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New Member - Southern California/Arizona

therealquaid

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California
Hi folks! I’ve been a lurker for 3 years, this forum is such a pool of knowledge and a friendly community.

I live fulltime in a 1985 Fleetwood Jamboree RV mostly in CA and AZ and am finally ready to build my dream home on a Deuce! Not sure if I’m going with the m109a3 shop van or with a bare frame and ad a composite camper shell on it. I’d love to share the process with you guys, I’m currently in Desert Hot Springs and gonna start going to see trucks tomorrow!
 

Mullaney

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Hi folks! I’ve been a lurker for 3 years, this forum is such a pool of knowledge and a friendly community.

I live fulltime in a 1985 Fleetwood Jamboree RV mostly in CA and AZ and am finally ready to build my dream home on a Deuce! Not sure if I’m going with the m109a3 shop van or with a bare frame and ad a composite camper shell on it. I’d love to share the process with you guys, I’m currently in Desert Hot Springs and gonna start going to see trucks tomorrow!
.
So... Any new news or pictures to share?
Inquiring minds want to know.

this_thread_is_worthless_without_pics.gif
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
213
529
93
Location
Felton, CA
You should come to the MVCC spring meet and talk to some of the folks that have done this. IIRC they have done so on the M939 series of vehicles. They look pretty nice! Anyways you can try for a fancy spot at the RV resort or get the cheap seats in the fairgrounds next door. I'll be there with my wrecker and trailer in tow just goofing off. Maybe buy something; maybe sell something. Event is in Amador County about an hour from Stockton. Biggest swap meet on the west coast!

 

therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
You should come to the MVCC spring meet and talk to some of the folks that have done this. IIRC they have done so on the M939 series of vehicles. They look pretty nice! Anyways you can try for a fancy spot at the RV resort or get the cheap seats in the fairgrounds next door. I'll be there with my wrecker and trailer in tow just goofing off. Maybe buy something; maybe sell something. Event is in Amador County about an hour from Stockton. Biggest swap meet on the west coast!

Wow that sounds amazing thanks for the tip! I will actually be making my build just 140miles away from there in Clearlake so I could definitely make it my first trip.
Now I just need to buy a truck and get it long distance worthy in less then a month!
 

therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
.
So... Any new news or pictures to share?
Inquiring minds want to know.

View attachment 892580
Absolutely! Today was my first day driving a deuce and I fell IN LOVE with the truck. It just hugged the ground and it moved around so easy, I’m so glad I decided for this truck it felt like a horse that would just take you over stuff and wanted to just go!
I just got home it was a looong day driving to LA and dealing with their traffic to see these trucks. I hate cities, especially Los Angeles, but it was worth it to drive two deuces.

I should of known that being in LA both these trucks were going to end up being hollywood trucks 😂

Checked out this bobbed deuce ($10000) was originally the deuce used on the Duck Dynasty tv show. Engine started on the third try, couldnt find any rust whatsoever, owner has been wrenching MVs for 15 years and says all I need to take it on trips is a spare tire. According to him the vehicle is all original military spec parts except for the bobbing, so no spin on oil filters for example.

While running I kept hearing a clicking noise from what I believe was the air regulator right behind the gauges it just wouldn’t shut off but the brakes were feeling ok. The owner said he’d fix that before the sale. I’m not an expert but if that is fixed, from what I could tell the only flaws were that the windows never fully sealed (they shut and opened but full of seams) and it needs a spare tire.
I wanted a truck that has been regularly put through long drives but this one since the tv show 10 years ago, has never been driven extensively however.
F1EF2BB9-C064-4855-8FA4-B3540FBE97A7.jpeg5EACA4EB-8A50-4A04-BB97-7FFEFBB6E633.jpeg27365282-EC58-406D-A7AA-F4AF7AD82288.jpegD176499D-A254-43B1-8211-BDDBBC318377.jpeg

This second one belonged to a guy who has supplied MVs for movies and TV shows for years, he bought two deuces and three 5 tons 15 years ago and has maintained them himself ever since. He is selling out his collection and also had a british army tank, and one other tank.

He had this great story that one of his 5 tons was sent to Hawaii for a Godzilla movie shoot, and the film crew accidentally dropped a huge movie prop on the truck destroying the cargo bed and he had that replaced 😂

He had a 5 ton for $14000 and another one with a communications box he wanted $19000 for, I however went to check out the M35A2.

