Thus parked in a deserted car park, this huge semi-trailer does not attract attention. Yet it was once used as a mobile command center during certain missions by the FBI. A godsend for the lucky buyer who must however provide for work and costs accordingly.
Rare are the opportunities to be able to buy a former government vehicle. Except by scrutinizing GSA Auctions (a specialized site in the United States) which released photos of this 2005 Freightliner Argosy semi-trailer at the start of the year. Among the various pick-ups and company cars, this truck was an exception. The auction ended on February 3 with an amount of $58,100, or just over €50,000.
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The “tank” in detail
On the photos released, we immediately notice the FBI’s desire to camouflage the machine. A very big word when you know that its total length exceeds 12.5 meters, its height 4 meters. But this monochrome gray has the merit of being discreet. Note that this Freightliner Argosy has been stripped of all sensitive equipment, but still has a massive folding satellite dish on the back. The hinged rear doors hide a generator to power the cargo compartment independently of the rest of the vehicle. We can well imagine a remote strategic position, in addition to what could be going on in the cabin.
The latter, precisely, houses desks and folding chairs, abandoned by the field office of the FBI in Seattle, the last known owner of the truck. There are also various wirings that one imagines to be previously connected to a set of computers, modems or radios. The cabin however does not have a passage to the rear section as on modern semi-trailers, but there is a dedicated berth for the driver.
More than 120,000 km on the clock
This 27-ton mastodon therefore changed hands with 75,487 miles (121,485 kilometers) on the clock. Certainly too much for a model (and a brand) that disappeared a few years ago. Maintenance costs and parts availability were no longer to suit US intelligence. The Detroit Diesel Series 60 in-line six-cylinder engine is still present under the hood. It would develop between 400 and 550 hp depending on the version. It is mated to an Eaton-Fuller semi-manual transmission that permanently distributes power between the three axles. But GSA Auctions warns: the transmission is slipping, the clutch is hard and the truck’s alarm system is off. It will therefore be necessary to be patient to get the truck back on the road or transform it into a huge and original motorhome.
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