Im not much of a campaigner ,but i will give you the facts as i lived them !
truck came from a navy base in RI and was part of a unit that keeps our shore safe from attacts by sea.
jatonka is a friend of mine and i asked about a truck with a dump bed for logging my property in NY and then hauling rock for my roads in WY, as we live off grid and very remote .
the extra payload with a 6x6 vs 4x4 bobbed was almost the deciding factor , but i really needed the nimble driving ability in the woods , 6x6”s dont turn well when loaded , power steering done at a reasonable price has all but vanished. So bobbed was the final decision. start date for build appox 2014
the trailer bed with inside fenders really hates logs , so removing them and re welding in flats to make the bed a rectangle box will also make for rock fully unloading. It was the first mod when i started logging .
i had a hand in removing the rear axles and suspension brackets from the frame that are riveted on , not a fun task without scarring the frame.
jatonka sourced and installed rear output pto unit , hydro ram and related parts for dump conversion.
Oct 2016 we spend most all our money framing up our house in WY Jan 31 2017 we lose our house in NY to fire , we live in the sticks so by the time people started seeing “too much smoke “ on the hill the house was fully engulfed , this bump in the road of life put the brakes on the deuce project for a few yrs . 3 yrs later i start funneling money to the truck again and jatonka and crew finish truck mechanically by spring on 2021.
this build would not have happened with out him !
Another great friend of mine ,we will call him “teddy” to protect the innocent, he is a MV ower also and has some really perfect trucks !
he wanted to do the paint. The truck has about a yr of duty logging in NY and the rest of its life will be on the high plains desert in WY !
desert tan , or as my much younger buddy teddy calls it “ old man tan “ was ordered in gals . I wanted to tape off the decals of the unit it served on the doors and bumper.
he went WAY over board with color change , painting inside the cab. Taping off the dash had to been painfull. I have called teddy an A** but never call him 1/2 A**ed . He puts in 110%
395’s were installed at same time .
Trailer springs in rear axle provides outside frame rail mounting of springs for a wider more stable load carrying and helper pack. I also added a custom spring over shock to help control weight . Welding overhead on a creeper freckled me up some , pain is temporary … right ?
water pump , generator to alt. , belts ,rad flush , spin filters and other add ons came quick. Being in the woods all day founded the need for coyote control ! Bambi has personally thanked me with tracks all around the log landing .
A custom 4” stack and bracket steadied the mirror for easier backing .
door sweep on transfer hi low level and other holes plugged made the heater seem like it was finally working in zero degrees.
vibration isolating butale mats rolled in on sheet metal helped quiet the cab alot
This truck has been the only way to log some areas on my spring fed property , and has paid for itself already.
the biggest cost of ownership for me ,is TIME .
if you own one ,you know the time spent is grand , as your pride of ownership grows with each mod or repair .
hardtop and mudflaps were the last mods done .
wow all that just came out !
a true waterfall of work and commitment to a historical , iconic truck of this great country AMERICA ! Lets keep them sharp and running !
The bug has biten deep as i start the next build , a true 6x6 for a tanker pump truck , a praire fire fighting rig for WY !
i wont vote for my truck , seems odd to me , so maybe its me thats odd after all !
my vote will go to the diesel motorcycle , love it , and didnt know one existed til now. Thanks for posting it !
