[booniestomper]

hey guys and gals.
My Cousin (not me i swear.) is thinking of taking on a project for a SHTF escape vehicle. there is a web site that is a gov surplus liqudators company i some times look at. any thing is avaliable on that site, generators to alice packs and duce and a half's. the web site has larger trucks and some boats and either unused or no longer needed items.
over a few beers last night him and i got to talking about survival and the like.i spoke of this web site and the duce and a half on there.
He said that the duce and a half could be made into a perfect SHTF vehicle. if he got one he would covert it from a 6x6 to a 4x4 and bob the bed and modify as he saw fit. he has yet to purchase one and start this project but he plans to do some thing along those lines.
he said the engine in the duce and a halfs are so robust that they would run off dang near any thing. i dont think that they really can off any thing, but he swore that the engine would be perfect for after the SHTF. he thinks that it could run off any petroleum products or a mix of engine oil thinned with industrial alcohol or kerosene.
so my question is what can a duce and a half use for fuel? gasoline naturally but any thing else or is my cousin misinformed?

 

[Old Spook]

Depends on the engine in the 2 1/2. Many engine "options" were available to the different Branches, and engines changed by year. A little more information, and you'll get loads of info from the members on this site.

 

[redranger1]

The military does use multifuel variants. But the odds are he wont know what he bought unless he has a chance to look at it first hand or to know the NSN numbers that had those engines and compare to the NSN listed in the auction. Even then its a crap shoot.

-Nate

 

[Fatbastard]

You can tell by looking at the auction if it has a multi fuel or not. Lots of the older ones did. The newer ones have Cat or Cummins diesel engines. Hercules an Continental were manufacturers of multi fuel engines. They usually say in the auction what engine they have. I think once you hit 80's, they are diesel though.

What your cousin is thinking about is called a bobbed deuce. Google that, and it will either take you to Pirate4x4, or hundreddollarman.
You have to buy a trailer to go with the deuce. You use the trailer springs to mount the single rear axle, cut the frame, and put the trailer bed on the truck.
From what I understand, bidding and winning are the easy parts of govliquidation. You have to get cleared to get on base with a large enough vehicle to haul the beast home on. They don't help you load it, and no guarantees it will start. You can preview sometimes.

Maybe it doesn't matter to you or him, but make sure it is legal to register one in your state. Some states won't let you register, or get plates for them. Hundreddollarman sells them out of California, he says it is much easier just to go for historic vehicle plates, as long as its old enough. Some states may want you to get commercial plates, which would probably cost much more, have to pass inspections, and have more expensive insurance.
Whats the point if you can't drive it?

You may want to consider buying one that is already bobbed, unless you have tools and equipment to work on heavy trucks. You can't just manhandle those axles with you and a buddy. Your floor jack that lifts your pick-up off the ground would be puking oil before it raised a corner of a deuce.

Get one with a winch. You will not be recovered by your buddy in his PICK UP truck. If you get her stuck, you are probably on your own, unless you have deeeeep pockets for professional commercial recovery.

 

[Fred Nietzsche]

Thanks for the heads up on that website. I'm not going to buy a truck myself but there's alot of stuff on there.

 

[Pangea]

http://www.100dollarman.com/trucks.html

Probably the cheapest route. By the time you do everything yourself this guy can do it cheaper/better than the average Joe.

 

[Moni1124]

You will want one that comes from the DRMO auction actually. The DRMO military auctions go through and rebuild the truck before they sell them now. They have all the parts laying around and use them as training tools to teach the mechanics how to fix trucks. My buddy got one a year ago that had a new motor, wiring, canvas, rebuilt trans with new clutch plates, new interior, new paint, and new tires. Bobbing a deuce is easier than you would think and yes 2 men can jack it up, switch axles, do almost everything but the bed switch. It took us 8 guys to do my buddies bobbed deuce. As for the tools and equipment needed yes standard jacks will work. Heck my buddies deuce weighs less than his 4x4 f350 does.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Multi fueler's will not run far on straight fuel other than diesel. 5 gal engine oil 45 gal MO gas will work at least twice (emergency only). In German winters I ran 10 gal MO gas 40 gal diesel many many tank fulls. I have also seen them run on olive oil and peanut oil. And remember Alcohol is not a lubericant and oil should be added to it.

