Just a warning, I'm going to be as detailed as I can so this will be a long read!


After I posted I had just purchased a surplus HMMWV in this thread, at the request of Schott8283 I'm starting this thread to lay out what I've gone through in the purchase process for people who may be interested in purchasing one too, with the hope that people who know more than I do chime in and fill in any blanks I'm sure to leave.

Here's my truck I just bought:




















She's a 1994 M998A1 with a 6.2L diesel with 38,669 on the odometer. She runs and is intact from what I can see in the pictures (minus a broken mirror). There were 50 bids on my truck with me winning it at $9,500, up from a $5,000 opening bid.


First where do you find HMMWVs for sale? Just head on over to GovPlanet, the company awarded the contract by the US Government to sell off these trucks, to find the current inventory. From what I have heard, this was a first batch of roughly 4,000 trucks released by the government to see how sales would go. Sales started about a year ago and they are more than half way to 4,000 (2,600ish as of my posting this).

From there you will be able to narrow the inventory down by state and auction end time. Auctions are held weekly on Wednesday. Inventory listed is typically out two weeks.

Definitely read through the FAQ thoroughly. It will answer almost any question you've got. That said I did run into a mistake in it that has yet to be corrected by GovPlanet that I will detail below.


Now you'll have to decide if you want to buy something close enough to pick up yourself or if you want to have it shipped to you.

Shipping will, of course, cost more the further the truck is from you. That said, picking it up yourself can be cheaper if you live close to where it is located or don't mind a little travel. My truck I just purcased is about 4.5 hours from me so I'm going to be making a day of picking it up with my brother and a friend.

If shipping it, you will have the option to get an estimate from Veritread on shipping it from where it is located to you. This can found on every truck's listing on the right hand side.

If you are picking it up yourself, you can either trailer it or flat tow it.

Trailering is preferable from what I've read from people that have done both. Flat towing can be a bit of a task as the HMMWVs can manhandle a truck that is not up to the task. To flat tow it safely you'll need the military tow bar setup designed for the truck. The complete tow bar package will likely cost you $400-$600 if you can't find one to borrow. You'll also have to disconnect the half shafts (shafts that connect from the differentials to the geared hubs that drive the wheels, also known as portal axles) to safely tow it without damaging the transmission or transfer case. Just putting it in neutral will not suffice as either the transmission or transfer case will not properly lubricate itself. I can't recall which off the top of my head without looking it up but, trust me.

If you want to trailer it but don't have a trailer you can rent a U-Haul flat bed transporter trailer. It must be one of the newer models (galvanized as opposed to orange painted). The newer ones are wider and have a higher weight rating than the older ones. Also, if you truthfully tell U-Haul what you are planning on putting on it, they will deny you the rental because they believe it is too big/heavy. You'll have to... *ahem* stretch the truth as to what you're putting on it. From what other people have said, the HMMWV will fit (albiet snugly) and the trailer can handle the weight.

If your truck is running, when picking it up, bring fresh batteries and an air pump so you won't have problems loading it.

Now for the error in the GovPlanet FAQ. You may see in the FAQ that if you have your truck shipped to you, you will not be liable for the sales tax for the state it is in if shipping it out of that state. This is incorrect straight from a GovPlanet rep I spoke with on the phone after I made my purchaes. They are collecting sales tax regardless of whether you have it picked up by a shipper or pick it up yourself. I was originally going to pick it up myself but found through the Veritread estimate on the site that it would have been cheaper to have it shipped if the sales tax wasn't collected. After the purchase I called GovPlanet to find out how to schedule the pickup since it can't be picked up until your EUC clears (I'll go into this later). That's when I found out about the tax situation. So, if you are having the truck shipped, factor the shipment cost and sales tax into your final price. That said, if you are tax exempt for any other reason you can get your sales tax you have to pay refunded. No idea how that works but there is a section in the FAQ about it and process for it.


Here we get to selecting the truck you want.

After you've found the truck you want, I recommend picking another one or two trucks you can fall back on should you be outbid. Then again, if you have enough patience, you can always just wait until the next auction. I didn't end up with my first choice truck! I had originally bid on a 1992 M998 that ended up selling for $12,750, above my $12,250 max bid (it had 10,000 fewer miles, looked cleaner, and had a 6.5L diesel and full cargo cover).

When selecting a truck, read the description and look over the pictures very thoroughly. Unless you happen to live close enough to schedule an inspection, that is all you'll have to go off of for vehicle condition. If you do live close enough, you can contact GovPlanet who will put you in touch with the local rep to let you on site to look the truck over. I did not go inspect my truck prior to purchase though I will try to sometime between now and when I receive it.

You will find the trucks listed in various running conditions such as "running", "needed jump started", "needed ether", "not running", or listed otherwise.

Advice I had seen given was that GovPlanet will typically do what they can within reason, short of replacing parts or making repairs, to get a vehicle running so that it will sell for a higher amount.  If it isn't running it could be missing vital parts or it could have a cracked piston/head/block or some other catastrophic damage. Needing a jumpstart is likely not a big deal, possibly a dead battery or at worse a faulty charging system. If it needs a shot of ether, it could be a fuel delivery issue or possibly bad fuel. These trucks have been sitting for a while so things like that and flat tires are not uncommon. Again, if loading it yourself, bring fresh batteries and an air pump for this very reason! But, if it isn't running at all, there's quite possibly a very good reason for that and you should bid accordingly while possibly going so far as planning on replacing the drivetrain. Since even if you can inspect it, you can't tear it down, any non-running truck is going to be a gamble.

