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Well, I won the M934A2 I was bidding on!!

TechnoWeenie

Well-known member
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Nova Laboratories, WA
Slept in the cab? Lol. Took me a week driving my M934 from Bragg to Lewis...taking it easy.... mattress and sleeping bag in the back..heheh
.
I too had a tire issue..... drivers side rear rear.. (rear axle, drivers side, outboard tire)..
 

Gunny65

Member
173
7
18
Location
Bonners Ferry, idaho
The reason I bought the truck is to turn it into a camper and tow rig. I have a '89 K5 Blazer I turned into a rock crawler. I pull it behind my truck when I go to long distance events and that prevents me from pulling a camper. I don't want a truck bed camper either. This truck is an inexpensive solution to my issue. Inexpensive compared to some of my other options that is. Besides, it'll look cool pulling into events towing my toy with my toy, um, I mean camper/RV.

I already have a donor camper a friend gave me to start out with. Eventually I will convert it with new RV equipment but for now I will use the donor for my build. I am also trying to figure out how to frame the two sides and make them slide in/out via hydraulic power like the newer RVs. As of right now though, I am keeping it simple and am making some of the furniture mobile so I can move it onto the expandable sides after I open them. I have plans to make the cab larger and put in a walk through to the van from the cab. There are some hurdles but it is all possible. A friend owned a body shop for 10 years or so. He has some of the needed tools and I have some as well. It will take awhile but as I progress I will post pics.
 

Gunny65

Member
173
7
18
Location
Bonners Ferry, idaho
I forgot to add, I am changing tire size from the 1400s to 395/85r20s. They are a tad smaller but they run better on the road at highway speeds. I'll do the small tweaks to the fuel pump and governor that I read about on this site so I can drive at 60mph comfortably. I think the A2 brake system is more than capable and the 395s I am looking at are rated for those speeds. You just have to keep in mind the size and weight of the rig you are driving and adjust your distances accordingly.
 

98G

Former SSG
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AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
I forgot to add, I am changing tire size from the 1400s to 395/85r20s. They are a tad smaller but they run better on the road at highway speeds. I'll do the small tweaks to the fuel pump and governor that I read about on this site so I can drive at 60mph comfortably. I think the A2 brake system is more than capable and the 395s I am looking at are rated for those speeds. You just have to keep in mind the size and weight of the rig you are driving and adjust your distances accordingly.
You shouldn't have to tweak anything to run those speeds with 395's.

Braking from 60mph is fine with the stock brakes.

The 395's are close enough to the 14's that I seriously doubt there's a noticeable difference. 395's are just easier to get newer production tires.
 

Gunny65

Member
173
7
18
Location
Bonners Ferry, idaho
Yep 98G, that is what I was thinking. The 395s being in better shape, for the most part, and more easily available. Both tires can be found brand new but older production tires, even new, won't stand up as long to equal amounts of use/abuse.

Right now the truck goes 50-55mph without much effort. It is happy between those two speeds. Anything above 55 is a straining point unless it is downhill. The only reason I may/might do the tweeks is if the truck with the 395s still has a hard time rolling along at 60mph. The other issue is pulling my off-road truck behind it (trailered) uphill. It doesn't take much of an incline to slow the beast down to 45mph. If I am towing something I imagine that if my truck even thinks there is an incline coming, it will start slowing down. It isn't a compete dog uphill but it does take its merry little time on every hill it sees. Which I knew would be the case when I bought it. However, if I can get a bit more pep out of it at no expense to engine life then why not?

I am going to get the RoboTool for the tires/maint on the truck. If I find I need something bigger then I will order at a later date. I know the torque on the Robo is lower than a 1" but this truck isn't a M1 or Bradley either.
 

Gunny65

Member
173
7
18
Location
Bonners Ferry, idaho
Slept in the cab? Lol. Took me a week driving my M934 from Bragg to Lewis...taking it easy.... mattress and sleeping bag in the back..heheh
.
I too had a tire issue..... drivers side rear rear.. (rear axle, drivers side, outboard tire)..

Sleeping in the cab wasn't to bad actually. I had a sleeping bag but no mat for the back. I just used my sleeping bag as a pillow and put my coat over me. I slept with my head on the passenger side and feet at the drivers side. It wasn't great but it beat the metal floor in back. My bones can't do the sleeping on ground/floor anymore.
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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4,167
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Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
Sleeping in the cab wasn't to bad actually. I had a sleeping bag but no mat for the back. I just used my sleeping bag as a pillow and put my coat over me. I slept with my head on the passenger side and feet at the drivers side. It wasn't great but it beat the metal floor in back. My bones can't do the sleeping on ground/floor anymore.
I've done that a bunch.

When i plan it ahead of time I put a complete futon and mattress in the back under the cargo cover. Your M934A2 should be even better...
 

Gunny65

Member
173
7
18
Location
Bonners Ferry, idaho
It was a growing experience. LOL. That's the positive part of me. The negative part of me says, it sucked balls and I will never do it again. I'm a glutton for punishment though so, yes, I will probably do the auction thing again. However, I will be much better prepared...or I will have it shipped.
 

Goobs

Member
93
0
6
Location
Round Rock, TX
Sounds like an interesting time. When I drove mine site unseen from Delaware to Central Texas, 1700 miles, I feel fortunate that I had no problems at all except getting wet from the rain. These are fun to have but I have found drive it as often as you can and you may have less mechanical problems. From what I have read, the longer they sit, the more problems you have.
 
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