The deuce ($11,000) seemed to drive flawlessly. The engine started immediately and it was a cold start from 2 weeks. He would take it on long drives occasionally to different film shoots. It looks much more original than the first one and had some minor rust on some of the engine parts, and some bad rust on the hard top, so would need a new one.
It also has some old looking hoses in the engine compartment but he’s including a box with a whole new set of hoses.
From my non expert eyes the only flaws I could see were one leaking wheel well on one of the inner rear wheels (not bad but needs to be addressed), rusted hard top, and fuel gauge would work intermittently.

BC2D6FA7-2C47-44FF-907F-8059E7D745B5.jpegC85A8407-BCEF-4963-8C96-74250A2C60AD.jpeg9770FE9F-D627-4806-A3A7-AB6DA232FE33.jpeg612D6016-35ED-41F4-B0A0-0C07B1766676.jpeg1F4159A1-7CF0-4DB1-87CA-91BEACB6A874.jpeg
 

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therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
I’m headed 400 miles through Quartzsite, and Phoenix tomorrow all the way to Jack’s Gov’t Surplus in Tucson. Gonna check out a deuce on my way there as well. Wish me luck! If i’m too tired I’ll just post next day.
 

KN6KXR

Well-known member
213
529
93
Location
Felton, CA
Wow that sounds amazing thanks for the tip! I will actually be making my build just 140miles away from there in Clearlake so I could definitely make it my first trip.
Now I just need to buy a truck and get it long distance worthy in less then a month!
I was actually suggesting you wait to buy anything until you come to the meet and talk to some folks. Do some more research. A build like you're talking about is really going to add up. Best to talk to guys about what's worked for them.

I would also suggest you look at the 939 platform for a build out. Yes I know it's a lot more. I think it would be worth waiting and saving up for. Owning both a M35A2 and an M936A2 if I were to pick one for comfort, reliability, parts availability, performance and durability: the M939A2 platform with the 8.3 Cummins and full air brakes would win every time. I drove my M35A2 back from Utah and the M936A2 back from Michigan and would rather do the 3x longer Michigan trip again than run that far flat out in an M35. YMMV.
 

therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
I was actually suggesting you wait to buy anything until you come to the meet and talk to some folks. Do some more research. A build like you're talking about is really going to add up. Best to talk to guys about what's worked for them.

I would also suggest you look at the 939 platform for a build out. Yes I know it's a lot more. I think it would be worth waiting and saving up for. Owning both a M35A2 and an M936A2 if I were to pick one for comfort, reliability, parts availability, performance and durability: the M939A2 platform with the 8.3 Cummins and full air brakes would win every time. I drove my M35A2 back from Utah and the M936A2 back from Michigan and would rather do the 3x longer Michigan trip again than run that far flat out in an M35. YMMV.
I totally agree about talking to them first, especially since I’ve never owned a MV so I rely almost only on other people’s experiences. I highly appreciate you sharing yours! That’s an invaluable comparison right there. The truth is that, for the right reasons, I’m totally open to considering a different rig than the M35.

I do love the 939 and I see all the advantages believe me I’ve been deeply considering it for a while now! (It’s been 5 years now of planning my build 😅). I also believe I have space for it in my budget.

I have a personal thing however that I will go to hell and back to try and fix something myself before I have to pay someone to do it for me. That being said I also have never owned or worked on a diesel truck and that’s why I gravitated towards the deuce. I had a few people who have worked on both for years tell me they thought so as well that I would have an easier time learning on the M35 vs the 939. Would you still pick the 939 every time when it comes to a diesel truck newbie trying to figure it out on his own?

I want to believe it’s not more complicated because the 5 ton is just badass. I never drove a 939 but it felt like the deuce fit me like a glove.

Another concern is height of the vehicles, since I will have solar panels on top of my roof and I already struggle with my rig 8.5ft tall under trees I was also going for the M35 to minimize how tall a 939 rig would be.
 
Last edited:

therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
I made the 400 miles to Tucson! Unfortunately Jack from Jack’s Gov’t Surplus isn’t gonna be at the shop for a few days but I hope to meet him this weekend. I will be looking at his M35s and 939s. I also drove by the GovPlanet Auction Lot and as usual they had the LMTVs and the Hummers.

