1995 Grumman Long Life Vehicle: Regular Car Reviews

[@davidolson9475]

As a 29+ year USPS mail carrier, I can say with confidence that if the guy who owns this one actually got it up to 90, he should get the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

[@AlRoderick]

Posthumously

[@xxculpritexx]

Lol

[@Rockin4D]

Back when these were new and detonated fiercly because they were tuned for super unleaded and never told anyone. I gave it a try while coming back from my route on the interstate after having filled the tank with 93 octane gas I was able to go fast enough that the speedo bar got past 85 and to the gear selector letters and i assume must have went past 90mph! years later many these can barely get past 50mph. decades of cheap chinese junk replacement parts combined with duct tape and baling wire mentality. Maintenance has also given up on emissions controls. They all smell horrific and give you a headache if your stuck behind one.

[@Velanestar]

@@b.thompson9176 lol noooooo haha

[@bkayser05]

@@b.thompson9176 no, I had to take one onto an interstate once to only go from one exit to another about 20 miles down the road. I got it up to close to 60 mph, pedal to the floor, and it still felt like it was shaking itself apart. No governor, they just don't normally exceed 40 mph most days.

[@twotailedavenger]

Grumman missed a brilliant opportunity by not calling this the Mailcat.

[@RobertDecker417]

HOLY SHIT

[@michaelg492]

Oh my god

[@JorgeOrtizIII]

Now we need Royal Blue canvas jackets with a unique Mailcat/ Mailcatters patch on the sleeve - one for every district in the country. 'District 'Dirty' 30: - Logistics and Operations' "You call, We Haul!"

[@Panuch412]

Jesus christ thats brilliant

[@air-headedaviator1805]

The cool points would’ve gone up 10,000%

[@LiquidRetro]

For me it's the unique sound of the LLV, I can listen for when the mail is coming, the short bursts of near full throttle for 2-3 seconds before hitting the brakes for the next mailbox.

[@AugustusTitus]

There was a special GM part for the small-engine S-10 trucks, a stall converter that kicked in at 2,100 RPM. Basically, the transmission doesn't start coupling power until 2,100 RPM, then the engine is connected to the gear train of the transmission. In short, it's almost drag racing the truck, but the only con is that transmission fluid heats when the transmission is at full stall. The lifetime of transmission fluid is based off of the temperature over it's lifetime. If it's 20 and red, it's better off than if it's 1 and black.

[@johnnyrambles]

That sound has saved me so much tome over the years! I ship a lot of packages from my home and sometimes forget to set them out for pickup. Living in a rural area I can often hear the mail truck about 1/4 of a mile down the road, so it's a built in reminder.

[@angrytexan666]

I remember my Grandpa hearing the mail truck coming and he said it sounded like our Oldsmobile. Now that I look back on it, the Olds had an Iron Duke as well.

[@BryanTorok]

My wife doesn't get it, but I can be sitting in the living room and say, "Mail is coming." It's that unique sound. I can hear them several house up the street and several after.

[@clockandballtorturewithcra5010]

YES. THAT IS WHT I LOVE THIS VAN.

[@navywolf1753]

"It is exactly 7 feet by 7 feet by 14 feet and meets minimum federal requirements" This vehicle really is the physical manifestation of government regulations

[@ProAlchemist]

and the replacement just cements that. Design by regulation led to the weirdest looking vehicle.

[@daviddavis1322]

Mil-spec means that it meets specifications as cheaply as possible. Same for this thing.

[@SerenaBluee]

@@daviddavis1322 I've always found it entertaining hearing things described as "mil-spec" or mentioning military somewhere in the description. It doesn't suddenly make it bullet proof or high performance.

[@peterrobinson7803]

Originally designed for a pre packaged unit with the day delivery all set and ready to be slid in and latched in place in the back. The mounting bars are seen in the back about a third of the way up the side walls on both sides. The module was never used, as far as l know. So the truck and the module were designed together, which is why it looks so odd.

[@tnc7399]

@@SerenaBluee in mikeburnfires campfire stories Zach once says never buy military grade stuff, it is always built the cheapest.

[@Cokecanninja]

I'm a mail carrier so I drive these all the time and love them. There is no better vehicle in existence for carrying mail, and no worse vehicle for driving

[@toku30]

Lmao 😂😂🤣

[@BoboTheVulture]

When I was an RCA, I'd drive LLVs during the week and then when I got pulled in to do Amazon on Sundays, I'd always go for the sister branch's FFVs. Losing the floor didn't matter so much, and the thing almost drove like an honest-to-goodness real car.

[@thecrowcook]

I’ve always wondered if putting a normal s-10 front suspension on these would fix a lot of the driving complaints

[@Simple_City]

You ever take one of these on the freeway?? When I was a CCA, I worked at a small post office, so on Amazon Sunday I always had the same route which required me to get on the freeway to reach a certain part of town. It's honestly the most terrifying experience. You can get going about 60 mph, but the truck does not enjoy it. It feels like at any moment, the whole thing could just fall apart.

[@BoboTheVulture]

@@Simple_City What I always noticed was that the wind buffeting would make the big, flat, aluminum side and roof panels flex and make that classic wobbling-metal sound.

[@barbararichards6066]

I started as a carrier in 1993, I drove a jeep for 2 years before they finally gave me an LLV it was a brand new one that only had 12 miles on the odometer. I drove that vehicle for over 20 years and put over 400,000 miles on it before it finally died. I drove a city route and don't remember ever going over 50 miles an hour in it. I'm retired now and every once in a while I catch myself trying to get into my personnel truck on the passenger side. Anyway, I loved my LLV and our Postmaster even sprang for shelves in the back, not too many offices had those. I also caught my finger in the door more times than I like to remember. My feet would freezer in the winter because the heater sucked and in the summer the fan on the dash just blew hot air around the cab but I could make a U-turn on a narrow city street. I knew everyone on my route including their children and grandchildren nowadays you get a different carrier everyweek and they don't care about delivering the mail like my generation. The Postal Service will never be what it once was, unfortunately.

[@LegoWormNoah101]

*yeet* That's all I have to say

[@callmebigpapa]

Barbara thank you for your service!

[@BigWheel.]

It's all temp workers now.

[@dbernstein85]

Now it’s the Amazon guy

[@devenbo8128]

Wholesome

[@PostalDog94]

Thank y'all so much for coming out and reviewing my LLV, I had a blast. I've been smiling all morning since seeing the video's release :D

[@moonscar119]

You seem like a cool dude. Thanks for sharing your sweet ride!!!

[@Angryeddie14]

This was a great video, thanks for letting mr regular make a vid on it!

