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Why would you buy a 5-ton military vehicle for private "USE"?
Well, for one thing, on appearance, it was CHEAP! For another, at the time, I was looking at government auctions as a way to equip the ranch of infrastructure such as perhaps generators and computers. Finally, what it is upfront may not be what it ends up used for.
There was a story of a guy who went to an auction and he bought a generator....that was parked in the back of a small pickup truck. He didn't want the pickup but the thing about government auctions is that often "here is the lot you bought, how you move it is your problem", but the pickup was cheap enough to take, too. So he loaded generator and pickup into the trailer he bought and went home.
A deal I was looking at a few years ago were these types of trailers (humvee trailers) https://www.govplanet.com/Military+Trailers for sale. They could have a lot of use around the ranch, even if for bringing in dirt and then parking it until you are ready to tackle the load. At the time (and still), I was not set up to go after government auctions, so I had to let the deal go.....a short while later, I saw three of those trailers being moved on a flatbed in my town.
Why would you buy a 5-ton military vehicle for private "USE"?
Possibly for hauling or towing large loads. The bed looked to be loaded with lumber.
It might make just a little bit of sense if the price was right and you lived in a rural area with a lot of parking space.
In any case, it's macho! Driving this would raise your testosterone level.
Another thing to it is that at the time I was looking at such auctions, I didn't have the technical skills to know what I was getting. I still don't.....but I do have friends who do have that knowledge. If one does have that knowledge, one way or another, can see what they are getting and maybe know the way to get it up to speed, once again, they can make out at auction.
As to what I might haul on such a truck, having the knowledge base I needed? When I was first looking at the ranch, there were lots of bricks on partial pallets all around with the basic thing of "come and get it and it is yours, free". With a truck like that and 1,2 friends, maybe some kind of lift equipment, one could go and get it, prime basic building equipment.
Sigh! If you had to means to get it, the world, at least back then, could be quite loaded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
Ex- military vehicles are tough and robust to use around the farm or ranch.
5 ton is rather dinky, full sized pickups can tow 10 tons, I often haul 20 tons. A military tank is 55 tons......
I got my F-250 because while the Forester is great, it can only tow a ton and then, you have to calculate the weight of the trailer into that. I needed more and the -250 has a half a ton in the bed (or was it 3/4) and 14K in the tow......and it cost me $40K.
But once again, there's that knowledge base for towing which I don't have but it is more likely I can find a friend who does. "You" provide the know how, I'll provide the truck.
One other thing to the why of such a big truck.........consider how high the water can get before you can't use that monster.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 05-15-2023 at 10:26 PM..
Why would you buy a 5-ton military vehicle for private "USE"?
My friend owns three of them. He was going to buy this, but they couldn’t give him a definitive answer if he could have driven it on roads from auction site to his cabin hours away where all his toys are stored. A cop later told him, who would ever pull you over, your military?? Tony Beets on gold rush show has one at his mines in Dawson City, YT. He pulled his large tug boat with it. My friend bought them because he likes them and could. You can’t buy them anymore within last few years and is mad he didn’t buy more as values have skyrocketed. The military rebuilt every important part of all three of his and listed the rebuilt price which was $75k or more, then he bought them for under $10k each. They run on any fuel you want/can get.
Side note, he has over 30 cars/vehicles, has 9 Corvette’s, owns his own mechanic shop and bought cars instead of stocks.
Some times you've just had enough (of your boss, neighbors, yapping neighbor dogs, loud motorcycles...)
I keep a bulldozer around to sometimes relieve frustration, I've smashed more than a few cars I got tired of repairing. A friend does the military vehicle thing and has several tanks and 1/2 tracks and armored personnel carriers that he rents to movies, or will use wtshtf.
Equip yourself, but control yourself.
This was Granby, CO Netflix did documentary on the guy, not saying what the guy did was correct, but he had every reason to hate that town.
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Tony Beets on gold rush show has one at his mines in Dawson City, YT. He pulled his large tug boat with it. My friend bought them because he likes them and could. You can’t buy them anymore within last few years and is mad he didn’t buy more as values have skyrocketed. The military rebuilt every important part of all three of his and listed the rebuilt price which was $75k or more, then he bought them for under $10k each. They run on any fuel you want/can get. 
