Dodge D15

[Ron Pier]

Is there any sort of register or chassis number data for Dodge D15's?

Ron

[gordon]

Canadian Dodges are poorly supported.

Maple Leaf Up and the WW2 Dodge Forum for general stuff, but all I know about the T222 series is it started off basic and got even more basic, only came in two flavours, cargo and water tank, and the majority of them got run into the ground post WW2 as ( relatively ) economic 4 x 2 trucks.

Serial number ranges will be on the manuals, and I do know that Build Cards are NOT available for Canadian trucks.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Gordon. I've got this tipper to inspect for DVLA registration. I just have to check the numbers and it should easily be eligible for an age related number, someone else will have to decide if it's military or not. Ron

[gordon]

.... if a picture is worth a thousand.

That's not a D15, for a start.

Easy enough though. D60S short wheelbase T110L code tipper ( none of that fancy 'dump' stuff here )

Same cab, same 236 cu in engine as a D15 though it should have a T110-xxxxx code on the cylinder block rather than the T222-xxxxx that would be on a D15.

Chassis rails deeper and thicker, suspension and so on suitably heavier, PTO drive to hydraulics. I'd be surprised if that wasn't all original, only easy item to swap would be the engine. 1941-45 only, military only - note the tow hooks and interchangeable British-pattern wheels. That chassis number will be in the range on the T110L series military manuals and parts lists. I will have it listed somewhere but I'm in Aberdeen and my paperwork is in Falkirk. Feel free to ask again if you meet official resistance, as it were.

There were civilian code T110 trucks, but they were left hand drive only and I've only ever seen one outside the US.

[Ron Pier]

That's fantastic Gordon. I'm trying to help the owner out and will certainly pass on this information. Much appreciated, Ron

[gordon]

Nice truck, unusual to see an intact survivor as most of them were worked into the ground.

I should have most other info you would need but won't have access to it for a while. Let me know the chassis number when you inspect - and check the cab plate matches the chassis stamping too

[Ron Pier]

I'm due to visit the truck on Wednesday and the chassis number is given as 1849 T1101767200.

Regards Ron

[Nick Balmer]

With its civilian wheels, might this not have been one of the Dodge tippers supplied to UK Civil Engineering companies engaged in building airfields?

They appear in photos taken at places like Bassingbourne when they were being constructed.

To restore it as one of these tippers might be more authentic than to restore it as a military vehicle.

[gordon]

The T110 number will be the engine number rather than the chassis number, I'm sure. 1849 could be cab number.

You probably know where the chassis number is stamped on a US Dodge, left front frame rail side by the front spring, front hanger. It's vital you get an actual chassis number surely.

I'd expect eight numerals 9xxxxxxx sort of thing.

[Ron Pier]

These are the pictures supplied by the owner. The 'T' seems to be made up by using a number 1 stamp. Ron

[gordon]

Well the location seems right for a chassis number, but not sure. If I had to guess someone has stamped the original engine number there, as it doesn't look neat enough to be factory.

Engine is less of a problem. The T222 code is for the D15 236 cu in engine which has been swapped in - no big deal at all as the specifications appear to be identical. There might have been minor variations in things like the sump shape, oil filter size, and so on originally but no big deal.

The problem may be that if you can't get a genuine chassis number off the front frame rail you won't be able to prove it fits any particular wartime sequence which could give registration grief down the line.

Best advice would be to check all cab plates for numbers, and then have a really close look at the front chassis rails. I don't have an e-mail for anyone with a D60 or D15 that I could get an unmolested chassis number image from - sorry.

[gordon]

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=24757

You'll see an original cab plate with an eight digit chassis number, 9xxxxxxx, that's what you should find on the chassis rail

[Ron Pier]

Once again Gordon, thank you. It's not a vehicle that I'm familiar with and this information will help me and the owners (if they're interested ?) With ID.

Nick, here is an image of one as supplied for military use. They were basically just a civy truck. Ron

PS Gordon. You mention "US Built" Is this not a Canadian truck? Or possibly procured from the US by Canada?

[Mike K]

A similar Dodge was featured in W&T , in the 'Before and After' series

[gordon]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Gordon. You mention "US Built" Is this not a Canadian truck? Or possibly procured from the US by Canada?