[@tbh1444]

I wonder: if you put a decal on the side that said "not a mail truck," or something like the Ghostbusters logo, only with a postie in the center, if that would help with the potential federal crime of wearing a blue jacket while driving that truck?

[@RegularCars]

That you for driving all that way!

[@PostalDog94]

@@RegularCars You certainly came a lot further than I did! It was the least I could do. Besides, it was an amazing drive and an ideal filming location 👍

[@DanTheMailman330]

I've driven one everyday for 15 years. Mine was built in 1989. The motor pool guys can swap a new long block from Jasper into them in about 1.5 hours. It's like driving a storage unit. The frames are rusting apart now but the usps found a source for fully boxed chevy s10 reproductions.

[@12yearssober]

I didn't realize they do heavy work like that in house.

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

I guess they are unkillable as long as the USPS has enough money. TBH, 5 million doesn’t sound that bad to maintain the entire fleet.

[@FappinSteve]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 16:00 he said *_524 million_* not 5

[@jacobrzeszewski6527]

@@FappinSteve oh… still not out of the ballpark for wasteful government spending.

[@DanTheMailman330]

@@jacobrzeszewski6527 all llv maintenance is done in house. Peak inventory was over a quarter million on the road every day but that has dropped due to attrition in the past decade. No abs, no airbags, no traction controls but occasionally I've encountered one with a locker rear diff that still works properly. No a/c and practically no heat. You stay warmer walking than doing doing mounted (driving) delivery. The wiring harnesses are becoming brittle now and cause fires. At least 100 a year burn to the ground nationally due to this. One did at my office here in Kent, Ohio about 4 years ago...

[@gamingwithmurphy1554]

90 mph in a LLV?!!! You deserve a trophy for sure. Once I got about 45 MPH on the freeway I got a bit nervous. On strong windy days that thing would shift about 2 feet over. Fun part though during the winter they can drift easily. Congrats on securing this vehicle!

[@Mcgoats]

I’ve seen VMF guys going 60 on the high way with the doors open in a llv

[@rettony3878]

Flv is little better on speed but still shakes like hell on the highway.

[@brianwilhelm37]

As a former Postal employee and mail carrier, I can tell you that these little vehicles, despite their many faults, served me as loyally as my dog once I learned to speak their language and carriers all over the country can attest that the humble LLV, heater running and waiting for our return patiently, was a welcome site on many a bitter cold morning after walking a loop. No, you weren't supposed to leave your truck running when unattended but those of us who delivered in small towns where you could trust the people on your route did it anyways. My little LLV buddy will remain a pleasant memory for the rest of my days. Unless you lived with one on your daily route, you can never truly understand how utterly wonderful the Grumman LLV is.

[@sumdumguy2648]

Well said.

[@rhr-p7w]

Indeed, beautiful words.

[@peterrobinson7803]

I delivered mail (city carrier) for 35 years. I drove the 1/2 ton, the jeep, the K-car, the Pinto, even my own car once or twice. The 1/2 ton was good in the snow. The jeep was most nimble, the K-car was the most comfortable, the Pinto was O.K.,not a very good option but by far worst of the group was the LLV. Always 10-15° warmer inside than out, not to bad on a cool day but torture on a really hot one or a very cold one. The dashboard fan was the only thing that kept me alive. My route was 22 miles and had to fill it every other day so gas milage sucked (understandable). Windows wouldn't stay up, loud, drafty, smelly, the seat foam broke down over time so you'd be sitting on the springs and metal frame. I have several co-workers who have had or need hip surgery because of hiking up on the right butt cheek to reach a mailbox on said metal frame (wrote it up many times but never fixed). What a piece of crap.

[@M.TTT.]

@@peterrobinson7803 the seat thing, gotta bring in your own cushion at that point

[@wheelmanv]

I am good friends with a small town and relatively rural mail carrier in Michigan, and I don't think I've heard on good about this vehicle in the winter. I'm not convinced there's a limited slip either based on the number of times I've seen one wildly spinning a single wheel in even the smallest amount of snow

[@mathewhumvee]

Driving this at 90 MPH must feel like your re-entering from orbit.

[@thJune]

🤣🤣🤣 “Houston, the death wobble is increasing”

[@mathewhumvee]

@@thJune Roger that, preparing funeral arrangements now

[@101Volts]

@@thJune "MY _BRAINS_ _ARE GOING INTO_ MY _FEET!"_

[@vector6977]

*chuckles# I'm in danger.

[@PostalDog94]

It really does feel like it's gonna take off at any moment

[@ian22222]

Damn this turned from a review of an LLV to an unsettlingly deep essay on nostalgia and the past.

[@slinginghotlead]

The fact that any citizen can buy military surplus vehicles up to and including a tank but not a surplus mail truck is baffling.

[@MrWolfSnack]

Because it's company policy regarding their insurance and lawsuit paranoia. And yes you can buy these models but not the USPS spec models. Just the civilian models (will have "Grumman" emblem below the side windows). UPS and Brinks does the same thing - they actually shred them. FedEx does not. FedEx doesn't care about their trucks ending up secondhand.

[@Fopenplop]

the army is sleep away camp for our nation's most gullible adults. mail is an actual service.

[@mrpink8951]

A tank isn’t exactly inconspicuous 😂🤣

[@BeukendaalMason]

The mail trucks are still in use and would be too easy for fraud. When the new mail trucks are deployed I believe they will sell the old LLVs.

[@BigWheel.]

You simply cannot fathom how much damage a mail truck can do. He who controls the mail controls .... Information...

[@eagletalon9735]

Droves these for 3 years when I worked for the postal service. These things are genuinely terrible but they did have their own charm.

[@PostalDog94]

This is pretty much exactly how I feel about it. It's my most beloved shitbox by a large margin

[@isofmilk]

That's how I feel about the w700s that fedex uses

[@sentero1856]

The FedEx 700s are such dogs lol

[@pk.002]

Same here. I don't miss driving them, especially during the summer with no AC.

[@dragonbutt]

Sounds like my ex, HEYOOO

[@stevencimini3556]

As a 29 year postal employee I drove one of these every day. I had also driven its predecessor the Jeep CJ. The LLV was a much more practical vehicle that carried a much larger volume of mail than the CJ. My LLV also had two shelves in the rear which made it very convenient for staging parcels. Out of all the postal vehicles I had driven (Jeep, LLV, CRV) the LLV was my favorite.

[@kevinwong6588]

DJ5 to be exact.

[@stevencimini3556]

@@kevinwong6588 no matter the official designation all the carriers, supervisors, and postal publications referred to them as LLV’s.

