Armored Deuce

[Heath_h49008]

Here is what I had in mind but different design. There is a local shop that does Military Truck mods and resale about 30 miles from me.

I think that was a prop truck built and sold last year. The sides are thin sheet folded over the 1x2 frame.

It ended up painted desert tan IIRC.

I actually like the idea of the SUV body... and I can understand the desire for armor. Have you considered selective armor INSIDE A-10 fashion? (Think about the titanium "bathtub" inside the A10)

Removeable panels around seating areas and critical components might offer the best of both worlds. Protection when you need it, lower cost, and lower weight. Do you really need MRAP underbody armor? Probably not. If they have mines and enough control of the area to use them, that's an enemy who will own you anyway.

Glass.. Makes sense. Door panels... of course. Back panel... sure. Radiator/engine side... fine, it might save the truck.

Side windows can be covered with extended/moveable steel plates... Visibility is reduced with them in place.. but checking your blind-spot isn't what you're really worried about at that moment.

I'm reluctant to post pictures of battle damaged trucks, but they are common enough on the web. Check out the Superduty Fords the contractors use... not all were factory armored trucks, maybe not even most. Those guys run steel panels inside the coach to shield the driver/occupants. Nothing you will do will matter if the guy who intends you harm is smart enough to scrounge/make high explosives and melt some copper.(EFPs) And nothing you can do to a deuce will save an m35 from a mine. If you're just interested in protecting your butt long enough to avoid stray rounds as you say, you don't need much by way of square footage.

Run flats and personal armor might be the best defense as to get out of Dodge.

 

[Lextreme]

It will be discrete. Cargo will be cover. From outside people would not know. If SHTF I will put in front windows and side windows complete and drive with the monitor. I plan to install 5 cameras. Two on the side, one in the rear and two in the front. I can still drive the truck to get out harms way with the monitor.

 

[quickfarms]

Interesting

You need to determine the threat you want to protect your self from.

Using Kevlar panels you could protect the cab and only add about 400 pounds but a sniper could still get you

You should also protect the engine

 

[kochevnik]

Having ... ahem ... thought about this at length, by far your best bet (if you are still determined to do this) is to do what Heath says above.

3/8 plate x 2 layers alone weighs in at about 30 pounds per sq foot. Figure just to do the cab alone (very roughly) 8 x 6 x 6 cube would weigh in at 48 x 4 + 36 x 2 = 264 sq feet x 30 pounds = about 4 tons and that is before adding any 'phone book' type material. And that's with no protection at all to engine or cargo areas.

And in the end, if I want to stop you all I have to do is either shoot your tires or your radiator or enough times into the engine compartment until I hit an oil or fuel line. Or just molotov you.

Or even better I just spike strip or caltrop your tires - or drop a tree (or any kind of simple barrier) that you cant climb over.

The truck platform is all wrong for this. Too many things to protect (people engine tires fuel tanks air oil fuel battery lines etc) and the weight distribution of the armor is all wrong.

Plus 8000 pounds of steel at best price is going to run you about $5600 (70 cents a pound) and that does not include assembly

Bottom line - if this idea made any kind of sense, all these GL trucks we see for sale would have some type of armor on them for the soldiers that drive them.

They don't. And the above reasons everyone else brought up are why not.

IMO - In a bugout situation (and I cant think of any other scenario for what you are planning) - anyone who is moving should be doing so as a very last plan D type last resort. Mr. Murphy will barbecue your butt in that kind of situation.

The best bugout vehicle I could ever think of is a U-Haul truck rented & applied several years before the SHTF. All else is just fantasy - especially in a state that has 35 million people and no real standing water supplies to speak of.

 

[needmoretrucks]

Weight can be easly be overcome with kevlar.
70 cents a lb. For steel! Ouch! Pacific steel recycled charged me 30 cents just a couple months ago and they got all sorts of cool stuff.

I'm thinking this platform could benefit from some armor but again is obviously not a tank. Can you buy tanks?

 

[AN/ARC186]

I agree with Heath,
Why not go with something similar to what is used in a Huey?

 

[Odyssey M]

When the SHTF, I'll just call 911 and the police will be right out to protect me personally....

 

[emr]

Do U really think U are going to need bullet protection to protect your family, ???When and Why ? Just wondering, I am hoping this does not become a site that needs to be monitored for this kind of thing, I am sure it is already to some extent..... , But so far we are all harmless,

 

[Gunner0311]

Armor?

IMHO: If you are going into a situation that requires armor plate, purchase a dedicated armored vehicle. Buy a M3 Halftrack, M59, M113, V-100 or whatever
floats your boat. You are limited only by how deep your wallet is packed...

Those of your out there that are thinking of puting armor plate on your M35 and
then loading all your personal gear for WTSHTF and you plan to "bugout", I truly
feel the need to burst your bubble.

Besides all the reason not to do this with your truck: overloaded, poor fuel range,
not enough fuel, bullet magnet and others. The real problem against "bugging
out" with your MV is the roads will be clogged with all the paniced "sheeple"
trying to get away also. Even a tracked MV with a 90mm main gun cannot traverse
roads hopelessly clogged from treeline to treeline with broken down civilian vehicles.

I will "Bug In" with plenty of water, food, ammo and fuel at my rural location. My MVs will survive an EMP and be usefull for short local trips when necessary.

