Barstow M925 recovery

[Barfkiller]

First post, first attachment of pics, so please have a little patience...

Purchased an M925 from GL based on pictures and video.
The details stated that the truck would not start, the ignition was broken. The video showed the truck with the engine running. How hard do the GL lot guys try to get a truck running with a 'broken ignition'?
All tactical MVs have a switch for ignition in my experience. A switch is an open or closed loop of 'juice', not too hard to fix in my opinion.

My brother and I decide to jump in feet first and we 'win' two M939 trucks, both with 'does not start' in the GL details section. We schedule an appointent to 'preview' the trucks after the auction to see if we need to arrange shipping or if we can drive them home while we wait for first time EUCs. His EUC clears a day before we arrive at Barstow. Long story short, both start and run and he drives his home. Mine required minor surgery of the battery and start/run/stop switches. But with no EUC mine has to stay in Barstow.

Now the EUC wait........finally get it, and with prior commitments and such I have to wait ANOTHER week to get my truck. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't hardly work, Couldn't wait!!

Finally on August 14, 2012 we load up and head out!!




Close to Overton, Nevada. We pass an M915 headed north on I-15. Can't get the camera out fast enough at 75 mph. Truck looked good.


Not exactly sure how this pic got onto my camera....future GL trucks.


Outside the base.....someones truck is getting picked up today!

GL lot and future purchases...(these pics taken from OFF base)


Here it is....with chase vehicle. (special thanks to my wife for letting me put 1000 of the first 1400 miles on her car)

 

[Barfkiller]

Barstow M925 recovery cont'd

The drive was fun at first, the truck ran great!


heading into vegas, traffic getting a little thicker. I picked a lane and tried to keep plenty of distance away from those who needed it.


This guy was running between fuel pumps at the Moapa valley travel plaza. His leg span was between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 inches!!


The truck still running great. This sign is about the halfway trip mark.

 

[wsucougarx]

Great looking trucks!

 

[Barfkiller]

Barstow M925 recovery cont'd

Getting close to being done driving. Hot. I mean real HOT! Cooler won't keep ice longer than 4 hours. Hot, tired from lack of sleep and the adrenalin dump.
But finally the home stretch!


Weather ahead....glad we took the new top down with us. Rain...heavy rain at times. Found just a couple of leaks...


Final fuel stop and fluid check. Yes I know I went in the out as the arrow on the pavement indicates, but I was HOT, tired, and I wanted the trip to be done.


Overall a good trip and a great recovery. Few things we did very well and there are few things we will change (is the wife reading this?) on the NEXT recovery. A twelve hour day of driving in the heat was a bit much.

I will post more later on the trip what went really well and what needs to changed. I also had a few issues with the M925 but I will do a little TM (both the 10 and 24) reading and some thread searching before I bring it to the forum.

 

[erixun]

Here are a couple more pics...








VEGAS BABY!!!


It was really rough driving the chase car, I kept having to turn down the A/C....





and a video...

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Ey8tCEz9Y&feature=plcp[/media]

 

[erixun]

And in case you are wondering what a rabbit see's......

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SHKsyD-NJI&feature=channel&list=UL[/media]




This was outside of the rear gate in Barstow, on the way to the fuel station to get some fuel for the trip...

 

[nf6x]

If the cab isn't leaking, then it isn't raining.

Congratulations on very successful recoveries!

 

[markmontana]

Great recovery story and pictures. I hope to see both those trucks in person before too long. Glad to hear you got both trucks safely home!

 

[erixun]

And cannot forget one of the best parts of the recovery operation.....


The cheese factory in Beaver Utah!!!







if you are passing through the area... ya just gotta stop. Not to mention if you eat enough, it cuts down on the rest stops....if you get my meaning.

 

[markmontana]

I love passing thru the Fillmore Beaver area...

 

[jrod66]

looks like a pretty smooth recovery, welcome to the green addiction, and thanks for the writeup it was informative and lots of good pictures!

 

[M35A2-AZ]

Good looking truck!!!
Glad you had a safe recovery!!

