M543A2 Winner On GL

[rumplecat]

After geting nine bids on transporting the 543 to Arkansas the cost is down to $2035, no back ground checks yet on the carriers. I am shooting for $1500 or less. If I can find a backhaul situation I may be able to get my price? Jason I will call Ray Patton today thanks for the tip. I also have to see if I can crank the M37 I picked up last week, it is complete but been sitting for a while! If anyone knows of a cheaper shipping option let me know.
Thanks,
James G.

 

[rumplecat]

My bother has brought up a good point, instead of spending 2 grand on a trailer ride, have a good local diesel shop tow the wrecker to their shop to make it road worthy for $1000 to $1500 and then I drive it home!!!!! What do you think? I could actually get something for the money and have a great back roads trip. But being broken down on the side of the road would be a problem since I would only have about five days to make the trip. Opinions?
James G.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I would drive it in a second. Great road vehicles

 

[rumplecat]

How much grief am I likely to get from the various police departments I will drive by on my 1200 plus mile backroads ride home. GL will give me a bill of sale, no SF-97 so no registration, I will have insurance but not tag!
James G.

 

[cranetruck]

Shouldn't have any problems whatsoever. I would stick to the interstates for much better average speed and places to pull off in case of trouble.
Make sure your lights work and add extra reflector strips on the rear for safety, if you plan on driving at night.
Plan ahead and take your time.
Bring tools and spare head light(s) and bulbs. Carry extra fuel and so on.
Get fuel at truck stops, some smaller gas stations don't like big trucks.

Good luck and keep us posted if you go, many of us live along your intended route and can help if you need it.

As far as having no tags, why not get temporary "delivery" one way tags from the DMV, they don't cost much and it will give you one less thing to worry about.

 

[CGarbee]

I sent in a PM to you right now a bit that I will post here for the rest to see as well... My brother has driven two vehicles from Raleigh to Colorado Springs that I have purchased for him (his money) and both times has picked up a short term (ten days) carboard tag from NCDMV for the trip. Each case, he showed the tag folks his sale paperwork, proof of insurance, and ten or fifteen dollars and was out the door...
I don't think anyone would bother you with the wrecker (heck, you look like an active duty rig going down the road), but if you want the extra piece of mind by having the paper tag, you can swing by the tag office on the way out of Fayetteville...

 

[rumplecat]

I think I am going to do the drive it home, if the truck is roadworthy. I will stop by the DMV for the tag, just in case. I could also wear some digital camo(I already have a hat) to throw the authorities even though I see very few 300lb. service members! I think I will stick to driving during daylight hours only, I have heard a couple of horror stories of MVs getting rear ended driving at night, no need to tempt fate.
It will be a great road trip and opportunity to get to know the truck.
James G.

 

[Recovry4x4]

FWIW, I've never used a tag on any of my trucks or trailers. They all are tagged and insured but FL doesn't require them to be displayed. I've had the tractor and various trailers in about 15 states like this without ever being stopped. Even if you get a temp tag, keep it in the cab. My personal opinion is that they invite the opportunity to be stopped. As Bjorn indicated, be certain to have extra lights. When I'm out on the road I always run with the headlights on. You never see a military convoy without headlights. Post your route intentions and get some cell numbers of members and have a contact you can contact that has internet contact. I agree with Bjorn on traveling interstates. 50 MPH should be no problem for the M543A2 and by the time you get home, you'll really know the truck. Flying J can be your friend. If you have a wireliess laptop, you can buy internet service there as most are wifi hotspots. Not promoting Flying J services but they list fuel prices on their website and I always print that info before I travel. Knowing what a good price for fuel is for that state always helps in planning stops.

 

[cranetruck]

Flying J is my favorite, buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, none of that Subway or Wendy's for me (Pilot, Love's and other).

One item I think is important is a pillow, that's right a pillow so you can sleep just about anywhere if you have to.

 

[jasonjc]

Get a -10 for the truck and reviwe it frist these truck are a lot difent they a civi typ. plus the wraecker is big you will need a CDL.
driving down the interstate is not the time to what this does.
check all the u-joint breacks bearings. Like you said above have a truck shop check in out real good. And becarefull the NC they don't call it fayitnam for nothing. Of all my bad times in the millitary they where all there.

