M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Deuce Owners)

[saddamsnightmare]

January 7th, 2008.

MORE ON THE DEUCE INSPECTION IN TEXAS!!!

It seems that for my 1971 Kaiser Jeep to pass a DOT inspection for use as a non commercial truck- the following items must be addressed.

1. Rear Mudflaps more then 12" above the road won't pass. Not a problem to replace.
2. Inspector thinks he sees leaking brakefluid from 1 front wheel cylinder and one rear due to dirt and oil on wheel. I'll clean them like a hounds tooth to check - no problem with replacing all the wheel cylinders with new units if I can locate them if necessary. STOPPING IS GOOD. Only problem is the truck underwent an MWO less then 21000 miles ago, and NONE of the wheels match the 686A Tan CARC paint, they're either black or olive drab green- I thinks some MP mechanic harvested some wheels and tires.
3. The truck according to the manual MUST have clearance or identification lights front and rear- the Joker wants them on the metal cab and on the back roof bows- including cutting holes in the new top!!!!! (My opinion of Texas mechanics intelligence has dropped considerably lately). I may screw them up and remove the cargo cover and bows, metal cab roof and lower the windshield to the hood for the next go round- You're going to put lights Where????

If I must put up with this bullsh--, I'll just register the truck as an Antique and screw them royally- every day will be a interpretive day for the truck at the Maxey House SHS.
Generally, I have found both the mechanics and the court-house types to be unimaginative when it comes to military trucks, and especially ones they have never seen before, I guess if we didn't confine these types, they'd be loose everywhere else and screw things up all over again. I would particularly appreciate hearing from the Texas
Steel Soldiers who have Dueces with non-commercial or private use Truck plates and how they handled this problem, and what exemptions, if any, there are in the regulations to handle soft top ex military or other special use trucks.

Please address your answers to the column for the M35 Duece, and I'll get to them tomorrow night if possible.

I remain, All,
Royally pissed with the small minds in the large state, and hope these aren't the genral type you find here,

and With Great Regards for the Steel Soldiers,

I remain, Sincerely,

Kyle F. McGrogan

1963 Mercedes Benz Unimog S404.114 (Swiss)
1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare" Vietnam and Desert Storm Veteran
Truck.

 

[sermis]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

Register it as a former Military Vehicle. Does not require inspection.

 

[hndrsonj]

I have had mine licensed for 3 years in TX with no inspection. If I remember right the age was the factor for no insp.

 

[sailor2000]

My M35A2 is registered in Texas as a private pickup truck with a max GVW of 14000lbs. It is 100% stock military except for extended mud flaps and a rear license plate light.

 

[No.2Diesel]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

My first posts on this great website pertained to this topic.

I think Mr. Nightmare that the biggest factor is the shop you take it to, to have it inspected. Similarly I took mine to one that was close by but the guy was a complete _______. (you fill in the blank.) He wanted marker lights everywhere and said he never had a truck that didn't have a roof. !?!

The next guy I took it to raised not one issue and reminded me to check the front brake hoses because they like to chafe and even secured them back for me!

Ask around for a level headed guy that won't throw the book at you. (BTW my Deuce is registered Commercial)

 

[sermis]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

This web site will help.

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_mvg_register_texas.php3

Texas Department of Safety / Transpertation code 502.275

If you register the vehicle as former military vehicle you can use the hood numbers as the registration. You do not have license plates nor required to have a registration sticker on the windshield. The vehicle is also exempt from inspection. I would copy the law and carry it in the vehicle incase you are stopped. Most law enforcement officers have never dealt with former military vehicles.
The vehicle has to be used for exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and not daily transportation. Define public interest?

 

[sermis]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

Here is a copy of 548.052

§ 548.052. VEHICLES NOT SUBJECT TO INSPECTION. This
chapter does not apply to:
(1) a trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or mobile
home moving under or bearing a current factory-delivery license
plate or current in-transit license plate;
(2) a vehicle moving under or bearing a paper dealer
in-transit tag, machinery license, disaster license, parade
license, prorate tab, one-trip permit, antique license, temporary
24-hour permit, or permit license;
(3) a trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or mobile
home having an actual gross weight or registered gross weight of
4,500 pounds or less;
(4) farm machinery, road-building equipment, a farm
trailer, or a vehicle required to display a slow-moving-vehicle
emblem under Section 547.703;
(5) a former military vehicle, as defined by Section
502.275;
(6) a vehicle qualified for a tax exemption under
Section 152.092, Tax Code; or
(7) a vehicle for which a certificate of title has been
issued but that is not required to be registered.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended
by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, § 30.121(a), eff. Sept. 1,
1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 963, § 1, eff. June 18, 1999;
Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1423, § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts

 

[sailor2000]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

Go here http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ftp/forms/CDLhandbook.pdf print out page 148

 

[David_4x4]

Re: RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Own

Register it as a former Military Vehicle. Does not require inspection.

Yup easiest way to go.

 

[FMJ]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

Ok, anyone done this in New Mexico......

