Posted by David Sherman on Sunday, January 27, 2002 at 5:15PM :
In Reply to: Re: Mega-tons of 6X6s FS posted by Henry Jacobs on Sunday, January 27, 2002 at 4:47PM :
I own several. You don't need a CDL, but you do need commercial vehicle insurance for normal use simply because of the weight. It is not particularly expensive. Because I use it quite a bit, I bought the insurance and I licensed it legitimately as a "farm truck" (half price on gross weight fees). If you license it as a collector vehicle, and get collector vehicle insurance, it's very cheap and nobody will probably ever notice. Heck, for now you can get away with driving it without plates because the police assume it's still military. Don't do that, though.
Legitimate reasons I own them:
#1 I sure got a lot of truck for the money. Average cost was about $2500 per, including minor repairs. You can't get a decent diesel engine alone for that money.
#2 I have a place in Idaho up in the mountains about 10 miles back on a rough road and I'm gradually moving there. I need to be able to haul lots of heavy stuff 400 miles on the highway and then also go that last 10 miles including driving across a small river. The M35 is small enough to be manageable on a narrow mountain road, but stout enough to haul everything I can put in it.
#3 Because so many were made, parts are available very reasonably and will be for many years. In 50 years when I'm too old to drive, people will talk about them like they do the $50 jeeps from WWII.
#4 They're easy to work on and will run with many systems broken, such as no electrical, no air and half the rear tires flat. They'll also run on about any combination of flammable liquids you can put in the tank.
#5 They start quickly even in the cold and without glow-plugs or any pre-heater. The manifold heater's there if you need it. They also push-start very easy so if the battery's dead you can just park on a hill.
#6 The M105 trailers fit them perfectly and are equally stout and cheap ($200-$300).
#7 The neighborhood kids think it's the coolest thing they every saw and love to go for rides in it.
Reasons not to own one:
#1 There's always something needing to be fixed.
#2 8 mpg is the best fuel economy you can hope for.
#3 The cab is uncomfortable. The windshield always leaks in the rain, cold air blows in everywhere in the winter and in the summer you get roasted with engine heat unless you open the windshield a bit.
#4 Once you have one, you want to get another one for parts.
#5 It doesn't go very fast uphill towing the parts truck.
#6 The neighborhood busybodies think it's the ugliest thing they ever saw and keep complaining to the city about it.