[@stevencimini3556]

@@kevinwong6588 My bad, sorry, you were referring to the Jeeps not the LLV’s.

[@potterfanz6780]

I started as a mail carrier last month. The other vehicle I drive is the Mercedes metris, which is basically a sedan with a long cargo area. I so much prefer the llv, due to being able to get in and get moving quicker, having that tight turn radius, and having more usable cargo space on the passenger side.

[@BillC518]

I've worked p/t for USPS for about 2 years delivering Amazon on Sundays, which means I have my pick of vehicles. I prefer the LLV to both the Ram and Metris vans at my office. The LLV's tray is taller than the one in the Metris, and I can stow more small parcels under it compared to the Metris, as well as in the wheelwell space, which the Metris doesn't have. I also like that I can get into the cargo area from the driver's seat without having to get out and open the side door like I'd have to do with the Metris and its' immovable cage. My two go-to LLV's both have side shelves, which makes it easier to arrange my packages by route. Yeah, it's cold in winter, hot in summer, and driving on snowy roads is tricky, but I'll still take the LLV over the others. On a more subjective level, driving an LLV just feels right, since for the last 30+ years, it's been THE mail truck.

[@christopherscott3120]

Another fun fact about Grumman: If you're at all outdoorsy you've probably encountered aluminum canoes that carry the Grumman logo. Seems after WW2 ended, Grumman, being one of the largest makers of warplanes, suddenly found themselves with a crapload of aluminum and no more airplane orders. Some enterprising Grumman engineer proceeded to invent the aluminum canoe which became a staple of American campgrounds for decades after.

[@christopherandersch1299]

They also made truck bodies, and General aviation planes ( for private use) and the wings to the space shuttle , and don’t forget the moon landers. I had a good friend who worked for Grumman, and the first plane he worked on was a hellcat, and the last was the moon lander, in fact in the Apollo 13 incident, Grumman sent North American Aviation ( the builder of the command module) a bill for a extremely long tow, a bill that has yet to be paid!

[@Serveck]

We have a grumman canoe that was converted by "old town" via LL BEAN with a gaff rigged sail, rudder and centerboards. It works remarkably well, it barely survived a hurricane and can bounce it off rocks all you want.

[@chiar0scur0]

You could have said "a boatload of aluminum". I hope the realization of your error is as profound a regret for you as it was a disappointment for me.

[@Icutmetal]

@@chiar0scur0 Oh darn.

[@duckrutt]

@@Serveck Yeah, had one come off the top of car at highway speeds (rope broke) and ding the car behind me. The canoe was fine. Took the police ages to figure out what to write me a ticket for.

[@man_on_wheelz]

This is to many of us today, "THE" mail truck. Anything else with a USPS logo on it is purpose built (Semi's and bigger box trucks meant for distribution center transports for example) otherwise, THIS is THE mail truck. Amazing how absolutely governmentally utilitarian this thing is.

[@markmiller3279]

When I was a kid the little Jeeps were THE mail truck. Then these came along.

[@man_on_wheelz]

@@markmiller3279 Yeah, I know. And see, I wasn't around for that era, in fact I don't even think I've ever seen a Jeep mail truck in person. I'm 32 almost 33 and this is all I've ever known. I have seen a few minivans used for delivery, but those aren't that common.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Grumman KubVan for the win, and polish it so everyone goes blind. They look dope as frigg slammed to the ground too. Much love for the Volkswagen diesel version.

[@eddiewillers1]

@@markmiller3279 In 1992, I bought a DJ-5F from USPS in Van Nuys, CA for $800. Excellent little vehicles.

[@QuestionThings123]

@@man_on_wheelz the 2 tons are much nicer. They. Actually. Have. Air Conditioners.

[@davidrichardson6749]

I went to a taco truck last night and there was a small emblem on the side that said Grumman Olson. It was funny because I immediately thought of this video. The taco truck looked like one of those bare bones basic 80s/90s box trucks/step vans. It looked like a llv that got blown up with air. I really like the simple, bare bones, practical utility of vehicles like this.

[@KMACKTIME]

I promise getting one of these over 55 is damn near impossible. They may shake apart first

[@chood6172]

I do it regularly it’s not cute but it’s very doable

[@greatdaneacdc]

It ... starts out with Good tires , balance, and alinement !

[@KMACKTIME]

@@greatdaneacdc I’m currently sitting in one on break at work 😂

[@jimellis1496]

I've had one up to about 65 once on the freeway, but yeah, it felt like it was about to come apart.

[@Peter_Yachymczyk]

So Sammy Hagar won't like one of these then LoL!

[@Matteo_Licata]

"You get horny for the past in a way that eliminates all of its faults." A fine point well made, Mr. Regular. I come for the cars (and mail trucks!), but I stay for the writing. Keep it up!

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

He used to be a English Teacher, thats some intresting context to why his writing is so good

[@dastrayer63]

I want to memorize this line for when my girl friend talks about her ex...On second thought, using this line would lead to permanent residence in my conversion van.

[@mdavid7149]

facts the show gets better and better even after years he's still surprising us😅

[@flowgangsemaudamartoz7062]

@@dastrayer63 I'de be out of the house in an instant, if my gf started talking about her ex. Thats hit is in the past and stays in the fucking past.

[@stirfryjedi]

The writing in this one does justice to the clout of the vehicle

[@Tolohtony]

As a Technician in a VMF (Vehicle Repair Facility) for over 33 years, I am glad that the LLV has coincided with my career. It is the last of the simple vehicles to work on. On the original parts they were also very reliable. Except for maybe starters (now gear reduction) and brake pads, the replacement parts are hit or miss. The Iron Duke blocks are about shot after so many rebuilds, the 180 transmissions (Chevette part, linkage on the left side) have proven to be the best suited. 700's were swapped in for a while (no OD though) but most have switched back to 180's now. Even body panels are easy to replace on LLVs. We were replacing frames on them for while, but now they are being scrapped when the frame is too far gone. I think I'll retire when the last one leaves.

[@AHDBification]

I've been in the VMF for about 6 years now, and we're trading out LLVs for Mercedes Metris' and Promasters. I'm going to miss the LLVs so much! Half an hour for an alternator vs 4 hours. And they can take a beating, unlike our new Vans. God I want to own one.

[@Tolohtony]

@@AHDBification Agreed! Metris' and PROblemASTERS are way too fragile for postal duty. They need to come up with A-post reinforcements before the carriers finish ripping the doors off.

[@maitele]

​@Tolohtony Late but what do you make of the Oshkosh frankentrucks from a maintaner's standpoint? Between the myriad of computer systems and the likely absurd packaging requirements for the fossil versions it seems like it'll be a mite bit tricky to poke around at

[@Tolohtony]

@@maitele Agreed!

