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New Member from Okanogan, Washington State

JD4044M

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I will introduce myself. Mark from Okanogan, WA. I am a Disabled Vet from Vietnam 71-72 and enjoy building trucks. My time in Nam was as a US ARMY Combat Engineer with the 20th Eng and 815th Engineers. Spent my time at Firebase Blackhawk and Camp Dillard. We had lots of Gun Trucks at Dillard. Ace of Spades, Wild Thing, Bounty Hunter, Eve of Destruction with her Quad 50's she was with Co. D 815th and more. My memory is not as good as it used to be but I will never forget riding out of Nam on a Gun Truck leaving Dillard in 1972 standing down with the 815th engineers Co. A. To me at 18 these were the years etched into my mind. On convoys with our equipment we had gun trucks every so often in the group. Mang Yang Pass and Ql-19 were some scary drives. So now I am going for a 1998 M1078A1 little modern for me but that is OK I Love it!! Be here soon from Florida I can't even sleep right till I get her on my place. A picture of my spread 200 acres and the M1078 are in this post. I Still have my hair! MarkSS1 (640x362) (2).jpgHome (640x480).jpgMark1 (640x640).jpg
 
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M35fan

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Mark,
Welcome to the site, from Alabama. Thank you for your service, Sir. That's a nice "spread" you have there, and a very clean looking M1078. Steel Soldiers is a great community I hope you enjoy being a part of it.
Matt
 

JD4044M

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Okanogan, WA. 98840
Mark,
Welcome to the site, from Alabama. Thank you for your service, Sir. That's a nice "spread" you have there, and a very clean looking M1078. Steel Soldiers is a great community I hope you enjoy being a part of it.
Matt
That spread was bare when I bought it 25 years ago. Built 50% of the buildings myself and dug all the post holes by hand, then got a tractor with a post hole digger? I am so into the M1078 I am totally hyped up. It is good for my PTSD to have something to work on. I know I will say I will just enjoy it but that is not me. I will inspect every square inch of it in time. Thanks for the well wishes even on my first real post! I have a stereo to install surface mount using existing screws to hold the bracket for it. Not cutting her up for a radio, pure stock this time. Be easier to sell when I am gone by my Wife or Daughter? It will be my Daily Driver to town. It is 12 1/2 miles away on a country road from my home. Nearest freeway is 100 miles away so it will be fine on any road we have here. Don't give a dam about MPG it is only fuel. Besides my 79 Chevy 1 ton 4x4 Dulley running a built 454 gets 10 MPG on a good day down hill!! We get a fair amount of snow in the winter too so it will be great driving to town with it! I will crank up the tunes and just enjoy myself and the truck and no cell phone. I am going to savor these last years and do it in style while I still can. I bought it for $20K including shipping ain't nothing in a car lot for that much even close to being a truck like this! I miss driving my 48,000 lb Water Tender it was a 1999 Freightliner Cab Over fought Wildfires for 8 years and had to give it up. This M1078 is a little smaller so I won't need my CDL anymore just to drive it. Learned how to weld building the Tank for the Tender holds 2500 gals and can pump 850 GPM @100 PSI gets out there 150 ft out of the Cannon. Could have made it into a Gun Truck! I might build a Slip in Tank for wildfires around here once in a while. CANNON%20TEST9 (640x451).jpgTENDER (640x436).jpg
 
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Mullaney

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Dang Right! A baffled tank that you could drop in and go might be incredibly valuable where you are. It doesn't look like the local Fire Department could get there quickly if something went wrong. I definitely like your patch of dirt. Down right nice and no neighbors in sight...

Welcome from North Carolina - and I too thank you for your service to our great country!
 

