• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Invited to the museum?

longshot2171

Member
96
1
8
Location
Ballston Lake, NY
The truck and I attended a show at the local Auto Museum yesterday. There were lots of spectator questions and positive comments.
We did win a judged award...for what class I do not know.
Here is my question for fellow enthusiasts..during the show, I as approached by a few museum directors and asked if I would be interested in loaning my truck and equipment. They are doing a display on "Trucks at work" this winter and would like to have a military example on hand.
I could even be a guest speaker if I was inclined. The truck would be roped off and supervised by volunteers.
Now I know my insurance wants the vehicle garaged at my residence,and I assume the museum has coverage but what about the gear? It's not like swiping a cupholder. I lost **** at a show last year when I found the "can". Everyone seems to want a grenade, c-ration or a 50 cal bullet. Could you imagine sticky fingers and a Claymore?
Do you do a signed off supervised inventory at drop off and pick up? I have no clue and I have time to make my decision.
...Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:

Scar59

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,811
41
38
Location
Mt. Eden, KY
Sounds like a neat opportunity. The directors should be sensitive to such requests, the deplay relies on the attention to detail. It's your property, draw up an agreement that makes you feel comfortable and secure. Also, the museam will keep it secured, volunteers normally take their service serious, and the facility will be locked up after hours. Great place to let a nice truck "hibernate" for winter.
 
392
5
18
Location
Atlantic, IA
Take photos before you loan it to them. They will be very helpful to document condition.

Consider insurance. Yes, I read your comment about the insurance. Is that (has to be stored at your residence) negotiable with your company? Does their insurance cover your stuff? Think "renter's insurance" (It is my house, but your stuff. Buy your own insurance for your stuff.) The organization I am involved with has insurance on our stuff in our building, but does not cover your stuff, when it is in our building. Do they have a deductible and are they willing to pay it to compensate you for your missing $10 "US issued thing-a-ma-jig"?

Agree - and document - dates. When do they get it? When do you get it back? Can you "borrow" it from them for a short period (parade) and return it to them?

Do they have regular hours or can you get "unusual" access to it in case a long lost cousin from the other side of the country wants to see your stuff? Will your cousin need to come back next week, when the museum is open? (I suppose it is possible you will have to let that cousin stay with you an extra week until they open again. :grin:)
 

longshot2171

Member
96
1
8
Location
Ballston Lake, NY
Who knows? Either way it won't have to be hashed out until the late fall. They have an auto auction in September.
If it does go in, I will insist that I am present for all starting and moving. The old girl is finiky with the choke when cold. Add in the master disconnect, key and starter button, only the old timers might get the engine to fire without it flooding.
Here is the award picture from Sunday with the cute bow they placed on the grill before the parade to the reviewing stand. They had me back into the line between a BMW and a Ferrari dino. Imagine how the dino drivers face looked as the yellow headlight and 50 cal rumbled up behind him.IMG_8135.jpgThere is a video on youtube by some guy named Phil Reece titled Saratoga Auto Museum Spring Show 2017. The truck is in it @ the 7 min mark.
 
Last edited:

m1010plowboy

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,908
2,710
83
Location
Edmonton, Canada
There is a lot to cover when jumping into museum loan agreements. I wish there wasn't because it's a very noble and educational thing for us to be doing. Third party injury and considerations for complete loss due to fire or theft is really the worst case, possible scenario. This can happen while in our care and control as well but imagine taking that call from the museum and consider the risk. One situation we were looking at was "fuel" stored inside a vehicle, inside a public building. There are fire regulations about storing oils/ flammables so as you dig into this, all perils must be considered.

Just so I don't jump into an insurance rant, here is one document that outlines some scenarios that we need to think about. https://www.museumsassociation.org/download?id=14828

Look up """"vehicle loan museum agreement form"""" for more info....which only gets worse than the 47 page agreement above.

I donate myself and a Bobcat to our aviation museum to push snow around. On a warm winter day, I asked the very eager, aged yardman if he wanted to try out the big S330 bobcat that was only one year past warranty. I was walking beside the Bobcat, observing how he was doing with my instructions when the engine ran away. We managed to shut it down before anyone got hurt, he did nothing to cause the incident but it cost me $30,000.00 for ten minutes of kindness. I still loan out my toys and now I get nervous 'before' someone touches my stuff as well as when they have it.

It's not an easy decision so all the best either way with that absolutely gorgeous truck.
 

dependable

Well-known member
1,720
188
63
Location
Tisbury, Massachusetts
m1010plowboy;2016838I said:
was walking beside the Bobcat, observing how he was doing with my instructions when the engine ran away. We managed to shut it down before anyone got hurt, he did nothing to cause the incident but it cost me $30,000.00 for ten minutes of kindness.
What happened to cause that?
 

m1010plowboy

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,908
2,710
83
Location
Edmonton, Canada
No good deed goes unpunished

What happened to cause that?
Bobcat of Edmonton did the initial inspection and 'thought' it was the injection pump. Cam driven distributor rotor and possible delivery valve failure.

If you do all the vehicle starts and movements Longshot, you'd at least eliminate that risk and keep the hired help from feeling bad that they wrecked your machine.....but it certainly doesn't stop things from breaking. We did maintenance by the manual , documented everything possible, looks like the 330 even had a Christmas oil change so we mitigate risk, accept risk and carry on.

P5240059.jpg

Museums struggle in general, even visiting a museum and dropping a 5 at the door helps. What Longshot is doing is over the top so really hope things work out and we get plenty of pics.
 
Top