 

[Barfkiller]

Barstow M925 recovery cont'd

Went through the back of the truck and put the bows and cargo cover on today.

There are a few things that need fixed on the truck:

1-small leak on the winch.
2-windshield washer will not squirt fluid.
3-passenger window needs to be replaced, including window regulator.
4-dash bulbs burnt out (ordered today at the local parts store, will be in tomorrow!!)
5-convoy light does not work.
6-small (real tiny) fuel leak on engine.
7-30 percent of the bolts are missing from the bows and troop seats.
8-missing foam under the hood (lost this on the drive)
and finally the most critical for last;
9-passenger side front axle steering knuckle left a puddle about 8 inches in diameter overnight. Not good. (look hard in the photo and you can see the puddle)

Took it down to the local mechanic (who unbeknownst to me was a mechanic in the local Nat'l Guard unit years ago) said he can fix it if I can find parts.

Cleaned the cab out.......lot of old garbage, candy wrappers, and a few dispatch sheets. One listed the truck being dispatched out of Ft.Carson to Ft. Polk!! That must have been a long ride.
The latest dispatch sheet was out of Ft. Irwin California and was dated March of 2012. I guess if I drove it from Ft. Polk to Ft. Irwin I would leave a few candy wrappers myself!

The truck belonged to Alpha Battery 2-77 FA (field artillery) 4th ID.

 

[nf6x]

My windshield washer fluid system wouldn't squirt water at first, too. After determining that the bottle was getting pressure and the spray nozzles were clear, I found that the problem was a stuck impeller in the little air-driven water pump at the bottom of the pickup tube inside the bottle. I was able to take it apart, free up the impeller, and put it back together again.

 

[Barfkiller]

M925 goes to work

Found a new job for the M925!

One of my other hobbies sometimes leaves me stranded without a working 'vehicle' to get home in. Demolition derbies!

The derby car still ran but the steering box was broken. The steering wheel would turn five or so times to the left before it would engage and would turn five or so times to the right before bringing the wheels almost straight. It would not turn to the right at all. We tried a few times to get it on the trailer both forward and backward with no luck.

Then a plan formed in my pointed little head.

I lifted the front of the car so the tires were just touching the ground, backed the M925 up, and a few wraps of a chain later this is what I had.


I was worried that I had exceeded the towing limits of the truck.

 

[Barfkiller]

M925 towing

Before I get hammered with "thats unsafe" comments, the tow was 13 blocks on side streets and I never exceeded 15 MPH.

 

[wsucougarx]

Before I get hammered with "thats unsafe" comments, the tow was 13 blocks on side streets and I never exceeded 15 MPH.

You know us all too well...LOL

 

[Barfkiller]

M925 at work

Here a few more pictures of the M925 working around the place.
The wife said if I wanted to keep the truck it had to 'earn its keep'.
We moved a few vehicles from 'the other hobby'

Pulling one off the trailer for some repairs


I asked the wife to steer to avoid any mishaps....don't need any more scratches!


The bumpers almost match up!


Pushed the derby truck into position, pulled the M925 around to use the winch for the final move, unspooled the cable, engaged the PTO, hooked up, and nothing! The winch wind/unwind controller will not move. Removed the access panel in the cab and everything looked to be in place. Crawled under the truck and the controller cable is bent right between the bracket and the hydralic valve.

So with 150 feet of cable on the ground and no way to respool it I was a bit 'frustrated'.

Luckily the valve needs to be pulled towards the front to wind the winch. I removed the bad cable end and attached a rope, threaded it under the truck, over the axle to the front bumper and pulled on it to wind the cable back on the winch. Sorry no pictures of that mess. It was hard to pull the rope with one hand and try to spool the cable neatly back onto the drum with the other.

All of my fingers are still attached, the winch cable is back on the drum, but there are two part numbers in the TM for the winch controler cable. Does anybody know the difference between the two? Part numbers 45114-60 and 45114-1.
None of the UOC's match my truck.