71DeuceAK
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- Location
- Fairbanks, Alaska
Now that winter is here (not officially per the calendar, but per the snow flying and joking daily about how a good chunk of people in a college town/military hub just moved here and don't know how to drive even their subcompact cars in the snow, I've gotten to really wondering about this, in preparation for potentially eventually bringing a M923 I have a line on up here and ideally driving it year round.
I tried search but didn't get super relevant results. I tried to make the first half of the title of this thread as searchable as possible for somebody else in the future with my same situation.
Anyway...What all does everyone do, or did the military do, for making these trucks drivable and safe in winter conditions? Everyone has told me at least the G177's and the 53's are absolutely horrible in the snow, chaining up is supposedly a must. Anyone have personal experience with this? I should clarify that in a perfect world I would like to still be driving mine on-road, on the pavement, on the highways, year round regardless of weather conditions. With what I'd use my truck for, it would be both playing in the snow drifts and hitting the freeway just as equally, both extremes.
Of course I'll need to do some engine winterizations as well. I know a block heater is a must, and I'm told changing to (5W40? Rotella synthetic if I remember right from what a fellow Steel Soldiers member who has a M923 outside Fairbanks told me) also helps with the NHC250 in the M939/A1 models, being it's frankly a cold-blooded beast; at even zero degrees Farenheit they said theirs doesn't hardly start...the oil just congeals and the starter just does nothing but drain already-weakened, cold batteries. Anyone else have any other suggestions? I know a heating pad on the oil pan could also help. And of course, the proper antifreeze coolant blend for the -40*F Fairbanks winters.
As far as the batteries, I know a heating pad on those and possibly a maintainer also helps; they only freeze if they go dead as I understand it, also from having lived off-grid, with a bank of daisy-chained 8Ds running my house through an inverter, though in a different climate where -40*F wasn't an issue to worry about. I'm definitely leaving mine under the passenger seat in the cab, not moving them down to the passenger side toolbox, so they may be more sheltered there- though these cabs are so drafty I don't think it makes a difference in temperature, besides maybe wind-chill factor.
I know even from riding shotgun in one on a 40*F rainy day that the stock heat isn't all that robust. Sure, idling in a parking lot the cab will feel toasty when you climb in, but as soon as you hit the freeway you're putting layers back on. I know fuel-fired heaters exist that burn diesel, but has anyone had any experiences with those, or any other ideas? I've heard/read crazy stories of people putting a generator in the bed and running electric space heaters before, on a temporary basis, but I'd like something more permanent.
Of course, I'd like to get a hard top, even just for snow load, but has anyone tried to stop the other drafts? I've wondered about even something like pipe insulation around the window frames...or has anyone even just stuffed them full of newspaper, etc successfully? I'd like it to be a non-permanent fix so I can open the windshields in the summers, they still get to triple-digit temps around here and these lack A/C in stock form of course. Of course I'll also be warmly dressed in the cab as well.
I'd also like to find, or make my own, canvas hood kit. I know they exist.
I'm sure I'm probably missing other categories, any suggestions? I'd like to keep this thing on the road year-round, regardless of what the weather is doing.
I tried search but didn't get super relevant results. I tried to make the first half of the title of this thread as searchable as possible for somebody else in the future with my same situation.
Anyway...What all does everyone do, or did the military do, for making these trucks drivable and safe in winter conditions? Everyone has told me at least the G177's and the 53's are absolutely horrible in the snow, chaining up is supposedly a must. Anyone have personal experience with this? I should clarify that in a perfect world I would like to still be driving mine on-road, on the pavement, on the highways, year round regardless of weather conditions. With what I'd use my truck for, it would be both playing in the snow drifts and hitting the freeway just as equally, both extremes.
Of course I'll need to do some engine winterizations as well. I know a block heater is a must, and I'm told changing to (5W40? Rotella synthetic if I remember right from what a fellow Steel Soldiers member who has a M923 outside Fairbanks told me) also helps with the NHC250 in the M939/A1 models, being it's frankly a cold-blooded beast; at even zero degrees Farenheit they said theirs doesn't hardly start...the oil just congeals and the starter just does nothing but drain already-weakened, cold batteries. Anyone else have any other suggestions? I know a heating pad on the oil pan could also help. And of course, the proper antifreeze coolant blend for the -40*F Fairbanks winters.
As far as the batteries, I know a heating pad on those and possibly a maintainer also helps; they only freeze if they go dead as I understand it, also from having lived off-grid, with a bank of daisy-chained 8Ds running my house through an inverter, though in a different climate where -40*F wasn't an issue to worry about. I'm definitely leaving mine under the passenger seat in the cab, not moving them down to the passenger side toolbox, so they may be more sheltered there- though these cabs are so drafty I don't think it makes a difference in temperature, besides maybe wind-chill factor.
I know even from riding shotgun in one on a 40*F rainy day that the stock heat isn't all that robust. Sure, idling in a parking lot the cab will feel toasty when you climb in, but as soon as you hit the freeway you're putting layers back on. I know fuel-fired heaters exist that burn diesel, but has anyone had any experiences with those, or any other ideas? I've heard/read crazy stories of people putting a generator in the bed and running electric space heaters before, on a temporary basis, but I'd like something more permanent.
Of course, I'd like to get a hard top, even just for snow load, but has anyone tried to stop the other drafts? I've wondered about even something like pipe insulation around the window frames...or has anyone even just stuffed them full of newspaper, etc successfully? I'd like it to be a non-permanent fix so I can open the windshields in the summers, they still get to triple-digit temps around here and these lack A/C in stock form of course. Of course I'll also be warmly dressed in the cab as well.
I'd also like to find, or make my own, canvas hood kit. I know they exist.
I'm sure I'm probably missing other categories, any suggestions? I'd like to keep this thing on the road year-round, regardless of what the weather is doing.
