dieselfuelonly

Hi everyone, finally signed up here and decided to make a post.

I was wondering how well a Deuce would work for me in the business I plan to start up - working with my skid steer, tractor, etc.

Where to start... My name is Dennis, I currently live on the outskirts of Chapel Hill, NC, and go to ECU in Greenville, NC.

I have a 1996 Dodge Ram 3500 dually w/ the Cummins diesel... I really enjoy working on it. My recent project was converting the truck from an automatic transmission (47RH) to a 5-speed manual (NV4500). That was a very challenging project, but at the time extremely rewarding for me. I am a pretty mechanically inclined person, I'm good with diesels, and I like to take on projects even when I get a lot of "don't waste your time with it" from others.

So far my plans to start up a small business using my Bobcat 753, tractor, etc. are going well.

I guess I could start by listing some of the "pros" and "cons" that I can think of - maybe some others can help.

Cons:
* Not a very "comfortable" vehicle - though I drive with a straight piped Cummins, non-working AC, and the "ride" of an empty dually whenever I'm going somewhere
* Quite a big vehicle - While I'm already used to parking in the "boonies" with my dually, watching out for people creeping into my lane, etc., a Deuce would be even bigger
* Harder/more expensive (in some respects) to maintain - that goes without saying... stuff like fuel will cost more, and some special parts I would have to order online (though I do that all the time, anyways).

Pros:
* AWESOME advertising for my business. I don't know anyone else around here that owns one. With a logo slapped on the side, I would be hard to miss for sure.
* I would have two trucks instead of just one - I'm not relying on one vehicle to transport my equipment. If the Deuce is down, I rent a trailer (until I buy one of my own, which I need to do anyway) and pull my stuff behind my Dodge.
* Can go where my Dodge can't - 2WD Dodge duallies, coupled with the torque of a Cummins get stuck in wet grass - if I needed to clean up some debris for someone in a wet area, I could back the Deuce up so I'm not making long trips to dump stuff in the truck bed/trailer with the skid steer.

Those are just a few of the things that come to mind, and there are others as well.

I know it may seem like a crazy idea at first, but then again thats the reaction I got from everyone when they heard I wanted to convert my Dodge from auto to manual.

The 45ish MPH cruising speed isn't a huge deal for me. While it is a bit slower than what I woudl be doing on the freeway with my truck and a trailer, most of the speed limits around this area are 45MPH and below.

Mainly I just need to know if a deuce would be a pretty reliable truck. I realize it may have a few quirks here and there, but I figure they must be made pretty darn good considering what they were used for in the military.

Sorry for the long post, I just want to provide as much information as I can to help others give me some good feedback.

Thanks!

Dennis

TBigLug

Take my two cents coming from someone who hasn't yet got their first. Harder to maintain is not an issue. They were designed to be maintained by your typical fresh out of high schooler. Fuel is not a big deal either since you can burn old motor oil, old tranny fluid, etc. to offset the cost. If you can put up with the ride, lack of speed and size you'll be fine. Oh, and it helps ALOT if you're short!

__________________
BIG JOHN



2004 Chevy Cavalier (2.2, 5 sp., Daily Driver for wife)
1988 Chevy C3500 (Brutus, 454, 4 sp. creeper, my DD)

TBigLug

Oh, and they are cheaper to buy initially considering how much truck you get. You could buy 5 of these for what a decent used dually would cost.

__________________
BIG JOHN



2004 Chevy Cavalier (2.2, 5 sp., Daily Driver for wife)
1988 Chevy C3500 (Brutus, 454, 4 sp. creeper, my DD)

dieselfuelonly

Thanks for the tips.

I don't think I could bring myself to burn oil motor oil or tranny fluid... though its good to know I could if necessary. It would probably just see good old #2 diesel with some Power Service.

I'm about 5' 10", and I've been out of high school for about half a year now... just finshed up my first semester at ECU... so I guess I may be on to something here .

Thanks for your input.

Dennis

tractorpuller1

I use mine for my business.
It is worth many times what I paid for it in stress relief alone!

kendelrio

Welcome to the site! While I cannot think of any negatives for using your deuce as you want to, here are some of my own observations:
Reliability. With proper maintenance (and they aren't too awfully maint. intensive) your deuce should be very reliable.

10k of cargo capability on-road. Bet your dually won't quite haul THAT much.....

