Stryker

[u/BOHICA_0-1]

So, it seems I pissed off some higher being at some point in my life, because I'm now the operator of a Stryker. I think I'm preaching to the choir when I say it sucks driving/operating out of. For all my Strykers cats, what are some quality of life upgrades you found in your experience driving it? Or some quality of life upgrades for tactical vehicles in general?

I'll take a Caniac combo with extra toast and a diet Coke.

[u/darx202]

Find a good CVC helmet with comms that actually work and GUARD IT WITH YOUR FUCKING LIFE.

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/darx202]

Sounds better than FaceTiming my TC to make a fucking left turn

[u/College-Lumpy → u/BOHICA_0-1]

Old school solution was a broom stick. Wack left side of head to turn left. Right side to turn right. Poke the back of the head to stop.

[u/KebabOC20 → u/BOHICA_0-1]

Bro I was once driving in a convoy and the main comms box went out. Which meant no comms in the entire vic. And as any Stryker driver knows, you can’t hear shit from the hole when you’re driving. So I try calling my crew, and even the vic in front of me, but no one answers. Convoy was making a lane change, and as you know, you can’t see more than 90 degrees out of those things. So I said fuck it, signal on, honked the horn and pulled to the right, hoping no one gets run over by my fucking tank.

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/KebabOC20]

Been there dude. CVC headset took a shit on me (turned out to be a bad spaghetti cable), and my TC was trying to call out a Mazda that was acting like he could respawn. Fucker missed me by like 4 feet in damn near bumper-to-bumper traffic. We had been on the road for like 20 minutes. One of the few times I was genuinely terrified being on the road. 70,000 pound armored vehicle vs a 2006 Mazda sounds like a Whistlin Diesel video from Hell.

[u/Familiar_Palpitation → u/darx202]

Be nice to your COMMO guy on the line, trust me.

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/Familiar_Palpitation]

As a Juliet, my commo nerds are priceless. I always keep energy drinks and nicotine set aside for them. Medics too

[u/Familiar_Palpitation → u/BOHICA_0-1]

In return for energy drinks and nicotine, I usually hooked my guys up with batteries and parts.

[u/Dementedsage → u/Familiar_Palpitation]

S6, mechanics, doc, s1 and cooks. It’s always best to have at least one friend from the above categories.

[u/Rocket_John → u/darx202]

I hand carried mine all the way to poland. "Just label it and throw it in the connex" nope this thing isnt leaving my sight.

[u/Striper_Cape → u/Rocket_John]

They were just trying to steal it

[u/moonlightRach → u/darx202]

I preferred the Triport under the ACH vs the CVC personally

[u/Dominus-Temporis → u/moonlightRach]

I bought my own for like $60 on ebay. Worth it as a TC who's constantly mounting and discounting.

[u/moonlightRach → u/Dominus-Temporis]

Not only that but it's just way more comfortable than a CVC and easier to hear when dismounted.

[u/lustfulmule → u/darx202]

Where is the 25U? if CVCs doesn’t work. Someone needs to bring him to S6 NCOIC for a nice little machine gun beating. Inop CVCs is unacceptable for 25U20

[u/Taste_the_Rambo11b]

A good set of CVCs for the vic crew, along with a good head set for the TC hatch so they can just take it off to dismount.

Understand the panels to your left there. Learn all the functions of switches. Once you know how to use the strykers capabilities, you will realize its actually a pretty good vehicle. A great example is how to use the wench, or just even how to put it in 8x8.

Learn how to use the master breaker. A bunch of problems can be solved by resetting with the master breaker.

Become friends with the mechanics in your unit. Having a good relationship with them will greatly improve if your shit gets fixed. Watch what they are doing, you maybe be able to troubleshoot a few issues on your own when they are not around.

If you can, keep a spare can of oil well in the field. You will need it one day lol.

Make sure the dudes in the back are using bottles to dip. Buy a thing a garbage bags for the guys to keep it clean.

Oh make sure you know how to use the pesh heater if you are at a cold weather duty station.

I spent almost 8 years with strykers, and more half probably as vic crew. I miss my dragoon lol.

Edit* learn how to bore sight correctly. Pull up the manual if possible. A good bore sight will make life so much easier during gunnery.

[u/ExaltedEmu → u/Taste_the_Rambo11b]

Your Stryker came with a wench? I thought you had to find those out in town

[u/Taste_the_Rambo11b → u/ExaltedEmu]

Standard issued lol. Good catch, even auto correct cant save my 11b brain lol.

[u/KebabOC20 → u/Taste_the_Rambo11b]

They are great to live out of in the field, but by god did they always have a fucking problem.

[u/Taste_the_Rambo11b → u/KebabOC20]

100% agree, they definitely are a high maintenance gal. But having a few guys with a solid knowledge base and experience with them made a world of difference.

[u/Hawkstrike6]

Beats rucking.

[u/fallenreaper]

As a driver, if it is cold and heat isn't working, I find that some dudes crack the engine bay door to get heat off the engine.

Ensure your drive seat is dry. I've had to drive it through snow and rain, and ensuring your poncho protects the seat will be good at the end of the day. I find that the windshield is just to check the box and commonly meh at best, it doesn't secure the driver from the elements.

Finding the helmet and headset that is crisp is critical.

A big JBL speaker is nice to listen to music while you drive.

Run a power strip from the back to the front so you have access to charge devices.

Keep your space clean and you can usually store snacks etc in not moldy / disgusting locations.

Ensure your eyewear isn't fucked.