Besides being in various running conditions, you will also find trucks in various states of repair. Some will be nearly 100% complete while I've also seen stripped bodies on frames with partial engines being sold. A good bit of advice I once saw posted is that if it is missing parts, there could be a very good reason the unit it was with decided to start cannibalizing it. Maybe the transmission is slipping or maybe it doesn't stay running. Regardless it was seen as a more expendable vehicle for a reason. I'm sure a lot of readers, military or otherwise dealing with keeping fleets running, have experienced this first hand. Of course, you will pay more for a more complete and well running truck. Then again if you don't mind a challenge you can potentially save a lot of money. Just know that missing or broken parts that need replaced can add up and potentially be hard to find! My truck had a broken passenger mirror. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal finding some new glass for it since I've done that before on other vehicles. After several hours of searching I turned up nothing and was forced to buy an entire mirror assembly. Individual mirrors were around $90-$100 with eBay being the best source. Given that the individual mirrors were priced what they were and the driver side mirror's paint was pretty faded, I decided to purchase a pair which ended up putting the price of both mirrors at about $80 each since it was a package deal. I also have an ignition instruction plate that is unreadable. Finding a replacement was a chore but was located.

From people with experience, trucks with body damage or paint damage will require extra care in repairing them so bid on those accordingly as well. The bodies are aluminum so typical body repair shops may or may not be able to make repairs. The paint is CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) and is typically nasty stuff when applied or sanded and requires certain precautions some shops might not be able to handle.

Another thing to keep in mind is that despite what the odometer reading is listed as, it may not accurately reflect the mileage on the truck! Speedometers are switched out without much regard to the mileage except it being recorded in the maintenance logs (which you will not have access to). Compare the trucks typical wear spots with the mileage to see if it matches up. Also, sometimes trucks are put through a depot rebuild and this may be reflected in the odometer reading, especially if it is very low. These trucks will have placards/stickers to reflect the depot maintenance but I have seen that GovPlanet tries to avoid advertising these placards/stickers because they cannot verify if the trucks have actually been through the depot repairs. The part with the placard/sticker may have simply been cannibalized off of another truck that had and if they sell it advertised as having been done, only for the buyer to find out it hasn't, they're libel.


Now we come to the actual purchase.

As I mentioned, auctions are held weekly on Wednesdays.

Each truck is listed at a starting price based on condition. Running trucks are now being started at $5000 (down from $7500) and non-running and salvage trucks are being started at less than that.

The acutual auction time for each truck only lasts for 4 minutes and below is why.

The bidding process is a little bit different than most places you may have participated in. On GovPlanet you can bid at any time before or during the auction using what they call PriorityBid. Here is the FAQ section on what the PriorityBid is:

PriorityBid is our system for placing bids during the preview period of an auction. A significant amount of all bidding in our auctions occurs with PriorityBids; more than 70% of items typically have bids on them before auction day. Because they are placed during preview, PriorityBids have a delayed effect on the price of an item: the price does not change until the auction opens. There are several advantages of using PriorityBids:

   You do not have to be at your computer on auction day. When you place a PriorityBid, you specify the maximum you are willing to pay for an item. You will be told immediately if yours is the highest bid placed so far, but you will not know how much of your bid amount remains to protect you from later bidders. Your bid amount is confidential and our auction software will keep you in the lead against competitive bids through the preview and on auction day or until your maximum amount is exceeded. If you get outbid by another PriorityBid, an automatic email will immediately be sent to you.

   You can win the item for less than your maximum amount. In our style of auctions, the price the winner pays is determined by the price the runner-up was willing to pay. The final price is never more than one bid increment greater than the next-highest bid. So, if you have little competition, you can win an item for less than your maximum amount. We recommend you determine your "no regrets" price—the price at which, if someone else were to win, you would not regret the outcome—and then bid one increment below that.

   Bidding early helps ensure that you are the winner. When competing PriorityBids are placed for the same amount, the earliest bid takes precedence (it has Priority at that price), so submitting your bid early gives you an advantage. You can place a PriorityBid online any time day or night, or by fax during our Customer Care hours.

   Freedom to keep an eye out for other bargains. PriorityBids give you the freedom to browse and track other items on auction day without worrying about your "must-have" items. Our system acts as your assistant, constantly monitoring your PriorityBids and keeping you in the lead until the price goes beyond your designated maximum bid amount.

As auction day approaches, you can check the status of your PriorityBids in the Buying List of My Account. Make sure your email address and notification settings are correct in My Account Profile so that you can receive outbid notification emails. Before even being outbid, you can increase the maximum on any of your PriorityBids by placing a new PriorityBid on the same item for your new maximum amount (don't worry, you can not outbid yourself). Like all bids, PriorityBids are binding and can not be retracted nor reduced.


That pretty much lays it out. Bid what you're willing to go to before the auction starts. You won't know what the actual price is but if you get outbid at any point they will notify you via email and you can up your max bid if you want. If you bid a certain amount first, you get priority if someone else bids the same amount after you.

Also, bids are in $250 increments.

