RE: [ihc] Re: making a 1/2T a 3/4T

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >>   Also, if you got the pics that Mac attached to my email, notice in a
## >> couple of shots the other vehicles in the background- what
## >> appears to be a
## >> Ford F350 box truck, and a Chevy/GMC stepvan. I doubt if those are
## >> 'mil-spec', despite what anybody says.

actually, i meant to comment on those two vehicles and kind of forgot about
them.  they were ordered in blocks for a specific purpose.  the Ford van in
particular (yep, that's an Econoline 350HD) has a limited use in several of
the units here.  or rather, it did before a HMMWV equivalent was built
sometime in the late '90s and they stopped ordering the Ford vans.

that stepvan you see there is one of three in that particular unit's
motorpool, all GM.  so far as i have seen, that's the only motorpool here
that has any of those, though there may be others that i have not seen.
just like the Ford vans, they're no longer in service, as they've been
replaced with--you guessed it--a HMMWV equivalent.

## >> They serve the purpose
## >> they needed
## >> them for so they got them from wherever, maybe the Army motorpool
## >> headquarters ordered 100 of them, but I doubt they're gonna
## >> be 24 volt with
## >> blackout lights and all that.

in this case, those Ford vans are "military spec", so to speak.  diesel
powered (care to guess what diesel engine is in them--mandatory IH content),
24 volt electrical, custom console for military electronics, the whole
package, and if sources are correct, they have blackout lights for them.
they were used during Desert Storm and got the full treatment prior to
deploying.  as you say, they served a specific purpose for which another
vehicle was not readily adaptable, and were used untill such a vehicle
became available.

oddly enough, most of the vehicles here are not equipped with blackout
lights unless they are deploying, and not always then.  even when they go
into the field, they don't use the blackout kits.  my Bride's unit starts
Ex-Eval at 02:00 tomorrow morning, and they're not using the blackouts.  but
don't get me started on the unnatural stupidity of this Ex-Eval for their
unit type and the manner in which it is being conducted.

nickel/grain of salt

--Mac

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Wassail!

Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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