wsucougarx
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WARNING: LOTS OF PICS AND WAY TOO MANY DETAILS! When I do a thread like this, I basically use it as my build diary. So lots of nonesense details that no one would otherwise be interested in. I like to look back on my builds to see what I did. So forgive me for the rambling on with some of my future posts
You've been warned...LOL
Here is my M923 recovery story. When I mean story, it is a story. If you have read any of my recovery write ups in the past, you know no detail goes unnoticed. Before I begin the actual recovery story, I must start back in November 2011.
OK, so going back to November 2011, my son and I made several trips to JBLM to inspect the first ever lot of M923’s being auctioned off . My son and I painstakingly inspected and previewed each of the 22 some M923’s that were listed (about 8 hours altogether). The reason being was to have a back up plan if “my” truck wasn’t going to work out. When the closing time drew near, guilt started to set in. First, I didn’t have the cash to buy the truck (don’t like to live off of credit cards). Second, I had ZERO room to park her amongst my motorpool of 4 deuces and 4 trailers. I did bid upto $3k but the aforementioned guilt stopped me. I watched as time expired on all the truck. I then made a decision to sell one of my deuces. This would free up some physical room and would give me the cash. So that day I listed my 1986 AM General M35A2C which then sold on 23DEC11 to Moriboy (Brian).
Now enter Goodguyzy. From the beginning, we were talking about maybe trading straight across. The ’86 M35A2C for his M923. Well, things got in the way nothing really came to fruition.. Funny thing is, this truck was on my “want list” during the NOV11 auction. I think it was 3rd on my list. This truck was affectionately known as the “smoke stack” truck due to the absence of one. Not sure what the allure was to this truck but it was there. To me there was nothing special about it. Maybe I just felt sorry for it due to being exhaust stack challenged…LOL.
Well, as I said. The holiday season got in the way. Due to my lack of diligence, the truck was then “sold” to Dale (ABN173). Well, things worked out to where Dale was able to secure a deuce. Now the truck entered my court once again. Through many emails and phone calls, Zy and I were able to secure a date for the transaction. We agreed on 24MAR12. Now the recovery plans could be set in motion.
I spent several hours mapping out fuel stops, safety stops, and emergency stops for the trip. I am a very mission oriented guy, so back up plans for back up plans were in motion. A few days prior to my departure, I loaded up my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins with everything known to man. I brought every tool and part I had accumulated. I figured I had about 500 lbs of gear loaded up for the trip. Among everything I had, oil filters, fuel filters, Cummins Fuel Shut off Solenoid, Lucas fuel treatment, Walmart two stroke oil (keep those injector pumps lubricated), 12 gallons Rotella T 15/40, 5 gallons coolant, GL-1 Gear Oil, 20/10 windshield washer, RTV silicone, PB Blaster, CRC Brake Cleaner, back up alternator, grease gun, breaker bars, impact sockets, bottle jack, tire changing sockets, geared lug wrench, cargo cover kit, 35 gallons diesel, medium tow bar, emergency triangles, airhose, ATF, Windex, rags, piece of cardboard to lay on, various pieces of wood for jacking, jack supports, extra hose clamps, wire tires, 100 MPH tape, electrical tape, prestolite wire, voltmeter, distilled water, two fire extinguishers, and a wool blanket (never know if it's going to get cold for the drive home).
I personally would like to thank each and every person who offered to be on my Emergency contact list! I had guys all over the PNW volunteer to help out should the need arise. Luckily I never had to call on their services but I will tell you what. There was great comfort to know I had fellow SS ready to watch my 6!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/85002-pnw-m923-recovery-standby-contacts.html
Day before recovery day:
My chase driver was my childhood friend, Matt. He’s never been into MV’s but saw that I had a need and stepped up to the plate. Thank you Matt!!! He was a trooper for the entire trip. In order to save time, I bought two pizzas. The reason being is so I wouldn’t have to stop on our 420 mile journey from Aberdeen, WA to Gold Hill, OR. Needless to say, I was the one having to stop more than him. I was just getting over a week old cold and was really pushing the fluids to cleanse my body. Well, all those water bottles had to go somewhere. I survived on pizza, water, and cough medication for the trip down.
We were able to leave 2 hours earlier than scheduled. This really got me excited as this would place us past Portland’s Friday afternoon traffic..or so I thought. I think Portland has traffic 24 hours a day!!