When deciding how much to bid, as I mentioned above, you will have to add in sales tax and transportation costs. That's not all though! You'll also have to factor in title costs as well as a 10% buyer fee! The title option with a Florida state off road title, a SF97 (essentially a federal government title), and a bill of sale will run you $150. Just the bill of sale and SF97 is cheaper but, you'll have to know if your state has any problems with dealing with SF97s. The Florida state title option was developed to help buyers deal with states that have problems with SF97s. Just the bill of sale is cheaper still but that may not be enough for some states. Know what is good for your state or err on the side of caution and get the full package!

I bought my truck for $9500. Between the 6% Kentucky state sales tax, the full titling option, and the 10% buyers fee I ended up with about an extra $1750 added to my purchase price. Then I've got to add in trailer rental and fuel costs to go pick it up.


And here we get to the post auction process.

So you've won your auction! Congratulations!

There are now some steps to take to finalize your purchase.

You will start by going through the checkout process. Here you will decide if you're shipping your truck or transporting it your self, selecting your titling options, and then finalizing the invoice total based on the options. After the invoice is finalized you will pay GovPlanet via wire transfer. Payment must be made within 3 business days or you may incur late fees usually $25-$50 per day depending on final sale price. If you go past a certain time, your item may be considered abandoned and you get charged an even bigger fee. There's also other stuff listed here.

But paying for it isn't the only thing you have to do!

On your account page you will be sent links (on the right hand side of the main account screen) to fill out your Hold Harmless Agreement which gets sent to one email address. You can print it out, physically sign it, and then physically mail it in. You can physically sign it, scan it, and then email it in. Or you can digitally sign it and email it in.

Most importantly, since the HMMWV is a defense article, you will have to fill out an EUC - End Use Certificate. This basically lets Uncle Sam know the final disposition of the item you're buying - if you're going to keep it, sell it, exporting it or not and if you are you have clearance to. This may seem to be a daunting part but GovPlanet has conveniently set up a form wizard that will assist you in filling it out correctly with descriptions of each field needing filled out. You will also need to send in a copy of your driver's license (preferably) or other government issued ID. Make sure your scan/photo of your license is crystal clear or your EUC may get kicked back after a very lengthy initial time period delaying you even further! Just like with the Hold Harmless Agreement you can send it in using one of the previously mentioned methods. It will be emailed to a different email address than the Hold Harmless Agreement though.

Directions are included with both forms.

First time EUC filers like I am can expect a 8-12 week wait. If you've previously filed an EUC with GovPlanet (GovLiquidation not included!) within, I believe the last year, your wait will be considerably shorter. This part is a bit like the whole NFA application and waiting game!


Here I'm getting to the pickup process and since I haven't yet picked up my truck, can only relay what information I've gleaned.

After your payment is received and your EUC is cleared you have 8 business days to remove your truck or you'll incur storage fees. Now, not to worry, if there are incidental delays GovPlanet will work with you so long as you are making a good faith effort to pick it up. This is word straight from a GovPlanet manager on Steel Soldiers. They simply put that there to keep people from abusing the time given to pick up the truck.

To pick up the truck you'll have to schedule a pick up time. If you are picking it up, it should be as simple as it sounds. If you're having a shipper pick it up, the pick up time will have to be coordinated between GovPlanet, your shipper, and you. You don't need to be on site for the shipper to pick it up.

Since I'm fuzzy on this part if you have any questions it would be best to call GovPlanet for clarification at 1-844-225-8799, Monday-Friday 6am-5pm Pacific.


Once you've got your truck at your site, it is not recommended you hop in and start cruising around! Your truck may have been sitting for months or a year or more!

A full fluid change is recommended. Since these are diesels, Shell Rotella T is a good motor oil. Replace other fluids as recommended by AM General. Specifications can be found in military TMs which are available at Steel Soldiers and other sites. Add fresh fuel, draining as needed to get a good mix to burn off the old stuff.

Check all of your important fasteners like lugnuts to make sure they are secure. Some very important fasteners unique to the HMMWV design are the bolts that connect the differential to the half shaft and the half shaft to the geared hubs. These can work their way out and should have some blue Loctite applied to prevent that. If they come loose they can damage brakes and other equipment!

Check for any leaks GovPlanet may have missed.

If you run into anything that was not on your inspection report, report it right away to GovPlanet to take advantage of their Iron Clad Guarantee which basically states they will disclose any problems as best they can. If they examine your claim and find it valid, they will refund a portion of your purchase price. If it's something internal and you knowingly bought a non-running truck don't count on any sort of refund. If you bought what appears to be a complete truck and it's missing say a mirror or seat, or it has some other problem that wasn't listed, you will likely see some money coming back to you. When in doubt file a claim. Worst case they deny it.


Now at this point we get into a topic that Steel Soldiers will not permit on their site: Titling, plating, and insuring for road use.

If you do bring it up, the topic will be deleted and you may be banned. For some reason they think that violating the purchase agreement and putting these trucks on the road will cause Uncle Sam and GovPlanet to stop selling them.

When you sign the Hold Harmless Agreement with GovPlanet, part of it states that you acknowledge the HMMWV is not roadworthy. The Florida title and SF97 are also stamped "Off Road Use Only":




That said, in many states, there are methods of titling off road vehicles for on road use. Check local laws! We've tried to compile instructions for various states below.

(Old Ohio registration information contained within)
Click To View Spoiler

For insurance, a number of companies out there will insure military vehicles. You'll have to call around. Although Steel Soldiers doesn't allow discussion about insuring the HMMWVs for road use, they do have a list of companies that have been known to insure military vehicles.


