Matte Black Truck with Strange Logos Photographed in Downtown Washington, DC

reply to post by godsmokes


My thoughts....

Paintball organisers, or somthing the guys from "sons of guns" would run around in, maybe even airsoft folk in the area, also as someone mentioned Zombie runs etc, maybe somone that organises them...

they are the kind of people where a truley impracticle, demi futuristic old converted military truck could "look cool" need 0 practicality and be a justifiable business expence.....

reply to post by godsmokes


Aren't they supposed to be filming expendables 3 over there.
Could be a prop for their new movie?

It looks like an old obsolete 2.5 ton military truck turned into an RV, maybe somebody's idea of a home away from home.

I'd drive it, it could go most anywhere.

The logo is probably something personal, the truck looks too old to be used by any current military or government agency.

Aww we have one of those.. we call it the "Exterminator"... rofl!! Im in small town nowhere.
www.stltoday.com... 0a23c62.html
Ive never seen the thing but once. I fear its been carjacked like the icecream truck last year. Carjackers here loves them some icecream!


ANyway, that truck in the thread is almost useless.. old and high profile. If I was a cop being transported in THAT... Id make sure they had me a harness and personal airbag. They better not take any sharp turns over 5 miles an hour or cops will fall out of that sucker like a clown car in a rollover. Not the best urban vehicle. Parts on these spectacular little vehicles they are giving/selling to our cops have some exposed parts that just beg for some sabotage too.

TDawgRex
reply to post by godsmokes

 

It's a old Army 5-ton (M935). I would think it's a movie prop (for the SYFY channel) or some survivalist with money to burn built it.

Why would some agency want a old 5-ton when they seem to be giving out MRAPs?

Just a 5ton.

I go with some guy with money to burn.
OR some guy looking to make money off their handi-work

reply to post by HanzHenry


I would never buy one of these vehicles (M935) even if I did have money to burn. Maybe a older model M35 (2-12 ton) or a old M151A2 (Mutt/Jeep). Those vehicles at least had a rep for taking a beating and keep on running.

But they were loud, no power steering. Nothing but guts. LOL

I've seen the old M35 break peoples fingers/wrists when it hit a gully by spinning the wheel unexpectedly. It took a bit to get used to driving that beast.

Battlefresh
It has to be a movie prop. Look at the useless "stealth" panel design. It's too expensive and detailed to be a food truck. The logo looks to say ZOL. I can't find anything on that.

ZOL? Lol. Maybe Darth Vader?

Oh, I know ...... it's a rolling JDAM target.

reply to post by TDawgRex


A MUTT is an M151A and an M52A1 is a 5 ton usually a dump truck (I have one and it has power steering). It has a strong suspension under it and I have had 10 tons of rock in the dump and the back springs hardly compressed.

My thoughts on the one in DC is this: Has anyone checked it out? You could load the largest nuke currently made and roll it anywhere. Watch the players in DC to see if they evacuate surreptitiously in the coming days. BTW, it ain't my 5 ton.

Or its a movie prop.

If they go, Denver comes to mind. I hope its nothing.

Now after I post this it may be 6 hours before I can post again due to some strange glitch with me and ATS posting. IDK what it is, but its about to get on my nerves. Also, when I try to contact someone about this, I doesn't go through and it will be 24 hours before I can access ATS again.

Some of these responses just make me shake my head. Movie prop? Do you really believe that?

This is clearly a militarized police vehicle, parked there in preparation for the trucker protest. Citizens are now being thought of as enemies of the state. These jacked up jarheads are itching for a reason to use all of these new toys.

I think it's more than likely a TSA VIPR unit. Look at that logo. It's a snake head.

reply to post by TomLawless


And yet, with all the MRAPs practically being given away, they go with an old 5 ton truck POS that rolls if you turn faster than 2 1/2 miles an hour, and has a turning radius of about 3 miles? Yeah, of course they would.

reply to post by Zaphod58


They don't need it to corner on dime, do they? It looks like it's designed to carry troops, and generally get in the way.

There aren't any movies being filmed in DC right now, and if it were a movie prop, you would see things like PA's, directors, actors, lighting.... You know. Actual movie stuff.

So the timing of the sighting is just a coincidence. It's there for a non existent movie, or someone spent the money on it for some kind of "prepper" type thing. In Washington DC.

Yeah, THAT's it!

Aren't they filming some Transformers scenes in DC?

Looks like a Decepticon (spelling?) vehicle. Don't they use a snake logo?

reply to post by sheepslayer247


That's not even close to being a decepticon logo.

Again. If it were a movie prop, it wouldn't just be sitting there all by itself.

reply to post by TomLawless


It makes a lot more sense than using a piece of crap 5 ton when you can get an MRAP designed to carry troops a hell of a lot cheaper, and be a lot more flexible than that POS.

You don't put something like that in front of a truck to block it, you use barriers. You certainly don't put something like that loaded with people in front of one. There are so many better ways to block a trucker protest, like putting a bunch of cops out where they're dropping their trailers, and arresting them.

But again, why some POS like this, than an MRAP that they're practically giving away right now?

reply to post by BobAthome

i think that it could be plywood panels as apposed to steel and maybe it's some gi joe wanabe having a laugh .

if it was some government truck i think it would be based on some thing a bit more modern .

reply to post by Zaphod58


Good point. So what in hades is it? It's definitely not a movie prop.

I spent too much time screwing around in PS, 3D'ing the logo, rotating it and searching google. Anyhoo, got nothing else of value, but in studying the logos I did notice something of note:

Clearly apparent from the red front logo, is that it is an emblem, not a decal. That means it is a raised, 3D molded/cast/machined rendition of a logo, same as the emblems sold on most every civilian vehicle in existence.

IDK about you, but I can't recall ever seeing any gov't agency anywhere ever using a decorative emblem on a vehicle. Decals (stickers) are the only choice, other than actual paint.

Based on this observation I call movie prop. A large emblem on a real military vehicle would be susceptible to breaking off under stressful offroad driving, and would not be used by any builder with half a brain.

TomLawless
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Good point. So what in hades is it? It's definitely not a movie prop.

Have you watched the SYFY channel lately? LOL They use anything that look remotely military in their movies. It's laughable.

I would only take this vehicle if they gave it to me. And that would be only if I could sell it immediately after.

reply to post by godsmokes


I would like to own this but it is not up to modern military spec though crowd control may be a possability the flat sides and windshield are far from optimal even for this, most modern military truck's and APC have a 'V' shaped hull that while an IED can remove a weel can effectively direct the blast away and out to the side from the passenger/crew compartment's, to be honest we have very low gun crime compared to the states and I think with the exception of the upper observation window that could double as a turret and the six wheel configuration of the chassis there are more heavily armored civilian vehicles on security duty such as cash vans.
I think I would side with Sadisnocturnal on this but think Rather a custom van made to someone's very drab taste and I would of added some anti RPG panels and armored window's sloped at 45 degree's (would have required a complete rebuild of the cab with drop shielding though the grill is vulnerable and a anti material rifle would knock that right out.

Here is the current truck in use by the british military in places like Afghanistan www.armyrecognition.com... ier_BritishArmy_United_Kingdom_001.jpg
The grill work is anti RPG shielding and though the design look's dated it is a relatively new truck (we work on a much much tighter budget than your military in the state's but you can well bet shared technology on this vehicle) and though I personnaly would have modified the design in several way's it does get the job done.

reply to post by TomLawless


Ok, it was just a shot in the dark.

You would also think that if this was a military or a police vehicle, it would not be sitting there by itself either.

I do not believe this beast is nefarious in any way as far as I can tell.