AF vehicles for CAP

[RiverAux]

I wasn't doubting that NHQ wasn't doing what it could, but they don't really have any say in the matter, which is why I was basically critisizing the AF.

[SaBeR33]

1) I don't know if it's legal, and I suspect it wasn't, but an ANG E-7 / CAP member borrowed a bus for a CAP event. I don't think anyone that would have cared knew enough to object.

A CAWG SM who was a SMSgt in the CA ANG did this as well on at least two separate occasions to take a bunch of us cadets from So-Cal to the Watsonville Fly-In in Nor-Cal.

A funny event happened years later involving one of the SMSgt's family members while I was at Pope AFB assisting the CAP-USAF LO who was assigned to the SCWG encampment being held at Fort Bragg. The SMSgt had a rather uncommon last name (that I can no longer remember) that I saw on the uniform of another A1C (who was also Filipino like said SMSgt) at Pope's MPF who was helping me and the LO. I asked if she was related to the SMSgt with the same name. Her eyes suddenly got big and said in an excited voice, "Yes, he's my dad! Do you know him?!" I told her where I knew him from and we spoke for a few minutes. Talk about about a small world.

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

Hmmmm. I like the idea of humvees. Just imagine driving around base with one of those 

[afgeo4]

Hmmmm. I like the idea of humvees. Just imagine driving around base with one of those 

1. No one on any military base is impressed with humvees or people who drive them. They are, simply put, work trucks.
2. Humvees do not meet DOT safety requirements for legal operation in the civilian world (not street legal) and would require extensive upgrades to meet the standards.

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

Hmmmm. I like the idea of humvees. Just imagine driving around base with one of those 

1. No one on any military base is impressed with humvees or people who drive them. They are, simply put, work trucks.
2. Humvees do not meet DOT safety requirements for legal operation in the civilian world (not street legal) and would require extensive upgrades to meet the standards.

Ok. I understand but I was just saying that I would love to drive a Humvee. Not saying I'm going to try to impress people with it (Who is there to impress?). And well with the safety requirements, I was just thinking using them on base, unless otherwise needed.

[♠SARKID♠]

If you want a humvee, you can shell out $50 for a street legalized one.
http://www.xhumvee.com/

[Spike]

2. Humvees do not meet DOT safety requirements for legal operation in the civilian world (not street legal) and would require extensive upgrades to meet the standards.

Really.....I can count off dozens of times I drove mine down an Interstate from one Post to Another.  Can't go above 60 MPH, but it seems to work. 

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

2. Humvees do not meet DOT safety requirements for legal operation in the civilian world (not street legal) and would require extensive upgrades to meet the standards.

Really.....I can count off dozens of times I drove mine down an Interstate from one Post to Another.  Can't go above 60 MPH, but it seems to work.

I bet that was pretty fun. I would love to do something like that. 

[afgeo4]

2. Humvees do not meet DOT safety requirements for legal operation in the civilian world (not street legal) and would require extensive upgrades to meet the standards.

Really.....I can count off dozens of times I drove mine down an Interstate from one Post to Another.  Can't go above 60 MPH, but it seems to work.

DoD owned and operated combat vehicles are exempt from U.S. DOT rules. Humvees do not have sufficient roll cages, door beams for side impact protection, padded dashboards, 5mph bumpers, and old versions don't meet seat belt requirements. Because of these reasons, the vehicles cannot be sold or donated for civilian use and must be destroyed (cut in half or scrapped) upon end of their service life in the military. Civilians often purchase these cut in half vehicles and put them back together. Many fix the street illegal issues, but most just drive the vehicles illegally. The Hummer has these issues fixed of course, but they cost well over $75,000.

[BillB]

One question that has always come up, if you remove seats in a USAF surplus bus to limit seating to 12 or 15, and use the empty space for communications equipment is this still a bus or is it now a comm truck?  I've noticed that many small churches in North Florida have obtained surplus buses. So they are available, most are drive away. Limiting the seating to be equivlant to a 15 pa van, and installing mobile VHF and HF radios  would meet a need in CAP. But is the vehicle a bus or a Comm vehicle? What does CAP consider as a "bus"? If a bus seating is limited and converted is it still a bus?

[PHall]

One question that has always come up, if you remove seats in a USAF surplus bus to limit seating to 12 or 15, and use the empty space for communications equipment is this still a bus or is it now a comm truck?  I've noticed that many small churches in North Florida have obtained surplus buses. So they are available, most are drive away. Limiting the seating to be equivlant to a 15 pa van, and installing mobile VHF and HF radios  would meet a need in CAP. But is the vehicle a bus or a Comm vehicle? What does CAP consider as a "bus"? If a bus seating is limited and converted is it still a bus?

What does your state's vehicle code say? Would it be registered as a "bus"? If it is registered as a bus it's a no-go since National will not allow us to have a bus anymore, period.
This restriction is the result of an accident where CAP had to pay a large amount of money in the settlement, so I wouldn't bet on it changing anytime soon.