• 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.

MERDC Experts, what scheme is this?

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,067
2,744
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
The green is Forest Green 34079, the brown is Field Drab 30118. The 5% sand is 30277.

I believe that your shop truck is in the pattern manual, but the M35 bed is not, though I'm pretty sure I have it somewhere, I'll look. Might be best to photograph it well.

I always liked those schemes. Most of my time in the Marines, that was our tactical scheme, we didn't start using the 3-colour until the mid-80s sometime (1985 maybe?).

Cheers
 

halftrack

Active member
1,018
9
38
Location
New Orleans, LA
Isn't MERDC 4 color? Black comprising the smallest amount?

Sam (on Scott P's computer)

Black and Sand comprise the same amount. BTW, when you decide to repaint your vehicle with the correct Forrest green, you will notice it is MUCH darker than what you commonly find on the older trucks. After doing some experimenting, I found heat is the major contributing factor in that faded green you see on your trucks. I took the pictures today because I myself is considering painting the M35 MERDC. A lot of the Marines painted their stuff using the Tropic pattern of the MERDC paint scheme.
 

Attachments

Militoy

New member
184
2
0
Location
Mojave Desert, CA
where can you take those paint codes to get the paint?
Rapco has just about all the MERDC (as well as WWII) colors you would need - available by UPS (internet or phone order). They sell Gillespie paint - which I've personally found to be much more weather-resistant than the more commonly available Airvoe paint. For some reason - the Airvoe tends to turn chalky, or even pink, when I've used it here in the desert.
 

M813rc

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,067
2,744
113
Location
Near Austin, Texas
I didn't quote the # for the black, 37038, because to me flat black is, well... flat black. The two major pattern colours each comprise 45%, the sand and black are 5% each. Should have mentioned that I guess.

For the Tropic scheme Halftrack mentioned, replace the Field Drab with Dark Green 34102. Sometimes the sand also got replaced with Light Green 34151. Our vehicles in Panama still had the sand on them.

That's how that camo works, you just replace one or both of the major colours to suit the terrain. There are a couple where the sand gets replaced.

Cheers
 
Last edited:

Militoy

New member
184
2
0
Location
Mojave Desert, CA
Anyone have a photo of a vehicle with FRESH MERDC camo, vintage or current, I have never seen one that was not faded
Here's one:

http://www.usarmygermany.com/units/Army%20Aviation/Partials_245th%20Trans%20Co%201.htm#Pic2http://www.usarmygermany.com/Sont.h.../units/Army Aviation/USAREUR_205thTransBn.htm

Sorry - I couldn't resist - This was a black-and-white photo of me and one of my trucks in Germany about 1973 - so the MERDC paint was definitely fresh. I must have helped paint a hundred vehicles in this paint scheme. I know the B&W pic won't help you. If you look at a copy of TC 5-200, you'll find patterns for just about every Vietnam-era vehicle that is now commonly collected. We used to chalk out the color pattern on the trucks according to the spec - and "paint by number" - just as the military interviewer reported on the above history website. The paint is correct for the period if it roughly follows the pattern from the spec, and the colors selected for the area of operation, whether the paint is sprayed or brushed on.
 
Last edited:

halftrack

Active member
1,018
9
38
Location
New Orleans, LA
Rapco has just about all the MERDC (as well as WWII) colors you would need - available by UPS (internet or phone order). They sell Gillespie paint - which I've personally found to be much more weather-resistant than the more commonly available Airvoe paint. For some reason - the Airvoe tends to turn chalky, or even pink, when I've used it here in the desert.
Ditto. I should of stated that in my post also. I purchased all of my MERDC paint from RAPCO and use Gillespie. For the black I used Rustoleum FLAT BLACK. It holds up extremely well.
 
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