So you want to buy a cheap truck from GL?

I appreciate you "TrailBoss" taking the time to create this thread. Helps a first timer like me to better under stand what is ahead of me.

Thanks again!

bUMP......

i always check on auction zip .com for farm auctions and have bought several 6x6 trucks from 42 to 57.picked this up for 1800.bucks with dump and running.also has full hydraulics for front mounted snow blower and salt spreader.would have like the snow blower!!!!!!

Great post trail boss!! I am not comfortable with a long-haul recovery of more than say 3 hours. I would feel comfortable driving one that I was able to confirm, either from preview or post auction preparation. And then I would definitely want a chase vehicle with a bunch of tools, batteries, filters and fluids. And a credit card!!

I've traveled to La and Miss bases within the past 5 months to preview A2's and A3's. And to be honest, I did not see a single one that I would have felt comfortable driving back home. For one my time is tight. One breakdown and an unexpected over-nighter and my schedule goes to heck....

I opted to spend an extra grand and buy one from a reputable private party. Someone who gets the trucks from GL back to his shop, fixes the things that are broken and even gets the state inspection certificate for you. When he sells you a truck, it is ready to take to the DMV and drive home. I was 100% satisfied. I look at spending the extra money as a wash for not having to buy fuel or having transported, not having to buy extra batteries, not potentially spending money for a motel and a host of other things...

Now when I retire and my time is not so tight, I would like to get together with a few other junkies and do a group recovery of some trucks. That sounds like fun...

Very good post and advice, but with that being said i also know that i am buying surplus trucks most 30 or more years old. Most trucks sit for months before they are put up for auction, even the pictures can be months old or
not even the right truck, ect. (golden rule inspect before you bid, unless you
don't mind an expensive parts truck, plus shipping). These trucks are surplus and turn ins in any condition from nice and clean to junk trucks that may or may not run, some may even have a hole in the block. I bought a M813 truck once from GL and before my euc cleared they the gov. had taken tons of stuff off my truck, they must of had a truck that needed parts and lots of them before they shipping out over seas. I guess i helped out the war effort.

In some ways GL is better than the old way from buying from the drms, but in most ways NOT. The one thing with GL is they think they are "always" right and it is hard to win a case with them, but what other choice do we have to buy gov issued trucks? I just bought a a3 from them and just because it says
drove on lot don't count on it, i am still happy with it but it needs work as it
has rotten fuel and fuel problems as we speak and still not running. I would say a good ratio with GL is 1 in 3 on trucks as well as other surplus. Look before you bid if all possible. I have gambled and lost more times than i care to mention.

on!

Worth keeping alive. BUMP

Bump

I've bought trucks from GSA and GL. There is no way I could have driven any of them home. I only previewed some so I planned to trailer them. I guess anything is possible... but based on the trucks I have seen, they aren't ready to go.

Good info in this thread.

Bump.....

I have had the exact opposite experience as the OP.

I have recovered from Redstone and FT riley and drove both back to the Seattle area

They needed a few things like jumpstarts and fuel filters bulbs. I changed the oil and all the filters before I went on the long haul seedy hotels allow work in the parking lots.

The only thing that bit my but is the first recovery I didn't think that heaters were an option so it got stupid cold from AL to WA like frostbite cold in Nebraska and that was with the propane buddy heater in the cab.

Now as a disclamer I am very familiar with working on all things mechanical especialy vintage vehicles and have a AAA membership (dont laugh they cover towing) so I am not nearly cavaler as you might think

By the end of the recovery trip, I know exactly the personality and every single problem of the truck and that is invaluable to me. I have been flown in to help others drive theirs back and help them. It also helps that I plan my routes that end up at gearhead friends houses ant or major military equipment suppliers like Memphis Equipment, Boyce, and IMP.

If you try my way do the muffler upgrade before the long haul A muffler shop can do it. they might even let you change fluids there for a small fee. Besides it's fun when TSA stops you at the airport to figure out why you have a dynomax racing muffler in your carry on luggage

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. But remember hope is not a plan.

mightymanx said:

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. But remember hope is not a plan.

Click to expand...

That seems to be the problem with many though, there is no plan and certainly no plan B, so they don't consider that it may not be safe to drive and possibly wouldn't know how to tell the difference anyway and off they go.

Regardless of what your initial purchase price...there is no such thing as a cheap truck.

Very helpful

Bump

What price range are winch trucks going for these days on GL?

rpollitt01 said:

What price range are winch trucks going for these days on GL?

Click to expand...

I was just trying to get a M35A3 winch truck, less than 3K miles, 82 hours, looked minty from the pics, it went for 7K.

This is a good thread. I havent found that many trucks around here aside from a private seller in NJ and one GL truck at Ft. Dix in in NJ. My friend is actually stationed at that base so hes going to check it out for me...i have seen a lot of trucks never sell and if this one is anything decent (unknown mileage and hours, yet the gauges are still in the truck), hopefully I can get it for really cheap. The other issue is that it is non running condition, which, if the turn in report is vague (needs batteries, or something major like an engine), then my instincts tell me turn tail and run.


The ones in Toms River sell anywhere from 5-$7600, there is a nice one with an LDS swap at Eastern Surplus but its almost out of my range at $8600. I would love a fixer-upper but with the work schedule of commuting back and forth to NJ 6 days a week, it leaves little time to work on it. I would like a truck before wintertime but we will see

Good thread.
I'm looking at buying my first MV next year sometime(have to graduate college 1st ). So I don't have the finances yet, but I do have some time to hammer out a solid preview process. I can get on base(military), so access shouldn't be a problem for me. Any advice on contacting and interacting the GL guys at the bases? I just want the previews to go smoothly, so when I do pickup something, there will be no big administrative surprises at least.

And I've seen something about 'inspection sheets'. Are these mandatory to have on the vehicle, or just lucky if you find one?


Of course I'm curious about what to look for on specific vehicles, but that can be covered in a future thread(I've turned a wrench on a MV or two in my time btw).

Inspection sheets and any other paperwork is hit and miss. Mostly miss.

Good advice to preview.

We previewed 6 trucks in the auction that my truck came out of.

I did not bid on three of the trucks, one was a rust bucket, one had a bad engine and one had a bad trans.

I did bid on the other 3 and ended up taking one home

My truck came with all of the maintence logs but we found out that they did not always do what was stated in the log.

What are the policies of the GL sites for drive offs of trucks or tow off of trailers? Will they let you drive off or toww off a trailer, is it site bt site rules?