CEMMV Production

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

Hi all,

 

I was driving down this side road by the DaimlerChrylser tech center in Auburn Hills, MI, and found this facility. Normally, I wouldn't be too impressed with a big warehouse per se, but when I reached the parking lot, it looked something like this:

 

Turns out, this unassuming company does fleet conversions for GM. Well, they definately do military fleet conversions for GM. I don't know if they do any other sort of fleet prep work or not. These trucks start life in Flint, MI as unassuming, base Silverado 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cabs. Then they get shipped here, and here's what happens. I could see them converting them in their large garage towards the back. I also am not sure if they do complete conversions of the vehicle, or just mechanical conversions. It appears some electrical equipment may be missing from the trucks.

 

Notably, they are painted in a flat olive drab color (I'm not used to touching a truck painted without clear coat!). The front end recieves some different treatment, with a painted grille, stripped emblem, and the grille has an opening for what will be a military electrical take-off port. I don't think they've been installed yet.

 

The front bumper is a heavy-duty steel channel design, which has a hitch reciever for winches/etc., two tie-down points, and holes cut for black-out lighting, which again, has not been installed yet. The side of the truck has been stripped of any trim (if there was any before hand), badges, etc. There are no hubcaps on the wheels, either, which have been painted to match the body.

 

The back of the truck shows that the truck does not have a bedliner, let alone the plastic strip along the top of the tailgate. The custom bumper is similar to the front one as well, with the reciever, tie-down points, black-out lighting areas, and has different holes I presume for electrical ports to be installed.

 

 

This batch of CEMMVs (there were easily close to 100) are headed to Canada, hence the "GM Du Canada" form window sticker. When the trucks arrive at this facility, they are all in Onyx Black, with a charcoal interior. The sticker confirms that, I just wasn't able to get a shot of the "before" trucks (yet....). They are all 2500 HD crewcab 4WDs.

 

Here's the options list. Not too bad, either. Duramax 6.6, Allison, locking rear differential, dual 105 amp alternators, hd trailering wiring. Interestingly enough, for the military spec trucks, the 6.6 is standard, whereas the 6.0 gas is optional. You can see there is a lot of deleted items: rear seat delete, front and rear bumper delete, hubcap delete, emblem/decal delete. What's interesting though is there is no radio delete....the base AM/FM unit is still in every one of these trucks.

 

 

I do plan on going back soon...there were some Surburbans ready to be converted for command car use...for Guam, I think, and there were some 3500 trucks being converted to chassis-cab units for ambulance use. I'll get some more pix hopefully by the end of the week.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

 

MQ

[MCourson]

Now I would love to drive something like that. I really like the tough look of the new front end with the bumpers, and the flat olive green. My neihbor had a mid 80s governmet surplus 4wd Blazer with the diesel that was pretty sweet too, except for the diesel part.

[MarkD]

Sounds like a cool job!

[R Dogg 56]

Were all of the trucks you saw there the '03 model ?

[greyghost03]

Cool pics!

 

A sea of olive drab green!

 

EDIT - A sea of CHEVY olive drab green!!

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

All the trucks currently there are MY03. The CUCV Suburbans (prior to convertion) was with the '03 interior, and also had Autoride. I was surprised they'd use an LT to convert to military spec. But all pickups and chassis-cabs there were for the '03 model year. I've pics on film (need to be developed) of when the lot was full of MY'02 CEMMVs in the lot. Those had the 24v take-off equipment installed there, but retained stock bumpers. I'll try to get those ASAP, as well as get some more pix from the "factory".

 

MQ

[99silveradoz71]

Nice pics, surprised you were able to get in close to all that stuff being that it's going to the gov't. That would rock to have something like that all beefed up. We've got a confiscated Yukon that they're going to change over for patrol use at some point, we'll see how that ends up.

[Black02Silverado]

Well I doubt the Air Force will get those. We seem to be getting new 03 GM trucks that are painted the indego blue color. No olive drab, oh and just a stripped down model like the old W/T truck. I have also seen some 03 Powerstroke 4dr 4x4 models on base, those went to crash and recovery guys, still think that they would have been better off with a DMax set up. Oh well I don't buy them for the AF just try to get in them and enjoy. The smell of a new truck is just so soothing.

[jelisfc]

I've seen one 2002 chev dmax cc with a utility box in OD green. Same truck as in the GM Military website on a flatbed in MN. There is one option you don't see in Army vehicles - Air Cond. I guess the Canadian Govt gives their soldiers more creature comforts.

[MCourson]

I still think it would make a sweet urban assault vehicle.

[Wingnut]

I guess the Canadian Govt gives their soldiers more creature comforts.

He!! yes they do....At least the Navy up there does.

 

They get on their ships!

 

I got on the HMCS Athabaskan back in 95, and they lived a heck of a lot better than we did on a FFG, thats fer sure.

[OilMan]

Next time you are by this place, get their name. The trucks sure seem interesting.

[The SPEEDY]

Dang thats alot of flat green. I like those bumpers though.

[sonjaab]

Where were those trucks made ? I assume since they are 2500s

they are made in the US. Were they made for export to the Canadian

govt.? From the looks of the price stickers French and high prices.

I can assume the stickers are in Canadian dollars.................geo

[GMMediumDutyMQ]

The window stickers, as far as I can tell, are in fact Canadian dollars. I can't see paying $40,000 USD for a stripped out DMax 2500HD, but hey, it's GM, so you'd never know.

 

The trucks were all built in Flint, Michigan, and then transfered here. I'm surprised they weren't built in Pontiac (seeing as this building is 5 minutes outside Pontiac), but perhaps they don't build the 2500HDs.

 

I'll try to get over there today and get more pics.

 

 

MQ