O/C M998 HMMWV Build

[HeavyArty]

I have started on another vehicle that has been on my build list for quite some time. It is an O/C (Observer/Controller) M998 HMMWV from the NTC (National Training Center), Ft Irwin, CA. I was an O/C there for three years (Aug '03 - Jul '06). At least two weeks out of every month we were in the field training rotational units on counter-insurgency in a desert environment . For those two weeks, this was my home.

It was a basic M998 HMMWV with no windows, no doors, and only a cloth tarp over the driver area.

They looked like this.

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I was on the Wolf Team, Artillery Trainers. This is a later model with a full roof section and heavy-duty bumper. Mine was set up like first few above.

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I started with the new ICM M1097A2 kit since it is stripped down and has the B pillar included. It is very detailed and looks great. I enjoyed building it. I had no issues with it.

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I started on the frame. I swapped out the front winch bumper and rear heavy-duty bumper for standard bumper and tow pintle as a standard M998 has. I cut the rear crossover form an old HMMWV kit and the front bumper is from an Academy M998 Gun Truck that has the option of either the winch or standard front bumper.

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I wish they had done a complete engine on it though. The only area I think is lacking in the kit.

Next, I built up the body and added some of the O/C vehicle specifics and gear. The box on the back was where we slept. The top opened like a lean-to and inside is a foam mattress and your sleeping bag. It wasn’t too bad.

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Lastly is some of the gear that will go on it. A couple tough boxes for storage, a cooler, water jugs and igloo cooler, radios, Plugger, speakers, etc., etc…

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Next up is painting. More to come later.

[Pawel]

Hello Gino!

Good to see you working on another cool one!

Many people let me know they can’t login here, so I’m afraid you will get even less comments than usual, which is a pity…

That box with the mattress in the rear really caught my attention… Must have been a little extreme camping experience… Can you write something more about it? You probably didn’t have to worry about rain catching you in the night, but I would love to hear more about sleping under these conditions. Heat/cold? Water? Critters? Did the shooting wake you up at night a lot? Was it sustainable or did you need a good break after it was over?

Makes me think it would make a good dio of somebody actually sleeping on the truck.

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

[CapnMac82]

Looks like a cool build.

Always thought those Sand-colored Igloo water jugs were spiffy items.

It’s looking like some portion of the 504 problems are gone, but it’s slow-as-christmas to get there.

[HeavyArty]

Thanks gents. It is coming along.

Pawel –

The box was pretty comfortable. It was like camping, just without a tent. It was better than the usual Army sleeping method of a sleeping bag on the ground. Critters were not an issue and artillery and tank fire at night was like a lullaby; great to fall asleep to. When it was hot, it was just hot, but it cooled off pretty well at night. When it didn’t you just sleep on top of your sleeping bag in your underwear. When it was cold, we had an extra-long heater hose that you could put into your bag to warm it up and a starter cord for the HMMWV so you didn’t have to get out of your bag. I also had an extra-long radio cable so the handmike could be stretched back to the box. Overall, it was a great way to camp out in the desert. We would even gather at night around a campfire and cook our meals over the open fire. It was a cowboy lifestyle that was quite fun.

[HeavyArty]

I’ve been working on the HMMWV over the last few days abd got some paint on it.

Here is the rolling chassis.

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I also sprayed the body with Krylon Ivory.

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Here is the radio rack. Inside the box is a double SINCGARS radio set, on top are a PLGR GPS and a civilian radio we used to talk amongst the teams.

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Some of the other gear painted up.

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I actually have it all assembled and ready for weathering. I should have another update soon.

[GMorrison]

Gino; your projects are always very interesting.No shake-the-box!

I used to read a lot of railroad history. Down south of where you were is the town of Indio, a major crew change terminal. Those clever engineers came up with a shelter design. A large diameter corrugated drain pipe section was split open to make a sort on mini quonset hut that a guy could crawl into and sleep on the ground. A perforated rain gutter ran down the peak of the shelter. An elevated tank full of water was attached with a hose and valve to the gutter, Water ran down the sides of the shelter, probably never made it to the ground in liquid form. Evaporation cooled the hut.

So after a day spent in 110 degree heat in heavy clothing around big greasy iron things, crawling into an 80 degree box felt like sleeping in a refrigerator.

Bill

[Gamera]

Looks good, I really like how the radio came out!