Marc William Hampton, former Army Sergeant, shares his top reasons why you should own an M35 'Deuce and a Half' truck.
M35's are a 2½-ton 6x6 cargo truck used by the United States Army dating back to the 1940's. Some of the newer models are still in use. 'Decommissioned' units are sold as surplus to military vehicle collectors and to persons or organizations looking for an inexpensive truck capable of off-road operation. They have developed a cult following
Guns com caught up with Hampton at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot in West Point, Kentucky in April 2017. He drives his M35 to the shoot twice a year and sleeps in it. Other people drive their trucks and they hang out and talk and work on them.
Hampton's truck is a M35A2 model built in 1971. It's all wheel drive, so neither snow nor rain slow him down.
It's got a 2 1/2 ton capacity off-road and a 5-ton on-road capacity. So, it will haul just about anything you want.
It has a 50-gallon diesel tank that burns a variety of fuels. Hampton uses motor oil cut with gasoline.
Power is derived from a multi-fuel Hercules in-line six cylinder engine that's turbo charged. It produces only about 187 horsepower, but it's got a boat-load of torque.
There's no air conditioning but the side and front windows open on the cab. This provides a great deal of air flow, especially at speed.
Insurance on an M35 in Kentucky is cheap - about $209 a year. This is mainly because not much can damage a Deuce and a Half. Hampton's been rear-ended and T-boned in his , and nothing happened. He fixed the damage with a spray can of paint. The other cars were totaled.
He daily-drives his M35 like other people drive a regular car. He'll take it to the corner store to get a pack of smokes.
It's obvious that Hampton loves his truck. 'I'll drive it until the wheels fall off.' he says. 'And I'll bolt them back on and keep going. That's the God's honest truth. This truck will live forever. It will live longer than me.'
Driving a Deuce and a Half is also a good way to buy America, says Hampton with a smile. 'You drive a Deuce and a Half, boom! 'I America'd today.'
6 окт 2024
