State Dept. Explosives requisitions

[MillCreek]

The awesome thing about the MRAPs is I really wonder how many departments will have the funds to keep them operational.

I have read several comments along these lines in recent months.  So I have to ask: other than the cost of fuel and routine maintenance, what are the costs needed to keep them operational?  I would have thought that since these are essentially heavy armored trucks, operational costs are just automotive in nature, not like a helicopter or something like that.

Or is it because they are MRAPs, the cost of fuel and routine maintenance is very high?

[Fitz]

I have read several comments along these lines in recent months.  So I have to ask: other than the cost of fuel and routine maintenance, what are the costs needed to keep them operational?  I would have thought that since these are essentially heavy armored trucks, operational costs are just automotive in nature, not like a helicopter or something like that.

Or is it because they are MRAPs, the cost of fuel and routine maintenance is very high?

Everything about them is built heavy. I'm no expert, but i remember my mechanic friend saying that the cost of simple wear items was astronomical because of how beefy everything is. Brakes have to be big to stop a heavy vehicle.

No idea to what extent though

[KD5NRH]

Everything about them is built heavy. I'm no expert, but i remember my mechanic friend saying that the cost of simple wear items was astronomical because of how beefy everything is. Brakes have to be big to stop a heavy vehicle.

Still, there are normal civilian vehicles that are big and heavy and still have to stop.  Same for civilian vehicles having to lug a lot of weight around, bounce over rough terrain, etc.

Pretty sure they could have contracted the base vehicle out to Freightliner, Mack, etc. and gotten something that any truck stop could fix...once they figured out how to get to the standard equipment underneath.

[dm1333]

The awesome thing about the MRAPs is I really wonder how many departments will have the funds to keep them operational.

My hometown bought a LARC 60 for flood relief on a river that had flood currents in the 10 knot range, the LARC had a top speed in the 7 knot range.  That math should have been obvious to anybody.