Cool Vehicle

All other trucks not mentioned above.
Post Reply
FISCH
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 617
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:32 pm
Location: Ohio

Cool Vehicle

Post by FISCH »

Hey, I spotted this on ebay. I have never seen one like this truck ~ has anyone else?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1961-WHI ... dZViewItem
RANGER
1st Sergeant
1st Sergeant
Posts: 6510
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:29 pm
Location: Nearest Motor Pool

Post by RANGER »

Typical nice piece of equipment that civilian life has let rot away.

I was issued one of these Machine Shop Vans after attending US Army Ordnance School at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The one on eBay has been robbed of 99% of its equipment and is more worthless than useful. The operating weight is 24,000lb, very high for a 2 1/2 Ton. They Shop Van portion was manufactured by Couse Laboratories and Southwest Machine Company.
Originally it had a south Bend Lathe 10" swing 36" bed, Master Machinist Tool Set, Van Norman Wet Face Valve Grinder, Acetylene Welding Equip, 17 Ton Press, Air compressor, Brass Fittings, Wiring Repair set, Pipe Wrenches, Master Mechanic Tool Set,300Amp welder, 12 KW Dynamotor, 50/60 cycle 120/240/880 volts, they started out as a $53,000 truck in 1953, and evolved into a $250,000 unit 20 years later.
US ARMY HONOR GRADUATE MECHANIC, Restorer of fine Jeeps, MV's, MVPA 40+yrs, DAV, Army Aircrew member, Donor to Military Museums & CAF, MV Hobby since 1945
Other Hobby- Army Air Force & Busting Big Ass Military Imposters-Good at it
FISCH
Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 617
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:32 pm
Location: Ohio

Post by FISCH »

RANGER wrote: Originally it had a south Bend Lathe 10" swing 36" bed, Master Machinist Tool Set, Van Norman Wet Face Valve Grinder, Acetylene Welding Equip, 17 Ton Press, Air compressor, Brass Fittings, Wiring Repair set, Pipe Wrenches, Master Mechanic Tool Set,300Amp welder, 12 KW Dynamotor, 50/60 cycle 120/240/880 volts, they started out as a $53,000 truck in 1953, and evolved into a $250,000 unit 20 years later.
You have to remember that civilian life did not strip the equipment. That is part of the demil process and well GI's being GI's ~ if a unit knows something is going to be dispossed of they will canibalize everything they can before turning it over to DRMO. I did it on active and did it in the Guard, and I could tell you some stuff over in the DRMO yards of Iraq that would make you cry ~ while at the same time laugh.

Like the USMC driving a Unimog around ~ it was left/turned into DRMO over there and they needed a truck for convey and running out of the wire ~ Hey one of Murphey's Laws of Combat goes like this: "If its stupid, but works, it ain't stupid." (and there are like 33 original items like that ~ though more have been added in our recent deployments to the sandbox in the past 2 decades) (gee am I getting old)

Everything you mention would have value in a 3, 4, or 5 level maintenance set up. Moreover the brass would have been removed by the DRMO as part of SOP as that is precious metal.

Got any pictures of how the truck is supposed to look? I am interested
RANGER
1st Sergeant
1st Sergeant
Posts: 6510
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:29 pm
Location: Nearest Motor Pool

Post by RANGER »

Not quite always so, the Couse Van I trained for went thru the GSA to the US Forest Service and then to a State Forestry Dept. It was immediately disassembled and the tens of thousands of dollars of equipment wasted among different Forestry shops and never utilized as intended by the regulations that allowed the US Forrest Service preference instead of just plain selling it and putting money back into the federal coffers. I have many years of experience in trackng this waste and observing DCIS investigations to untangle the web of waste. The lathe ended up in private hands. This is a typical pattern of federal waste.
I now have the Cast Bronze US Army name plate from the very truck that was issued to me. I bought the residue as scrap in 1991. (The Forrest Service no longer contacts me to purchase their scrap) The name plaque now is a souvinier to Couse Model MEDL, USA 41214948 in my collection. The pattern of waste by the US Forrest Service continues. Vehicles are obtained just for the purpose of cannibalizing, contrary to what the rules are.
US ARMY HONOR GRADUATE MECHANIC, Restorer of fine Jeeps, MV's, MVPA 40+yrs, DAV, Army Aircrew member, Donor to Military Museums & CAF, MV Hobby since 1945
Other Hobby- Army Air Force & Busting Big Ass Military Imposters-Good at it
brian
Technical Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 1130
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:29 pm
Location: denver co.

Post by brian »

us- combat engeneers had one of those in eemo
(battalion level maintenance) one of the sweetest shop set ups ever.
after the sides flip up, you hang a curtain/tent around them.
(the hhc motor pool had a semi trailer with a simular set up.
dont remember what it was called tho,
I think thay used it for a parts warehouse.)
another funny thing about eemo is, thay had the contact truck
with the 2 yellow lights on top. and for that reason thay made em drive around behind us, on bn. runs

BB
if you cant afford the manual, you cant afford the truck!
wc-4
Post Reply