Scotty;
I'm seeing a lot of used top-notch fully-restored low-hours turn-key ex-military M35A2 2.5 ton trucks for sale anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000 on the market. That's a lot less than a civilian pickup truck is going for, and they are much tougher vehicles. Near as I can tell, the only down-side is the fuel efficiency being pretty low (8mpg at best), and tires being pretty expensive. Parts... they are out there, but not cheap. Most are dual-fuel, though I am told that you treat those as diesels that can tolerate a little gasoline in the mix once in a great while.
I'm not looking for a toy; just something durable to handle carting around loads of horse feed, hay and moving heavy stuff around on occasion. I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing in the over-priced civilian-duty market. Seems to be light-duty stuff that breaks down too often.
What do you think of them? Am I getting into something way over my head??
Ben
As you said, they aren't cheap to operate. The parts may be "out there" but they aren't "readily available".
I would get in touch with some actual owners, and ask what it's like to actually own one.
I suspect that they're more of a hobby than a practical vehicle.
I've always wanted one of those. We had them back in the 70's when I was in the army in Germany. Those things are built like tanks. We put a LOT more than 2.5 tons in them and they hauled fine. 6 wheel drive, Huge towing capacity, strong as mules. Solid axles front and rear. Tires can be anything that fits. Down here in Florida, the National Guard and other governmental agencies still use them.
The multi fuel refers to diesel and JP 4 [ jet fuel]
