My new (to me) Deuce and a couple of deuce questions.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Rob

I remember that there were a number of trucks like this and similar to this at a MV meet in the Hamilton area back in the late `80s probably 1988. I remember taking a bunch of photos, which I'm looking for.

Looking at them and talking with their owners back then about using them as campers was the genesis of my getting a C60S in 1990 and then looking for an appropriate box body.

So Rob I hope you have as much fun with your BIG camper as we have had with ours. Great fun to pull up at a stop light next big knurly pickup truck with a camper and look down at them and say "what a cute little camper".

[rob love]

Here are a couple of photos of the line-up of trucks that remain at the local surplus yard. The bulk are M135 with a couple of the vans at the end of the line. There is also a M211 in another yard that we were not able to tow over because the back wheels were locked up. As well, there are another half dozen or so parts trucks in the yards.

These were purchased by the dealer back in the mid 80s, and have remained in the yards since. Mine was chosen out of the bunch, primarily due to the nicer body and paint on it. But after 25+ years sitting in the open. all of them need some serious TLC.

[maple_leaf_eh]

You asked about the differences between the US and Canadian lines. My fuzzy memory says the Canadian ones had the floor mounted semi-automatic shifter with the starter handle on the side. The US ones also had automatic transmissions, but the interior was somehow different.

The first shot of the complete truck made me smile. That vehicle has had a quiet life after disposal. No one spray painted it yellow and stripped off the little parts we are all looking for to put back on.

Just be ready to empty you wallet every time you fuel up. I don't think those trucks were ever considered "fuel efficient".

[rob love]

The truck has been robbed of at least one part: the convoy lamp is missing underneath. But that's OK, because I was one of those guys who always removed those things, and have a hoard of them somewhere. It happened occasionaly where we would be working on something under the truck just to find that the lamp was still there, and glowing away happily whilst draining the battery.

As far as I know, there are very few differences between the Cdn deuces and the US M135/M211.

We seem to have been more into the M135 model, where the US preferred the dual wheel version with flat deck (M211). We installed the hardtop during production, where the US was primarily soft top, with the hardtop as an option.

We had the hi/low superstructure and tarp, where the staves were adjustable to two different heights and the tarp had a folding extension. The US model did not do this. There would seem to be some minor variation to the cargo box design as well. And, of course, the Canadian trucks had the convoy lamp installation. I'll have to have a better look in the spring to determine if the convoy lights were a factory installation or a unit installation. The giveaway is usually in the wiring.

The only other Cdn option I can think of is the early style heaters which were installed on the inside of the cab on the firewall. The US kit was under the hood. We used the US kit as well, although generally heaters were not in many of the deuces. It will be in mine though, I can guarantee that.