We arrived in Gold Hill around 2030 hrs. The funny thing is the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Zy was right behind me. He drove 3 hours from Bend, OR to meet us for the weekend and ended up being right behind us. I was pretty eager to say the least. We took a tour of his lot and then my focused turned to the truck…ahhhhhhh. There’s not a whole lot you can do in pitch darkness. I was eager to take her out for a test drive. So we took the M923 to Medford for a test drive and to fill the truck up. Luckily, Zy had around 50 gallons in the tank so the damage wasn’t too bad. While at the Pilot in Medford, a LEO circled us 2-3 times. Nothing came of it. Now we returned back to Zy’s place for sleep…err, more like lay there. Zy and his son were very hospitalable. They opened their home to us to sleep the night off. Zy kept the logs burning in the woodstove to keep us warm. Thanks Zy! You’re awesome man!!! Rather than get the much needed sleep I needed. I just laid there going over the recovery plan and going through my back up plans, the PMCS I would do in the morning, etc etc etc. I was a wreck Now this lack of sleep took my once recovering cold and blew it into a full raging cold/flu like symptoms. I had fever/chills all night long. My nice little cough kept me up all night…not that I was going to sleep anyways.
Recovery Day:
Early in the morning (0700 hrs), I awoke…err I was already awake. I said my prayers for a safe trip with ZERO mechanical issues. Matt and I drove back to Pilot to get my chase truck filled up. We returned to get working on the M923. Wow, I really didn’t realize how big she was. I went through and checked all the fluids. Everything was topped off and looked good. My next attention was getting the tires inflated to proper levels. Zy and his son were on it. Before I knew it, Zy had an air hose in hand and went through majority of the tires to get them inflated. He ended up pulling his M35A3 up to use it’s onboard air compressor to expedite things. After about an hour, we were ready to move out. I went through and made sure everything looked good. I topped off the tank with a 5 gallon jerry can and we were on our wayJ
As we got 10 miles up I-5 North, it dawned on me. If I had any mechanical issues and required a tow, it was going to cost a bunch of money. I said another prayer that God would guide me home safely with NO mechanical issues.
The truck pulled the hills OK. Got down 35 MPG several times. However it was the going down the passes that quickly sobered and woke me up. Not really being used to automatic trannies, it felt as if this truck really wanted to race down these 6% grades. I admit, I busted out in a couple cold sweats especially when I descended down 8 miles of 6% grade. I made sure I just used the air brakes occasionally and downshifted to 4th gear. After awhile, it became second nature to go through the gears manually. She shifted absolutely smoothly. The only thing that made me nervous was the hard downshift from 2nd to 1st gear. Felt like the tranny was going to fall out of the truck or something. Luckily I had the comfort to know this is somewhat normal or common with these trannies.
The weather could not have been better. It was sunshining the entire way home except for a brief 10-15 minute drizzle in Southern Oregon. The truck performed flawlessly. We made two stops between Gold Hill and home. We stopped in Eugene, OR for a fuel stops and once again in Toledo, WA for another fuel stop. I managed to avoid traffic until I hit Jantzen Beach area. With Washington State in sight, I thought I had missed the traffic...not so. The last ¼ mile in Oregon was bumper to bumper stop and go traffic. All the yahoo’s entering I-5 from Jantzen Beach mall were bottlenecking I-5 North pretty good.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. I had absolutely no issues with the truck or anything else. The only thing I fought was myself. My nasty cold got really really bad. I ended up starting to cough up blood and had a raging fever/chills, and headache. I was in pretty rough shape. My rear end was starting to reject this newly acquired body part under my rear. Oh did I mention the seat was broken? The bottom cushion was missing one of the brackets that allow you to set in incline on the seat. Well, my incline was angled forward. I had to use the steering wheel to keep myself propped up. This explained the sore wrists and forearms. I felt like Popeye about 100 miles into the trip but I endured.
