Dumb idea ? and what would you take for the trip ?

Been looking at the M1078 back East. Was thinking if I got a runner I could just ferry it back. The shippers are getting $3000 +.

I have a F250 I would drive back with my tools and put it in tow for the trip to AZ.
My idea would be to give a good check over, filters,fluids.

What would you take and have for a trip like this ? I have a towing card from my RV/semi. So if it went down I could get it off the road.

Would be a long trip at 55 mph,but doable. So what do you think ?

Other than just pay the $3000 . LOL

Randy

If you can get one from the east coast to the Phoenix are for 3k then tell me who your trucking company is because I want to do business. Last time I moved a fmtv it cost 3800 and that was a discounted price.

I have 2 bid's at $3100 +- from SHIPPING .

I will play the numbers game with you. $3000 gets you about 1000 gallons of fuel. Assuming the F250 gets double the economy of the FMTV you are looking at that being split 33% for pickup fuel and 66% for the FMTV. 660 gallons of fuel for the FMTV will get you about approximately 4600 miles (7mpg but maybe less towing a pickup behind).

So far it's looking good. But then you will need to consider accommodation and meals both ways. Realistically you will be lucky to get 500 miles a day. It is summer and you will be in a noisy sweat box. 55 max speed.

Then we could look at it the other way and say a daily rate. For the pickup we can assume 800 miles with $80 accommodation if you are lucky and $50 food and incidentals and @ 15 mpg $160 for fuel. For the FMTV we have the same $80 for accommodation and $50 food and incidentals. 500 miles and $215 for fuel.

So North Carolina would be 3 days over and 5 back. = 3x $290 + 5x $340 = $2570.

This does not take into account wear and tear on the vehicles and assumes everything goes OK and you can find fuel at $3 a gallon with accommodation for $80.

Now everyone travels differently so run your own calculations. But for me there is not enough potential saving to spend 8 days of my precious time along with the high risk of failure of untested equipment.

YMMV

Yep, its a wash. Wish I needed to be on the other side of the US. Bet that is what drivers say when dead heading !

Thanks for the input !

The one I was looking at went for $11,500 + shipping and fees ! LOL

Maybe some will come up in Texas ?

Thanks,Randy

My wife wasn't happy with me last week cause the 1 I really wanted went up for auction today. It went for $11,250, wicked clean truck. The other I would have bid on went for $6,000 with a bad CTIS and one side of the motor wet in oil. Both had higher mileage.
Got mine for 55 needs door handles and dash screws. (I think she loves me again, but can't tell)

I was looking at that one. Looked to be a nice truck,but for me not that nice. LOL

Can't wait to see what the UT. one will go for ? After see the Youtube, it will be a bunch $$$$$. LOL

Its just not my turn !
Randy

Randy your 1078 quest is sounding kind of fun, with that said I am one of those guys who in the past has ALWAYS done his own recoveries, I hauled a Unimog from NY to ND on a trailer behind my pickup, I also hauled a Unimog from off an Island off the coast of Washington to ND, so I have covered a whole lot of miles hauling and driving Military gear. I have to say in retrospect it is highly over rated, it takes a tremendous amount of time, it costs a heck of a lot of money and if your honest with your numbers ie. costs rarely is it ever cheaper to do it your self! With that said the last truck I purchased I had it transported, it was an M920 tractor that came out of Sacramento CA, the truck is a new beast to me, as far as the engine I am fine and confident that I can fix just about anything on that but the rest of the truck (especially the CAT trans.) I have NO experience with and jumping in a truck like this and driving it 2200 miles was not the wisest option in my book! I went through U-Ship and struck a deal with a transporter and 3 days later it showed up at my door, yes it cost me 4K to have it done, lets see again being completely hones on my costs in the best case scenario I only saved about 1K by having it transported, if I would have had a serious break down it could have been very easily 4 to 5K saved by have it transported! Does it cost to have it done, absolutely, is it worth it in 95% of the cases, absolutely!!!
Good luck on your quest, the 1078 is a very cool truck!
KK