[@someguyontheinternet7165]

I'm getting dressed to go to work. A mailman truly on the brink of going postal. Alas, a beacon of dopamine blinks from my bedside table. A new video from RCR! Maybe today will be okay after all. Then the ultimate betrayal. Lure me with hope and crush it with another LLV. IT NEVER ENDS!

[@microwave221]

The helmet cover is very fitting for an unhinged courier

[@angelgjr1999]

Stay strong brother.

[@daftnord4957]

THANK YOU FOR YER CERVIX

[@RRaquello]

When I worked in the Post Office, I knew a guy named Driscoll who used to go postal every day. When he retired, I took over his route, a route he'd been on for 30 years. When I showed up, a number of customers asked me, "What happened to the crazy guy who used to deliver here?" I 'd tell them, "He finally had enough, so they put him away." Nobody was surprised, though I was only kidding. He had boxes all over his route that were stuffed with mail, apartments that had been vacant for years, and when I tried to clean them out, I found mail in them from 25 years before. Could this be a relative?

[@someguyontheinternet7165]

@@RRaquello hahaha I can at least fake that I've got it together for my customers. Not related but maybe being a looney comes with the name. Bunch of crazy Irishmen. 😆

[@throwback19841]

If I was going to list Grumman's engineering achievements, and counted the hellcat and the tomcat, I would consider it remiss not to also mention that they built the Lunar Lander too.

[@cetyl2626]

And the mailcat

[@brendonspeech4115]

The fact that the mail truck I watched deliver my grandmas mail was made by the Same people that made the luner lander

[@jmlcolorado]

“Owning a Grumman LLV light sound like a blast. But it might be half an afternoon of enjoyment at most before your wondering why you wanted to drive one at all”. I felt that especially since I bought 3 72 passenger school busses a few summers ago 🤣😂🤣

[@WilhelmScreamer]

why 3? I can understand the first.

[@jmlcolorado]

@@WilhelmScreamer well, that’s a great question. In retrospect, I dunno 🤷‍♂️ 😂 The school district had 3 for sale. I bought all three for $5600. Sold two for $3k each and kept the third to body swap a 56 ford f600 cab into it.

[@WilhelmScreamer]

@@jmlcolorado I respect that

[@whogavehimafork]

"Why did I buy these again?"

[@kevincockburn7805]

Mr Regular goes full on philosopher, as he contemplates the missteps of life, looking at the world via the vaseline smeared side mirror of a Grumman LLV.

[@pravkdey]

Then grab that stick with Vaseline smeared hands. And SLAMMING it. Savoring every inch. Hearing the great beast he's mounted purr at his impeccably timed THRUSTING

[@CaptainRon1913]

He goes full on philosopher, then says, "in closing", and goes full on philosopher again

[@rhekman]

@@pravkdey Grumman LLV, just for when you don't care what BROOOOWN can do for you.

[@smichelsen4466]

Yeah I think the narrator was getting a bit too harsh with those that may consider owning one of these. The owner may eventually decide it was a mistake, but it's HIS mistake, and only he can say it. As a former owner of a 1975 Citicar, I know...

[@FirstnameLastname-ew9qm]

Enjoyed the owner interview and beautiful mountain scenery, great episode

[@Gr13fM4ch1n3]

That's Washington state for you.

[@threeparots1]

Looks a little like the road up to mt St. Helens

[@StevenEveral]

@@threeparots1 SR 504, the Spirit Lake Highway. It's an amazing drive.

[@Krbyfan1]

Makes me want to submit my car for a video since I live in the high Rockies, but he already did a video on a similar car (the 2012 Malibu iirc)

[@stefthepef]

@@StevenEveral Maaaaaan. I miss that part of living out there. So many good roads.

[@ErokkProductions]

Having driven these every so often (from the mail facilities to my family's shop for maintenance and repair), I can see that the best way to describe it is exactly as he did: a phone booth. Imagine a phone booth with a super sized county fair go-cart motor. The throttle is either idle or absolutely pinned to the floor. No other options. And they are fucking scary about 50.

[@GoldenGrenadier]

Doug must be livid that he can't revel in the quirkiness!

[@Vixiefox]

I worked for the PO for 33+ years, so hired in when these were being phased in. I will say at the time they were in improvement over the Jeeps in comfort. The had power steering and power brakes, which many Jeeps did not have. They were also more comfortable, I swore the Jeeps were like Tonka trucks and just has the axle attached directly to the frames. But, it didn't take long for the love affair to wear off. First off was winter driving. The LLV is possibly the worst vehicle ever designed for winter driving. Always getting stuck, and although you could normally get it unstuck, they fishtailed so badly that wiping out a mailbox in the process was a constant reality. Then, inadequate heaters. Once it got below 20 degrees, the heater could not keep up, especially with a curbside route where the window is open constantly. For a time they supplied us with special window inserts that covered most of the opening and had a smaller opening for delivery. Once these broke, was possible to buy an aftermarket window, and many did, and still do to this day. In the summer, these things got hot. Poor insulation was a huge factor, as the floor would get so hot you could barely touch it. Also you got hot air blowing from the vents, no matter how hard you tried closing them, plenty still leaked it. How carriers in places like Arizona handled that I still don't know. In the end, I blame poor planning on the part of the PO for not replacing these things earlier. They knew they were wearing out, but kept putting aside working on new vehicles for various reasons. I know some was budget, but they at least should have had a small team working on a design to be ready when things improved. The truck I drove was a 1988 model, as were many in our office. They constantly had problems, and really are unsafe now. The only thing I will say is the maintenance department knows these vehicles inside and out. They could literally replace every single part in one, and that includes the frame. I actually feel sorry for anyone owning one if they ever go up for sale, you will soon regret it. Final though, the speedometer went up to 85, and I always said the only way you're getting one up to 85 is to drive it off a cliff.

[@Sinerwray]

Thanks for your service people don't realize it's not an easy job to do 🦸‍♂️

[@ltmundy1164]

@VixieFox Now retired VMF tech gave me the greatest sham ~25 years ago: Find a lighter shade tote/lid that can fit inside the left footwell. Place 2 milk crates inside. Drill 6 to 10 1” and 1 3” holes into the tote lid. Bypass the heater blower duct with semi rigid dryer tubing. Secure the newer ductwork to the dash blower vent with releasable zip ties. Place the other end into the 3” tote lid hole. Drop gallon jugs of frozen water into the milk crates, then firmly close the tote lid. Viola: Chillbilly aka redneck a/c. Bonus feature: Cold meltwater throughout the route..