OK, now we were 20 miles from home. I looked in my rearview to make sure my chase vehicle was still with me. It was then I noticed the driver side tire looked a little low. Well, there was nothing I could do about it now. I had to keep going. Well, I managed to make it the entire trip without so much as having a LEO follow me. I pulled into my hometown and looked in the area where the local LEO like to hang out….nothing! I thought I dodged the bullet. I then turned down a side street and that’s when I noticed it….a LEO!! He was about ready to make a left handed turn and naturally decided to go straight instead. Why not, he had to come check out the big army truck headed in his direction. As he passed, he started to slow down and was really rubbernecking to see me. I simply waived and he returned the waive as he stopped dead in the street. I scanned my rearview and saw him staring me down in his side mirrors. I kept going and took a right turn to head up my hill. I kind of just gunned it at this point hoping to beat him home. Well, he opted not to follow me this time. That’s OK because I really didn’t want to answer his questions.
Well, I went into the house and I was done for the day. I went back outside to my Dodge and noticed something that amazed me. Both the driver’s side tires were flatter than flat or at least on their way. Couldn’t have happened at a better time! God really took care of us on this trip. No issues other than the flat tires and they held out until I got home…wow!!!
Pics to follow, they’re on a different computer
Total trip was 840 miles roundtrip. Never again, never again...LOL
The truck is a 1983 AM General M923 that was sent to Red River Army Depot in 2006. She was outfitted with a newly rebuild transmission, brand new hardtop, brand new fiberglass troopseats, Goodyear G177's, and transfer case. Somewhere between 2008-2011 she received a newly rebuild Cummins NHC-250.
State Farm already has the paperwork in motion to get her on a Vintage/Classical Vehicle insurance policy.
Here's what CARNAC came up on the truck:
Organization:497TH TRANSPORTATION COMPANY Location:FT LEWIS
WA \Nomenclature:
TRUCK CARGO D/S 5-TON Model:
M923 NSN:
2320010502084 Serial Number:
C5230260 Registration Number:
NL0CH Year of Mfg:
1983 Manufacturer:
65909 Contract Number:
DAAE07-81-C-5597
INFO MARCH 1984
Here's the GL video of the truck:
Single Video Player
Pics:
1) All the hydrocarbons and fluids for the trip
2) Jerry cans stacked for emergency fuel
3) Brought my bows and my cargo cover in case I needed the shelter
4) Med. tow bar on the ready
5) Making the most of the room in the Dodge
6) Zy and his son getting the M923 ready for the road
7) What a beut!
Cummins warming up
9) Wow is she really that big..LOL
10) Matt
You've been warned...LOLHere is my M923 recovery story. When I mean story, it is a story. If you have read any of my recovery write ups in the past, you know no detail goes unnoticed
. Before I begin the actual recovery story, I must start back in November 2011.OK, so going back to November 2011, my son and I made several trips to JBLM to inspect the first ever lot of M923’s being auctioned off . My son and I painstakingly inspected and previewed each of the 22 some M923’s that were listed (about 8 hours altogether). The reason being was to have a back up plan if “my” truck wasn’t going to work out. When the closing time drew near, guilt started to set in. First, I didn’t have the cash to buy the truck (don’t like to live off of credit cards). Second, I had ZERO room to park her amongst my motorpool of 4 deuces and 4 trailers. I did bid upto $3k but the aforementioned guilt stopped me. I watched as time expired on all the truck. I then made a decision to sell one of my deuces. This would free up some physical room and would give me the cash. So that day I listed my 1986 AM General M35A2C which then sold on 23DEC11 to Moriboy (Brian).
Now enter Goodguyzy. From the beginning, we were talking about maybe trading straight across. The ’86 M35A2C for his M923. Well, things got in the way nothing really came to fruition.. Funny thing is, this truck was on my “want list” during the NOV11 auction. I think it was 3rd on my list. This truck was affectionately known as the “smoke stack” truck due to the absence of one. Not sure what the allure was to this truck but it was there. To me there was nothing special about it. Maybe I just felt sorry for it due to being exhaust stack challenged…LOL.
Well, as I said. The holiday season got in the way. Due to my lack of diligence, the truck was then “sold” to Dale (ABN173). Well, things worked out to where Dale was able to secure a deuce. Now the truck entered my court once again. Through many emails and phone calls, Zy and I were able to secure a date for the transaction. We agreed on 24MAR12. Now the recovery plans could be set in motion.