If you want technical information on the HMMWV there are two great resources

Steel Soldiers
G503.com

Despite my thinking that banning certain discussions about on road use of HMMWVs on Steel Soldiers is stupid, both have excellent information on HMMWVs and other military vehicles. Steel Soldiers also has one thing G503 doesn't which is a section dealing with the intricacies of purchasing from GovLiquidation and GovPlanet. A GovPlanet manager with the username of "Jwade" also participates in the HMMWV purchasing threads there answering questions and helping clear roadblocks you may run into. This thread is a good place to find him. (Update: "Jwade" is no longer with GP, Phil Hasty has filled his role.)


While waiting for my truck I've already started picking up accessories for it. If anyone wants me to I can go into what I've been picking up and why but customizing your truck will come down to what you like!


So, this is where everything currently stands with me. If anyone who has gone further in the process or has more detailed knowledge spots missing/incorrect information could contribute, it would be most appreciated!

HMMWV How-To Tech Links:

• Cutting Down 2 Man Troop Seats To Fit A 4 Man Truck


• Making Soft Half Doors

HMMWV Reference Material:

• HMMWV Operator and Technical Manuals

UPDATED 7/19/2017: State Registration Instructions

Ohio:
As of April 21, 2017 The State Of Ohio Department Of Public Safety, Bureau Of Motor Vehicles, Title Division sent the following Title Broadcast to all state title offices:



This is being used as justification by the BMV to (incorrectly) deny accepting the 3803 forms mentioned previously (to the point of claiming the form no longer exists). There have been conflicting reports of whether the BMV is continuing to accept registration for HMMWVs with valid, on road out of state titles. So far there has been no rescinding of on road titles for currently titled trucks.

THE BELOW IN THE SPOILER BOX FOR THE STATE OF OHIO SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ON THE PREVIOUS PROCESS!


Click To View Spoiler


Georgia: (Thanks to Lawman734)
The Georgia procedures manual states that to register a former military vehicle, it has to have been titled elsewhere (like a FL or MT title) or an SF97 needs to be provided. You'll need a VIN verification regardless (form is available at the tag office).

SF-97 - Even if it's not in your name, a bill of sale is sufficient from the original owner (GovPlanet) to the new owner (you). This works ok, but you're at the mercy of the clerk regarding the "Off-Road Use Only" part. Many are ok, others get a hassle.

Off-Road Florida titles - These don't seem to be an issue, but again - you're at the mercy of clerk on how they want to handle it given the fact its an off-road title and offroad vehicles in GA don't require registration.

Montana titles - These seem to be the easiest to work with and the most hassle free.

Prepare yourself so that it appears you know what you're doing. Bring the Title/SF97 along with your completed (signed by LEO) VIN Verification form and proof of insurance. It's a good idea to bring a photo of the vehicle and the vehicle data plate for good measure, even if not needed. The sales tax you paid will do you no good for the Georgia taxes and fees, but with proof that you paid in Georgia - contact Iron Planet because they say they'll refund your taxes - I'm still waiting on my check after 3 weeks.


Iowa: (Thanks to beef1911)
In Iowa you can get a Bonded title. All you need is a bill of sale or paid invoice. You have to apply to the DOT (2 weeks to respond), sign a form for military vehicles saying it meets FMVSS standards, get a bond for 1.5x the value of the humvee ($113 for $7500 bond for 3 years), wait for the DOT for 2 more weeks, then they say you can go get it registered. Same process for if you bought a car and did not receive a title. All this was done over email. Except for the registration.


Texas: (Thanks to EagleArmsHBAR)
In Texas, vehicles like a military surplus HMMWV can be registered under several categories:

1) normal registration;
2) antique (if over a particular age); and
3) former military vehicle

If registered as an antique or for more military vehicle, they don't have to pass inspection, but they are then limited on road use. If the vehicle passes inspection and is insured, it can be registered as a regular vehicle.

If all else fails in Texas and they won't accept an SF97 for some reason, a title can be obtained by going the bonded title route. Of course there are additional details with any of these registration methods, but that's the basics.


New York: (Thanks to kevin101)
My experience with NY was pretty simple.

1. I called Geico and was able to insure it pretty easily. It's insured as a normal vehicle with full coverage and didn't cost too much.
2. Brought my insurance card, SF97 marked "off road use only", my reassignment letter from GovPlanet, and the paid invoice from GovPlanet.
3. I handed everything over to the motor vehicle clerk who looked everything over. She mentioned the off road use only stamp but didn't seem to give it much thought and it didn't come up again.
4. Due to the truck not having a standard VIN she had to enter the vehicle manually. The only problem she had was having the computer accept the 6 digit ID number. She called a supervisor over who also looked over the paperwork quickly and the supervisor was able to override the system to enter the 6 digits.
5. I had to pay NY sales tax for the purchase price of the truck. I paid a 6% tax for Kentucky but NY doesn't have a tax agreement with that state. I'm hoping to get a refund from GovPLanet for the KY tax I paid.


Michigan:
Sorry, but anyone in Michigan seems to be out of luck with any sort of surplus HMMWV. Your state hates you. Not only are they denying on road registration of newly purchased auction vehicles but, if you buy a HMMWV legally titled out of state they will contact the state of origin in an attempt to get the title revoked and still refuse to title it on road. I'm betting you'll still run into some sort of issues even with the clear titled M1123s too due to ignorance but, who knows.

I suggest you all get some legislative action going to fix this!


