MTVR up close

[PorscheTech911]

Amazing trucks for sure! There are some pictures here at the Tech Center of them being tested in our cold rooms. I'm glad the Marines think highly enough about Caterpillar to use our engines. Makes me very proud to be an American and a CAT employee!

 

[SouthernSteel]

Yeah they are impressive but like tm america says they have quirks lol the biggest one that stands out like sore thumb is it takes a football field turn one around lol

 

[narc20]

Thanks for the pics. Ever since my brother in law was in Marine Artillery, he talked about driving "7tons". Being from the Army I had no idea what he was talking about. I only new the deuce and 5 tons.

 

[redsocks]

anyone wanna buy an mk23??? i want to sell mine...

Actually, I'm in the market for an MK23....no kidding. Would you drop me an email? redsocks@pacbell.net

 

[emr]

I think it's classified as a 7 or 7-1/2 ton truck, wonder if they sell those commecially also with all the off-the-shelf parts in the engine and crew compartments.....[/quote]

It was originally rated for 7.5 tons when it was in the developement stages. However, the TM states it is a 7.1 ton truck now.[/QUOTE]

This is the correct info, its a 7 ton by name in the field,

 

[emr]

Those trucks are huge no doupt. They have many really cool options.. i loved them till i seen one on an articulation ramp on you tube......It went up like two ft....weak.Big tires and power is great but if you cant keep the tires on the ground they are worthless... i'd rather have my deuce and be able to max out the ramp.the idea of having to work on one of those in the field makes me say another prayer for our troops all over again ...The way they are built looks like they let mercedes and saab get together and figure out what would be the best way to hide the engine and trans from the guys who have to work on them.....what happened to the k.i.s.s system?How big is the convoy that carries all the special tools needed to fix one of them

all true , the deuce really is something special, and more than capable, its time in the field proves that, But the KISS principle has grown up, there is just so many more options and reasons for these new trucks being what they are, and to be honest a deuce could never keep up with one of these, These trucks are more mission capable than our trucks ever where. sure we can find something on any vehicle and say ours or another is better because of anything, but the truth is all the new vehicles are better than before. thats just a fact, and proven in the testing grounds and theater. I hang and spend time with the 250th one of the by far most miles in theater units in current wars and the stories are all the same, thank god we do not have those antiques any more, the trucks we love had there place and amazing enough were/are tough enough to give it a go if ever needed again, hey WW2 trucks are still in NATO stored for the big one with Russia that never came, they have been being sold off over the last few years, they were it also in there day, It is funny when i hear a old guy say " Those cckws would run with that deuce and a half, well no they would not, no chance, all the best...

 

[sandcobra164]

7.1 Tons off road, 15 tons on road and you're correct, it's commonly known as a 7 ton by the Marines. They are beast's and I'd trade my Deuce for one any day, even with the articulation ramp shortcomings!!!! I train people how to drive these trucks at the base here in Albany along with anything else with CARC paint on it.

 

[Atomic]

Sandcobra has the dream job that we all want.......

 

[joenavy203]

MTVR Review

as someone coming from the military and an operator/sometimes mechanic who has also driven 2.5, 5, 7 ton and also a HET once just to play with as a favor for a boat ride on the shat al-arab i can say with experience the MTVR 7ton is by far the nicest most maitanance free (with thousands of hours behind the wheel as experience) as well as the fastest smoothest ride and most payload capability(excluding HET which is fun and awsome but you need wide load permits to run on the road in US). i can truthfully say i have only ever seen one go down from a major computer malfunction in which it could still be driven (15mph get home function) and that was after 6 months of sinking the thing in a lake with water coming into the cab sometimes on a weekly basis and not doing any maintanance other than draining water from air tanks and an occasional oil change. they will go 65mph all day long (computer governed and could go much faster if not. if they ever do get into civi hands i will def buy one. With only a computer retune you can get well over 900hp we had one in iraq that we did this to and it was scary fast had it up to 90 pulling a 40ft boat that weighed 35,000 lbs (LOL all types of warning lights and bells and whistles were going off at me). They are almost impossible to get truly stuck you can lock all 6 wheels from in the cab as well as a CTIS that actually works all the time the system acts up every once in a while but all we have to do to get it to work 98% of the time is turn the vehicle off as well as the battle switch than turn it back on. i personally have never gotten one stuck and iv had the thing in a lake with soft clay bottom with water up to the windows (almost fliped it though lol) still got it out though under my own power without using the winch only ones i have seen stuck are from user error. they are pretty hard to flip for as high as they are and they have a relativly low center of gravity which makes them pretty hard to flip they will flip pretty easily though if your stupid and go to fast around a corner. This is only for the troop carrier and cargo models the wreckers and the tractor variants are the biggest pos i have seen (other than MRAPs they win hands down for bigest pos except when im being blown up than i like them the prob is keeping them working to get them blown up lol) the hydraulic suspension rides great but breaks ALLOT and is broken more often than not so they are always down. the 6 wheel turning is awsome but not worth the trade off on reliability. if they ever get into civi hands i would suggest not getting them unless you have lots of money for repairs as they will be many and expensive. also the wreckers usueally have hydraulic probs so unless you really need one dont get one.

Thanks for reading
Joe


PS AC breaks on all of them only thing i have ever seen consistintly go wrong with them. so be ready for lots af ac repairs as well as reecharges. or just roll down the windows really sucks in 120 degree weather with up armor with no windows and no AC we had the thermometer in it and it was right at 160 still had to go out and do missions with them broken.

 

[zout]

Sure wish in the engine pics it would have captured the ac compressor - idler - hoses - dryer. The ac kits that are out there in the crates that are selling are what those units are to go in - so if you thinking about cooling something smaller - it works with a little fabbing.

Besides seeing the placement on the blower system and computer controls for the system - you get a better idea of how massive the blower system is. Pushing air into a Deuce and half is a walk in the park for that system as it handles these monsters.

Great pics - I like the ones I think Oshkosh had of trial runs at nearly full speed in these.

 

[quickfarms]

I want one

Drool

 

[joenavy203]

wish i knew you wanted pics like that a week ago last friday was my last day in the military could have gotten you all the MTVR pics you wanted too little to late i suppose

 

[joenavy203]

here are some pics of us using the MTVR this one pic of it is right before we had the water up to the hood couldnt find any with the hood submerged this was a pretty regular place we put the boats in hope u enjoy the pics
Joe

 

[joenavy203]

Mtvr

had to repost here are the pics

 

[joenavy203]

BTW neither of there trucks are stuck

 

[m816]

Now the young guys are gonna be laughing at us M series guys when those things come on GL.

 

[joenavy203]

throw some pneumatic lockers in any of the m series and u will prob be able to go allot more places than the new trucks they are very big and wont fit allot of places only downside iv found yet. if they fit and you have a half decent driver they wont get stuck but thats only if they fit. if they dont fit they will be hitching a ride with the m series guys lol. the ability to lock up all the axles from inside gets us unstuck more often than the ctis we rarely use it unless were on a very slippery boat ramp. than all the M series guys will be laughing at the MK series when they cant fit on the trail

 

[wsucougarx]

I want one so bad. My 923 will have to do for now.

 

[halftrack]

I will post some interior and under hood pics this evening. Had the computer on the side of the cat motor go bad for the first time on a rebuilt 7 ton. Very disappointed.

 

[wsucougarx]

Hey Jason, do you have any pics of the tailgate? Looking to see how they attach the boarding ladder (interior and exterior pics). I've got a MTVR boarding ladder that I'm going to put on my 923. Also any pics of the area where the boarding ladder is stored? The area along side the front of the bed on the driver side.