So, here we are, humvee in barn. How did we get here you ask, or not. I'll tell ya anyway, its my story
GovPlanet auction 8/28/19. Been watching auctions for 2 years, kicking my self in the arse for not bidding on many a unit that went for good deals. So i found a unit close to my home, that helped with getting it home at the least expense... That helped me check one more reason off my list to buy one. I was running out of reasons as you can see.
$5600 sell price. I thought that wasn't bad for a 6.5 running engine, straight body, with some possible tranny problems (could be anything, but i was gonna tear it down and rebuild anyway so not a big issue).
EUC......not terrible. I sent it in day after auction 8/29 and got my approval on 11/13... so it turned out to be about 11 weeks for EUC to get approved as a first time buyer.
Scheduled my pickup and realized i needed a truck to pull 5200 curb weigh M998 and the trailer weight. So I was looking at 7500-8500 lbs towed. This number was just outside my Yukons capacity of 7500.. I was at the bottom end and didn't want a burnt up tranny. I outsourced a friend with a Chevy 3500. Now i just need a trailer, and i had a friend with a 15k hydrolic tilt.... Most excellent. Id been to 3 places trying to rent a trailer and looked into the Uhaul joke of a trailer. No way was i gonna put that thing on the Uhaul, I value life, mine and other drivers, well most other drivers.
So i had my setup and rolled down the road 75 miles to pick up the M998. I though about getting a winch to pull it on but after searching and thinking about it, i decided to just let the yard guy put it on trailer with forks. Trust me, I thought many an hour about it and realized this yard guy has moved 30-40 of these on a lift and shouldn't be an issue. And it wasn't.. Easy Peasy, M998 forked onto the trailer with a little side shift to balance load.
75 miles to home base and unload. Tilt trailer worked OK once I used a ratchet strap to pull humvee to back of trailer. The hydro wasn't quite enough to lift it without some assistance. Put a tow strap on front shackle, wrapped it around front trailer frame arm twice, to increase holding resistance, then tilted trailer. It rolled straight down by gravity. All I had to do was let out a little slack at a time to control descent. And wheels just squeezed inside 84" wheel wells. It was on the ground and pushed back into a spot to work on it.
Next step, next post.... Talk at y'all tomorrow. Ill give ya an idea why I call it the M99Ocho
Chad J
My friends call me OchoCinco