Markheliops

I had the same issue with FJ when I went to renew this year. New under-writers have come into play and their terms and conditions have changed. I shopped around and found a very good quote with Cherished Vehicles - went with them in the end. Markheliops

I would suggest £12 - £15,000 for an average Spartan CVRT with a petrol engine. I wouldn't pay more than £18,000 for a decent one. I'm not sure about the diesel models as they are a different beast. £25,000 seems a bit steep unless it's ex-reserve fitted with a diesel lump and immaculate. Anyone else have thoughts on the price? As for exporting one - you will need to have a standard export licence as the vehicle was designed for military purposes (unless the law has changed again) or the seller will need to get one. If you try to export one without the correct paperwork, the seller risks serious prosecution and loss of the item he was trying to export. It's not a hard thing to do as I had to get one when I sold the FV432 to a chap in New Zealand. If the seller wants to sell the vehicle enough - he will obtain the correct paperwork for you. Markheliops

I can't imagine why the truck would have been stolen for scrap value when sat beside it were three half-tracks. Surely a half-track is worth a lot more in scrap than a GMC. I'm would agree with the thought it was stolen by an opportunist who is involved with the hobby, sad as that thought is.

The Collection I work for has the following: M76 Otter (1953) - the only one in Europe and I believe there are around ten working examples in the world. Aquatrack (1991) - only four prototypes every made. We have the original, the security service in the Philippines have two and a salvage company in Ireland have the other one. Markheliops

Really sorry to hear this guys. I left the Hop farm on Tuesday about 1430hrs. I saw the trailer by the halftracks but there was no truck with the other kit. I remember because I collected Gordon's Cat and Halftrack so I knew the kit but didn't recognise the trailer. I remember seeing the truck parked with the halftracks on Sunday evening but not after that if it helps to narrow the time of the theft. I'm sure it will turn up as lots of people will have heard about the theft and eyes will be peeled. markheliops

Oy you lot - get a grip. So it's muddy, the fields are wet and there are puddles. But this is War and Peace - probably one of the few shows that still allow vehicle movement during the show and in my own opinion - the best show of the year. Military vehicles were, and are made to operate and survive all conditions. In fact the only thing that lets vehicles down are the operators sat behind the steering wheel. If a vehicle gets bogged in - the driver wasn't paying attention. It's bizarre to watch a vehicle heading for a patch and we know even before they get there - they're not going to make it. But still they drive on until they come to a soggy halt. I've moved several vehicles so far and haven't got a single one stuck. Everything from a Ford Ranger to a 55 tonne ARRV. Why - not because I am a superior driver but simply because I use my common-sense - if it looks impassable - it probably is. Yes it's wet, a bit chilly at times and muddy. So what - I'm on holiday and I'm loving it. When the sun shines, it's bl--dy hot. So get your kit packed, POL your vehicles and get to Beltring. Lets have no more chats about it's wet and I may not come because my vehicle will get dirty. Come on - lets have a little Dunkirk spirit. Right now I'm off to hose down my wellies and get ready for the next plum who puts his super 4 wheel drive vehicle in a bog and then scratches his head when it won't come out. Oh and for the record - War and Peace is not and will not be cancelled, regardless of the weather. The thing that makes War and Peace the best show in my opinion - is that people come whatever the weather and have a bl--dy good time. Markheliops

Yes - I was busy so Jim asked Jack.

