The GMC CCKW

I just purchased a CCKW that has been used by a lot of folks over the years. I am intesersted in your comments. I think the bed has been replaced and it has some add ons, I think. anyway, if you can identify any of what I have just said to be true or not, please comment.
Denny

Additional pics
comments welcome looking to figure out as much as I can.

more images

I can't tell, but I think that hay have an M-series cargo bed. Are the rope/tarp tie-downs sort of pretzel shaped? If so, it is M-series.

Battery should not be in the engine compartment.

Tool box obviously is not std.

Other than that it looks like a decent truck.

Nice looking truck.

My 45 cckw has the pretzel shaped tie downs and the bed is WWII so that is not a deciding factor. I have also seen these tie downs on other trucks.

Does your bed have the tool box access door in the center of the rear between the tail lights?





Bill

I'm no expert on post war cargo beds but this one does have that look about it. The angle of the lower edge of the front panel is quite different to the wartime bed. Compare it with the truck parked in the snow on the forum header.
There also appears to be a heavy external reinforcement about half way along the lower side sills.
The troop seat brace legs to are different to the wartime ones. These have the swinging leg fitting over the outside of the channel fixed to the seat slats. It should be the other way round with the leg inside of the channel.
Wartime cargo beds had the bearers (the main longitudinal beams that sit on the chassis) stopping about three feet short of the front panel so as the spare wheel could swing up over the chassis on its mounting. This was done on both bearers so as the bed could also be used on the Studebaker US6 which had the spare wheel on the opposite side to the CCKW. I can't make out what this bed has but the truck does not have the spare wheel mount on the chassis. If the bearers are full length it wouldn't allow it to be used anyway.

David

Based on the fuel tank and design of the non original tool box, I'd guess this was a shop truck. It looks to me as if the toolbox that currently on it is designed to sit flush underneath a shop body which sits lower on the chassis than a cargo bed. If it was a shop, it probably would have originally out of the factory had the angle iron style spare tire carrier where the tool box currently resides. Looking at the bed, I'm willing to bet that it's a M series bed that has been narrowed to be correct width for a CCKW. Check out the 4th picture showing the tool box. See the front crossmember of the bed and how its cut near the edge? Looks like a slice was taken out of either side down the full length and the sides welded back on. Do you know the history of the truck? Decoding the serial number will also tell you what kind of bed/body it rolled off the assembly line with.

All in all, its a good looking truck. Congratulations!

--Nick

Check out these two pictures from the Owner's vehicles section of this site to see what I was referring to about the the fuel tank and angle iron spare tire carrier.

http://cckw.org/cckw_others.htm

Please keep these comments coming. It is a mystery to me. I still do not yet have it home. It is secured fine where it's at. I am seriously looking at converting it to a Clubmobile Van to use in our 3rd Army headquarters. I I too believe the bed is incorrect but I am not sure. Anything that you can suggest from the photographs will help. Thank you for your comments.
Denny

I agree with Nick regarding the body and thanks for posting my workshop truck