The one truck I saw today was really easy to walk away from, owner had virtually no info on how the truck was ever used, owned it for a couple months and had little to no idea what worked and what didn’t. All the tires needed replacing, the wheel cylinders were leaking, I saw a lot of gunk and oil on all kinds of parts under the truck, a lot of rust damage, holes and rust cracks on the fenders etc.
45BF1466-C4BD-4CC7-989D-33FD27EAC24D.jpegA5B0E8E1-3D5D-46ED-966F-B2E1387B548D.jpeg13A32F5B-71CD-47C1-8407-D8AA1BBE9972.jpegCA841640-B522-44C4-8C51-B046FB991B24.jpeg5BBBFBA4-136A-40B5-9233-78A2314194B8.jpegA53BF1BA-A822-4144-B0E7-FE5B56F840E2.jpeg2C5B8465-0934-4207-8952-7000ECD60F1E.jpeg94707581-FA64-4859-ABF8-A1593DE7D719.jpeg
One cool thing is that it seemed to have a 120v inverter installed and the seat reminded me of my ‘98 4runner.
8B508E52-DA77-403D-A61E-24CE69C436C2.jpeg8000F694-4B25-4484-BF0F-6D204DE003B3.jpeg

They were asking $15,900 though… not my next home.

I’d love to know if you guys have any opinions on some of these trucks, they are the first M35s I’ve ever seen/driven.
 

flyfishtrailer

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
518
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93
Location
Cool, CA
I will be at Plymouth with an M1078 (Find the kitchen trailer). I agree with all that has been said above. Don't rush in yet, talk to the folks that have been building, repairing and driving these MV's for years. I have learned much from these pages, but even more in person. The greatest thing about MV shows, you can touch, climb in and feel firsthand many of these trucks (unlike car shows where it is a no touch zone). I spent over 2 years looking, driving when I could, and asking a lot of questions before I found my M1078.
 

18operator

Well-known member
1,084
1,837
113
Location
Seville, Ohio
I made the 400 miles to Tucson! Unfortunately Jack from Jack’s Gov’t Surplus isn’t gonna be at the shop for a few days but I hope to meet him this weekend. I will be looking at his M35s and 939s. I also drove by the GovPlanet Auction Lot and as usual they had the LMTVs and the Hummers.

The one truck I saw today was really easy to walk away from, owner had virtually no info on how the truck was ever used, owned it for a couple months and had little to no idea what worked and what didn’t. All the tires needed replacing, the wheel cylinders were leaking, I saw a lot of gunk and oil on all kinds of parts under the truck, a lot of rust damage, holes and rust cracks on the fenders etc.
View attachment 892690View attachment 892698View attachment 892696View attachment 892695View attachment 892694View attachment 892693View attachment 892692View attachment 892691
One cool thing is that it seemed to have a 120v inverter installed and the seat reminded me of my ‘98 4runner.
View attachment 892699View attachment 892697

They were asking $15,900 though… not my next home.

I’d love to know if you guys have any opinions on some of these trucks, they are the first M35s I’ve ever seen/driven.
I'm no expert, but I think those tires are bald. What's with the ratchet strap on the non MV drivers seat?
 

jeffhuey1n

SMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Laramie County, Wyoming
I made the 400 miles to Tucson! Unfortunately Jack from Jack’s Gov’t Surplus isn’t gonna be at the shop for a few days but I hope to meet him this weekend. I will be looking at his M35s and 939s. I also drove by the GovPlanet Auction Lot and as usual they had the LMTVs and the Hummers.

The one truck I saw today was really easy to walk away from, owner had virtually no info on how the truck was ever used, owned it for a couple months and had little to no idea what worked and what didn’t. All the tires needed replacing, the wheel cylinders were leaking, I saw a lot of gunk and oil on all kinds of parts under the truck, a lot of rust damage, holes and rust cracks on the fenders etc.
View attachment 892690View attachment 892698View attachment 892696View attachment 892695View attachment 892694View attachment 892693View attachment 892692View attachment 892691
One cool thing is that it seemed to have a 120v inverter installed and the seat reminded me of my ‘98 4runner.
View attachment 892699View attachment 892697

They were asking $15,900 though… not my next home.