South Carolina: (Thanks to An51960)
for the registration process, in SC, I would avoid the Greenville (University Ridge) location (that's where the lady told me I needed a title rather than a "certificate to obtain title"--she clearly had never seen an SF-97 and did not know what to do with it). After the one lady made several trips to ask other agents how to proceed, she said, "My boss will have to call headquarters." HQ was also clueless about how to proceed, however, they did get on a high horse about the off-road notation and state that there was no way to convert an off-road vehicle to an on-road vehicle (though they did admit that you could build a dune buggy in your garage and get it on the road). I ended up leaving there and going to Woodruff.

At the other location, I buried them in paperwork. I showed them my email where I won the auction, my invoice from gov planet, my email certifying my payment, my notice that my EUC was approved, my bill of sale, my insurance paperwork, my SF-97, and the notarized form transferring ownership from gov planet to me. The attitude at this office was much more figuring out how to help versus how to shut me down. The lady was very confused, but asked a fellow employee how to do things and pushed everything right on through. They told me I was going to have to pay sales tax all over again and get a refund from gov planet for the tax. They said the policy went into effect on 1 July. I pointed out that I had purchased before this date and they let me out of that even though the computer insisted that I pay it again. They kept my invoice showing the payment of state sales tax in case they needed to defend themselves again their own bureaucracy. The lady who issued my temporary tag works at this office and she knew enough to tell me that I would need my government certificate (SF-97) to get a title, so she clearly would've known what it was if she had been the one behind the desk that day.

I would also avoid the Blythewood location since this is where the Greenville office called.



UPDATED 8/7/2017: Insurance

Here's a list of insurance companies that will insure the trucks. Some more easily than others. You should probably call since these aren't standard trucks.

- State Farm
- Geico
- Liberty Mutual
- USAA
- Progressive
- Hagerty

There are other insurance companies that are out there that may insure these trucks so, if you are able to use one not listed, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.



Reputable Parts Suppliers:
So you've got your new HMMWV and are probably now looking for parts to fix one thing or another. Beware there are a lot of new companies popping up to make a quick buck off all of the new HMMWVs hitting the market and may be selling substandard parts.

If you're looking for OEM HMMWV parts there are a couple good sources sources:

- Mac Motors - They carry a couple handy pre-assembled filter kits. Just search for PM-A, PM-B, or PM-C depending on what you need. Otherwise search for your needed part number
- Hummer Parts Guy - Can search by name or part number.
- AM General Direct - Parts direct from AMG. Some good prices, some decent prices on some hard to find items, and some items priced like they're selling them to Uncle Sam.
- Kascar is a popular HMMWV parts dealer but, a number of buyers including myself, believe we have received out of spec reproductions and non-OEM substituted parts. In some instances, Kascar might be the only option available but they I can't really be recommended them as a primary my first go to source.
UPDATE 8/23/2017: Updating this section as Ron from Kascar contacted me personally today after seeing this post, looked me up by my name and order history, and assured me they always supply OEM parts and, to contact them if there are ever any issues with parts quality. In fairness to Kascar, I'd say after several purchases from them since this was made, my experience could best be classified as a "mixed bag" though I hope any and all future purchases are all positive
UPDATE 2/17/2020: I've made several orders with Kascar since the last update with all going well and everything exactly what it was supposed to be.
- Adventure Accessories is another great OEM option but they're geared more towards civilian H1 parts since they're the former Lynch Hummer group.
- BlueHummer Outfitters also sells OEM parts for both HMMWVs and H1s but also has some in house upgrade parts like upgraded spindle nuts, reusable half shaft bolt kits, and flexible caliper side brake lines. BlueHummer has closed up shop. Their items are now carried by Mod Mafia.

Not generally recommended:
Wolfer Parts/ComTac/MotoFino Truck Parts/Augusta Engine Parts has a combination of surplus OEM parts as well as in house manufactured driveline parts like half shafts and suspension parts like ball joints. It appears their "in house" parts are Chinese manufacture but they don't disclose this.

There are some surplus parts dealers out there that are great to deal with like Equipment Parts Sales. If you don't see it on their site, email them direct about what you're looking for. They've told me they don't always have their full inventory up on the website. They'll also work on prices on bundle purchases.

There are a number of surplus parts dealers also selling on eBay. Of them, the most reputable are beltfed34/Austin Aviation and amtak2/Arrowhead Lake XS Surplus. hdps_corp and militarysurplusparts deal in surplus parts but may have limited HMMWV parts. As mentioned, there are a number of others selling surplus parts. Just make sure if you're buying from them and they're claiming new surplus, they have correct military stickers on the packaging with the NSN or, at the least they have good feedback on the surplus they're selling.

Lastly, for surplus and especially hard to find parts, get in touch with Steel Soldiers and G503 member 86humv.

When in doubt though, post here and ask!

On the subject of Warns, i have an opportunity to grab a 9000lb (i believe) winch for cheap.  Ive already got the frame extensions and winch plate mounted so thats done.  

But id have to make power cables and get a remote;  i see that there are wiring kits and they include harness parts with 2 and 3 conductor amphenol connectors....but i have no idea if theyre the right kits for this winch.  It would be nice to operate from the driver seat as well as a remote, or at a minimum, the driver seat.  

There is a manual directional control though, so i suppose youre winching in one direction until you get out and change it.  

Would make a switch/switch harness very simple to make, it would only have to switch “on/off”

Doesn't that OLI "potted" Upgrade kit surround the positive cable, senses the field, acts as an overload prevention circuit?

