Driving Classic Military Vehicles

[TheDutchTexan]

So 4 years ago, in 2017, I connected with Collin and reviewed his 1970 Deuce and a Half. That was a very cool experience and to date still the heaviest vehicle I have ever driven. About a month ago the phone rings and I pick up. I use the phone for work (outside YouTube) so every call gets answered. My old iPhone was replaced and I lost a bunch of contacts in the process, Collin's being one of them, so the number was just a number. Collin being a car guy he says "Hey, this is Collin, the guy who let you review his Deuce." We might not remember a name, but a car? Never!

We had a nice long conversation, but what it boiled down to was this: They were having a shakedown day for the vehicle / armor division of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum to drive all the vehicles and he thought it would be cool to film. The icing on the cake came in the form of climbing in and getting a ride on a tank (M50 Super Sherman, and also a M41 Walker Bulldog, but those are for a later video). There were 4 vehicles lined up, and instead of me filming them driving around it was more like: We need to work on the tank, so we'll get you set up on these 4 vehicles so you can drive them.

3 out of the 4 vehicles have unsynchronized manual transmissions. For those that don't know: That means you need to double clutch like you should and actually rev match every time by ear, every time and without fail. Got some double clutch rev match instruction in the M38a1 jeep and was then left to my own devices. There would be plenty of fail in the video, first time ever driving vehicles like that.

My favorite was without a doubt the M3a1 Scout Car. It is actually also the oldest vehicle I have driven to date. 1942. What better vehicle to take that crown than a cool one like that? There were and actually still are times where I want to quit this thing. But when you come across opportunities like this you start to realize that if you did quit you would have never had this experience.

Any of you ever drive a military vehicle?

Cavanaugh Flight Museum Website: https://cavflight.org/

[Just Jeepin']

@thedutchtexan Oh, man, so jelly. I want a deuce, but I can’t drive anything that old and heavy without power steering, because my back is too messed up. Tried a CJ-5 on fat tires and couldn’t even get out of a parking lot.

[derp]

@thedutchtexan said in Driving Classic Military Vehicles:

Any of you ever drive a military vehicle?

Once or twice...

[Bloody-the-resident-LandRover-apologist]

@thedutchtexan I learned to drive in an ex South African Police Series IIa 109 that was handed down from the army. Does that count?

[TheDutchTexan]

@just-jeepin I remember the deuce and as long as you are moving you are solid. Just don't want to be stationary and have to turn the wheel, that's a workout on a solid surface (gets a lot easier on gravel). Really a bummer about your back. I know they can do a power steering conversion on a Deuce, ever looked into that?

I'd personally love to have something like that myself, but I live in suburbia, so that makes it an impossibility unfortunately.

[TheDutchTexan]

@derp which ones?

[TheDutchTexan]

@bloody-the-resident-shitposting-saffer said in Driving Classic Military Vehicles:

IIa 109

I'd say so! I love the old land rovers, such a classic design!

[Just Jeepin']

@thedutchtexan I've definitely done a bit of research, but they're incredibly impractical, so all my money goes into keeping my LJ running instead.

[TheDutchTexan]

@just-jeepin yeah, without a doubt unpractical. I'd only own one if I lived outside the city and had a decent amount of land with a nice storage barn for it. I'd probably do the big wheel conversion so the cruising speed is a little higher. And the whistler turbo... Got to have that!

[Just Jeepin']

@thedutchtexan Perhaps someday I’ll own one of these: much less impractical. Still absolutely kicking myself for missing this one.

https://opposite-lock.com/topic/9773/m715-oh-m715

[derp]

@thedutchtexan

currently licensed on the m998, m1152 and the m1097, so basically a bunch of differently configured Humvees from basic truck to up-armored command post vehicle towing a large trailer. Also been in and around deuce and a halfs, 5 tons, LMTVs, drove the old CUCV when they were a thing back in the mid 2000s, ridden in a fairly large number of blackhawks, a c-23 Sherpa, a C-17, and a handful of C-130s.

[TheDutchTexan]

@derp quite a few more current stuff! A Humvee is on my wish list to review someday!

I think I have driven a CUCV in the Netherlands, those old army trucks were a thing and there was a place that would import them and then put an LPG tank in the back because that is dirt cheap compared to gasoline in the Netherlands. Hopping curbs everywhere because the turning circle was crap and the streets tight. That was well before my youtube days though. Heck, YouTube didn't even exist back then.

[TheDutchTexan]

@just-jeepin I like those! They got that power wagon thing going on.

[pip bip]

@thedutchtexan have i driven a military vehicle? no, never had the oppotunity.

[TheDutchTexan]

@pip-bip I hope you get the chance sometime!

[Snuze]

@thedutchtexan said in Driving Classic Military Vehicles:

Any of you ever drive a military vehicle?

As a matter of fact I have...

[TheDutchTexan]

@snuze daaaaaaaang! I don't think I could live on a sub for months under the surface...

[Snuze]

@thedutchtexan its not for everyone, but its not too bad. It was a great experience and has led to many other opportunities in life for me.

I should also clarify that "drive" is an exaggeration, it takes a whole team to drive a boat. I was merely the gas pedal (throttleman) or the alternator (electric plant operator).

[TheDutchTexan]

@snuze you are still an integral part of the group that makes it happen. I bet it had a huge impact on your life and how you look at things.