 

[Colorado Rancher]

love those trucks and trailers 100dollarman has!

 

[booniestomper]

thanks for the replys.
my cousin has many tools and access to lifts and the like. the place selling near my cousin and i is is in French camp Ca. bout hour and a half away. this is a project that his wife has to aprove of, that said he is still brain storming.
he made a rock crawler out of an old chevy pick up, a unimog and humvee parts. he takes it up to the seirras in summer and does crazy stuff.
the duce and a half would be more like a STHF project that probably would also double as another off road project.
thanks for the links to the websites, i will pass those along.

 

[Big Blzn]

A few things here.

Tell your buddy to stay away from Pirate4x4. There may be some info on deuce's there but probably not much. Not to mention just about everybody on that site are a bunch of A'holes. Especially if you are new and ask a weird or noobish question. It has been several years but I believe steelsoldiers.com is the best site for all things military vehicles. It is basically the SB forum for info and mods to military trucks. They have great sub forums for the deuce, deuce and a half and the 5 tons.

 

[paramilusmc]

I would suggest getting in contact with Eldgen (509.270.1998) from overkill customs. He does some amazing work to these trucks.

 

[goin camping]

Hi, If I can offer a few observations.

Buying from Giv. Liquidaters is dicey. Once they sell it they make no effort to care for it and often damage the vehicles by moving them with forklifts. They damage lots of driveshafts after the dale.

You may want to consider buying from a middleman like hundreddollar man as he's already gone through everything and your vehicle will fire up and drive you back to NorCal from his shop in SoCal. You can do the bob yourself if you want. (I' live a few miles from his shop and gone there to look over the stock. It's in very nice shape.)

Also check with Antelope Valley Truck and Equipment. Sometimes they have trucks and they are the lowest priced parts of anybody.

My 62 gasser Duece was EMP protected so I suspect the modern stuff is too.

Not much difference in driving a bobbed or non bobbed Duece. I never bobed mine and it took me everywhere I wanted to go. Then again I live in the desert. No trees to worry about here.:

Just remember these are wide and tall vehicles and don't fit in a whole lot of places.

Do your best to get one that DOES NOT have the sprague front axle. Which auto shifts in the front axle when the rears turn faster than the front. They have no manual way to engage the front axle. What a PIA. Loud noisy and they slam in and out.

Finally, if you can find the air powered power steering kit. Get it!

 

[bkwudzhom]

Perfect place for ANY information on military vehicles. www.steelsoldiers.comhttp://www.steelsoldiers.com
They even have the Techinal Manuals (TM's) for most of them. Many of these folks have worked on these vehicles for years in the military or in the civillian sector as a bussiness. All of them LOVE their vehicles and welcome newcomers everyday. The site search engine takes a bit to get used to but the wealth of information is worth it.

I have an M1008 which is the military version of an 85' chevy one ton 4x4 and have used the site extensively in its maintance and repair. I have had persons from across the country help me with diffent difficulties I came across as if I was their neighbor. I dare say that there is little you can come up with that hasn't been thought about if not done to an Military Vehicle (MV) by some one on this site. If you do have a new idea--expect it to be copied!! LOL
Good luck!
BK

 

[augoldminer]

he says it is much easier just to go for historic vehicle plates,

You have to watch what you use a old military truck for if you get the historic vehicle plates.

I you were to say go and load it with fire wood and drive it home and the "chips" see you likely you would get a ticket.
The historic vehicle plates are for driving around looking cool not for ANY type commercial hauling, towing, or loads,
I know someone that lives up above Grass Valley Calif that got one to push a snow plow in the winter.
One day they had heavy snow and he drove it out and down to grass valley with the snow plow on it to go shopping. (he wanted to get back home)
He got a ticket.