JD4044M

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Okanogan, WA. 98840
Thanks, Ya each neibor is 1/2 mile away and our fire department 12 1/2 miles away! I built my own system for fires. I have a 6,000 gal tank under ground with 2 high pressure fire pumps that run on gasoline above it. I have many sprinklers set up from it and a 35 GPM one on the roof of my home, one on each barn and 5 - 15 GPM ones in other locations pretty much ready to go when needed. I prime the pumps with Winter Windshield Cleaner so I can get water out of the tank when fire trucks can't get to my place in the winter. We Own right up to that white trailer in the back ground and the rest coming back plus some you can't see in the picture. I do not like neibors being close. Baffled tank is the only way to go. My 2500 gal tank has 6 -4 x 4 chambers in the tank. Thinking about a 500 gal one for the M1078 that I can lift in empty with my JD Tractors loader then fill it. That would be around 4,000 lbs full.Snow Blower VPlow (444x365).jpg
 
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Mullaney

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Having made firefighting capability on and around your structures is a heck of a plan. I think maybe that is part of the problems we are experiencing in this old world... People stand around and think the government should do everything for them.

NOTHING wrong with looking out for yourself!

Again, I really like your place... Definitely nice. Sit out on top of the hill and surveying the "Lower 40" while drinking a cup of coffee in the mornings must be nice...
 

JD4044M

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Okanogan, WA. 98840
Winters are a blast at times, I need my tractor to keep it open. This winter I will test how good the M1078 does in fresh snow. We get these drifts over night and I enjoy clearing snow in the new tractor. I would have drove the M1078 thru this just to see how it does in it. Drifting1 (640x478).jpgDrifting 2 (640x478).jpgFirst one out (600x450).jpg
 

Mullaney

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Winters are a blast at times, I need my tractor to keep it open. This winter I will test how good the M1078 does in fresh snow. We get these drifts over night and I enjoy clearing snow in the new tractor. I would have drove the M1078 thru this just to see how it does in it. View attachment 809713View attachment 809714View attachment 809715
Wow! That is pretty. Here in Charlotte - on the other coast - we get snow that might last two or three days. Then the sun comes out and makes a mess of it all. We have had some that stayed around for a week or so but those are rare. I have a picture of my dog experiencing his first snow. BIG difference in the amount!

Pete InTheSnow @ Work.jpg

Not sure if your truck came from the Army or the Marines. The USMC trucks generally have lockers. For whatever reason, the Army doesn't see the value. You may still need your tractor to clear the driveway if there isn't a locker in that back axle.
 

98G

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Wow! That is pretty. Here in Charlotte - on the other coast - we get snow that might last two or three days. Then the sun comes out and makes a mess of it all. We have had some that stayed around for a week or so but those are rare. I have a picture of my dog experiencing his first snow. BIG difference in the amount!

View attachment 809716

Not sure if your truck came from the Army or the Marines. The USMC trucks generally have lockers. For whatever reason, the Army doesn't see the value. You may still need your tractor to clear the driveway if there isn't a locker in that back axle.
M1078 is army. Marines went from 939series trucks to MTVR instead of FMTV.
 

Mullaney

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M1078 is army. Marines went from 939series trucks to MTVR instead of FMTV.
So 98G, That's good info that I didn't know / have.

Turns out that the Marines DO have a MTVR that is a Tractor like the 916.
MTVR for the USMC & Navy Cheat Sheet:
Tractor is a MK31,
Cargo is MK23 or MK25 with a Winch
Cargo, Extended is MK27 or MK28 with a Winch
Dump Truck is MK29 or MK30 with a Winch
Wrecker is MK36 (I suppose that is in keeping with the M936)

The US Army has a 1088 that is a Tractor in their new form factor. Might be that I am a slacker... I didn't dig to get the FMTV numbers for Army trucks.

Mullaney Edited and Corrected this post on 8/23/2020. Thanks to 98G for the info!

Not trying to hijack JD4044M's thread
 
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MrMikey4026

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Eatonville Washington
Mark
Welcome to the group.
Wenatchee is my home town.
Do you remember the radial engine that sat on the sidewalk in front of the ice cream shop in Okanogan some 30 years ago?
If you have time this weekend you should come join us?


Mike
 

JD4044M

Well-known member
465
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93
Location
Okanogan, WA. 98840
Mark
Welcome to the group.
Wenatchee is my home town.
Do you remember the radial engine that sat on the sidewalk in front of the ice cream shop in Okanogan some 30 years ago?
If you have time this weekend you should come join us?