Hi all - just popped home for a shower - why - because I can. The mud - umm - sorry chaps but those who think it will dry out are going to be very disappointed. The problem is the water has nowhere to go and the ground is fully saturated. Unless we have two weeks of sunshine at 80 degrees - War and Peace 2012 will be wet and very muddy. As I drove out this morning a Scammell was winching a Brockhouse trailer out of the mud on one of the roads opened up due to the weather. All the normal tracks have been closed off as they are impassable. It would seem common sense doesn't apply to some MV owners and they have far too much hope in their 4 wheel drive vehicles so the main tracks are closed off. The poor chap with the Brockhouse had used the track that had been opened up only to find himself sinking in the mud. It wasn't his fault as the track looked passable. The only vehicles that are able to move about are light wagons - anything heavy is suffering. The chap I was trying to get out of the bog yesterday was, erm - how can I say this - a little foolish. To cut a long story short - His mate with an articulated unit got stuck so he tried to pull him out with a straight bar - they both got stuck. They then attached a G wagon to both and he got stuck too................. are you getting the picture. I came along with my Ranger and towed the cargo truck onto the grass area. I then went and brought the Ward out to play. The artic unit could not be towed out due to the soft ground the Ward sat on so we decided to winch it out. Whilst we were attaching the winch rope to the artic - matey in the cargo truck decided to drive off the grass area straight into a bog and sank to his axles. Honestly - there is no helping some people. In the end a Bedford came along and pulled him out and the chap with the artic was pulled to his plot by a tank in the evening. I don't mind the mud - but it does ruin the show and public numbers will be down if it doesn't improve. I think the best we can hope for will be muddy conditions but not as bad as it is at the moment. As for the site drying out - forget it - its not going to happen. Right - I'm back off to the site as the ARRV arrives this afternoon. Markheliops

I live in East Peckham now, 5 minutes from the Hop Farm. I walk the dog in the Hop Farm and to my surprise there are 3 plots marked out already. Personally, I think it would be fair to everyone if the first thing the marshals do when the gates officially open is to remove all the plots that have somehow sprang up even before people are allowed in. I know there are arguments for and against marking plots out but to be marking areas even before we are allowed in is a bit below the belt. Let's face it - I could have been marking a plot out in December but I won't be doing anything until I'm officially allowed in. When I arrive Saturday, I shall find an area and set up camp there and then. Markheliops

Yea - more international members. Welcome to the mad house.

It's going to be in the 20's all week! I know cos I asked him upstairs.

I was looking at other accessories for the stealth low mobility carrier but like everything else - time ran out. I fancied the idea of mini smoke granade launchers and some sort of comms system. Then again - can't have mumsie getting arrested.

Hi NOS. The filter change did sort out the hydraulics but I still have a "clogged boost filter" light showing on the hydraulic controls. The system has 4 high pressure filters so I will be looking at the other 333 some other time. In good old REME fashion - if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Great video - loved the music too. Well done gents - and ladies.

Hi all. Update on the Chieftain ARRV restoration: I haven't been about much as my back was against the wall with the ARRV. Anyway, the ARRV is now completed. I haven't had the time to write up every detail on every task as there was rather a lot to do but it is now fully operational including the winches etc. Here is the ARRV when it was purchased in September 2011. This is Shrek - the ARRV is big, green and ugly so what better name to give it. I'm really pleased with the end result. Time will tell how good my mechanical skills have been but everything seems good. I had to make some difficult decisions with the ARRV. I had to miss a number of events, such as A&E, purely because I didn't have the time to spend doing anything else. I haven't touched the Ward since last August when I used it at Headcorn so I wasn't going to risk driving it to Dorchester. All in all I think it was well worth all the time I have put into Shrek and the sacrifices I and others have made. I set myself a target in September to have the ARRV, completed, at War and Peace this year and in that sense, I have succeeded. Oh and whilst the ARRV was being done, Mumsie asked me to smarten up her mobility scooter. What do you think? I'm not sure if that's what she had in mind - but I like it. Markheliops

No worries Spood. When I looked at the bike it struck me as slightly odd but I saw the Harley side panels and presumed my memory wasn't up to scratch! Have fun with it.