I'm looking at that upgrade kit for one of my GMV, to use the panel mount to the cab, hardware directly to it then using the male Amphenol to convert a black Warn winch control to fit the Amphenol panel connector instead of the civilian 3 pin.
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The 1994 M1097A1 is now running, took longer than I thought to purge the air from the fuel injection.  I need to replace the improved, locking-style parking brake handle, the hood prop rod bracket and fix the power steering.  This truck has a secondary 12v 45amp alternator with umbilical that I assume powered a welder, it still has a wire attached to the throttle pedal to allow the welder to increase RPM during use.
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I know I should be taking advantage of the nice weather to get some hard work done on the truck but with the uptick in workload because of how the pandemic is changing our customers' operations, I was a bit lazy today.

Only did the new tie rod end boots and adjusted the rod ends so the steering system was actually straight in relation to the tires, which the alignment shop had off so they could align the tires.

The new Energy Suspension (9.13119G) poly boots fit perfect!

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Without upsetting the tires, I got the steering components mostly straightened out and then got the tie rods back in. Took the truck for a short spin and it actually handles noticeably better! No longer feels like it's fighting itself.

Once I get some of the shims back in up front (probably tomorrow) I'm going to take it back to the shop and have them fine tune it with the mention the steering be kept 100% straight in the process. Also going to tell them to make sure the rod end buckles are faced the right direction so they don't rub my wheels at lock like before.

Did one other tiny upgrade. Found there's an insulation pad that fits above the driver's side footwell where the washer reservoir, TDM, and Cadillac valve are.

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That white crap is mold release that scrubs right off.

Probably doesn't do a ton but they're only $20.

There's supposed to be some brackets to hold it down but I'm not doing all that. Just going to use some 3M Extreme double sided tape.

Forgot to mention that I had also picked up a complete set of the blue poly body mounts from my buddy that sold his truck. Came with a set of the washers too. Going to pull the body mounts I put in before the swap and put those in instead.

Aguas used those when he did his drivetrain swap and I had a chance to finally see his truck in person recently. The blue poly body mounts really don't deform at all, unlike the older rubber ones. Probably due to the need to hold up to all the added armor.

Between that and the extra washers, it should result in a bit more lift. Hopefully I won't need longer body bolts. I think I got those on the long side when I did the body mounts before the swap.

Got a new HMMWV specific, AM General published Component Testing And Troubleshooting Guide someone posted to one of the HMMWV groups. Looks like a nice addition to the library!

I rehosted it on my Google Drive account.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FlfqRJ3y--zqIzx_VJ6G-SfYM1tCb7Va

Thanks, that's a really good resource.

Ryan, do you have a link to the page that shows the brackets? Would be interesting to see where it ties in.

He said he's got one for A2 trucks as well but had to find it. If he does and posts it, I'll rehost that as well.



They're shown in the 9-2320-280-24P-1, page 804 of 1146.

The reason I wasn't going to mess with them is it looks like you can't find them anywhere. They're part 12446858, NSN 5340014790211. #38 below.

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Eastern Surplus has them for $3.00. Not sure how they attach as the bolt holes don't match up.

Good find! I may pick some up.

I don't have the TM in front of me but I believe they just rivet in and #39 is the rivet.

Yep, from your pic it looks like a rivet. Hard to tell from my phone. Was hoping it used the bolt that is right there.

I went ahead and ordered the insulation as that is one area that isn't really covered well. Will debate the brackets but looks like I could bend an L bracket to do the same thing and use the bolt that is holding the control box.

Too bad its eastern that has them.  Im surprised they arent $150 each.  

All quiet on this front.  Been driving the truck alot but i need to try out some antifreeze balancing in the tires and also get to a few misc maintenance things.  Kinda holding out for the new garage to do it all in.  The one ive been mentioning for like 2 years.  The one that the footers are finally going in today weeeeeeeeee.  

Picked up a new toy to use with my truck!

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It's an AcuTemp HemaCool Medical Refrigerator/Freezer!

Runs off 100-240 VAC or 12-24 VDC and has 2 18 amp hour 12 volt batteries. Says it lasts 24 hours on batteries alone on cool or 8 on freeze. Pretty much the ultimate in mobile refrigeration!

Came with both AC and DC cords. DC cord looks unused. I'm going to put one of those gray QDs like I've got on my "modular" slave cable I built so I can hook it to the slave port on my truck.

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Thing is pretty big at 39"x23"x23" and weighs about 140lbs empty.

Actually found the service and operator manuals on SS of all places.

Had to drive about 80 miles to get it but, got it for the excellent price of $200 and no shipping. Most on eBay are $500+shipping. For reference, an ARB mobile fridge runs about $1,000! It powers up and functions, mostly. When these are surplussed they remove the refrigerant but the seller plugged it in and said it cooled it a little. So it'll need a refrigerant charge (which isn't mentioned how to do in the service manual but apparently uses common R134a) and needs new 18ah batteries (which are common and I can get through work).

The other nice thing is that the company that makes these is right up in Dayton, OH so support should be easy to get. Might see if I can take it to them to get the refrigerant charged if I need to.

I guess it doesn't need refrigerant after all!

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Talk about lucky! It even had this on the lid.

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ETA: Made it all the way down to proper freeze temp of -22C! Temp status LED went green. Took just about 2 hours to cool down completely to that.