 

[FASTNOVA]

I don't know about any of you guys, but I put in an order to the Russian surplus for one of these babies.

 

[Killer_Junior]

Armored Deuces have been done recently, by a South African company that built MRAP's for years, down there.

Of course, these were built by pro's, with hardened armor plate, kevlar spall liners, a fire suppression system, etc.

Certainly not something you'd tinker up in the backyard.

 

[Heath_h49008]

I wonder what they have under the hood.

 

[Killer_Junior]

Probably Cat 3116's...they look like they were done on M35A3 chassis.

 

[FASTNOVA]

Nah, the front end is of an A2.

 

[Csm Davis]

Having ... ahem ... thought about this at length, by far your best bet (if you are still determined to do this) is to do what Heath says above.

3/8 plate x 2 layers alone weighs in at about 30 pounds per sq foot. Figure just to do the cab alone (very roughly) 8 x 6 x 6 cube would weigh in at 48 x 4 + 36 x 2 = 264 sq feet x 30 pounds = about 4 tons and that is before adding any 'phone book' type material. And that's with no protection at all to engine or cargo areas.

And in the end, if I want to stop you all I have to do is either shoot your tires or your radiator or enough times into the engine compartment until I hit an oil or fuel line. Or just molotov you.

Or even better I just spike strip or caltrop your tires - or drop a tree (or any kind of simple barrier) that you cant climb over.

The truck platform is all wrong for this. Too many things to protect (people engine tires fuel tanks air oil fuel battery lines etc) and the weight distribution of the armor is all wrong.

Plus 8000 pounds of steel at best price is going to run you about $5600 (70 cents a pound) and that does not include assembly

Bottom line - if this idea made any kind of sense, all these GL trucks we see for sale would have some type of armor on them for the soldiers that drive them.

They don't. And the above reasons everyone else brought up are why not.

IMO - In a bugout situation (and I cant think of any other scenario for what you are planning) - anyone who is moving should be doing so as a very last plan D type last resort. Mr. Murphy will barbecue your butt in that kind of situation.

The best bugout vehicle I could ever think of is a U-Haul truck rented & applied several years before the SHTF. All else is just fantasy - especially in a state that has 35 million people and no real standing water supplies to speak of.

A U-haul that's the best joke on here so far. The reason you don't see Govliquidation selling armored trucks is because most can't be sold by them, not that they are not in inventory.I have seen armored M35,M809,and M939 series trucks, and the cabs don't weight 8000 lbs .
Also this gentleman isn't going to war with these rioters or whoever he is going to go around them if possible and get away ie: bugout! How many times do you think you could drive around or over most things or rioters that would be in your way in a MV that a U-haul couldn't. As to side glass most are sliders not rollup, and don't spend thousands on glass just use layers of flat clear laminated to get the thickness you need. Lots of good info here mixed with lots of folks just trying to knock your idea down, I say go for it and if you need help with something send me a pm. If you don't have something positive to add to a thread then maybe don't post.

 

[Gunner0311]

Question for FASTNOVA

Is the Russian vehicle for plowing snow or dead bodies?

Or possibly dead/alive Zombies??

 

[Heath_h49008]

Armor and 150hp...

 

[FASTNOVA]

Is the Russian vehicle for plowing snow or dead bodies?

Or possibly dead/alive Zombies??

It is called an Obstacle Clearing Vehicle, so if a house jumps in front of you just mash on the skinny pedal.

 

[gungearz]

Great info... Armored truck is not an armored car. From what I digested, it should be ok. Secondly it will be covered anyway. Yes with two 3/8" with phonebook it should able to take a good 7.62 x 51. Why I need this? SHTF and protect my family.

I'm not sure about the complete ballistics of a 7.62x51mm NATO round but there's a video on youtube showing a 62g 5.56 NATO round going thru a 1" mild steel plate. I'm a AGI certified gunsmith and I also reload for my own personal firearms. The only way for your idea to work is to weld 2" angle iron to the front of your armor to act as a deflector in consistant rows. This will take some of the impact and should not pass thru the phone books. It would be easier to make a couple of 12"x12" test pieces and try it with the 7.62 NATO round. Instead of just building it and putting your families lives on the line to see if it works... I wish you the best if SHTF and I am going to do the same in the back of my truck also but I am going to add 2 school bus bench seats in there also.

 

[Heavy D.]

Ditch the phone books ... too many problems with moisture and weight.

Crushed aluminum beer and soda cans would give you more protection at far less weight.

You can also save a bit of weight ... and probably cost ... if you use a lighter gauge a steel to form the "cases" ... and glue ceramic tiles to the walls.

That would give you a sandwich of steel, ceramic tile, a core of stacked - crushed aluminum cans, ceramic tile, and steel.

Try to mount all of you plates at an angle ... an angled surface would help to deflect a lot of stuff.

I've always want to see how effective layers of air bag materials in a laminate with steel or ceramics would do. You should be able to find them cheaply enough in junk yards ... cheap enough to do some tests anyways. It might just be a poor mans kevlar.



This should be pretty effective against most small arms ... but God Help you against anything with a shaped charge.

oddshot

Im not sure if this was addressed yet, but what if you vacuum sealed each of the phonebooks in plastic once or twice? That should keep the moisture out for a long while until the plastic degrades over a number of years. It will keep it nice and cheap vice kevlar and steel.