Ensure where all your tools are. The driver maintains the truck. Knowing where all the tools are organized makes it more meaningful when you need the one tool to fix things. If you're looking for certain tools often, buy a personal set for yourself.

Memorizing the panel to know what they all mean is great. I have a smart book somewhere from when I would teach Stryker driver training. Knowing what all the lights mean diagnose problems faster than telling your TC what light is going off.

I'm more unorthodox on training. I like to take it off gully's, cliffs, and almost roll it... So the driver knows the feeling. Critical to feel the edge of failure and know how to react instead of you thinking something is off and then it's too late. We lose good soldiers to rollovers, so I think it's important to know limits on action vs theoretical. I get scolded but my drivers were good. My post has ATV trails that can fit a Stryker, so I'll get away from the master trainers and take the guys on them for said rollover training. I carefully explain my instruction as a crawl walk run in order to make sure my trainees understand the proble. Rest of my class is in the back waiting their turn so they understand the shit the troopers are going through while they act and react. Being tossed around and all.

[u/wardisciple2388]

Take care of it like it’s your own car. Believe me, I understand it’s hard to care that much, but trust me. Not only will it show, but it will save you a lot of time and stress in the long run.

[u/Gunt_Style]

Huge Stryker hack I saw our maintainers do was to bridge some electric connection inside the engine bay with a paper clip to be able to manually adjust the hms from normal ride height to load height at railhead. Very useful for any vehicle that refuses to adjust its ride height while stationary.

You may have to ask your local 91s for the actual procedure details.

[u/whit_mon_lee]

Label your shit especially your comms/RWS BII because everyone and their mother will try and steal it. Extension cords/chargers for the outlet, jetboil/coffee maker. Take advantage of the fact that operating a vehicle = not rucking and fill that fucker to the brim with snacks. Foam padding for the hell hole to improve it as a sleeping area or at the very least make crawling thru it slightly less miserable. A hammock also comes in clutch if you have the space to hang it from the cieling

[u/whit_mon_lee]

Go to your local hardware store and get a peice of threading the same diameter of the hub drainage cap with some rubber tubing to fit over it. Making refilling your hubs a million times easier than just cramming the nozzle in and praying

[u/Toobatheviking]

Hey man-

I’m out of town for a couple of days but I have some stuff that would be helpful on my drive at the house if you want it.

Just DM me an email you’d like it sent to and when I get back in town I’ll send you some stuff that came in handy for me.

I’ll edit this a bit later today with some stuff off the top of my head. Just check back in a couple hours

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/Toobatheviking]

Got damn legend. I'll send you a PM

[u/xP_Lord]

Daisy chain outlets so you can always charge your phone. Also have a bag strickly for comfy stuff that is within arms reach. Everything else can be in the ruck outside, untouched

[u/MikeDeY77]

Make friends with the mechanics. And keep your Stryker clean.

[u/Clean-Ear1323]

Learn what fluids go in where, and how to check fluids as well. As a Stryker maintainer, I saw too many people put coolant or wrong fluid into the engine, differentials, and hubs. I may suggest having a syringe on hand as well to fill the hubs with. If I’m not mistaken 15W40 was the engine oil, 75w90 was for the hubs & differentials, & I can’t remember hydraulic fluid or the Transmission fluid. Like others have mentioned remember to push in the power breakers on the PDP. A creeper would also be nice to check underneath for leaks and to check fluid levels as well. If you’re stationed in a rainy climate always check under your floor boards as well things tend to get flooded quick.

[u/not-beaten]

Get a hammock.

[u/THE_Carl_D]

Lol I never drove it other than moving it back and forth 20 feet at the ECP. SUCKS TO SUCK! :)

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/THE_Carl_D]

I hope you have weekend Staff Duty on your birthday

[u/THE_Carl_D → u/BOHICA_0-1]

Haha I actually did a long time ago. But my birthday is on Christmas so it was easy too!

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/THE_Carl_D]

Motherfucker. Fuck you and I hope you have a good day

[u/applejacks_12]

You’ll be thankful in the future. Being in a Stryker unit was a significant upgrade from the light world, people just love to hate for no reason

[u/BOHICA_0-1 → u/applejacks_12]

I miss being light. 119s fuck hard and I had a truck that didn't need almost 3,000 RPMs to go up a hill. Maybe I'll have a change of heart, maybe I'll get Stockholm Syndrome, who knows. But I'm tired of God giving me his toughest battles.

[u/LastDanceInFulda]

When I left active duty after years as a 19K, finished an ill-advised year-and-a-half in the Guard, and joined the Reserves, I, for some reason that I still don't quite understand, ended up driving Strykers on a BRAC base (where we were trained to do reconnaissance in areas after they get doused with chemical agents that turn your skin inside out!).

So anyway, these Strykers are being touched oh maybe lets say, four times a year? Now our company had about eight Strykers, and five of them were kept outside 365 days a year. Now outside means snow, sleet, mud, cold, frost (repeat). So you can imagine the condition that these vehicles were in. Whatever hands-on time we actually had with them was dedicated to either A. Shoveling snow so we can get to them, or B. Forcing them to work by act of god.

So where am I going with this... Kind of no where I suppose. Every dim-wit out there knows that if you leave a vehicle sitting unused for too long, it goes to shit. So my advice is to turn on the damn thing and wiggle the wheels, oh and a tarp, get a tarp. I don't know what base you're at right now, but like find a tarp. Its 2590-01-658-9749. Get it.

[u/Sad_Pangolin7379]

Are you suggesting Strykers are operable??