Mae...I refuse to take out student loans. I'd just take a gap year and work if needed. (I know some places I can work that want me as it is) I do, however, have a few $$$ coming in about three years from a trust fund from a deceased family member...that's probably when I'll get one (realistically).

 

[ODFever]

I was a lot like you. I ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to take out student loans. I paid for my freshman year out of money I saved. I couldn't afford my sophomore year. I had to either stop school, work 3 minimum wage jobs, or take out loans and finish my degree. I ate $26,000 in student loans. I paid them off completely in 6.5 years. It's OK to take out the loans as long as you make a concerted effort to burn them off as fast as possible after you graduate. I was determined NOT to be one that paid the minimum, and still had a principal after 10 years. I also didn't want to stretch my 4 year degree into 6 or 7. It's bad enough that it took me 5 straight years to earn it, but I got hammered by transferring credits from an out of state school.

There's a difference between good debt and bad debt. Good debt: taking out loans so you can land a $40,000 + per year job sooner = you earn more money faster than you would by stretching your education out over 5-10 years. Think about it this way - how many hours can you work while going to school full time and how much do you make per hour? If you take a year off of school, you could very easily sacrifice $20,000+ in earning potential. You can buy a lot of OD iron for that amount of money.

Bad debt: buying a brand new TV or gaming console (that you don't really need) using your credit card, and taking 2 years to pay off the principal. What true value does the TV or game console provide? Will it help you earn your degree?

 

[71DeuceAK]

I feel like I would most likely take a break from school in that situation and get a good-paying-but-mindless-work job (I know of possibilities) to pay for the next year. But I very much agree about "Good" debt vs. "Bad" debt. Student loans are still way "better" then buying a flascreeen TV...not that I'm a consumer of that sort of media anyway! Rather than watch TV and play video games I work on school/job-related things, or research info on other hobbies of mine. My future just isn't necessarily stable enough yet for loans...I just don't know what's going to happen for sure. But you have a good point...they let you land a job sooner! Maybe I'm biased to think this way since I've seen other family members have major headaches and financial worries caused by taking out loans they had/are having trouble paying back.

I even plan to be careful about jumping into the MV hobby. I may get myself a Deuce or 5 ton cheap that needs work, then park it for a year or two while slowly working it over as time/student budget allows. Another thing: My commute wouldn't be as often as one might think since I'm going to stay in the dorms on campus during the week, since with ANY vehicle commuting that much isn't feasible, especially during the winter! Be it a 5 ton or a Prius, the snow/ice, amount of time involved, etc. just isn't worth it...that'd be 4 hours round trip each day...4 hours where I couldn't do anything but drive...instead of homework or working a part-time job. So I might only drive at ALL on weekends, if I can get a job on or very close to campus (I'd walk or take public transit). The city I'll be in (Fairbanks, AK) has a free bus system anyway, at least during the winter, in an attempt to persuade people to NOT drive their cars (Or MVs!) since the air pollution gets so bad there in the winter (So cold there's an inversion layer trapping emissions from lots of cars, lots of woodstoves (Many homes in AK rely on wood heat), etc.

Sounds like we're really similar though! Personality-wise, life-decision-wise, etc.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

-Fully seal cab as tight as possible, and you might want to add more insulation
-Add another heater, fuel fired would probably be best
-Install a block heater, and maybe things line fuel line heaters, battery heaters, and fuel filter heaters

That's a good start. Just make sure you start out with a good hardtop truck that has minimal issues. You will probably need to put additives in your diesel as well, to prevent gelling at the extreme low temperatures that your truck will encounter.

I forgot to add.. UPGRADE HEADLIGHTS. The stock headlights suck pretty bad. LEDs are the way to go (you reminded me about that in another recent post.)

 

[RobertoGatos]

You'll be getting more like 6-7mpg while daily driving it.

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

You'll be getting more like 6-7mpg while daily driving it.

eh.. I get pretty good mileage in my A2 when I daily drive it. Helps if you don't have a lot of hills though.

 

[RobertoGatos]

eh.. I get pretty good mileage in my A2 when I daily drive it. Helps if you don't have a lot of hills though.

Whats pretty good? The best I've ever got was 10, driving at 45mph, behind a HET on I5.

6-7 is typical for me.

For what its worth, my 5ton is one of the most reliable vehicles I've owned, and I've had a few Toyotas.

 

[mikey]

I also average 6.5mpg with my M931A2 and I'm meticulous about logging my miles between fill ups, so my figures are pretty accurate for my truck. That being said, there are a lot of members who claim 10mpg in a 939a2. I live in the mountains and I do like to cruise at 60 on highways, so I'm sure that affects my mpg's.

Mikey

 

[JohnnyBM931A2]

8 or 9 is average for me. Of course, that's assuming the fuel gauge is 100% accurate. Like I said, also helps that the area I live in is mostly flat

I also usually don't go faster than 50mph, but I will do 55 if necessary. Most of the back roads and city streets are between 25-40mph, so I only need to go 50+ when I'm on the highway. And even parts of that go down to 45.

 

[DinoShepherd]

Yeah, diesel is sitting at $2 or less a gallon. I am commuting in mine every day. Feels almost economical.

My gas gauge is way far off though. Is there any "how-to" on this or is it just a matter of pulling the float and bending it until satisfied?

 

[71DeuceAK]

@DinoSheperd, A1 or A2 and how far? Just wondering...

IDK about the float but I've heard of people just making themselves a dip stick for the tank. I've seen it joked that the two most lying things are politicians and MV fuel gauges.

That's my thought...a M923A2 would be about as economical as some older/vintage cars! Where I would be living/driving is indeed mostly flat...no big hills to pull.

 

[Cape Coastie]

My fuel tank sender float developed a crack in it, it is a brass float, not long after I got the truck running. Removed the float to drain and repair. Used a wine cork wire tied to the float arm as a temporary fix. Seem to work pretty good and I am not to worried about cork coming apart as cork was used in many old vehicles. Have not repaired the brass float yet. I also made a dip stick out of a small piece to teak wood from work. Easy to measure as the tank is pretty symmetrical in shape. Marked it in 1/4 tank increments. Keep it right inside the door on the floor for quick access. Love my M923

 

[71DeuceAK]

Interesting fix! You must drive your 923 all the time then?

 

[DinoShepherd]

@DinoSheperd, A1 or A2 and how far? Just wondering...

.

A2 full tank reads 3/4 in the gauge.

 

[71DeuceAK]

How far do you commute?