 

[Tenfeathers]

We register them as Farm vehicles in Texas, you can haul anything then & get farm fuel (cheaper)

 

[Big Blzn]

We register them as Farm vehicles in Texas, you can haul anything then & get farm fuel (cheaper)

If you say farm fuel and mean Red Dye Diesel and you use it in any over the road vehicle and get caught do you know who comes knocking on your door. Police? NO. Sheriff? No. Answer, the IRS. YOu get heavily fined and the Feds crawl all up your a$$. This has happened to our company and now we get regular suprise inspections from the IRS. THey are not checking paperwork but out in our yard checking the fuel tanks on all our over the road trucks. Luckily or customers get to pay the final bill for filling our vehicles with Red Diesel but we get the headache of fines and cleaning of said tanks.

 

[Tenfeathers]

If you say farm fuel and mean Red Dye Diesel and you use it in any over the road vehicle and get caught do you know who comes knocking on your door. Police? NO. Sheriff? No. Answer, the IRS. YOu get heavily fined and the Feds crawl all up your a$$. This has happened to our company and now we get regular suprise inspections from the IRS. THey are not checking paperwork but out in our yard checking the fuel tanks on all our over the road trucks. Luckily or customers get to pay the final bill for filling our vehicles with Red Diesel but we get the headache of fines and cleaning of said tanks.

Name something that a (prepper or farmer) would be carrying in the truck that could not be farm related.
Now as to why your company got caught at something I don't know but everything we haul is legal.

 

[Fatbastard]

It varies from state to state for farm vehicles and I think every state has its own definition of historic vehicle also. It is worth looking into.

I am going to go ahead and fly way off topic, funny story about an IRS audit at my work.

Part of my job is to ensure compliance with regulations from several towns, cities, counties, a couple of states, and the feds. I get to escort whatever agency around our facilities and answer questions, show documents, explain procedures, and take samples.
One day the boss calls me in and says " the IRS is here to do an audit of our bulk storage,wholesale and retail pumps, and fleet tanks. I need you to give her whatever she wants". He says it with a strange tone. This was my first such experience with the IRS, so I was curious, and I fell for it. I say "what do you mean whatever she wants?" He says" well this gal is pretty fond of big fellas like us, I may need you to take one for the team." Take one for the team? I ask. He says " I cant do it anymore, you wanted this job, here it is. Don't worry, she is a short Hispanic gal, you should not have any trouble with her." Now I figure he is totally putting me on, so I say "it sounds like you have been down this road before". He says "yeah, her name is tattooed right here on my arm see".
Now I'm starting to think of ways to splain this to the wife, ohh fffuuuudddggee.
She comes into the office, and by the look on my face she knows right away. "He did the old take one for the team routine, didn't he?"

He just couldn't pass up an opportunity to make another one squirm. I was one of the few who didn't know these two were old flames.
That was probably the best audit I have had to date. Just breaking the ice and realizing that these folks are regular people took the edge right off the work we were doing. Everything was efficient and professional, unlike any experience I have ever had with the feds or state before and since.

 

[Lone Star]

hey guys and gals.
My Cousin (not me i swear.) is thinking of taking on a project for a SHTF escape vehicle. there is a web site that is a gov surplus liqudators company i some times look at. any thing is avaliable on that site, generators to alice packs and duce and a half's. the web site has larger trucks and some boats and either unused or no longer needed items.
over a few beers last night him and i got to talking about survival and the like.i spoke of this web site and the duce and a half on there.
He said that the duce and a half could be made into a perfect SHTF vehicle. if he got one he would covert it from a 6x6 to a 4x4 and bob the bed and modify as he saw fit. he has yet to purchase one and start this project but he plans to do some thing along those lines.
he said the engine in the duce and a halfs are so robust that they would run off dang near any thing. i dont think that they really can off any thing, but he swore that the engine would be perfect for after the SHTF. he thinks that it could run off any petroleum products or a mix of engine oil thinned with industrial alcohol or kerosene.
so my question is what can a duce and a half use for fuel? gasoline naturally but any thing else or is my cousin misinformed?

Some have multi-fuel engines that can run of of any petroleum product and alcohol or any mix thereof....not all can do this so you ahve to besure it is a multi-fuel engine.