Also switched it over to "cool" and saw it indicate the "HEAT ON" status that it was applying heat to the payload area to rapidly get it above freezing to the refrigeration temp range (which it's designed to do in freezing environments). This is definitely a pretty cool piece of gear!

Still need to replace the batteries. They took zero charge the whole time it was plugged in.

That was a good score. I have a big cooler in the bed of mine that I use, but a refrigerated unit like that would serve a lot of purposes especially when the power is out.

Yeah I've got my Pelican cooler I keep in the bed but I've had my eye on one of these HemaCool units for a while.

Got my cable made so I can now hook it to my slave port!

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And if anyone was curious about the insides...

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The guts. They're normally covered with a plastic topper I have off:

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Power pack out for new batteries:

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Full battery!

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The third pic with the wire harness tied off to the metal structure makes me cringe!

Edit: If that's your Humvee Ryan let me know so I can help you protect those wire harnesses.

LOL! That's just inside the HemaCool unit where all the refrigeration and control equipment is.

The corona virus doesn't seem to have an effect on Humvee sales, been watching them for a couple months now and there is no shortage of people still bidding on them.

I hate being a responsible person/husband/dad through all this as I take a 25% pay cut even though I could easily buy one in cash right now but the future looks bleak for the airlines until we start flying again.

I've been using a lot of restraint and I'm sad that a lot of good deals keep passing me by, oh well, my time will come.

Good thing is, its the golden age of humvees.  

These 4 speed trucks werent so available even one year ago.  

A2 trucks showing up in even noob hands, must mean there are alot to be had now.

I'm going to be posting the 1994 M1097A1 up for sale soon, I shouldn't be too far from you, in Santa Rosa County, FL.  With the quarantine I haven't had my friends over to move the heavy stuff for me over 12lbs.   I am hoping to sell the M1097A1 to get enough for a 25x30 concrete slab and metal building kit, I can't fit both the GMV and Toyota FJ in my  2 car garage.

Well, I finally made a large purchase which I haven't done in awhile. I bought a Mile Marker Wince new in crate that popped up on ebay (they are having 5% in cashback bucks too). Will be here in a week from the other side of the state. Hoping this will pull the IBIS Tek bumper in a few inches to be more flush. Then I can move the electric Warn 6k to the rear once I figure that out (one project at a time).

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Just an FYI but I've got the rear electric winch setup in my truck if you need any pics. It uses the standard A2 front plate with special mounts that replace the inner bumper mounts and a mount for the roller fairlead.

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I got these from Greg a loooong time ago. No idea about availability of them now.

If you need any more pictures just let me know.

Are the M1113/M1114 and A2 Engine Harnesses the same pinout at the Smart Start Box plug?   The under 299,999 serial number engine I got came with a slightly damaged Engine Harness, the two wires with lugs to the Alternator (Sense and AC) got separated from the main harness and the main cannon plug to the Smart Start Box is damaged.  

I've got a replacement SSB cannon plug coming, but I need to make sure the pinout is the same so I can solder the Alternator wires to the correct wires on the main harness, that I have already got exposed and insulation stripped away.

Then on the very end branch of the Turbo Engine Harness is a lug for the Starter and Bus Bar.  I Ass/U/Me the Bus Bar lug bolts to the tunnel inside lug of the bus bar in battery box?

A couple feet of mesh sheathing, a foot of yellow 2" ID shrink wrap and some mylar insulation wrap and she'll look like new.

Then order a set of exhaust manifold heads I can have cerakoted in Black to keep the rust away as long as possible.

Get a rebuild for the Fan Clutch, a new fan blade, and a new 3 pin fitting for the 200amp Alternator and the short block should be ready to drop into the 1995 CIF GMV.   Then I'll take the 6.5l NA and 4L80E to offer with the 1994 M1097A1 truck to clear it out.

I believe so. I used my 6.2 harness on my 6.5TD (with some of the leads extended) with no issue for some troubleshooting. I think the differences come in how the various branches interconnect after the Cannon plug.

If anyone is looking to do an ECV conversion, I don't think I've seen any cheaper hoods since Findlay last year. Has the butterfly bracket needed for mounting it. Still needs the nose though.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1186578574714390/permalink/3010300949008801/?sale_post_id=3010300949008801

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Must be Spring Cleaning time!

If anyone wants a brand new, authentic M1165 complete rear wall setup...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1614498551974258/permalink/2888421427915291/?sale_post_id=2888421427915291

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spare tire mounts

Winch arrived today. Was alot more pieces than I was expecting. Usually with these projects I have to hunt down a couple of parts or bolts. This time looks like everything is there down to extra shackes decals, nuts and bolts for the control arms, and straps. Hopefully Saturday I can get the old winch off and maybe start on this one. Just flipping through the manual looks easy but time consuming.

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Looks like AMG is finally going to cave and start selling HMMWV parts direct: https://www.amgeneral.com/commercial-parts/

Be interesting to see what this means for places like HPG, MM, and Kascar.

Hope that drives parts prices down and open up more accessories that are hard to find.

That's a big one... Will Smart Start boxes become easier to find and cheaper? X-doors? A2 body harnesses?

Just saw this on FB and thought I'd post it here:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/216480229447545/
Basic M996 that went through re-set in 2006, with the de-tuned 6.5 it's about as basic as they get, also looks like there's another one in the pictures.
If you buy it, throw the dog a bone.  