 

[Recovry4x4]

What Jason said. TM 9-2320-211-10 should be in the TM section here at Steel Soldiers

 

[AMGeneral]

A word of caution and advice,The last thing I picked up from Gl had all of it's fluids drained,engine oil,antifreeze,fuel,everything.Also,the last trip I made in my 816 it took 4 months to get it ready to drive a 1200 mile round trip,and I ended up towing no less than 3 other vehicles that trip(one of them twice!!).

 

[CGarbee]

A word of caution and advice,The last thing I picked up from Gl had all of it's fluids drained,engine oil,antifreeze,fuel,everything.Also,the last trip I made in my 816 it took 4 months to get it ready to drive a 1200 mile round trip,and I ended up towing no less than 3 other vehicles that trip(one of them twice!!).

Hey, I resemble that remark...

I too keep the tag in the cab and not on the truck... I don't like to confuse folks, and in NC we get to use "year of manufacture tags with the tag of current registratio available for inspection upon demand" and I figuret that the USMC number on the tailgate is the same as a year of manufacture tag for all intents and purposes...

I've voluntered to not only go down and give the wrecker at Bragg a look see to evaluate its condition and to assist in making it roadworthy, but I have a buddy who wrenches on these things for a living who returned from Iraq last week whom I can hopefully get to take a look at it as well.

 

[rumplecat]

And Every bit of help is appreciated! I just got a bid to move the wercker for $835? Less than half of my other bids, I will call them Monday to see if they know what they are bidding on. That would be a hard price to pass up!!!!!!!!!! I still want to drive over and have a look/help load the wrecker, I am thinking about starting my drive after leaving work Wednesday Week. For those not in the South that date is November 8th, hopefully arriving late Thursday afternoon(22hrs. later). I will only be able to look since they will not allow removal on Fridays!
James G.

 

[AMGeneral]

Sorry Cabell,I forgot to mention the vehicle I towed twice was my own.Rumplecat,let me know a date when you plant to ressurect it and i'll try to be there and help.

 

[CGarbee]

Sorry Cabell,I forgot to mention the vehicle I towed twice was my own.Rumplecat,let me know a date when you plant to ressurect it and i'll try to be there and help.

Hey man, I was commenting on being one of the other vehicles you got to tow (M37 and M101A1)...

Ditto on a firm date and time to peak at the wrecker at Bragg...

 

[poppop]

DOT here in Ga stopped me two weeks ago for no tag. Officer went around me on the interstate and when he saw the driver was not military he pulled me over. I had the tag and registration in the glove box but he wanted it displayed. It is now attached below the bed using holes for the wiring harnes brakets. It can be removed easily with no damage to the truck. He also wanted identification posted on the doors. In my case my Strickland Farms magnetic signs. He did not ask for my drivers lincence but in Ga farmers are allowed to drive anything not for hire within 150 miles of the farm.

 

[jasonjc]

HE WANTED or does your the state want it.
sounds to me like he's a pain in the a**

 

[rumplecat]

It looks like I may not be driving it home, I have gotten a bid of $850 and one today of $1400. I have called the $850 bid to clarify this is a 34000lb. twenty five foot long wrecker but they have not retuned my call. The $1400 bid was originally a call to move my furniture, I told her what I really wanted to move, about 20 questions/minutes later they quoted $1400, an odd question was what size tires it had no overall dimensions just tire size?
Cabell and AM I still plan on a road trip over there, arriving the afternoon of Nov. 9th. I still need to get it running to pull onto and off the trailer and on to my storage area. The GL guy said it was trailered in, not driven, hopefully nothing massive is wrong with it.
James G.

 

[poppop]

About displaying the tags in Ga. The Ga legislature passed a law this session that stated we did not have to display tags on our MV's. The Ga DOT got ahold of the Governor and he vetoed the bill. They say they have to see a tag. But I had just driven 750 miles around the state and he was the only Officer that stopped me. I had just passed a mobil inspection site 10 minutes before he stopped me and they waved me on by.