I spent several hours mapping out fuel stops, safety stops, and emergency stops for the trip. I am a very mission oriented guy, so back up plans for back up plans were in motion. A few days prior to my departure, I loaded up my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins with everything known to man. I brought every tool and part I had accumulated. I figured I had about 500 lbs of gear loaded up for the trip. Among everything I had, oil filters, fuel filters, Cummins Fuel Shut off Solenoid, Lucas fuel treatment, Walmart two stroke oil (keep those injector pumps lubricated), 12 gallons Rotella T 15/40, 5 gallons coolant, GL-1 Gear Oil, 20/10 windshield washer, RTV silicone, PB Blaster, CRC Brake Cleaner, back up alternator, grease gun, breaker bars, impact sockets, bottle jack, tire changing sockets, geared lug wrench, cargo cover kit, 35 gallons diesel, medium tow bar, emergency triangles, airhose, ATF, Windex, rags, piece of cardboard to lay on, various pieces of wood for jacking, jack supports, extra hose clamps, wire tires, 100 MPH tape, electrical tape, prestolite wire, voltmeter, distilled water, two fire extinguishers, and a wool blanket (never know if it's going to get cold for the drive home).
I personally would like to thank each and every person who offered to be on my Emergency contact list! I had guys all over the PNW volunteer to help out should the need arise. Luckily I never had to call on their services but I will tell you what. There was great comfort to know I had fellow SS ready to watch my 6!
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/5-ton-up/85002-pnw-m923-recovery-standby-contacts.html
Day before recovery day:
My chase driver was my childhood friend, Matt. He’s never been into MV’s but saw that I had a need and stepped up to the plate. Thank you Matt!!! He was a trooper for the entire trip. In order to save time, I bought two pizzas. The reason being is so I wouldn’t have to stop on our 420 mile journey from Aberdeen, WA to Gold Hill, OR. Needless to say, I was the one having to stop more than him. I was just getting over a week old cold and was really pushing the fluids to cleanse my body. Well, all those water bottles had to go somewhere. I survived on pizza, water, and cough medication for the trip down.
We were able to leave 2 hours earlier than scheduled. This really got me excited as this would place us past Portland’s Friday afternoon traffic..or so I thought. I think Portland has traffic 24 hours a day!!
We arrived in Gold Hill around 2030 hrs. The funny thing is the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Zy was right behind me. He drove 3 hours from Bend, OR to meet us for the weekend and ended up being right behind us. I was pretty eager to say the least. We took a tour of his lot and then my focused turned to the truck…ahhhhhhh. There’s not a whole lot you can do in pitch darkness. I was eager to take her out for a test drive. So we took the M923 to Medford for a test drive and to fill the truck up. Luckily, Zy had around 50 gallons in the tank so the damage wasn’t too bad
. While at the Pilot in Medford, a LEO circled us 2-3 times. Nothing came of it. Now we returned back to Zy’s place for sleep…err, more like lay there. Zy and his son were very hospitalable. They opened their home to us to sleep the night off. Zy kept the logs burning in the woodstove to keep us warm. Thanks Zy! You’re awesome man!!! Rather than get the much needed sleep I needed. I just laid there going over the recovery plan and going through my back up plans, the PMCS I would do in the morning, etc etc etc. I was a wreck Now this lack of sleep took my once recovering cold and blew it into a full raging cold/flu like symptoms. I had fever/chills all night long. My nice little cough kept me up all night…not that I was going to sleep anyways.Recovery Day:
Early in the morning (0700 hrs), I awoke…err I was already awake
. I said my prayers for a safe trip with ZERO mechanical issues. Matt and I drove back to Pilot to get my chase truck filled up. We returned to get working on the M923. Wow, I really didn’t realize how big she was. I went through and checked all the fluids. Everything was topped off and looked good. My next attention was getting the tires inflated to proper levels. Zy and his son were on it. Before I knew it, Zy had an air hose in hand and went through majority of the tires to get them inflated. He ended up pulling his M35A3 up to use it’s onboard air compressor to expedite things. After about an hour, we were ready to move out. I went through and made sure everything looked good. I topped off the tank with a 5 gallon jerry can and we were on our wayJAs we got 10 miles up I-5 North, it dawned on me. If I had any mechanical issues and required a tow, it was going to cost a bunch of money. I said another prayer that God would guide me home safely with NO mechanical issues.