[@badgerpants1872]

I took a roll of duct tape and sealed off my exterior intake vent and all my interior outlet vents on and under the dash. Considerable difference, but what it really needs is one of the passive cargo flap vents installed in the footwell. If I ever find a spare vent somewhere, I'm popping my scanner battery and cutting up my FFV to install one.

[@kendrickdelosreyes5381]

Can confirm that the LLVs are absolutely terrible in the snow/ice. This past winter, I had fun "drifting" in an empty neighborhood culdesac. I wasn't even trying to, it just did it by default of having such terrible traction. The amusement did wear off quickly, however, since it slowed me down... a lot.

[@skycaptain95]

So glad to have good people like you delivering our mail on time no matter the weather. Thank you.

[@TissueCat]

Very good and accurate review! A few additions as a mail carrier: 1) While driving with the door open may be legal, postal safety regulations are very specific about when carriers are allowed to do it. "When traveling to and from the route, when moving between park and relay points, and when entering or crossing intersecting roadways, all external vehicle doors must be closed. When operating a vehicle with sliding driver’s cab doors on delivery routes and traveling in intervals of 500 feet (1/10 mile) or less at speeds not exceeding 15 MPH between delivery stops, the right-hand sliding cab door may be left open." 2) You touched on this briefly, but didn't fully explain it. City carrier and rural carrier are actually two completely separate careers with separate rules, separate unions, and separate contracts. All city carriers drive postal vehicles, the majority being LLVs. Most rural carriers on the other hand drive personal vehicles, although some do drive LLVs. Some rural routes deliver to urban places that used to be rural when the routes were initially divided, and some city routes deliver to more rural places that are technically inside the city limits, but one constant is that rural routes never have walk loops. Most city routes with walk loops nowadays will drive LLVs or other postal vehicles to their park points where they start and end their walk loops. Some use public transportation and get their mail out of relay boxes, but this is a lot less common now with the increase in the volume of parcels being delivered because of online shopping. Most routes need all that cargo space now. 3) In the LLVs driven every day by carriers, instead of an "observer seat" there is a mail tray. The observer seat is found in the LLVs used for driver instruction. For OJI (On the Job Instruction) and for 3999s (route inspections) there are LLVs that have both a mail tray in the front and a "jump seat" behind the mail tray in the cargo area. 4) You mentioned the Oshkosh NGDV that we will hopefully be getting in the next few years. This will be the official successor to the Grumman LLV, and the first postal vehicle to my knowledge designed with actual input from letter carriers. However, the USPS has had to purchase some other vehicles as stop-gap measures since we're running out of LLVs. Most recently I believe are the Mercedes Metris, which are definitely not designed for carrying mail. There was also the FFV (Flex Fuel Vehicle) based off the Ford Ranger and using the Ford 3.0 v6 with flex fuel. They look very similar to the LLVs from the outside, but have less room to work in the front. There's also the huge Ram Promaster vans, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. 5) While the LLV in this video has a license plate, actual mail trucks do not. Instead, they have a 7-digit serial number near the top on the front and back of the vehicles. The first digit will tell you what year the LLV was made. They were all made between 1987-1994, and the first digit of the serial number is the last digit of the year it was made. 6) Canada Post also uses Grumman LLVs, but theirs have a lot more red on them. Google image search "Canada Post LLV" to see what they look like. 7) And while you're on Google Images, search "LLV fire" to see why you don't put the windshield washer fluid above the fuse box. I know they mentioned it in the video, but it's another thing seeing all the pictures. 8) Finally, the USPS is NOT in decline. My only correction, and it's not about the vehicle. We were having some genuine financial trouble during the height of the pandemic like everyone else, but any financial trouble before that was completely artificial. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 was a piece of legislation engineered to destroy the Postal Service and lead to its eventual privatization. It included language that required the USPS to prefund retirement benefits 75 years into the future, funding retirement for people it hadn't even hired yet, something no other company or organization is required to do. Thankfully it didn't work. Although first-class letter mail volume has declined, increases in parcel mail volume and standard-class advertising mail (you call it junk mail, I call it job security) were enough to keep us above water. And the Postal Service Reform Act that Biden signed into law on April 6 finally reversed the 2006 prefunding requirement, freeing up money for the USPS to invest in things like the Oshkosh NGDV, which will save more money in the long-term because the LLVs are becoming very expensive to maintain. The USPS is not going anywhere.

[@coloradostrong]

Awesome rundown and great trivia! Thanks.

[@KellyClowers]

rural route seems like such an odd phrase to me. Where I grew up in rural MT, we went to the post office to get mail, no one got it delivered. UPS sometimes would at least to closer in places, but generally dropped off at the general store. There was newspaper delivery though...

[@richstanton8545]

Not many people knew of the ridiculous 75 year retirement requirement that was meant to destroy USPS. What a crock of crap that was!!😡 I saw one other person who commented here that Amazon uses USPS, at least partially, to deliver packages in isolated, rural areas. That practice saves Amazon's Jeff Bezos a ton of money. Just let Uncle Sam/ USPS pick up the slack!! Nice!! 😡😡

[@tsoliot5913]

4. Don't forget the Promaster, my personal favorite postal vehicle

[@jasondiaz8431]

My mom worked for the post office from 1988 to 2012 in NYC. She passed the day after Christmas this past December. She loved the post office. Thanks for this.

[@tristanlaferriere5194]

My father was a mailman for nearly 40 years. When I was very young, he was still driving the old AMC Jeep while all of the other carriers in his office had the Grumman LLV. He liked the Jeep, but eventually it wasn't able to be serviced anymore, so he switched over to the LLV for the rest of his career. In college, I worked as a substitute letter carrier for a couple of years and drove one of these. I remember being terrified the first time I got behind the wheel because it felt so different, but you get used to driving it very quickly. It's incredible to think that the newest of these vehicles are now 28 years old.

[@KarlandKristy]

I have worked on over 30 of those. The local mechanic shop that I worked at serviced all of the local mail carrier vehicles. I have done everything from suspension repairs to engine repairs but I have never had to do a major repair on one of those. They are beat to death and still keep running. The handbrake reminds me of the one in the humvee. They are still being used in my community and they are still wonderful vehicles for what they were intended for. For anything else they are scrapyard material

[@benjaminkayser8968]

As a mail carrier, I love his description of how the LLV drives. They are crap in the winter and the description of them as a skateboard from Wal-Mart was awesome. How he ever got it to 90 is amazing, most of the time you can't get it over 50 without it feeling like it will shake itself apart.