Found a second one that's really spiffy:  https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/697325934360502/

I didn't read through about you Winch Post, but I can tell you a few things: Mile Marker stopped producing the 24Volt model, but it uses the same motor as the 12V version, and IIRC "Wilson Electric" makes replacement motors in 24V for that winch. (i've used them in years past for Fisher Snow Plows mounted to HMMWV's
When the Electric Winch was discontinued, they came out with a kit that ran off the Power Steering pump, and generally speaking it worked well...problem is the only Soldiers trained for Vehicle Recovery were Wrecker Operators, and GI's would somehow  manage to fuck them up, so they were told not to use the winch (because they'd fuck things up and it was very expensive for the Unit to have replaced)  

It's been 3 years since I last changed tires on wheels. Forgot how much fun it is, especially with 24 bolts.

But, I did eventually get them all broken down. I can confirm that the tree and strap method works just fine for getting the runflats out!

I've got the runflat tool that came with the tool kit I bought but I felt like the tree/strap way would be a little quicker than figuring out use of the tool with time being of the essence. Would have been handy to have an engine lift though to not just pull the runflats but get the wheel backs out of the runflats a little more quickly.

For the wheel faces, I didn't want to just rattle can them and the nearby places that did powdercoating I reached out to never got back with me so I decided I'm going to try something a little different and use something I've got experience with: Alumahyde! In matte black specifically. I've had good luck using it on a number of firearms so I'm eager to see how it performs in this application. Just going to have to give it 10 days to cure but that'll give me a chance to get some shims added back in to the front before putting the new tires on and then getting the truck realigned after getting the new tie rod end boots.

I've got new O-rings I picked up a while ago from Trail Worthy Fab. Haven't used theirs before so looking forward to trying those out too.

When it comes time for reassembly, I think I'm going to add some RV antifreeze to the insides of the tires in addition to the Centramatics. I've got some laying around from winterizing my pressure washer and it's just going to sit around for another year otherwise. Also going to try the bottle jack method of getting the runflats in to see how that works out.




Rob Rodriguez selling that first one is a reliable seller. You can buy from him with confidence.

Don't know the seller of the second one.

Oh, and almost forgot to share this TM I found. It's got field fixes for damage. It's an older TM and it applies to pretty much every wheeled vehicle in the military inventory in the late 80s but it's got some useful content.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zWAqUX5HfW_4FNHabHVpb68WITYMPh1v

The TWF o rings worked fine for me, theyve been in my wheels for a year or so.  

Theyre undersized (i bet theyre for 16” wheels) so i stretch them over the wheel half and let them sit for 10 minutes before assembly.  This is a bit too much so it takes a minute or two for it to shrink to fit in the groove.  

I imagine you can run out of time if it takes too long to sandwich the wheel face over the ring.  But i had instances where it took me ages to get 4 nuts tight on the wheel and i never had to redo any rings so.  And i was turning the nuts by hand tools.  Shew.  Never again.  

Rear Mile Marker winches up for sale. Seller is GTG.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/523134644529729/permalink/1537217316454785/?sale_post_id=1537217316454785

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Good tip!

Started working on installing the mile marker winch. Before I start tightening things up, can anyone confirm the two black mounting brackets are on the correct side?  They can be flipped and the holes on the front align differently. Just want to be sure before I continue.

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My GMV 2A11C is showing the horizontal ribs on the backside as being at the top and center of the brackets.

Auction fees are going up...

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Winch is mounted but not hooked up. Putting the ibis Tek bumper back on took alot of time aligning it to fit and it's still not great. Not sure why they designed it to sit above the opening on the winch plate. Biggest problem is it doesn't allow the hood to open all the way. Hits the bars on the blinkers.

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I’m not a hmmwv guy but that certainly does not look right. Looks like your winch cable will rub against metal on the mount and you will bust a cable in no time

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too...

I know the Ibis Tek installation instructions reference the "optional winch kit" which looks like the Mile Marker. I need to go back over it and see what it says.

A fairlead roller will mount under the ibis Tek on the mile marker plate. I looked at the ibis Tek manual and don't see a different winch plate. Looks like every other mile marker one.

I'm looking at my hard copy of the manual and it looks like the MM plate is slightly different than the one they show on the "optional winch kit". How it's different, I can't exactly tell. There's not really anything out there on the specific Ibis Tek part number.

Maybe the roller fairlead on the MM plate would keep it from rubbing. Hard to determine from pics alone though.

The mounting plate here looks like the one in the installation instructions with the hole placement and everything. They call it a Mile Marker electric winch mounting plate. Looking at the two, it looks like the electric plate sits higher. The one in the Ibis Tek manual looks like it's got mounting holes like the electric plate but, the "ears" seem to be as tall as the hydraulic plate, unless that's an optical illusion. Very confusing...

Plate in the Ibis Tek manual:

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Electric plate:





Hydraulic plate:

Yep. No matter which plate, all of the openings appear to be on the bottom. There was an extra fairlead  in the kit so I'm going to install it tomorrow unless someone can point me to a different direction. If you look at the pic the first opening shows the mile marker operation plate perfectly. Also might explain why the center was open on the bottom to allow the cable to feed through, although not ideal.

True... I wonder if contacting Ibis Tek would yield any results.

I've just never seen the Ibis Tek used with a MM so I've got no idea what "normal" is.

ETA: Maybe try sending them a message on FB.

Second fair lead won't fit. So that idea is out.   I agree that this setup will tear up the cable and plate. Plus the hood not staying open. Running out of ideas other than ditching the Ibis Tek number and going with a different style.