Sorry for once again arriving late to the party . . .
Oshkosh played around with the idea of an MATV pickup truck some years back (2015) but apparently the military was not interested at the time.
a.k.a. The M1266A1 (Note this version does not require the lengthened wheelbase.)
I played around with the idea as well.
Used here are left over cargo body parts from the Marine Mark 23 cargo truck.
Amazing and unique scratchbuilding of a SOCOM vehicle that most people know nothing about. Your time and effort really show in your photos.
@terminator, hmmm a Wolfhound eh??? Maybe start with the Mastiff2? that could be quite a project…
@Trisaw, hi Peter, yeah, when I saw this truck I really liked the look. I think you’re right in that it may well be a bit obscure, and must say, photos and specs are pretty hard to come by. Robs images have helped quite a bit. At the beginning of this thread I mentioned I tried this once before, and looking back it was fine, but, it has its share of problems.
As for now, on we go:
@Dioramartin, hi Tim, back to your question about the hood/bonnet - well, it seems to be just about fine, but wrong…perfect. If you look at the photo above, you might note, that the “end” of the highest point of the fender on the right side (in this view, but left side of truck) is well, lower than the other side - 
So - it’s not anymore:
A guy went ahead and rebuilt the top of the right (in this view, left on the truck) so that it is now flush!
Other exciting activities focused on the right rear and rear end of this brute:
This truck has these two tool boxes that rest on metal bar that projects outward from the bed, so now the model does too!
And, on to the rear end:
There’s a lot going on back here. The towbars are from the old Trumpeter kit, the tail lights and glad hands from the M1083, and obviously, plenty of styrene! I still need to add a few bits, but nothing major.
As always, unpredictable tasks were a challenge - like getting the shields around the tail lights on - took forever, same with the brackets used to hold on the towbar. You can also see the small connecting points were added to the chassis horns. None of these look all that hard to do, which I guess they’re not, but a fair amount of patience was required to get them in place.
And that’s where it sits right now. I’ve started adding detail, but plenty more to go. Oh, and boltheads, lots of them are needed, as I haven’t added any yet.
Thanks for having a look
Cheers
Nick
Nice hood correction, of course I noticed it but didn’t want to upset you further after Glenn mentioned the “M” word 
One day I’ll rumble your magic trick of making vehicles look like they weigh several tons before you’ve even painted them - current theory being you’ve scratch-built some kinda Gravity Amplifier under your workbench. (How’s that for a scratch-built compliment?) 
Very nice. One wonders why you even bothered to buy a base kit.
I do have a suggestion for the T shaped latches. I posted it the archived site but can’t find it.
Start with Evergreen I beam or H column of the appropriate size. Slice off a thin sliver. Trim to make the T shape and then round the top with a file. It takes about as long to make as it took me to type this, and it looks good.
Looking awesome as usual Nick, keep it up. 
this build is really great I think modern armor is lacking in kits (especially MRAPS) thank you for this. I actually got to see this truck on FOB Price in the Helmand Provence and being a mechanic and an equipment nut this truck stopped me for a few minutes so I could go over and take a look.
@Dioramartin , well Tim, despite it being a “miniature”, it still weighs several tons! 
@18bravo, hi Rob - thanks for the positive words and the idea - the Xacto has already been put to good use - old "T"s out, new "T"s in - and looking good.
@Tank_1812 , thanks Ryan - yes, still more to go, a lot more
@Brantwoodboy, I’m a truck and equipment nut too, and lean toward more recent vehicles. You’re right, it’s not as easy to find as many modern vehicles as other vintages, but if you dig around a bit, you can find some choices. Kinetic, Meng, Hobby Boss, AFV Club, Panda, Trumpeter, Sabre, Bronco, and Ryefield make a few.
Thinking about this, here are a few choices that might interest you:
I’ve built several of the Panda MATVs - not a great kit, but nice results. I’ve read that the Ryefield version is very good. Panda also makes a Husky VMMD, which I have, but haven’t built. They make the Cougar 4x4 which I don’t know much about. They also make the HMEE JCB backhoe kit - which of course, came out after I scratch built my own!
Bronco makes a kit of the Buffalo 6x6, which I have built. As I recall, it has a lot of detail and was a slow build - I added the Lion Roar bar armor - a LOT of work. Bronco now makes a kit version with the bar armor. They also make some nice HMMWV M1114 kits.
Academy makes a nice HMMWV M1151. I like the Academy kit - it goes together pretty well, and you can modify it in several ways - using either aftermarket kits, or with some scratch work, same for the Bronco M1114.
Meng makes the Cat D9R, which is a great kit, and they make the Husky TSV, which is British, but it’s modern, and looks like an interesting build. They also make the 6x6 Cougar kit.
Hobby Boss makes the M1070 and M1000 combo. It is a good build - with the trailer tho, it’s huge! They also make an M911 - which looks to be huge too.
AFV Club makes a kit of the HEMTT M983 / M901, which I have, but haven’t built. This kit also looks to be really big, so haven’t gotten after it. They might make other modern kits, but can’t think of them right now.