[@foodank_atr817]

I've held for over a decade now that the US electric vehicle industry would benefit immensely from a WWII style government contract trial to make an identically (or better) performing, exact appearance all electric replacement for the LLV. Then, whoever succeeded would get the production contract for the entire USPS.The discoveries to make the cheapest, most durable electric copy of the original LLV would drive innovation and cost effectiveness of commercial electric vehicles that followed. Or would it? And would postal carriers be open to an all electric replacement, IF it performed identically, or better?

[@danh8302]

@@foodank_atr817 it would perform much better by improving its aero. Lmao 14mpg. That’s worse than a late model full-size truck. My full-size gets better than that while pulling a full-size car on a trailer even.

[@bkayser05]

@@foodank_atr817 I would be open to that, as long as the new model had an air conditioner and a 'taller' cargo area where one could stand upright in the vehicle. Most carriers, even relatively short one's are still taller then the cargo area. I don't think many carriers would object, the biggest issue was none of the postmaster general's wanted the bill to show up on their balance sheet so they kicked the can down the road for so long it led to us using vehicles decades out of date. If we got funding in defense bills the way the Department of Defense does we would be like 3 or 4 generations of vehicles removed from LLVs already.

[@bkayser05]

@@danh8302 actually 14mpg is generous, that would for normal driving, start and stop on curbline mailboxes means most LLVs get more like 7 to 8 mpg, the LLV I use on my route hovers around 6 to 7 mpg, 10 miles every day at minimum and I typically add 9 to 10 gallons once a week, so I might push 8 mpg if I'm lucky and new one's are barely going to improve that economy that will also be about 8.6 mpg, we waited 30 years for a 1.6 mpg 'improvement.'

[@Sm00k]

@@foodank_atr817 Germany did that. R ve years later, they are locked into city centers and even there, mostly replaced by EC cargo bikes.

[@vwestlife]

I wonder if any of the brown UPS "package cars" ever fell into private hands -- I mean the original kind with an uncatalyzed gas engine, manual transmission, and manual steering.

[@ItsDaJax]

No, they crush those. They also use them as crew vans at ups worldport. Ford 300, top loader four or five speed trans.

[@kyboy5]

UPS vans never get sold to the public they go to special government crushing yards none make it out in one piece

[@jason_l5p]

You can buy the newer ones with the GM 6.0 gas engine. You can also buy the FedEx step vans with the 5.9 cummins

[@regularpit1508]

UPS has a strict crush policy on all trucks and it's kinda depressing.

[@ItsDaJax]

@@jason_l5p The new ones are fucking ugly, though.

[@CaptMurphysGhost]

I think this may be my favorite video that you've put out. I really appreciate the quiet respect you, and Caleb, have shown for the vehicle, and what it represents in the greater scheme. Thank you for that.

[@shinobi-zensei]

The only review of this truck that will ever exist. Well done.

[@grantjones2863]

Not til doug gets ahold of it

[@engihere5434]

@@grantjones2863 Doug does do regular cars atleast I don't think so anymore

[@christopherscott3120]

I'm picturing that Grumman guy from Apollo 13: "We designed the LEM to land on the moon. That's it." Same guy: "We designed the LLV to carry mail for a long-ass time. That's it."

[@coldbob112]

Dude, this video is an actual masterpiece. Not only does he explain the car that none of us registered as a car, he also goes on to explain why we shouldnt ever get one. He finds the thirst for the unobtainable and does his best to douse that thirst in one video. I will never watch a video as relevant to the modern world and its current culture than this. Thank you so much.

[@eeffreef330]

My mother has been a postal worker for 30+ years. I knew allllllll the bullshit that thing gave her right from the source. Shit would stall all the time, and i think she would disagree with the engine "not necessarily lacking". She had a breakdown once and some guy she delivered to tried to start it with brake cleaner and the motor literally exploded into flames. Everyone was fine. Plop a new motor in, and it kept going tho. As is the point of the LLV.

[@IHateMyAccountName]

I literally laughed out loud with the engine explosion. Sounds like it was made by a military contractor for sure.

[@nunyabusiness896]

@@IHateMyAccountName I think the issue was trying to start it with brake cleaner

[@nunyabusiness896]

I haven't really messed with throttle body fuel injection before, but wasn't that tunable? Most likely it just wasn't tuned right and that's why it was stalling, either too rich or too lean, most likely too rich

[@Dankcatvacs]

@@nunyabusiness896 meh user error.

[@DGTelevsionNetwork]

Most of these are deprecated due to engine fire, so it's not that out of the ordinary hahaha

[@bossracing3387]

the person that owns this mail truck, looks exactly like he should own a mail truck

[@ryanrink2641]

EXACTLY what I was thinking the whole time he was talking!

[@mph5896]

Or work at 7-11

[@RRaquello]

@@mph5896 Or the Post Office.

[@timloeb278]

Drove one for 15 years and loved it. Could easily parallel park in one. Carried plenty of weight. Most serious fault other than fires in its later years was there was no air vent in the cab but there was one in the cargo box which makes no sense and you were required to drive it with the cargo box entry from the cab closed and locked. Easily went up and over 120 degrees in one. You opened the door to cool the cab off while your at the back loading or unloading mail for the street. Mirrors were actually fairly easy to learn how to use and was safer than a regular SUV as you could see pretty much everywhere around it including the front and rear. Oh, our fans, which were installed, broke down after a few months to a couple years and were never replaced. If I could afford to own one and keep it up sure I would love to have one. Tim: Carrier 4024 Garden Grove, Ca retired.

[@dunc_n_fr]

The LLV is basically what the CVPI was for Police Department. And when retired it is the perfect base to impersonate who it once was used by.

[@chrislowe486]

Except the CVPI is badass

[@viscountalpha]

@@chrislowe486 As a Crown Vic Police interceptor owner, it's decent.

[@gearjammergamer8560]

CVPI is a million times different. Drive one every day. It will shock you how well a 4300lb 4 door sedan can handle.

[@mph5896]

Crown Vic actually has air conditioning so you won't melt into your shoes.

[@waterheaterservices]

As a US Mall Marshal (mall security) I prefer the Crown Victoria just to bolster my poor self esteem. .... Men fear me, women want me.

