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Trip to Coleman's Surplus in Millersburg, PA, 15 Sep 2006

maddawg308

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Ah, my favorite place to go. I love going to Colemans surplus in PA every so often and walking the yard. Never know when you're going to bump your foot on a piece of something you've been looking for, or not looking for, you're whole life.

Weather was beautiful, which was odd, since it rarely is on my trips. Shawn Coleman has been on a scrapping frenzy the past few years, since the price of scrap metal is up. This is fine since a lot of the stuff in his yard was just plain JUNK that needed to be melted down. The famous Wall O Cars is long gone, turned into Chinese hammers and Taiwaneses fishing trawlers.

HOWEVER, now he seems to be bulldozing a bunch of stuff that still have usable parts and components into pile for cutting up. Green trailers, truck components, and the like. I saw a pile of fiberglass Gama Goat seats bulldozed into a pile for the dump, along with axles in relatively good shape. Every time I used to go there, I saved a few hundred radio cables. No more, all scrap cabling has been melted down for copper content. A shame.

Bottom line is: GET YOUR ASSES TO COLEMANS and save some of this stuff before it's all gone! There are still lots of parts to scavenge, along with great deals. He has about half a dozen pioneer tool kit trailers in good shape that he wants gone for $750 each. Not bad!

Pictures are below. Hope they work out, am linking them in from another site.
 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

At Coleman's Surplus, CUCVs are half off.



A nice restored deuce and a M1008 truck in AF Blue. These have been sitting here for at least 5 years, Shawn wants a little too much for them.



A M880 back in the weeds. A friend of mine was going to buy this rig, ran nice and everything, but they couldn't get a PA title. So here it sits for the ages.



A NICE M880 dodge with the maintenance body. $2500 and it's YOURS! Title is good, and it runs well too.

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

One of the yard tractors, a deuce. Not bad, but beat up a bit.



A pile of deuce bed tailgates waiting to be saved.



How many high security padlocks do you need, sir?



Wide view of the yard, note the piles of bulldozed scrap metal.

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

A handful of BIG axles. Need some for your rig?



Antenna 3/4 ton trailer, genset trailer next to it. Right next to the scrap piles.



M880 Dodge, one of the few left in the back. Pretty well stripped inside, bunch of parts in the bed.



M915 cabs, stripped, sitting next to large shop/office trailer in good shape. Would make a kickass camper.

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

A shop van body in the back. M915 cab riding missionary position. This would also be a cool camper body for a deuce.



Couple deuces in the back 40. They are mostly complete, waiting for rescue. They could run with little effort. Engines are multifuel diesels.



Here's an ammo trailer sitting next to a couple of the $750 pioneer tool trailers in the lower yard.



Kitchen trailer? Looks nice and complete...

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

How many camo net spreaders do you need?



Unceremonious piles of scrap metal bulldozed into piles. There's a little green stuff in them piles.



Another kitchen trailer. There's a row of M105 trailers just behind it.



A herd of water buffalo, grazing in the lower field.

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

May not look like much, but this is a rare bakery oven trailer back on the edge of the lower yard. This would make a great pizza oven for MV shows, and Shawn doesn't even know it's there!



Anyone know what these things are? Look like new IR searchlight housings...



Did I mention there's no smoking in the yard? Here's why:

 

maddawg308

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RE: Trip to Coleman

I got to save a few things from the scrap man that day, among the lot I saved:

two LS-166 speakers, fair shape, good for parts
two military turn signal switches
two M249 SAW rear buttstocks
one excellent cond. GRC-193 mount for M151 jeeps
remains of an artillery fire direction control set, lots of guages and star charts, etc.
RACAL switch box, fair shape
small handful of VRC-12 type radio cables
4 pintle hooks, loose on ground

Total bill for above, $120. Not bad for a bunch of scrap! The GRC193 mount is worth $250 in itself!
 

maddawg308

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Re: RE: Trip to Coleman

EastCoastKaiser said:
I've got to check this place out. Do you have contact information or how do I find it?
1-888-4SURPLUS.

Word to the wise: Shawn DOES NOT know what is in his own yard, so just keep that in mind when talking with him. He rarely gets a chance to leave his cubicle in the building. If you want good answers about yard merchandise, ask for Tom, he'll know more about the vehicles and trailers back there.
 

CGarbee

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RE: Trip to Coleman

Wonder how much they want for a good kitchen trailer? And could one of you snag it and hold on to it until I could collect it??
 

citizensoldier

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Pionier trailer

I am very interested in one of those pioneer trailers. Do you have any better pictures of them? Is there a axle and frame under all that brush? How about wheels and tires?
If you go there will he let you pick the one you want?
 

maddawg308

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RE: Pionier trailer

CitizenSoldier, no addl. pics, but the pioneer trailers were $750 and complete. He just wants them outta the yard.

The maintenance truck was $2500 with the bed, or $1500 without.

Another note: if you're interested in any stuff in the yard, DO NOT go on a Saturday. Shawn has to be there to price thing pulled off the back forty, and he's only there M-F.
 

Boatcarpenter

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RE: Pionier trailer

How many tool trailers were there? I know there are several people on the forum who are interested so maybe an offer on the whole lot might get them a little cheaper? Any thoughts?
 

maddawg308

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RE: Maybe a group purchase will work out??

No idea what Shawn wants for the deuce in back. You'll have to call and talk to him about it, or visit the site.

There were about 6 pioneer tool trailers there, I'm sure he can go cheaper if someone wants to go in and buy all of them.

I'd be willing to facilitate a deal if we can work something out for payment on a large lot of stuff. I'm only about 2 hours from the place, and I've dealt with Shawn before, he knows me well enough to cut me a deal on a large pile of stuff.
 
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