After running its fleet of jeeps ragged during Vietnam, the US military needed something new. It tasked AM General with designing a heftier workhorse to handle modern weapons systems.
The result was the Humvee, which became indelibly associated with half a dozen military interventions. Its weaknesses, however, have been exposed in the latest asymmetric wars, which often take place in urban settings. Click the Military Humvee For Sale to learn more.
Regarding military vehicles, you could argue that the Humvee has arguably been the most versatile. Known officially as the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or HMMWV, this light truck is designed to accommodate a variety of different military hardware, from small machine guns to tube-launched, optically tracked, wire command-guided (TOW) anti-tank missile launchers. In addition to all that, it has to be able to drive in a variety of different environments for long periods of time and do so without getting bogged down or blown up.
It’s not an easy task, but despite the challenges it’s no surprise that the Humvee has served soldiers well for decades. However, the military may finally be ready to start replacing them with something that’s more suited to modern war. The Army recently announced it would purchase Oshkosh’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, or JLTVs, to replace its current fleet of Humvees. The new trucks are designed to be more nimble than their predecessors and offer better protection.
The JLTVs are also a lot more fuel efficient than their Humvee counterparts, and they can even be adapted to run on pure electric power. A hybrid-electric version of the truck, called the HUMVEE Charge, is available now and uses commercial-off-the-shelf technology to convert internal combustion energy into electricity for the wheels and motor. It can also recapture and store energy from braking and suspension motion, enhancing range and performance.
Although the JLTVs are a good improvement over the Humvee, it’s not clear that they will be perfect for all future missions. For example, they aren’t ideal for urban warfare, where improvised explosive devices and buried bombs can be a serious threat to the occupants.
To deal with this, the military began retrofitting Humvees with armor and bulletproof windows. Unfortunately, this added a lot of weight, which made them slow and clumsy to drive, and it also put a lot of strain on the engine, transmission, and chassis. This resulted in a lot of mechanical failures, and service members often found themselves trapped inside their vehicles when attackers used them as human shields.
It’s Designed to Stay High Off the Ground
For decades, Humvees have been the military’s main front-line vehicle. They are known for their rugged build and all-terrain capabilities. Over the years, military engineers have added a ton of armor, guns, turrets and other equipment to these vehicles. Unfortunately, these heavy additions have reduced their payload capacity and negatively impacted their performance.
In order to get the most out of their Humvees, it is important for the occupants to stay high off the ground. This can help to reduce the impact of roadside bombs and other explosive devices. A military Humvee is designed with this in mind, with portal axles that raise the entire drivetrain off of the wheel hubs. This allows the vehicle to get up to 16 inches of ground clearance on rough terrain.
The height of the Humvee also helps to protect it from mortar rounds and other small arms fire. Additionally, being higher off of the ground can help to improve visibility and safety in crowded city streets. In addition, the height of a Humvee can also make it easier for soldiers to jump out and run to safety if they are trapped in an ambush.
When the US Army first developed the Humvee, they analyzed a wide range of factors to come up with the final design. For example, they studied how wide the vehicle needed to be in order to avoid tipping over when carrying tall loads in rough terrain. They also wanted to ensure that the vehicle would have adequate suspension travel and locking differentials. Finally, they needed to find a powerful engine that could handle the load and provide enough power for off-road driving.
Despite these challenges, the Humvee has remained in service for over forty years. In fact, the previous commandant of the Marine Corps said that “the Humvee is going to be around for a while.”
While the Humvee will eventually be replaced by the JLTV, many experts believe that it won’t happen until 2021 at the earliest. In the meantime, it is still possible to purchase a military Humvee from Miles Fiberglass and use it for a variety of purposes.
It’s Built to Last
Since the military’s switch to the Humvee in 1983, the light-duty truck has become a familiar sight in the world’s most remote and dangerous corners. A quick search of DVIDS will reveal countless photographs and videos of the vehicle whisking soldiers and Marines across vast expanses of sand, through urban neighborhoods and into the heart of the fight.
Initially, the Army’s H1 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle—better known as the Humvee—was designed to be as rugged and reliable as possible. Its simple design, using one engine and chassis in 15 configurations, meant less training time for mechanics who would have to learn how to work on a variety of different vehicles. The vehicle also scored high on the Army’s Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM-D) requirements.
As the vehicle was tested, its makers made a few adjustments. They raised the vehicle’s ground clearance to 16 inches, added more armor and reinforced the door frames to improve protection in the event of an improvised explosive device. The HMMWV was also given more power from its six-cylinder diesel engine. Its original 185 horsepower wasn’t terrible, but it certainly wasn’t enough to get the vehicle moving quickly in the roughest terrain or climb hills at a good clip.
In addition, the vehicle’s designers added a variety of other useful features to the Humvee. A winch was included, to help with off-road driving. The ability to mount a range of weapons, including missiles, was another welcome addition. The vehicle was also able to traverse a 60 percent incline, drive through 2.5 feet of water and travel up to 40 miles on a tank of fuel.
While the Humvee was a great vehicle for its time, it was clear that the military needed something else. The Army began replacing the vehicle with the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle—better known as the JLTV—in 2018.
But while the JLTV is better than the Humvee in some ways, that doesn’t mean it will be a replacement for the entire fleet. The Army has decided to keep a few uparmored Humvees around as an insurance policy for the next big fight.
It’s Affordable
As a former military vehicle, it comes as no surprise that the Humvee isn’t exactly your typical production truck. This unique vehicle is designed to ride higher off the ground than any other truck and still have ample room for occupants. In fact, its height is one of the things that makes it so much easier to drive over obstacles than a regular truck would be.
The Humvee is also more compact than many other vehicles of its size. This means that it can be more easily transported on a plane and dropped in the field for quick deployment in a crisis. The smaller size also allows it to travel faster and get more miles per gallon than a traditional car or SUV.
While the military Humvee may not be able to compete with the fuel economy of a hybrid or electric model, it is still an extremely affordable option for those looking for a unique vehicle. While the price tag can vary based on the vehicle’s condition and other features, you can usually expect to spend less than $20,000 for a used Humvee.
In some cases, you can even save up to $10,000 by purchasing a Humvee at auction. As with any purchase, it is important to do your homework and research the different options available before making a decision. However, with the right knowledge and a little bit of patience, you can find a Humvee for sale that is well within your budget.
As we mentioned earlier, the military has a history of holding onto designs for far longer than any private-sector company would. This is why you can still find examples of military jets that were first built in the 1950s, as well as tanks and armored vehicles from WWII. The US Army likely has over 100,000 Humvees on its books, and many will be destined for the scrap heap unless something changes.
The DLA has already crushed more than 19,000 of these vehicles since a 2014 regulatory change, and it appears that this practice is set to continue indefinitely. In the meantime, private companies like Plan B Supply are rushing to buy up all of the DLA’s old Humvees before they are destroyed. These companies are using a loophole in the law to purchase surplus equipment that State and Commerce haven’t designated as restricted, so long as it is “similar” to items that have been previously approved.