Cool factor. Even if you aren't hired by the people who see it, you will create top-of-mind awareness for them. (Ie; you need some brush removed? There's this guy with a freakin army truck......) (Make your phone number easy)

Muti-role. Use it M-F for work, camping, crawling or tailgating on weekends!

Good luck and let me be the first to say POST PICS!

__________________
Supervisor: Why does it consistently take two hours longer for you to complete repairs than I tell the client it will take?

Me: Because apparently you can't estimate time very well....

TaylorTradingCo

I think that the Deuce is an excellent idea for you.

It is a very heavy duty rig that can be had for a fraction of the cost of lesser civilian vehicles. It should be very cheap to maintain as parts are super cheap and plentiful. I would just buy another truck and have a spare of everything they are so cheap.

The visibilty thing can have pros and cons. It will definitely get you noticed, but may scare away some people.

One thing you may want to look for in a worker is a dropside bed. It makes things so much easier if you can access the bed from the side.

Also, for your type of work you would probably want to install a hydraulic system so that you could dump the bed.

A winch is also a big plus, but adds a lot to the price.

Those options would make you a great worker.

I am down near Chattanooga and have a decent selection of trucks at reasonable prices.

Derek Taylor

bgekky3

I just drove 1800 miles with my wife and my cat towing a m105 and all my stuff. When I looked at the cost of renting a U haul or buying a deuce, I went with the deuce. I had some bad luck at the begining and swapped the trans and engine (thanks again FMJ). My truck and trailer are currently storage sheds for all my stuff.

Once I get an unfurnished appartment, sell my house, and buy a new one, I am going to put the deuce to use. My dad owns a shop and I offered it to him to use. My brother wants to use it to haul wood. I used it to haul wood, iron, and gravel before I moved.

I would say go for it. With the 9.00 x 20s you can do 55 all day. I ran 2500 to 2600 rpm every chance I could on my move. I had a heavy truck truck 22 to 23k (estimate). It was weighed at 19,920 with the truck empty and the trailer half full and I got 8.87 mpg overall.

dieselfuelonly

Awesome. Sounds like I will definitely give this some more consideration.

A couple more questions:

Right now its pretty much a nice equipment trailer OR a Deuce... not both. So, I need to be pretty careful with the decision. I have a feeling that with the Deuce, I could earn back what I paid for it pretty quickly, and buy a trailer shortly afterwards.

However, this would mean I would need to load my Bobcat (which weighs just under 5,000lbs) or my tractor and an attachment (less than the Bobcat, its a small 4WD Yanmar diesel tractor) into the bed.


Also, kendelrio, you say it has a 10k cargo capacity. For some reason I thought they had a 2.5 ton cargo capacity.

Will I be safe hauling this kind of load in the bed of the Deuce?

I know the deuces don't have a ball hitch, but do they have a pintle hitch? Or would I need to fabricate something myself?

One last question - sorry for asking for so many. If there is someone who lives in NC and has a deuce that could answer this, it would be great - what would I need to license the vehicle as? I don't have my CDL at the moment, and it would be nice if I could hold off on that for a little while. From what I understand in NC, anything over 26,001lbs. and you need your CDL.

Would the Deuce and my bobcat, or the Deuce, a double axle trailer, and my Bobcat, be under 26klbs?

If so, what do I register it as? I'm not sure if NC has the "Collectors plate" like I have seen some say they register theirs as. I have a feeling if it is being used for business purposes, it would need to have a "Weighted" Tag, just like I will need to get for my dually if I pull the Bobcat with it.

Thanks for all the help again - this seems like an awesome site.

Stretch44875

Yes on pintle hitch... but it's pretty high up. Has hook ups for air-braked trailers. Plan on modifications, such has adding reciever hitch, 12v system if you want electric brake hookup, and maybe spin oil filters. You can search for any of these and find lots of info. Also, dump bed may be handy for you, also just search dump conversion. Search for ramps, and you will find also, I load a jeep in the back with some 12 foot pieces of bus frame.

2.5 tons is off road rating, 5 ton on road rating. About 7 ton is the limit for me.

Dennis

__________________
68 M35A2, W/W, Dump, many mods.
52 M108, multifuel
46 CJ-2A, rough
61 M422a Mighty Mite, project.

T-bone 'em or Sideswipe 'em...
That's how I roll.