$25k trailer. Oh, it comes with a few tools....

[Mgnu]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/US-Army-KI...142643?hash=item3fab9d26b3:g:axoAAOSwPXdbkZx-








Maybe @Strouty will buy one and let us know how awesome it is?

 

[JVB]

Would be pretty neat to see one of them fully stocked. Seemed 75% is missing .

 

[p0lar]

Link:

"Kipper Tool Co., Gainesville, Ga., was awarded on March 29 a $31,867,159 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the procurement of 155 standard automotive tool sets. Work will be performed in Gainesville, Ga., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2011. One bid was solicited with one bid received. The U.S. Army TACOM LCMC, Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (DAAE20-03-D-0085)."

That's $205,594.57 each on average, not considering delivery, any kind of included maintenance, etc, so obviously that's on the high end, but the history of these is somewhat interesting.

They also created a small inventory management cartoon using this exact trailer, so there is a tiny bit of interesting pedigree to it! Reference page 45 for the info on the data plate (you'll have to zoom in, but there's the info, nearly verbatim if I had to guess).

 

[whyNick?]

Wow, it's like a super GMTK, pretty cool.

 

[protegeV]

Still cool, but would be cooler if all the tools were there.

 

[Farmall450]

Wow, neat. Too rich for my blood haha.

 

[PoorOwner]

On the comment of that video he commented a new one cost $378K.
But we all know with government tool contracts, often result in something like $500 for a hammer in the invoice, that is probably a $20 hammer in real life. Highly inflated.

 

[a52-830]

it is a customized 20 foot shipping container on a trailer. sure, it includes some extra things, like the generator, but the tool storage doesn't impress me, nor does the layout. they had a specific use in mind, which is why it is configured like it is. I find it hard to believe that it is well laid out for someone who might not want take it from the trailer and transport it on a ship (or train) somewhere.

needing a Big Rig to transport it (they specifically state that a one ton pickup won't be adequate, since it weighs 20,000 pounds) it likely a deal breaker too . . . . .

 

[Farmall450]

On the comment of that video he commented a new one cost $378K.
But we all know with government tool contracts, often result in something like $500 for a hammer in the invoice, that is probably a $20 hammer in real life. Highly inflated.

That's not even much of an exaggeration. We get ran through the wringer for sure.

 

[Greeny]

On the comment of that video he commented a new one cost $378K.
But we all know with government tool contracts, often result in something like $500 for a hammer in the invoice, that is probably a $20 hammer in real life. Highly inflated.

Myth. The hammer was only $435.

 

[a52-830]

Myth. The hammer was only $435.

the truth of the matter in these kinds of situations lies in the contract.

usually these kinds of contracts require the vendor to maintain parts/supplies for N years, where N is usually 10 or 20 years.

so, the vendor needs to :
initially buy the replacement hammers (essentially the makings of several additional units)


it needs to store them somewhere, along with every other item, including trailers and those big shipping containers

it needs to track the quantities (likely auditing at least a portion of them yearly) and report stock levels back to the sourcing agency

it needs to maintain the staffing to deal with potential requests.

it needs to do [maintence, cleaning, upkeep] to the facility, and pay the utilities and taxes.


all so that if some 19 year old kid drops an 8" adjustable wrench and is too lazy to pick it up and put it back, and someone later notices it is gone, and requests a replacement.

all this because the sourcing agency doesn't trust their own people to maintain the reserve stock, for whatever reason.

 

[Greeny]

the truth of the matter in these kinds of situations lies in the contract.

This was another case of the people allowing the media to sell them a distorted half truth. The half truth or all lie has been told so many times now that most people believe it. The hammer only cost about $20. We, the taxpayer only paid $20 for the hammer. There was a large research and development miscellaneous cost on this particular contract. The government told the contractor to spread that cost Across all of the supply items on the contract. That resulted in a added cost on every line item for X hundred dollars. Doesn’t mean the hammer cost $400.

 

[djb2]

An echo: the government is paying (and paying well) for a company to deliver on a complex spec, with delivery and a warranty.

You are buying a used trailer that might have some stuff in it, as-is where-is.

 

[PoorOwner]

How much do you guys think the seller bought this trailer for?

 

[kctyphoon]

This is what i dont understand about “surplus”

Why is that trailer out of military hands? Are you telling me its because its missing some tools? Someone help explain. Same deal with Military MRE’s - why is that i can go and buy new MRE kits that have “property of the US Governement” written on it - that are for sale when they were just made??

I’m all for auctioning off things that have outlived their usefullness to the military, but when things are clearly in great shape - i just dont get it.. if a trailer like that is being auctioned off for pennies on the dollar to private owners - i wanna see bullet holes and bomb fragments in the ****** thing.

And the air conditioner better not work...

 

[PoorOwner]

This is what i dont understand about “surplus”

Why is that trailer out of military hands? Are you telling me its because its missing some tools? Someone help explain. Same deal with Military MRE’s - why is that i can go and buy new MRE kits that have “property of the US Governement” written on it - that are for sale when they were just made??

I’m all for auctioning off things that have outlived their usefullness to the military, but when things are clearly in great shape - i just dont get it.. if a trailer like that is being auctioned off for pennies on the dollar to private owners - i wanna see bullet holes and bomb fragments in the ****** thing.

And the air conditioner better not work...

Maybe it got broken into and cost too much to replace missing items, write it off as total loss, sell the "chassis" at auction. Just my guess.

 

[JSGAuto]

This is what i dont understand about “surplus”

Why is that trailer out of military hands? Are you telling me its because its missing some tools? Someone help explain.

There are costs with ownership. The agency uses the item till the project is complete. The item is turned in. The item may be reissued, refurbished, or demiled. After demil it could be sold for scrap, or auctioned depending on value.

It really is a supply and demand thing. I've seen 1/4" bolts reused, and huge pieces equipment scrapped.....someone always wants bolts....specialty equipment, not so much.

We turned in a $250K LVD press brake. It worked, but had some damage due to transport. We really didn't have the floor space for it (and had 2 others)....none of the sister organizations wanted it. I saw it come up on GovLiquidators. Sold for $10K...I really thought about bidding, but it weighed 40Klbs, tough to move that into the garage.

It makes my head hurt every day....

Jim

 

[jd_1138]

Those tool boxes are probably empty or else he'd show them open and filled.

 

[jd_1138]

There are costs with ownership. The agency uses the item till the project is complete. The item is turned in. The item may be reissued, refurbished, or demiled. After demil it could be sold for scrap, or auctioned depending on value.

It really is a supply and demand thing. I've seen 1/4" bolts reused, and huge pieces equipment scrapped.....someone always wants bolts....specialty equipment, not so much.

We turned in a $250K LVD press brake. It worked, but had some damage due to transport. We really didn't have the floor space for it (and had 2 others)....none of the sister organizations wanted it. I saw it come up on GovLiquidators. Sold for $10K...I really thought about bidding, but it weighed 40Klbs, tough to move that into the garage.

It makes my head hurt every day....

Jim

Ouch, that *****. Only positive note about that is that the guy who bought it probably made a nice profit to support himself and his co. and employees, and he probably flipped it to a local shop that otherwise couldn't afford a tool like that, so jobs were created/kept with that tool so the economic impact was beneficial.