[@jiovaniloncarevic]

I’m a former US postal worker, and honestly buying one of these directly from the postal service would be a mistake. Not only are they abused 7 days a week for 30+ years, but we’re just never never properly maintained. They really don’t change oil in these, and I doubt any other fluids, plus they wait until things completely break before actually fixing them, if even. I’ve had shifter levers come off and be held on with cotter pins and parking brakes that don’t work at all. These trucks were notorious for roll/runaways from bad brakes as well as fires (I believe the washer fluid leaked onto the fuse box), and the priority was always to be back by 4:30 “safely”. This guy’s example is the nicest I’ve ever seen and it would be the only one I’d feel relatively safe driving on the highway for more than 60 seconds at a time.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Thanks to it having never been used by the USPS. I've pondered what will happen once the USPS retires these, if they'll sell them off to the public or just wholesale scrap them? I could imagine government policies might require they scrap them, not sell them to the public, but what you say sounds like this might be for the best, nothing worth saving. But even in the condition you describe I'm sure there'd be people wanting to buy them, if for nothing more than the nostalgia. Or as chicken coops!

[@EpicB]

Even if they were well maintained I don't think most ordinary people would want to own one anyway.

[@knecht6974]

@@EpicB There is a huge market for "rugged" shit. The "USA USA" 50 cans of clorinated chicken in the basement, jizz proof 3/4 cargo pants kind of crowd.

[@ItsDaJax]

I still want one. It's not like whatever issues can't be fixed, it's just an s10. The issues are easilly fixed.

[@RRaquello]

They're not made for highway driving. I didn't drive one of these. I drove a 2 1/2 ton truck, which I believe was also made by Grumman. If you got a crosswind in the side, it felt like the truck was going to fall over. I could imagine the side turbulence on a highway if a Kenworth hauler passed you at 70 MPH.

[@ArtByChristopher]

I drive one every day. The thought of doing 90 in one is terrifying 😂

[@mph5896]

I worked EMS for a bunch of years. Funniest mail truck story I had, we were called for a medical emergency. Showed up and the mailman was in the back rolling around throwing mail all over the place. Turns out, the guy was a diabetic and his sugar got low. Gave him some IV sugar, and he was good to go. 🙂We did give him a ride back to the postal place since his supervisor would not let him drive.

[@brucehalleran1149]

"Working safely is a condition of employment."

[@GetTheFO]

Hahaha I had a very similar call years back, except in the postal office itself. D10 and a PB&bananna sandwich to settle down. Was cool getting to see the backside of the office!

[@CurmudgeonExtraordinaire]

Maybe that is why my mail carrier can't seem to get the mail put in the right box... Nawh, it's probably just typical government employee apathy...

[@blackmusik109]

The legit definition of going postal😂

[@dodecahedron1]

@@blackmusik109 going postal comes from the relatively high amount of workplace shootings among USPS workers

[@QuinnDickinson2610]

I always know when the mail gets to my house. The buzz of the 4 cylinder and massive exhaust leaks flooring it up to my mailbox from the neighbors

[@dragonbutt]

They are surprisingly loud

[@daveh2612]

Same. We live on the top of a hill and every day at 11:30 I hear that Iron Duke being floored up to our mailbox.

[@Marconius-SPQR]

The LLV I drove for the last 20 years as a postman, came into service in 1987 ! I retired 8 years ago & that same LLV is still assigned to city route 20 !!!

[@MrDavekov]

Windy Ridge! The best drive of my entire life was there. I'd just hiked the Loowitt Trail and had passed the hell out in my car. I woke up and there was smoke everywhere and the parking lot was empty. I called the ranger's station and they said, nah, wasn't the volcano, just some forest fires in Cali sending us their smoke. But they'd closed the road anyway. Yep, closed. Nope, no cars would be coming the other way. So I put my little Civic right in the middle of the road, opened up the throttle, and for ten minutes I was in Forza.

[@reinbeers5322]

Certified Civic Moment

[@mattmoore3021]

I visited windy ridge after hiking nearby Mt. Margaret last summer. What a spectacular place! I've lived in Washington my whole life and it was my first time there. I regret not visiting sooner.

[@rocbolt]

This is the Elk Rock side

[@elzierr1743]

"driving a mail truck is an ice cream truck for adults." That hit me harder than the door.

[@willkasyan9549]

The tone of this video took a surprisingly aggressive turn at the end

[@trevlord6863]

When my mom started working at the Post Office, she actually had to use our minivan (Had to be converted to RHD) because they had a limited amount of LLVs. She now drives an LLV, but will probably retire before the Oshkosh trucks roll out

[@TheRedCap]

I saw a Forester on FB Marketplace that was RHD converted. And by that I mean they ran a belt from the left-hand steering column to a wheel bolted on the dash to the right, and had metal rods extending the brake and gas from the left.

[@traxxasslash95]

Most RHD conversions marketed to postal carriers are similarly hokey

[@musewolfman]

In the Subaru community, mail-spec RHD 2nd gen Legacys are highly prized, by all the hotbois who wanna cosplay as having a JDM car, to the point that an automatic base model station wagon can sell for 3 times the normal asking price, just because the steering wheel is inconveniently placed. And it's not as though they look like a JDM model. They have the North American-only flat roof, whereas the Legacy/Liberty in the whole rest of the world got the step roof like the Outback has.

[@tangydiesel1886]

The rural carriers around us just sit in the center/right seat of their personal vehicles and drive with their left hand and foot only.

[@AwDudeIDontKnow]

Ah, the joys of being a rural carrier

[@TalenGryphon]

Hahaha! Caleb Seay?! Dude! I know that guy! And if anyone was gonna buy a mail van OF COURSE it would be him. I recall him being the one telling me the front track on an LLV is narrower than the rear to tighten their turning circle. At least it isn't another dented Ford Escort. We lost touch a couple years back. I thought he'd moved back east or something. Glad to see he is doing okay

[@PostalDog94]

Nah still here, driving my mail truck around. You should come check it out and we can catch up :D

[@TalenGryphon]

@@PostalDog94 OMG!! Hey bud!!! Hells yeah! I moved out to Idaho about a year and a half ago so visiting is a Little harder than when I lived in Seattle. But I'd love to! I'll be out that way during the summer! Gotta visit family and friends afterall. :-) What's a good way to get in touch? You still in the same place as the last time I saw you?

[@Vermilleno]

Hey, RRC, I want to say this: I love the jokes a lot. However, I must give praise in other aspect of this review - the later throughtfullness you provided after Caleb spoke. The... reminiscing of past, of what these meant. In general, I love when you get deep like this. When you dig into the meaning of things, or in this case - cars. It shows your true passion for what you're doing. Thank you.

[@VegetaRabbit]

The LLV that I've been driving for over 20 years is a 1987 model with the 92 horsepower 2.5L 4-cylinder that gets less than 10mpg. It's been in service over 34 years. We have the old school chains for when it snows that make that cool pavement slapping noise and make the vehicle feel like it's going to break apart at 20mph. They are simple vehicles, so when they break they are easy to repair. When new carriers start, they complain about how crappy the LLV's are, but after 21 years I have grown to respect them.