I’d love to know if you guys have any opinions on some of these trucks, they are the first M35s I’ve ever seen/driven.
I wouldn’t even try to work a deal with this truck. It’s a basket case. Not ready for the scrapyard, just needs tons of TLC IMHO.
 

jeffhuey1n

SMSgt, USAF (Ret.)
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,808
1,242
113
Location
Laramie County, Wyoming
Absolutely! Today was my first day driving a deuce and I fell IN LOVE with the truck. It just hugged the ground and it moved around so easy, I’m so glad I decided for this truck it felt like a horse that would just take you over stuff and wanted to just go!
I just got home it was a looong day driving to LA and dealing with their traffic to see these trucks. I hate cities, especially Los Angeles, but it was worth it to drive two deuces.

I should of known that being in LA both these trucks were going to end up being hollywood trucks 😂

Checked out this bobbed deuce ($10000) was originally the deuce used on the Duck Dynasty tv show. Engine started on the third try, couldnt find any rust whatsoever, owner has been wrenching MVs for 15 years and says all I need to take it on trips is a spare tire. According to him the vehicle is all original military spec parts except for the bobbing, so no spin on oil filters for example.

While running I kept hearing a clicking noise from what I believe was the air regulator right behind the gauges it just wouldn’t shut off but the brakes were feeling ok. The owner said he’d fix that before the sale. I’m not an expert but if that is fixed, from what I could tell the only flaws were that the windows never fully sealed (they shut and opened but full of seams) and it needs a spare tire.
I wanted a truck that has been regularly put through long drives but this one since the tv show 10 years ago, has never been driven extensively however.
View attachment 892592View attachment 892593View attachment 892595View attachment 892596

This second one belonged to a guy who has supplied MVs for movies and TV shows for years, he bought two deuces and three 5 tons 15 years ago and has maintained them himself ever since. He is selling out his collection and also had a british army tank, and one other tank.

He had this great story that one of his 5 tons was sent to Hawaii for a Godzilla movie shoot, and the film crew accidentally dropped a huge movie prop on the truck destroying the cargo bed and he had that replaced 😂

He had a 5 ton for $14000 and another one with a communications box he wanted $19000 for, I however went to check out the M35A2.

The deuce ($11,000) seemed to drive flawlessly. The engine started immediately and it was a cold start from 2 weeks. He would take it on long drives occasionally to different film shoots. It looks much more original than the first one and had some minor rust on some of the engine parts, and some bad rust on the hard top, so would need a new one.
It also has some old looking hoses in the engine compartment but he’s including a box with a whole new set of hoses.
From my non expert eyes the only flaws I could see were one leaking wheel well on one of the inner rear wheels (not bad but needs to be addressed), rusted hard top, and fuel gauge would work intermittently.

View attachment 892598View attachment 892600View attachment 892603View attachment 892606View attachment 892605
Definitely worth looking into. Nice truck! One thing though, that leaking cylinder should be fixed before going anywhere. I had a small leak like that. Checked to fluid level. Needed some DOT 5, which I topped off. Less than a mile down the road, no more brakes. Fluid level flatlined. The cylinders are real easy to repair as long as you’ve got everything you need before starting.
 

therealquaid

Active member
71
101
33
Location
California
I was actually suggesting you wait to buy anything until you come to the meet and talk to some folks. Do some more research. A build like you're talking about is really going to add up. Best to talk to guys about what's worked for them.

I would also suggest you look at the 939 platform for a build out. Yes I know it's a lot more. I think it would be worth waiting and saving up for. Owning both a M35A2 and an M936A2 if I were to pick one for comfort, reliability, parts availability, performance and durability: the M939A2 platform with the 8.3 Cummins and full air brakes would win every time. I drove my M35A2 back from Utah and the M936A2 back from Michigan and would rather do the 3x longer Michigan trip again than run that far flat out in an M35. YMMV.
Okay I went to look at a daily driven 5 ton today and it was really nice, I’m heavily considering that platform now I’ll upload more details on that one soon.
678CF1EC-401F-4BB1-94DE-8B1EB8B1D09F.jpeg
I’m headed 4hrs into New Mexico today to check out another deuce.
 
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