• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

MWMULES, thank you

71DeuceAK

Well-known member
1,492
344
83
Location
Fairbanks, Alaska
Special thanks to Dave. We'd been talking for years but I finally happened to meet you at KAMO this year. You then proceeded to invite me to tag along to the GA rally a week later.

Thanks for being willing to drag my irritating personality halfway across the United States and back, arrange lodging for me at the end of the trip when downtime was abundant, and teach me quite a bit about various states I'd never been to. Learned a lot about the background of Steel Soldiers in the process.

It was actually quite fun. Thanks again!
 

MWMULES

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In Memorial
5,580
344
83
Location
DESOTO, KANSAS
Only took 2 pictures at the Ga Rally and one turned out to be your smiling face. For those not in the know Oct 11 John 98G and Andy showed up at the KAMO rally after 3+ hours of intense trailer backing. Having never met Andy, I offered to pick him up the following Tuesday 15th from 98G 2 hours west of me and have a co-driver for the 2 day trip East to Ga Rally. Who knew Ed would say yes! It was fun having the views of a 21yr old for the next 7 days. One & 1/2 days were spent helping me at various MV storage locations till I dropped the Kudzu Kid (still working on a nick name) off at KCI in the afternoon of the 22nd for the return trip to AK!
 
Last edited:

71DeuceAK

Well-known member
1,492
344
83
Location
Fairbanks, Alaska
Finally made it home yesterday. Whew. 20 days straight of you fellow crazy army truck enthusiasts, what a trip! Ex-motorpool neighbor who we had over for dinner last night was shaking their head in a belly laugh at the "trailer" story. It has become more and more apparent to me that Steel Soldiers and the people thereof have found their way into every nook and cranny of my life, a first world problem I am actually quite thankful for.
 

marchplumber

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,651
2,416
113
Location
Peoria, Illinois
Ya never know what'll happen, till ya try................guaranteed failure if NO attempt is made!

I'd like to hear the story too.............3+hours? Whooooaa
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,845
3,885
113
Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
Well, lets hear the trailer story. I still have nightmares from my first trailer backing disasters. Scarred me for life.
An M989A1 just can't be backed, especially around corners. It's not my inability or inexperience. It just can't be done.

I say this, and I've had a class A CDL. I can parallel park a tractor trailer. I can (and have recently) backed a gooseneck around 3 sides of a square when a narrow motel parking lot didn't wrap completely around the builiding.

This particular fiasco was caused by GPS. M925 with the M989A1 down a mile and a half of narrow winding dirt road to a dead end. (I called before making the cursed turn and confirmed I should proceed - wrong).

20191010_090749.jpg
 
Last edited:

71DeuceAK

Well-known member
1,492
344
83
Location
Fairbanks, Alaska
An M989A1 just can't be backed, especially around corners. It's not my inability or inexperience. It just can't be done.

I say this, and I've had a class A CDL. I can parallel park a tractor trailer. I can (and have recently) backed a gooseneck around 3 sides of a square when a narrow motel parking lot didn't wrap completely around the builiding.

This particular fiasco was caused by GPS. M925 with the M989A1 down a mile and a half of narrow winding dirt road to a dead end. (I called before making the cursed turn and confirmed I should proceed - wrong).

View attachment 781457
Oh and some of those roads just plain sucked anyway...
 

marchplumber

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,651
2,416
113
Location
Peoria, Illinois
Tree branches and cargo covers and soft tops, ya know...not always the best combination
There was a member that had a tag line something like this.........................

Every ship can be a minesweeper........................ONCE

Every truck can be a dozer..........................once

LMBO
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,845
3,885
113
Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
I'll back this -

20190921_195046.jpg

And I'll back this -

20190602_124950.jpg

This-
20190812_130506.jpg

This -

20161101_132643.jpg

This -

20170615_175422.jpg

This -
20180516_191432.jpg

And if really needed I'll even back THIS-
reee.jpg


But under no circumstances will I ever willingly back this -

20191008_163846.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

71DeuceAK

Well-known member
1,492
344
83
Location
Fairbanks, Alaska
I've since wondered: Would a "truck" GPS not have led us down some of those crazy roads? I mean there's gotta be ways for truckers in the 21st century to avoid scenarios such as we experienced...
 

royalflush55

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
643
513
93
Location
Reydon, OK
I've never done this but would a "push" bar mounted on both sides from corners of truck bed to corners of trailer bed some how allow trailer to back straight up?
 

marchplumber

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,651
2,416
113
Location
Peoria, Illinois
Didn't/don't farmers back grain/hay wagons? I have NEVER backed one, so have NO experience or "wisdom"....

Just an interesting scenario......=)
 

98G

Former SSG
Steel Soldiers Supporter
5,845
3,885
113
Location
AZ/KS/MO/OK/NM/NE, varies by the day...
I've never done this but would a "push" bar mounted on both sides from corners of truck bed to corners of trailer bed some how allow trailer to back straight up?
It's possible to lock the steering on the 989a1s. Doesn't really help.

Presumably if you wanted to back straight up, and were perfectly aligned truck to trailer before locking the steering, and were perfectly aligned trailer to target before locking the steering, then locking the steering might produce the desired results. In reality this set of circumstances never arises.

The best way to tow one of these is to plan ahead and avoid any need to back it. This works fine until you end up forced to back it up.

Unhooking and dragging it from behind is the only option. And this works poorly at best. Barely possible.

Description doesn't do it justice. You can't understand just how bad it is until you experience it.
 

royalflush55

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
643
513
93
Location
Reydon, OK
Didn't/don't farmers back grain/hay wagons? I have NEVER backed one, so have NO experience or "wisdom"....

Just an interesting scenario......=)
You can back a hay wagon with a tractor a lot easier than you can with a pickup, but it is still not easy some times. It is always a slow process that takes many attempts.
 

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
15,682
21,617
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
All right. Lets hear the backing up stories. I will start if no one else will. It happened so long ago, I cant possibly go to jail.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks