Re: [MV] S&S FMTV

Dave Cole (davidacole@juno.com)
Sun, 18 Apr 1999 23:21:15 -0500

While I understand that the FMTV's conform to special DOD standards I
find it hard to believe that Navistar or Ford could not modify their
truck lines to make trucks that meet the requirements. However
considering all of the crap they would have to put up with it is probably
in their best interest not to try and do so. I think that's sad as I
can't believe that a major truck builder could not do as good if not
better job than S&S. Perhaps the whole system is just too screwed up.
Caterpillar still makes dozers for the military right? Why can't Ford
and GMC still make trucks for the military? I don't think that it's a
matter of they can't do it, the red tape to do so isn't worth it. Hence
you get Mil trucks that can't do 44 mph on the highway safely.

I drive by huge cement mixers, 6 wheel drive behemoths all of the time
that cruise with a full load of concrete down the highway (well in excess
of 55 mph!), mixing away, then drive off road across all kinds of terrain
to dump their load, then go do it again. If those companies can make
mixers that can do that, then they certainly can make mil trucks.

Last week there was a large article in the Wall Street journal on the
inability for the US forces to get to a destination quickly, ie get
ground troops to Yugoslavia. I kept thinking about the FMTV's that
can't run over 35 mph safely while I read the article. Certainly he
FMTV's aren't helping the situation, are they.

Dave Cole

On Sat, 17 Apr 1999 20:46:18 -0500 jonathon <jemery@execpc.com> writes:
>
>>I must disagree to some extent with your #2 answer. This may hold
>true for
>>today's vehicles but, not long ago....
>
>I agree with your reply (which I did not repeat) but I was addressing
>some
>peoples complaints about the cost of the FMTV This vehicle was
>designed in
>recent history and is being built today. You cannot compare mass
>produced
>civilian trucks to specialty mil-spec ones. Not that I think that all
>this
>mil-spec stuff is necessary (which some is not) but that's the way the
>DOD
>does things.
>
>je
>
>
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