New member from Maine, looking at buying a Stewart and Stevenson M 1078.

[MaiNiaK]

I've bee doing a lot of research on the Stewart and Stevenson model LMTV's. Including reading the operation manuals, maintenance schedules and parts manuals. I've also read the terms and conditions, section of Govplanet and Govliquidations. Including info on EUC's and filing a SF-97 for title.

I still need to go talk to my friend at our local town office about registrations, and check on insurance.

We bought a good size piece of land and 3,500 sqft home a year and a half ago at a foreclosure auction. Got a great deal on it. But we lost a good part of our 1/4 mile driveway this spring due to frost and run off. It's on the side of a mountain and has some pretty steep grades.

This is why I am looking to upgrade from my F-350 .
im looking to do a few modifications to a M 1078 to make living and farming the land up here a little easier.



(The panoramic view doesn't really do it justice without extreme zooming.)

 

[85 USMC M998]

Hello from MI. Wow nice view! The LMTV should do the job but I am fond of the 5 Tons. But probably a bit unpractical for you.

 

[dawico]

Welcome from Texas.

 

[MaiNiaK]

Thanks..

i have looked at the the M35 model duece's.

I'm just a bit concerned about not having a CDL license. A friend of mine does have all the books I could borrow, to study for a permit/licence. His family has a farm so he knew his way around a truck to begin with, but he didn't have to pay big bucks for a class to get his CDL.

This is why I want to talk to my friend at the town office. To see if I'm going to need a CDL, or if I can fore go this by just registering as a Farm Truck.

Id also like to get a Oskosh MK14 trailer (or similar) so I can haul my KH-28L Kubota excavator.(15,000lbs). I know I'd be limited on how far I could haul it with a farm registration. But all my property is within a 20 mile radius. This would limit me on being able to haul new toys home though.

id also like to add some hydraulic cylinders to the bed frame so I could haul 5-6 yards of gravel for the driveway, compost or firewood. I'd have to build alternative side boards to use while hauling cause I wouldn't want to ruin the aluminum ones.
i do realize they make a 6x6 5 ton model that has a dump bed. But it's a bit longer and wouldn't maneuver as well especially if I put my Fisher extreme V2 plow on it for winter plowing.

 

[MaiNiaK]

Well I guess hauling my excavator or another M1078 on a trailer is out of the question with a LMTV



I'd definitely need the five ton MTV.
I really don't want a 6x6.

 

[theeDIZ]

Welcome from MD .

 

[Towerguy1]

A deuce will pull a nine ton trailer, however it is under powered. Plenty of low gears to work with but slower than death on a hill. Most military trucks were designed to haul loads in the bed instead of on a trailer, as trailers off road don't work well. Should handle short hauls ok if your not in a hurry. No CDL with farm plates should be ok. A wheeler style truck will handle the weight and trailers better than a lifted 4x4 style truck. Not knocking the newer trucks..... they are awsome. Also id be very careful about attaching a pickup style snowplow to a heavy truck. Not impossible to do, but these trucks are about twice as heavy as a pickup. If you find an immobile object in the snow, or push up to a frozen bank the extra force is much harder on the plow. Ask me how i know....... Hope this isn't too negative, just trying to pass some experience on.

 

[kblazer87]

Welcome from Indiana.

 

[m38inmaine]

A farm plate restricts you to a certain mileage from your home, not sure I would want that. I would also want to be sure having a farm plate exempts you from a cdl.

 

[FloridaAKM]

Welcome from Florida!

 

[MaiNiaK]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome...!

This would be the largest truck I've plowed with in the 25 yrs I've been plowing and am aware of the damage it could cause to a plow. A friend of mine drives a commercial dump truck with a Boss 8.5 v plow and is always doing damage to his plow. The Fisher 9.5 extreme V2 is a little better plow, but definitely not built as strong as the old solid steel plows. There is a company out of NY that's building Fisher minute mount attachments for the LMTV and the Hummers. They also have PDFs on hooking them up, wiring diagram included.

As for the Farm registration. You first have to file as a farm tax wise, which we have for the past 2 years.
In Maine a vehicle can be registered as a farm truck all the way up to 69,000 lbs. (no CDL required) Registrations are priced by weight class and cannot be used for E-commerce. Meaning you can't use it for a firewood business. You have 2 choices on inspection, full inspection or a minimal inspection. This is where it gets a little tricky. A minimally inspected farm vehicle is limited to within 20 of the farm and must have the towns name on the side of it. A fully inspected farm vehicle has no limitation on range except when towing farm equipment, then it's limited to 150 miles of the farm. (Title 29-A)

The M1078 could also be registered as a personal vehicle due to the fact it's single rear axle. But would be limited on load and towing unless you had a CDL. (Which would require a commercial registration.)

The Extreme V2

Picture of a M1078 with a Fisher minute mount straight blade.


Thanks,
MaiNiaK

 

[FloridaAKM]

Using your LMTV to plow snow doesn't look right to this Floridian, but then what do I know about snow..............or removing it for that matter.

 

[MaiNiaK]

I have come to the conclusion that I wll be keeping my F350, that I've already put a new motor and refurbished transmission in to plow with.

I wouldn't want to use a nice rig like the M1078 to plow with. Plowing is hard on equipment and parts are to hard to come by for these rigs to use one to plow with.

Im still looking to purchase one though. I'm hooked and love these trucks..!!

 

[FloridaAKM]

Good choice & good luck @ finding a M1078 of your liking.

 

[bikeman]

I was going to mention you'd probably be safer/better with keeping the F350, so glad you figured that out.

The LMTV is a great truck for doing the other stuff you talk about, but I would never see it effectively as a plow. You could look into an M1088 for hauling a trailer with load, and then do a swap out or dump trailer as well. just an idea. Anyways, welcome!

 

[bikeman]

Im not quite sure why i said grab a 1088 after the issues you talked about regarding the cdl and such. Im going to blame it on not having any caffine in my system yet.

 

[MaiNiaK]

Im not quite sure why i said grab a 1088 after the issues you talked about regarding the cdl and such. Im going to blame it on not having any caffine in my system yet.

I have spoken with the nice lady's at my local town office, they have assured me I won't need a CDL.

 

[MaiNiaK]

I have set aside enough money to buy/bid on the good rated/running M1078's. Have talked with the folks at GP. Ready to pull the trigger and start bidding.
Im not going to rush the process, if it's ment to be it will be, if not there's always anouther auction.
Still need to talk to a couple carriers about shipping in the AM.

 

[ageregunner]

Nice property! Welcome from PA.

 

[Towerguy1]

Good luck on the bidding. There are a ton of laws that conflict each other. A pain for sure. Let us know how it works out.