 

[Barrman]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

My M715 is that way in Texas as well. You can use the bumper number as the license number. But, you register it under the time lines of the antique plates which are handed out every 5 years at $10.00/year. March 2008 starts a new 5 year cycle. So, wait until April so you only have to pay the $10.30 road use tax and stuff once. If you go do it today, you will pay the $10.30 plus the $10 for the rest of this year and then in March, have to go pay $60.30. The $10.30 plus $10 each for the next 5 years. If the money isn't a concern for you, go for it now. It isn't really the money, but the hassle of having to do it twice in a 3 month time.

Here is a thread I wrote a year or so ago about this.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=10085&highlight=texas+title

 

[alphadeltaromeo]

RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Owners)

Plus, Kyle, tell the tex folk they can't possibly allow you to drill lights into those bows that I sold you! *gasp*

 

[ken]

kyle it's got to be your inspector. The only problem i ever had is they didn't want to pass it because the front parking lights went out when the headlights came on. Most MV's do this. I just added a jumper wire to get them to come on. I do have a hard top also. But haven't heard anything about clearence lights. As long as the horn worked and the lights came on it wasent a problem. I paid the regular $12.50 insp fee and was out the door in about 15 minutes. I also regester mine with regular texas truck plates. I didn't want any restrictions. I think i'd find somwhere else to get mine done and tell everyone i know not to use his services. After reading your post i looked in my texas drivers hand book and the only mention for clearence lights is for truck tractors. And trucks with box type bodies. Good luck

 

[area52]

Re: RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece Own

Ok, anyone done this in New Mexico......

My last deuce I registered in NM, I got the vin verified by the State Police, then took my SF-97 and bill of sale to the DMV. the ladies had never seen a big military truck so they were confused as to what to do. I just said register it as a pickup. They asked about the gross weight and I said 23,000 lbs and it cost all of about $300 and I was out the door.

I could have went the "horseless carriage" ( antique) route but that takes too long, it has to be sent to the main office in Albuquerque.

just remember to speak slowly and keep your voice level,they aren't the smartest people you are dealing with.

 

[FMJ]

RE: Re: RE: M35A2 INSPECTION IN TEXAS-PART 2 (TEXAN SS Duece

Thanks, sorrry for another thread hijack, but will Texas issue me a temp reg to drive this truck the 15 miles it takes to get it back to New Mexico? New Mexico said they would issue a 24 hour temp so I'm good there, I may just insure them and and take a chance on that 15 miles, as the route I will be traveling is a common convoy route to the Dona Ana Base Camp.

 

[panzerbob]

I have my Deuce registered in NM, I did it as a horseless carriage, and had no problems. BTW, you do NOT have to mail in your horseless carriage plate application. I got mine at the DMV office, the person working there said that field offices can issue out the plates, but most are too lazy to. The BEST DMV in the state is still the tiny office in Mora county, by the book to the T, but willing to look in the book and figure out how they can help you, not how they can screw you.

 

[ken]

FMJ, Texas will issue you a 30 day temp paper tag for $30. All you need is proof of insurance and the trucks make model year and vin#. I've done that to drive trucks home from auctions.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 8th, 2008.

Gentlemen:

One has to stand back and doff one's hat in AWE of the intellectual powers conferred by the computer's owned by, and the experiences of the Steel Soldiers in regards to their collective acumen in this instance.
I have no problem with the mud flaps and brake issues, if any. I'm cleaning the wheels to check right now if there are any leaks and recify the same. I will say that there have been no oil, antifreeze or brake fluid puddles or drips of any kind under this truck (which, I guess for a 37 year old Deuce is rather remarkable - the Unimog now and then creates a drip or two), and in all other respects she has been very well behaved and good tempered. I WAS, however, pissed off at the threat to both my new GMA cargo cover and both the metal cab roof and the soon to be restored new GMA cab paulin.
I am going to print the relevant sections above and in Olive Drab of the Texas Transportation code, and see what happens next. The courthouse registrar threw a complete fit this summer over the Unimog not having sufficient serial number digits for their taste, but I guess they finally figured the Germans knew how many S404.114's there were by 1963.

Thanks again, you may have saved the old girl from having to live a constrained life. I'll keep you posted and remain, as always,

Indebeted for the many kindnesses and insights granted me by your members,

I am, Sirs,
Most Sincerely,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[rmgill]

For front marker lights you could do what bjorn did for the clearance markers on a bar he mounted. It's a handy place for additional spot lights. For the rear cargo cover, high clearance lights are NOT de rigour if the structure is temporary. A canvas top would be temporary which is why they don't tend to have them. Even the new FMTVs don't have high marker lights for the rear. Perhaps some more along the side would be good and a pair on the front for the turn/marker lights. But high on the back, no way.

 

[snowplow]

FMJ, I have moved 2 M35's w/o any plates & no problem. Ist time from IL to KA very worried that I would be pulled over, but the police figure you are an army truck. The other was from CA to WA, & no problem ether. Not sure about other areas, but I would not worry about your short drive.

Larry