Re: [MV] FMTV was Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00

From: Steve & Jeannie Keith (cckw@comcast.net)
Date: Sat Dec 04 2004 - 15:07:53 PST


I'm not an M35 owner but I am a taxpayer and we (I believe) took a hosing on
the FMTV's

Ron you forgot the shucking driveshafts and the cracked bellhousings. And
contrary
to some in here, I have real problem with them not fitting into a C141! The
M35's did
Who the hell wrote the spec?

Steve AKA Dr Deuce (who believes int he KISS principal ESPECAILLY for HMVs)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron" <rojoha@adelphia.net>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 5:50 PM
Subject: [MV] FMTV was Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00

> Hi Glenn:
> IMHO, I have to differ with you on "The problems with them were all
> overblown in the media, fueled by S&S's competitors."
> We went around on this on the list a couple (4 or 5?) years ago.
> A simple Google of FMTV GAO or GAO M35A2 yields links to the numerous
> Government Accounting Office reports on the problems. The GAO suggested
> in several of it's reports to dump the FMTV and stay with the M35A2 since
> the original 5 year replacement sequence was in the toilet and the
> improvements to fix 'New' vehicles would never make the FMTV a cost
> effective vehicle. Heck, the program makes sense to me. The prototypes
> don't work, let's give them a contract to build more of the trucks.
> Yes, there were teething problems with the truck, minor things like a
> European design fielded by a US company with NO experience running a
> production line, no facilities owned to even build the proposed vehicles,
> no support from the European designing company since the contract between
> SS and them had ended, starting the contract with blueprints that were not
> even in English, having to convert EVERY measurement, instruction and note
> from metric to English measure, small stuff of no real consequence I
> guess. The use of little understood exotic metals like steel, exotic
> coatings like paint, types of things that are barely understood today, but
> were 60 years ago, caused FMTV's to rust out while sitting in the high
> rainfall, humid climate of the Texas SS 'factory' delivery parking lot
> while awaiting delivery to the Army are quite understandable. My nasty old
> 1968 M35A2 sat in a field at Fort Devens, Massachusetts for the last ten
> years of its military life. No galvanized cab, no exotic electronics
> needed. Just no nonsense engineering to provide a vehicle to haul 'stuff',
> easily maintained, able to take abuse, and like the proverbial Timex, keep
> on ticking.
> Speed restrictions, Sweet spots susceptible to one shot 0.30 cal kills
> and other design problems are not overblown by the 'competition', just
> poor design and execution facts.
> The Army bought, or was forced to buy turds, polished them and then
> bought more. When we go back to take Iraq again in 30 years, we'll
> probably find the M35A2's we are leaving them, still soldiering on.
> Maybe on the next 5 year RFFMTV Truck design/delivery program, that is
> allowed to be stretched to 30 years, it will be given to someone with
> fleet experience of at least operating vehicles, say like UPS or Dominos
> Pizza. But don't expect the yugos, excuse me, FMTVs, to ever make it to
> the surplus market, let alone last to qualify for Antique plates.
> And we now return you to the present non MV related, off topic thread,
> already in progress....
> Ron
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Glenn Shaw" <mpmutt@mtaofnj.us>
> To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> Sent: 03 December, 2004 15:31
> Subject: Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00
>
>
> Hi
> Actually the FMTV's are turning out to be a fine vehicle. The upgrades to
> cure some growing pains are now pretty much done with and the new ones
> coming out are all updated designs. The problems with them were all
> overblown in the media, fueled by S&S's competitors. Lots of polictics
> involved as ussual.
>
> Glenn
>
>
>
>
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