Mike
I moved here 25 years ago from the West Side Town of Duvall. I will be at the Gathering hoping my truck will be delivered by then to!! Just twisted my seller arm a little but it is the shipper holding things up looking for a back haul I think? Either way I will make it and hope to bring some friends too.
 

MrMikey4026

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Eatonville Washington
I moved here 25 years ago from the West Side Town of Duvall. I will be at the Gathering hoping my truck will be delivered by then to!! Just twisted my seller arm a little but it is the shipper holding things up looking for a back haul I think? Either way I will make it and hope to bring some friends too.
Mark, I will see you there,
 

JD4044M

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Okanogan, WA. 98840
Mark, I will see you there,
My Bad I thought you meant Chelan but the Town your talking about id closer to 400 miles away from me. I can't drive that far any more with out a lot of pain doing so. Sorry I have been cheated out of a lot of fun things with COPD and 68 years old. Wrong side of the Cascade Mountain Range. I used to live in Roy, WA while I was stationed at Fort Lewis in the early 70s. Mark
 

Mullaney

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My Bad I thought you meant Chelan but the Town your talking about id closer to 400 miles away from me. I can't drive that far any more with out a lot of pain doing so. Sorry I have been cheated out of a lot of fun things with COPD and 68 years old. Wrong side of the Cascade Mountain Range. I used to live in Roy, WA while I was stationed at Fort Lewis in the early 70s. Mark
I have never had the opportunity to use this before - but - A man's got to know his limitations. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing either! At twenty, we have none. At fifty we might have found a few. On the other hand, we have learned to work smarter and not harder - and that has value too.
 

MrMikey4026

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Eatonville Washington
My Bad I thought you meant Chelan but the Town your talking about id closer to 400 miles away from me. I can't drive that far any more with out a lot of pain doing so. Sorry I have been cheated out of a lot of fun things with COPD and 68 years old. Wrong side of the Cascade Mountain Range. I used to live in Roy, WA while I was stationed at Fort Lewis in the early 70s. Mark
I am 12 miles east of Roy now.
Sorry you won't be able to make it.
 

JD4044M

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Okanogan, WA. 98840
Who knows if they get my breathing better the pain is less might get over the pass on day. Like to drive thru Roy lived there for about 5 years had a lot of fun off road on the Military Reservation and Mt Rainier Camping near you. This M1078 is what keeps me going looking forward to doing stuff to it and taking care of it to! I will have a reason to dig out my big tools I have like 4 ft Tork Bars and giant sockets. What is nice I just bought a ton of Metric stuff for my JD4044M John Deere Tractor. Never need it but I got it just in case. Was reading the tool list to carry I will put one together when it gets here!! Was told it looks like it is being picked up Wednesday or Thursday this week! I am Jassed now!
 

MrMikey4026

Well-known member
281
416
63
Location
Eatonville Washington
Who knows if they get my breathing better the pain is less might get over the pass on day. Like to drive thru Roy lived there for about 5 years had a lot of fun off road on the Military Reservation and Mt Rainier Camping near you. This M1078 is what keeps me going looking forward to doing stuff to it and taking care of it to! I will have a reason to dig out my big tools I have like 4 ft Tork Bars and giant sockets. What is nice I just bought a ton of Metric stuff for my JD4044M John Deere Tractor. Never need it but I got it just in case. Was reading the tool list to carry I will put one together when it gets here!! Was told it looks like it is being picked up Wednesday or Thursday this week! I am Jassed now!
Have fun with it, let us know how it looks when it gets there.
Mine ran when I got it, would not move, had the wrong series transmission in it.
Been driving it the last few months.
I am about in the same boat as you. Takes me forever to get anything done now.
 

JD4044M

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Location
Okanogan, WA. 98840
Oil or Transmission Fluid that will be my question to get good answers on. Napa has a great price on Synthetic Oil for diesels I run it in everything now. I will be changing the works out after I get it and know for sure when, type, and no water in it. Fluids are cheap compared to repairs.
 
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