Italeri makes the HEMTT too - and somebody else might too - I don’t remember. They also make a few HMMWV kits. As I recall, Italeri makes several modern kits - just don’t remember them now - so could be wrong!
Further up this thread, is the Sabre JLTV. I’d never heard of Sabre, but it is a really nice kit, and would encourage anyone to consider for a project.
Kinetic makes a few MRAPs - the RG-31, I used for this project, and the MaxxPro. These kits are not super detailed or complicated, but, are pretty good for the price. I’ve built a few of their RG variants, and did some heavy duty cutting on the MaxxPro to make the recovery vehicle version. This was a lot of work, but it came out looking pretty good.
Trumpeter makes the M0178 and M1083, and the MK23 MTVR. I used parts from the M1083 for this project.
I’m sure I’ve missed and not included several kits, so don’t consider this list to be complete, just a few you might consider checking out. I’ll bet you can find a few good projects in there somewhere!
@Charlie , well, a guy just wanted to build it. I discovered the version you posted once I was already into this and can live with that. The Sabre kit is really nice, and I suppose they too will eventually release it as the pickup -
OK gents, happy model building,
Cheers
Nick
Thank you, all of the great info, most of the kits you have mentioned are wither in my stash of my wish list on Ebay. the one that I would give caution too is the Panda Husky they left out some of the most important parts of the truck in the molding and designing. I would go for the AFV Club kit but keep your tires from the Panda that is the only thing they got right. I just want some newer and better kited subjects.
Trumpeter has a line of HEMTT A2s; M983A2 Tractor, M983A2 LET, M1120A2 LHS, M1142A2 Fire Truck, and M984A2 Wrecker. They do not make any other versions, but by combining parts from the older (and much less detailed) Italeri HEMTTs (you can buy the individual bed and tank sprues from Italeri), you can make pretty much any A2 HEMTT. I did it with my M1074 PLS and M985A2 MLRS Ammo Carrier builds a while ago, and I am planning on building an M978A2 Fueler soon too.
Unfortunately, no one makes the current HEMTT A4. I may be converting one soon, so we will see. There are some HEMTT A4 3D printed parts available on Shapeways, but they are not cheap. There is a suspension set, which is only half correct. It has 4 of the rear suspension units and none of the front suspension parts. There is also an engine module piece, but it is crazy expensive. I plan to use the suspension units on the rear, scratch the front suspension, and scratch the engine cover/radiators.
Shapeways parts.
1/35 Scale HEMTT A4 Piggy Back Engine Pack - $108
1/35 Scale HEMTT A4 Suspension Kit full set - $37
Correct A4 front suspension.
I not goanna lie your scratch building is at a level I think I could only wish to achieve. I Just hit a grumpy spell and I got my complaining out of my system so back to the bench to build what I can and try to get better.
I’m glad my description alone was enough to help you do those T-shaped handles. You strike me as a rather smart fellow…
I posted photos of the process but once again, they were on the archived site. I’ll be looking forward to seeing them in your future photographs.
Hi model builders,
Only time for brief update on the big truck. Have spent some time in the last few days adding details to the exterior of the cab. This has required many visits to the junkbox for remnant etch parts and evergreen. OK, here we go:
There’s a spare tire mount and winch, and air intake on this side.
Turns out, there’s plenty happening on the roof. The gunner’s position is not like what my donor kits offers, so, I made the changes to make it look right. The hatch has two halves, split in the middle.
And, the CROWS has a structural base - well…there you go - had to figure that out.
I don’t know what is in that box next to the rear window, but it is vented, and now on my build.
The roof is now about half way done.
Cheers
Nick
Amazing work as usual Nick! I love seeing this come together! 
—mike
if you make this onto a kit, I would be the first in line to buy it.
I am fan of this work.
O f…k 
Well guys, thanks for the positive words! As you all know, as soon as you scratch one, somebody will make a kit of it! 
As for things, personal life and real work have been keeping me busy, but, yesterday, while watching the Warriors game, well I also got after this, and kept doing so well into the night - the plan - to more or less finish what’s going on, on the roof!
You’ll once again see the results of repurposing remnant etch sprues, and evergreen. This was all pretty interesting, as there are several oddly shaped brackets that attach to each other.
In general, I don’t like making fragile models, as I can just about guarantee that I will eventually knock parts off. So, when I could, I used resin bolts going through the etch and into something solid, and like real life, they do a great job holding things in place. Also, if possible, I’d pin etch to etch, or add some reinforcing to the inside, with lead foil - as in, right off the top of a wine bottle - you can’t see it, and it works just fine. Finally, got after adding on bolt heads.
Ok, enough rambling, and on we go:
It doesn’t seem the designers of this truck wasted much space!
For this, I used a lot of .010" styrene too - while not as strong as etch or thin sheet brass, it’s easier to cut and get good connections. There’s also a lot of .020" styrene.
Believe it or not, there is still more to add 
So on we go - happy model building,
Cheers
Nick
