shawn77901

Hey guys Im new to the site and new to MV's in general. I really want to get some sort of MV thats good for off road. I would like to get an M35, but the more I look at these pinzgauers the more I like them!!

My question is this: Is the pinzie a good place to start? If so, what is a good price for one (in decent condition)?

doghead

Pinz, $10000 and up, M35A2, you can buy 3 or more for the same price.

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hndrsonj

For a first MV i'd go with a M38A1. Small, easy to work on, good off road, under 3K. There's prolly about a dozen good choices for a first MV depends mostly on what you want/prefer.

wreckerman893

Run....run while you can........it's an affliction....an addiction........ You can't just stop with one...they will take over your life.......arrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhh.....i can stop anytime i want to............somebody saaaaaave me from myself!!!!!

LanceRobson

Hello, my name is Lance and, I'm an addict.......

Hey Shawn, it's good to be able to enable budding addict!

What, exactly, do you want to do "off road"? Just drive around? Get the family to a weekend at a new fishing hole? Tote 5 or 6 face cord of wood back to the homestead?

What's your wrench turning experience and what's you pain threshold for major repairs? Are you going to be close to paved roads or 17 miles into a wilderness area?

There's lots of possibilities in "good" MVs but, throw an old dog a bone and let us know what you expect to do with it!

Yours in craziness...

Lance

shawn77901

Hey thanks a bunch for all your input.

Lance- off road I want to be able to go anywhere I want. From sandy riverbed/beach to mountainous terrain or snow. It will mostly be recreation so i will not need to haul alot, but I would like to be able to. A winch like on the M35's would be a big plus! As far as wrench turning, I could do the majority of repairs myself, I used to do them on my old 3/4 ton dodge cummins. I live close to paved roads. only really could come up with a couple thousand unless someone wants alot of good computer equipment for one!

LanceRobson

All-righty then. I'd guess that "off road" means you'd be on unimproved roads and fairly well established trails? Blazing trails and path-finding are best done with experienced folks and more than one vehicle.

The price range rules out a pinz. For modern MVs, it puts you into CUCV or deuce country.

None of the CUCVs are particularly good in the snow or sand (chains are a big plus) but if handled carefully and properly set up they'll do pretty well. What they generally won't do is break a trail cross country or go well in deep mud.

M35A2s can be bought at a low price and if height, width, turning radius, weight etc are taken into account, they'll fit the bill. Being higher and wider that most off road vehicles you may have clearance issues. Don't forget that even if the trail floor is wide enough, a tree leaning over the trail can stop you as surely as a BFR in the middle of the trail.

An M35A2 or similar will go places that'd raise the hair on the back of your neck but even with the tire pressure lowered they have issues with some sand. Sand with sharp edges seems to hold up and bear weight better than rounded wind blown sand which is like driving on ball bearings.

You'd have to pick your path carefully because not many other off road vehicles are going to be of much help with a heavily mired or pinned deuce. Tire chains help a lot in most reduced traction conditions for snow and sand.

You'll have some maintenance to do ASAP after getting the axles in water.

A winch, if maintained, is a definite plus. It usually adds about $1,000 to the price of a truck. To really get the benefit from it ,you'll need a sling chain or two, a snatch block (preferably two) a couple pair of heavy gloves (welding gloves work well) and some cautious practice BEFORE you go out.

I usually keep the shear pin safety wired to the PTO driveshaft so no one can blow up the winch doing dumb things and keep several more pins in the glove box with a punch to drive out broken pins. That 200 foot cable sure seems long when you have it unspooled to clean and lube it but can seem awfully short out in the boonies.

My experience is that 11.00R20 XLs make a "night and day" difference but, again, price would be an issue. They can be found at reasonable prices with some scrounging. though, so you could buy a truck and put them on the wish list. Until I find a better tire for the money, I'll always have at least one truck with them.

You'll need to go into this with the understanding that the maintenance, particularly for off road use, must be preventative, not reactive. You need to address things like torque rod bushings, front axle boots and brakes before getting much further than a winch cable away from good roads or trails.

Also, a proper self recovery kit and tool set is a must. Look in the RESOURCES section for FM 21-22 and review it.

I suggest you hook up with any experienced MVer you can find and spend as much time with MVs s you can while filling the piggy bank and making a decision on where to invest you hard earned money.

Good luck and welcome to the clan.

Lance

shawn77901

Wow thanks for all of that info, Lance. You really brought alot of things to my attention that I had not thought about before! Im thinking a deuce would be great for now until I can afford a pinz. Man after watching that vid of the pinz with the hummers, they are really impressive.

nk14zp

Get a m35a2 first.Trust me it wont be your last mv.

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