I have a M1009 K5 - Served with SFOR and still retains the markings. No pictures as I'm at work but I will post them soon. I had it up for sale last year at £3750 with a years MOT and tax. Didn't get any interest but in truth I didn't try that hard to sell it. I think it's a great machine - loads of room and a lot quicker and certainly quieter than the M1008. My M1009 will happily fly up the motorway at 70mph and for a 6.2 diesel it's not bad of fuel either. Markheliops

Hi Spood. I have a complete set of issued panniers for a Harley - if you are interested. Regards Markheliops

Debs (AKA Naughty Nurse is my partner) - I daren't say my grease-monkey!! I'm not charging anything for the use of my ARRV - it's all part of the fun.

Thanks Rick - Much appreciated.

I towed the MBT to hard standing and positioned the ARRV in readiness for a pack lift. Whilst towing the MBT I thought about the issue with the pack and decided the engine must be seized. Positioning is everything as you don't have much room to play with. Get it wrong and you will end up with a suspended pack on the hook and not being able to set it down. Despite it's size, the six and a half tonne Atlas crane does not have excessive reach or lift. We started to disconnect, remove and reposition items to enable removal of the pack. Actually the task wasn't too difficult. We had a couple of issues with snapped bolts and stubborn fixings. The T-bar covering the main engine decks decided to snap a bolt which was somewhat surprising considering the size of the bolts concerned. The pack lift is divided into three main areas - the GUE compartment, the main engine air filter and the transmission compartment. You do have to be somewhat flexible and double joints would help. Everything was going to plan until we came to the main engine air filter unit. Here we found the fault that proved to me the pack was seized. To remove the air filter unit you have to first remove the air filter bellow - (a kind of rubber / canvas connecting piece). It put up a fair resistance before we managed to move it a couple of inches. When it did move we heard the sound of lots of escaping water. When we finally managed to remove the bellows completely we discovered it had filled with water and this led straight to the engine intake. This was pretty conclusive evidence the engine was hydro-locked and seized. Still, nothing had changed as we were still required to lift the pack so we carried on. Eventually we were in a position to commence with the pack lift. When you have taken the weight of the pack on the crane you are supposed to undo the last two front mounting bolts and slide the front mount into the bulkhead. Unfortunately the mount would not move into the bulkhead and this had to be achieved to enable enough clearance for the pack frame to clear the mount. We tried all sorts - bars, hammers, jacks, etc. Eventually by pure luck the weight of the pack swung against the mount and the weight pushed the sliding mount into the bulkhead. Getting it back out should be fun but we'll come to that when the need arises. My mate Dave took control of the crane whilst I observed the lift - giving the pack a kick or nudge when required. The pack slowly came out of it's position. The operation requires three persons to keep observation of the lift. It is very easy to catch something and there is little room for mistakes. Eventually the pack was out and back on the ground. All in all a good days work and now the plan is to install a new pack or repair the old pack. Updates as and when. Markheliops

The ARRV had been delivered and now was the time to put it to good use. The Chieftain MBT had not been started or moved for around 4 years. The GUE ran but the main engine would not start, I thought due to a burnt out starter motor. (More about that later). I know Chieftain can be started by a tow start so that was the plan we formed. The transmission was also suspected of being faulty so I wanted the get the Chieftain running to investigate any possible fault with the gearbox before we started repairs on the pack. Positioning the ARRV to enable the fitting of the A-frame was awkward due to space but we eventually managed to get the MBT hooked up. A briefing was held and the procedure explained to all those involved. (There is a better video on U-tube / facebook). Now what you saw in the video was me dragging the MBT out from it's resting place on to a straight bit of the track. Once there we attempted to engage emergency forward gear and tow the MBT at approximately 4 mph. At first we were unable to engage the forward gear but this was over-come by manually freeing off the gear selector via the transmission housing. We then tried again - you will see from the video the moment the MBT engaged forward gear as the ARRV nearly came to a fierce stop and the MBT nearly threw a track. We gave it one more attempt before I decided something was definitely amiss. We gave up on the idea of tow starting the Chieftain so I recovered the MBT around the tank driving area (about 1 mile) and to a place where we could carry out further investigation. The ARRV done it's stuff wonderfully and behaved as it should so I was a happy bunny even though we were unable to get the MBT started. Markheliops