I was just drawing attention to the fact that the US chassis numbers were on the front left chassis rail - I've never had cause to check that the Canadian ones are in the same place - but apparently they are 8-)

US versus Canada is pretty much a political distinction, not too solid except for the badge on the vehicle. Have a look at the map for the location of Detroit and contrast it with Windsor Ontario. There is only the width of the Detroit River between them - ten minutes in a car. I suspect that chassis, bodies, and components were all built in that general area, and just shipped wherever required. Large manufacturers and employers with facilities on both sides of the border could probably ship stuff forward and back as required without too much customs duty & hassle.

The Ashby's Dodge WK60 workshop truck is a nice example. The workshop body was UK built, the Welles-Thornton back bogie I think was Canadian, but I believe the truck was supplied 'from Canada' as the US was neutral around then, whereas Canada was part of the Commonwealth. The Dodge 3 ton chassis it was based on was made in reasonably small quantities, I assume in the US. I'm also assuming that the chassis were made and stamped only with the part number - the formal chassis number being added at the start of the production line - so two chassis made next to each other at the chassis plant could be shipped to two different assembly plants and end up with completely different chassis number sequences.

[Ron Pier]

Great stuff Gordon. Hopefully I will view this truck today and maybe head the owner and registration authority in the right direction. Regards Ron

[gordon]

In the absence of a cab plate ( I'm assuming there wasn't one as no photo ) I'd be looking very hard at that front chassis rail for an eight digit number starting with a 9

While I'm on, it was contemporary practice to mark the chassis PART NUMBER mid wheelbase between the spring hangers with the same size and typeface of stamping, so don't get distracted by that. It is quite easy to distinguish the PART NUMBER stamping as it is very clean, neat, and heavily stamped absolutely square with the chassis, where the CHASSIS NUMBER was stamped quite approximately with a hand held block and usually a lot fainter.

[Ron Pier]

Well Gordon, the wing and front wheel were off when I arrived, which made life easier. I spent an hour with the owner who used his angle grinder with rope wire wheel to completely clean the chassis on that side from cab to bumper, but no other markings came to light, and no indication of it being sanded off.

The truck has previously been used for film work, hence some lack of interest by it's PO on the subject of history or ID, and the reason why it's been painted red over what is clearly army green underneath.

The current owner is very pleased with the information you have provided and the plate that I gave him from Bart Vanderveen's book which should help in his application with DVLA. However I think he will have to go with the T110 number for the chassis number. Regards Ron

[gordon]

You go with what you can find. I assume that number means, or meant, something to someone.

regards

Gordon

[Alex van de Wetering]

Such a lovely truck, but I have to ask about the tipper body......was it replaced at some stage, or strengthened? To me it looks different from the normal 4F pattern dump/tipper body.

Ron, please keep us updated on the progress and the plans of the owner. Love to see some more MCP Dodges on the forum.

Alex

[Ron Pier]

Hi Alex. It's out of my hands now. The owner was going to send me a link to a video of the trucks last film roll (carrying grapes) but I haven't received it yet. I'll post it when it comes. Ron

[cliff]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Such a lovely truck, but I have to ask about the tipper body......was it replaced at some stage, or strengthened? To me it looks different from the normal 4F pattern dump/tipper body.

Alex

Looks like it may be a replacement using the 1.5ton Chev (Yankee Joe) rear tipper body.

[gordon]

That's a standard Budd style dump body. Hoist was normally Heil or Hercules. The length of it means the standard toolbox across the back of the cab has gone too.

Unlike cargo trucks, dump truck tended to keep their bodies, so I'd guess that one has been on there for a good while.

[Sascha G.]

We also have a Canadian Dodge like that:





Also not so famiilar with this trucks, maybe someone knows the excat type designation?

[gordon]

The red one looks like a standard T110L code D60L light duty 3 ton ( British used them as 3 ton trucks, but the Canadians and Americans had designations for light duty and heavy duty - that one is light )

Tell me about the green truck though. That looks like a 4 x 4 with Timken front axle and 20" wheels, which would commonly be found only on a US T203 1.5 ton series VF, but the front sheetmetal doesn't match that as it is a 'W' code front.