The truck pulled the hills OK. Got down 35 MPG several times. However it was the going down the passes that quickly sobered and woke me up. Not really being used to automatic trannies, it felt as if this truck really wanted to race down these 6% grades. I admit, I busted out in a couple cold sweats especially when I descended down 8 miles of 6% grade. I made sure I just used the air brakes occasionally and downshifted to 4th gear. After awhile, it became second nature to go through the gears manually. She shifted absolutely smoothly. The only thing that made me nervous was the hard downshift from 2nd to 1st gear. Felt like the tranny was going to fall out of the truck or something. Luckily I had the comfort to know this is somewhat normal or common with these trannies.
The weather could not have been better. It was sunshining the entire way home except for a brief 10-15 minute drizzle in Southern Oregon. The truck performed flawlessly. We made two stops between Gold Hill and home. We stopped in Eugene, OR for a fuel stops and once again in Toledo, WA for another fuel stop. I managed to avoid traffic until I hit Jantzen Beach area. With Washington State in sight, I thought I had missed the traffic...not so. The last ¼ mile in Oregon was bumper to bumper stop and go traffic. All the yahoo’s entering I-5 from Jantzen Beach mall were bottlenecking I-5 North pretty good.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. I had absolutely no issues with the truck or anything else. The only thing I fought was myself. My nasty cold got really really bad. I ended up starting to cough up blood and had a raging fever/chills, and headache. I was in pretty rough shape. My rear end was starting to reject this newly acquired body part under my rear. Oh did I mention the seat was broken? The bottom cushion was missing one of the brackets that allow you to set in incline on the seat. Well, my incline was angled forward. I had to use the steering wheel to keep myself propped up. This explained the sore wrists and forearms. I felt like Popeye about 100 miles into the trip but I endured
. OK, now we were 20 miles from home. I looked in my rearview to make sure my chase vehicle was still with me. It was then I noticed the driver side tire looked a little low. Well, there was nothing I could do about it now. I had to keep going. Well, I managed to make it the entire trip without so much as having a LEO follow me. I pulled into my hometown and looked in the area where the local LEO like to hang out….nothing! I thought I dodged the bullet. I then turned down a side street and that’s when I noticed it….a LEO!! He was about ready to make a left handed turn and naturally decided to go straight instead. Why not, he had to come check out the big army truck headed in his direction. As he passed, he started to slow down and was really rubbernecking to see me. I simply waived and he returned the waive as he stopped dead in the street. I scanned my rearview and saw him staring me down in his side mirrors. I kept going and took a right turn to head up my hill. I kind of just gunned it at this point hoping to beat him home. Well, he opted not to follow me this time
. That’s OK because I really didn’t want to answer his questions. Well, I went into the house and I was done for the day. I went back outside to my Dodge and noticed something that amazed me. Both the driver’s side tires were flatter than flat or at least on their way. Couldn’t have happened at a better time! God really took care of us on this trip. No issues other than the flat tires and they held out until I got home…wow!!!
Pics to follow, they’re on a different computer
Total trip was 840 miles roundtrip. Never again, never again...LOL
The truck is a 1983 AM General M923 that was sent to Red River Army Depot in 2006. She was outfitted with a newly rebuild transmission, brand new hardtop, brand new fiberglass troopseats, Goodyear G177's, and transfer case. Somewhere between 2008-2011 she received a newly rebuild Cummins NHC-250.
State Farm already has the paperwork in motion to get her on a Vintage/Classical Vehicle insurance policy.
Here's what CARNAC came up on the truck:
Organization:497TH TRANSPORTATION COMPANY Location:FT LEWIS
WA \Nomenclature:
TRUCK CARGO D/S 5-TON Model:
M923 NSN:
2320010502084 Serial Number:
C5230260 Registration Number:
NL0CH Year of Mfg:
1983 Manufacturer:
65909 Contract Number:
DAAE07-81-C-5597
INFO MARCH 1984
Here's the GL video of the truck:
Single Video Player
Pics:
1) All the hydrocarbons and fluids for the trip
2) Jerry cans stacked for emergency fuel
3) Brought my bows and my cargo cover in case I needed the shelter
4) Med. tow bar on the ready
5) Making the most of the room in the Dodge
6) Zy and his son getting the M923 ready for the road
7) What a beut!
Cummins warming up9) Wow is she really that big..LOL
10) Matt
Attachments
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