For those who don't know I am looking after a small private collection down on the South coast. One of the vehicles in the collection is a Chieftain MBT. I had previously diagnosed a burnt out starter motor resulting in a pack lift. The Chieftain had not moved for around 4 years although it's not too bad condition. The ARRV would be needed to A) recover the Chieftain to somewhere we could work on it B) Use of the crane to lift the pack. With this in mind I had arranged with Andy Long of Along Recovery (a very professional service and one I would recommend) to collect the ARRV and take it to where I needed it. This resulted in much work before the ARRV collection date. Unfortunately I did not have the time to take photos but the only issue I did have was when I went to move the ARRV out of the shed to re-fit the cupola. The beast would not turn and after investigation I found the cause to be a badly leaking steering calliper on the transmission. Fortunately I had a spare and fitted the new calliper in 45 minutes. Once fitted the steering returned but I will have to power bleed the system as the steering can be a bit reluctant at times. Anyway Andy collected the ARRV and now it is where I need it and awaiting to carry out the tasks it was designed for. Looking forward to it. Markheliops

Hi all. The ARRV work has been continuing at pace. The new hydraulic boost filter arrived and I fitted it - eager to see if this would cure the fault of no power to the winches and dozer. After fitting, I bled the hydraulic system, topped up the reservoir and bobs your uncle - I now have power to both winches and dozer. I also had to repair a grease supply line that I damaged whilst attempting to remove the filter housing. Point to note in the future - if something is in the way just remove it instead of trying to work around it. It's better in the long run. The Naughty Nurse has an interest in all things craft and restoring old bits and pieces so why waste her talents! I thrust a paint brush into her lovely hands and showed her what items needed painting. Actually she done a very good job. Thanks Debs. I of course had to take it easy as I had been quite ill and had still not fully recovered but needs must. Debs ensured I was kept fully hydrated with a supply of tea / coffee plus a sausage baguette - all the things the Doctor said I should stay away from but Debs was most insistent I should eat and drink properly. After the items had dried I re-assembled the radio racking and radios plus some bulkhead plates. The next job on the long list was to replace the track pads - all 194 of them. I wasn't looking forward to it as I knew it was going to be a pain but I had promised the farmer I would do it before the ARRV moved so I wouldn't destroy his concrete flooring. Still, I had changed an FV432 pads on my own and that task had only taken me fourteen hours to complete. I built up desire to complete the task and eventually started. Now I have done some real pigs of jobs over the years but this must have been one of the most pain in the butt jobs I have had to complete. It was hard work, painful and exhausting and I still hadn't fully recovered from my illness. I had a number of issues with the task and combine them together made it a job I wouldn't fancy in a hurry again. First Issue - I was on my own so I had to change three pads on each track and then move the ARRV backwards to do another three pads either side, etc, etc. Luckily I still have not replaced the left hand front mudguard so this task was made easy by marking pads 1, 2, 3 and reversing when they were out of sight. Second Issue - The previous owners of the ARRV had allowed the rubber pads to wear down beyond the metal recess of each link. This had caused the recess sides to bend in and in doing so refused allow the pads to come out. If I was lucking a large hammer (REME tool Mk1) would do the trick. The majority needed some love with a grinder. Third Issue - I strongly suspect the ARRV had never had it's pads changed. Over the many years, soil, stones, clay, etc had been pulverised into the pad recess. Unfortunately the only way to clean all the muck out was with a large hammer and cold chisel. This had to be done or the track pads would not sit in the track link properly which would eventually cause the pads to break. Getting there. All in all it was a painful experience and took me 3 days - approx 60 pads a day. Very, very hard work. Still I eventually completed the task with much relief. Updates to come - Markheliops

We have a complete and fully equipped one Vince - Let me know what pics you want and I'll snap away. Markheliops