Need Help Recovering Deuce in Ft. Jackson, SC

[Tow4]

My EUC finally cleared , and now I have a M35A2 at Ft Jackson that I need help picking up. My plan is to pick it up 3/15 or 3/16. What I need is somebody in the area that can help me check the truck over and tow it off the base for me. I have three options from there.

1. If it runs with no major problems, I'll drive it home.
2. If there's a problem, I would pay to have it flat towed to my uncle's in Aikin (about 65 miles).
3. Someone could store it locally until I can get it picked up.

This is my first recovery, so if you can help, please email me at rdsiii@bellsouth.net so we can work out the details.

Cheers,

Ray

 

[SCSG-G4]

Ray,
Send a PM to jwaller in case he does not see this thread. He may be able to find you some help. Campbell's Towing can get it moved off the base - MitchG has used them before. I might be able to come out and look at it with you, but do not have a tow bar. Let's see if others will chime in!

 

[jwaller]

I can bring it to my place tomorrow. send the euc and paid invoice and I can have it here asap.

 

[airmech3839]

SEVO has a tow bar and is about 5 min from there....If it is a real early morning I may be able to drive the deuce up and tow it off if I can get a towbar...maybe borrow SEVO's if he is unavailable. I work second shift and have a little time in the morning....but I would have to drive about 2hrs one way....

Tracy

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Sevo moved to NM, he'd have a **** of a drive to help there! And it was my towbar.
Anyway, if Jwaller can't get it (but it looks like he can) I have my towbar and 5 ton and I live 5 min from the DRMO lot.

 

[Tow4]

Thanks for all the quick replies.

jwaller, I appreciate the offer to pick it up for me, but I want to participate in the recovery since this is my first one. If you would be able to meet me there and help me go over it and tow it off, that would be great. Does 3/15 work for you?

airmech3839, I wouldn't want you to have to drive so far. But I appreciate the kind offer.

Thanks ferroequinologist, I'll get your phone number just incase something comes up with jwaller.

Thanks everybody,

Ray

 

[MitchG]

Ray if you need somewhere to store it for a while let me know. I live about 15 min south of Columbia or either you could park it for a few days at work here. I work just a few miles away from the Fort.

 

[Tow4]

Thanks for all the kind offers to help. Barring some disaster, the plan is for jwaller to help me with the recovery on the 15th.

Ray

 

[Tow4]

Wow, GL at Ft. Jackson sure makes it hard to find out where they are!

I'm getting everything together to head up Sunday to pick up my truck and I thought I should probably print the map so I know where to go. I do that and I'm looking at the directions to the DRMO and it says go through the gate and enter the traffic circle and take a right on Ewell Rd. Well, the first thing I notice is there isn't a traffic circle. There isn't a "Ewell Rd." either.

After much head scratching and panning around on Goggle Maps (the link provided on the auction page) I decide to punch the address into Map Quest. It pops up and tells me it couldn't find that address, but how about this one on NEWELL Rd.? Now everything looks right with traffic circle and everything. I even followed the road around and could see the DRMO yard in the aerial picture.

Ha, Ha! I'm sure I would have found it eventually because jwaller has been there, but you would think that kind of mistake would get caught sooner or later .

Ray

 

[Ferroequinologist]

It's GL... Nough said.

 

[Tow4]

Recovery Successful!

After a little run around on which gate I had to sign onto the base at (they made me go to the gate 3 miles north of the gate closest to GL) and then finding my way back to the GL yard. I finally got to see my deuce in person.

The first thing I did was walk around and see if anything was missing. Everything looked ok. Then I got in and checked to see if the brake pedal went to the floor; it didn't. Next I opened the hood and check the water and oil. No water visible in the filler neck, but a half gallon out of a jug fixed that. The oil was full and not black (surprised me!).

I jumped in to see if it would start. I pulled the engine stop out (I have read a lot here) and bumped the starter to check for hydro lock. Everything was good. I pushed the engine stop in and cranked for about 3 seconds. Nothing...I remembered reading that you have to push the accelerator pedal to get more fuel if you run out; so I did that and she fired a little. I cranked again while hitting the accelerator pedal and she fired up and idled. There was oil pressure and the alternator worked.

Now I'm feeling pretty good because it runs and has brakes. The tires are all good and a few of them look new; plus the spare has never been on the ground. I pull it up a little so I can get around it easier to air up tires and look it over better. I also let it idle for a few minutes to see if it built air pressure and so I could check to see if the radiator water level went down.

When I shut it off, I heard air leaking from under the dash. The air hose going to the air pressure gauge was leaking pretty bad. I checked the radiator and it was still full so that was good.

I had a buddy with me so while he aired the tires I crawled around underneath checking driveshafts, brake fluid; drain the air tanks, etc. FYI, it takes a while to air up ten deuce tires with a 1HP compressor.

Jwaller got called into work, but drove his HMMWV on his way in to tow me off the base.

Here are some pictures of us moving out of the GL yard and John cutting me loose at the highway about noon.

 

[Tow4]

Recovery Successful! Part 2...

I ran down the road to the first rest area (about 25 miles) and then stopped to look everything over. Everything was ok; the axles were barely warm as were the transmission and transfer case. I checked the oil and fuel to make sure they weren’t getting together.

I continued on about another 40 miles and stopped to fill her up and have my buddy go find a pipe plug. The air gauge hose was leaking bad, and the system wasn’t pressurizing much. I installed the pipe plug and checked it; wow! Now I had good brakes. We had lunch and headed down the road.

I went about an hour between the next two stops. Everything was hanging together. About the SC, GA border I stopped and found the transfer case rear seal leaking a little and a wheel cylinder was leaking. I added a little brake fluid, checked the brakes they still were ok. The next stop was at the GA, FL border. No brake fluid leaking this time (never seen a wheel cylinder stop leaking before) and everything else was ok.

By now it’s getting late and I decided I would just head for home (Orlando) and leave the deuce at my office. We arrived about 1:00 am. Other than a complex security guard coming over to find out if he could help me; everything went ok overall.

It was a relatively uneventful recovery. However, even with the spring seat my butt is still in a coma. I had about 9 hours seat time and about 410 miles. You have to go on your first recovery, the rest I think I’ll have shipped….

Thanks to everyone that gave advise and help.

 

[jwaller]

congrats on making the rest of the trip. Wish I could have stayed longer but I couldn't. I think you actually beat me home that night. I ended up in dulles, reading, charlotte, atlanta and then back to columbia about 2am.

 

[airmech3839]

glad you made it safe... she looks good...Jackson is a good DRMO... most stuff seems to be in good shape and the guy on the lot seems to know if the trucks will drive and have brakes...he usually looks them over cause he has to move them from time to time....I went to look at a 1009 they had there and he went and got one of the deuces and brought it over and slaved it off and let it run and told us what he knew was wrong with it....maybe I am not supose to tell this stuff but he was helpful in me knowing wether to bid or stay away.... heck of a nice guy!!

 

[Tow4]

Ha, Ha, I bet your ride was more comfortable jwaller. I didn't realize you are a pilot. You can see what I spend most of my time flying in my avatar. I appreciate you going out of your way to help.

The fellow at GL Ft. Jackson was very nice and helpful.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Tim is a great guy, it's a shame Jackson doesn't see more surplus passed through it.
Congrats on a good looking and driving truck! Jwaller is a heck of a good guy, glad he was able to help you out.