Military Surplus Vehicle

Idaho Jarhead

Idaho Jarhead

Joined
Nov 2, 2007
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I'm curious if anyone has experience purchasing a military surplus vehicle. I'm thinking something like a deuce and a half or 6x6. I did a little bit of scrubbing on the internet last night and found a government website where it looks like you can place bids like ebay. Just looking for someone with first or second hand experience that could give any pointers.

Thanks!
 
I get regular emails from government liquidation and have considered it a couple times myself but I have yet to try it.One of the biggest issues and especially for you if your in Alaska is,how close are you to the vehicle? I only live an hour north of Indiantown Gap and I have family that works there but it would still cost me quite a bit on top of the sale price to get a deuce and a half here if I did get one.
 
Sorry I am not really going to contribute, but driving that thing back from anywhere would be ridiculously expensive. Almost makes any shipping cost cheaper than drivivng.
 
How good are you in rebuilding engines & replacing major parts? How easy will it be for you to get parts in AK?

Even with low miles & hours on the road, don't forget that these vehicles have been beaten to hell & driven through the worse conditions, usually by a 19 year old.

Granted that you can find some sweet deals, just be aware that you are buying something completely sight unseen.
 
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I know a few guys who have gotten the K5 blazers or pickups with the 6.2 diesel nothing fancy but they are reliable
 
Domanfp said:
I know a few guys who have gotten the K5 blazers or pickups with the 6.2 diesel nothing fancy but they are reliable
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I would like to eventually do that when it gets prudent to apply for my DL again.
 
Idaho Jarhead said:
I'm thinking something like a deuce and a half or 6x6.
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I worked at a company that bought a bunch of them for use in the gasfield. Some were purchased through the government surplus website, Government Liquidators or something like that, and at least one through an Army surplus store.

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Buy a few so you have parts. And hire a motorpool veteran who has experience working on them.

Alaska? The heaters are marginal. Windshield wipers may not work (I never saw one that did). Defrosters are non-existent (drive with windshield open to solve this). Air lines freezing = no brakes.

Wheels are split-rim so it may be tough to find anyone to work on tires.

The noise is unbearable, especially if you get a tarp-top version.

Top speed is about 50mph. Useful to know when planning your trip home from the Liquidators warehouse.

They use a 24-volt battery system, two giant 12-volt batteries in series. Forget about quickly jumping the truck from a 'regular' vehicle.

Registration can be a hassle, as some trucks have no VIN and/or no year of manufacture (they get periodically rebuilt when in service).
 
Swiss military surplus Unimog 1968 or 1969 vintage. I drove this for a couple of years and loved it. The company I worked for bought two of them for around $10k each. It never broke down while it was assigned to me, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one for myself if the opportunity ever presents itself:

unimog_1.jpg
 
Only one gripe with a 'Mog...if you're taller than 5'8", it's extremely cramped in the cab.
 
My boss has a few of the K5 blazers with the diesel (CUC-V i think is what military calls them)... great trucks, alot of the mechanical workings are govt issue though so getting parts some times takes some time. They can really tow a big load but if you get one and plan on doing any serious towing with it rig up a tranny cooler first. But EZ to work on, double layer floors and the lockers and diff are heavy duty as you'll ever see on a truck that small, they are tough.
 
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tobii3 said:
Only one gripe with a 'Mog...if you're taller than 5'8", it's extremely cramped in the cab.
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Funny, I don't recall being cramped and I'm 6'. Is it possible the older ones had a bigger seat?

My only gripe with it, besides the top speed of about 90 km/h, was having to wear hearing protection while driving! Forget trying to have a conversation with your passenger!
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Definitely something to think about.

I am definitely not looking for an old Blazer; I need something to haul some serious weight. The guy who is our shop mechanic recently retired from the National Guard, where he was a mechanic for 20+ years, so I know he would know how to fix any US military vehicle. I actually talked to him about it yesterday. Getting parts may be a problem though as I am indeed isolated and there is no military surplus store for many hundreds of miles.

Shipping is not an issue though. Anyone that lives in Alaska is used to getting screwed when it comes to shipping. We build up the Stockholm Syndrome immunity.

Where do I look at Unimogs?
 
I like the big Diesel Tac trucks we used in JTF%$&*. Surplus trucks are a steal in general.
 
mckrob said:
Funny, I don't recall being cramped and I'm 6'.
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Two 6'+ guys trying to enter/exit the vehicle made us look like an opening act for Barnum & Bailey.

This is a 416 cab (as an example)

unimog__416_double_cab_1978_3_lgw.jpg


Jarhead -

They are few and far beween, but look for an M1028A2. These were shelter carrier trucks modified with Dana 70 rear axles (DRW). Think of it as a 350/3500 series truck

The standard 1028 is the heavy duty SRW version...think of it as the 250/2500 series.

Good Luck!
 
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I've driven and occasionally owned mil-surp vehicles over the years. Most were WWII or Korean War vintage, a few Vietnam era. I can't argue with the previous posts on the points of lack of comfort, noise, abysmal fuel milage, parts availability and expense, etc. I can suggest another source though, which you might find more local. Small town fire departments and agencies like the USFS. The ones I drove that I did not own were given to local fire departments as brush fire trucks, usually converted former ambulances or water trucks. When fire departments upgrade to more modern gear, thes often sit out back or find their way to local salvage yards. If you have room to store them, buy one or two for spare parts. I've kept parts vehicles at small junk yards before for little or nothing in fees other than agreeing to give them the husk for scrap metal when I was done with it.

You can pick up a M-37 (Dodge Powerwagon) such as this one for $2,000 or less, depending on condition and either restore it or customize it depending on your intended use. Or buy one near restored for under ten grand.

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Ahh, the good ol' Trimble 4700... ...I lugged one of those around for a few years (though not in a unimog).

mckrob said:
Swiss military surplus Unimog 1968 or 1969 vintage. I drove this for a couple of years and loved it. The company I worked for bought two of them for around $10k each. It never broke down while it was assigned to me, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one for myself if the opportunity ever presents itself:

unimog_1.jpg
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