[@SharpBalisong]

The same vehicle for over 20 years? Wow.

[@PocketUau]

@@SharpBalisong Classic 'Murica, managing to get less than 100hp with a displacement that usually gives about 200-400hp. Makes sense considering the 5+ liter engines making just under 150hp they used to make. How the fuck do American engineers manage to make massive engines so weak? You don't need 6 liters to make 200hp, you can get that with 1 liter and a turbo :( I get the engine needs to last a long time, but damn, give it some pep, the fucker's heavy already without the load.

[@ABVollen]

@@PocketUau for 1980's standard, that engine's not that bad

[@SebP85]

@@PocketUau it's also ment to HAUL LOADS... reliability.... not go fast.

[@SebP85]

@@PocketUau you need big engine to handle big weight. Try toting around 1000lbs in an 88 civic with a d15. Lmk what you learned.

[@Onewheelordeal]

Your passion for a good ole industrial door latch is admirable

[@BoboTheVulture]

I worked as a relief carrier for about a year and twice had those super-rugged, industrial latch handles just fall off and clang on the floor. Just had to reach out the window and open it from the outside handle whenever I needed to dismount.

[@muke001]

I drive a FedEx truck and I can relate to those doors; just wanting to drive with the doors open was the whole reason I sought out the job!

[@norton750commando]

And the for the 1980's universal forklift emergency brake. A simple bombproof lever completely user adjustable for tension of the cable.

[@sed6]

I really enjoyed hearing directly from the owner. He tells his tale very well!

[@JaJaHead]

You could technically park anywhere with this car. Genius

[@Normal1855]

I never thought of that.🤣

[@x--.]

Well.... depends on how savvy the parking enforcement folks were. License plate would say, "I can write this thing a ticket." But the vehicle profile might mean they never look or notice.

[@evancourtney7746]

And proceed through stop signs first!

[@carbjr.8071]

Can confirm. I can park in the fire lane outside a business for the 28 seconds it takes me to run the mail to the front desk and even do "illegal" u-turns in front of police and they can't do anything about it

[@BladedAngel]

I wouldn't be able to resist painting it a different color, so at least the "Mailman lookalike" mistake will happen less. Fine little car though. I'm glad he's found something so quirky!

[@Xander1Sheridan]

it isn't though. It's dangerous as hell, no air conditioning, no radio, it can easily be 20 degrees or more over the outside temperature.

[@j.o.d.mercer7519]

Oh Guy fieri flames absolutely it would become my dragon wagon

[@kabloosh699]

Paint it red and throw some flames on it.

[@tnc7399]

if I owned one I probably never paint it. only recently I actually saw a mail truck, otherwise my mailman I think uses his own personal vehicles.

[@WingofTech]

Paint it a matte Aluminum Silver. 🤔

[@nobodysbusiness4130]

I worked at FedEx in the 90s and one day these LLVs showed up brand new. They had a different box on them than the postal versions, they were bigger. We could stand upright inside ours. We called them ice cream trucks. They bounced up and down on dirt roads and as you mentioned, they were gutless. We used them for maybe 10 years but one day they started disappearing. I heard they retired them because the frames were cracking. They were still running fine. FedEx sold them as a storage box for on your property with salvage titles and you had to sign a document that said you wouldn’t drive them. After they were gone, I saw one driving around town for years as a plumbers truck despite what the new owner signed. You could see where the FedEx logo was peeled off if you looked at it just right.

[@AlleyKatte]

"Don't push it over 75" I couldn't even get mine to go over 45 without the entire thing feeling like every bolt was going to shake out of place. But I guess individually owned ones are better taken care of. One time, I went to make a turn and when I moved the turn signal, it just fell out. No resistance at all. When I went back to my supervisor he just went "welp."

[@ThatBrubakerFellow]

It feels like it's falling apart from 45 up to 75. I normally wouldn't go that fast, but doing Sunday delivery gets tiresome.

[@jonahper751]

I knew I would happen, I have been waiting for this day.

[@DistinctOgre]

Well I'm glad you happened. Congratulation.

[@uzaiyaro]

Same!

[@scamperly]

I also knew you would happen

[@Ninja_S1000RR-R]

Are you a forbidden piece of crap?

[@tekkayagi6814]

Congrats on your birth

[@benjamindoyle668]

The line around 17:50 reminds me so much of the end of Gatsby. Just beautiful. Mr Regular is a master of his art.

[@ThePandasian34]

When he started talking about having a sentimental mindset, it hit me so hard like a brick to where i paused the video and just reflected. Because everything he said is true. This vehicle, will be the reason we reminisce about everything great in the past. It’s just insane that when it happens there will be times when we regret taking shit back then for granted. Fuck man

[@asciicatface]

Yeah, really hit me hard too. I need to start living life in the present and taking control of the here and now. Ive been looking at and living in the past for far too long. Time to move forward.

[@ben3989]

Man this you hard didn’t it.

[@DuskLegend]

@@asciicatfacemaybe if we stopped playing this fake game called modern life we could start truly living

[@asciicatface]

@@DuskLegend damn I was not expecting to get that laid on me this evening

[@Thatonepersonyouheard]

Like eating meat for every meal

[@pattiblackwood8546]

As a letter carrier, I drove one for almost 30 years. I loved my LLV. With that narrower front wheel base, it helped in snow. Although spinning out was trippy and fun. They were so light, (empty) you could spit on them and it would leave a dent. Only bad part was smashing my finger in the sliding door. OUCH.

[@36Jon36]

Or hitting your elbow on the metal latch for the door. Only happened to me like twice but it hurt so much, lol !

[@bondgabebond4907]

I smashed my finger on that damn door about a week before retirement. That hurt, really hurt. Squirted blood on my shirt. Overall it was much better than the Jeeps I drove. One had a rear door that didn't want to lock, the other had rusted holes that allowed water in when I ran over puddles on rainy days.

[@karryhardman8735]

I wonder how many fingers got smashed in that door? It got me too.

[@jimellis1496]

I've got multiple scars on my arms from the latches gouging skin off of them. When the metal diamond plate step wore smooth, it would get very slippery when wet.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

Ya know, I just came to the channel expecting function/use case reviews and driving analysis, but it somehow became a video essay about the pitfalls of nostalgia and escapism in social context. It's amazing - will watch again and again

[@jimeagle1155]

I never drove one but I will say when I was an auto glass installer we had to put a windshield in one of these and it was crazy. They get urethaned-in but they have to be pushed in from the inside and then fastened with about five million screws around the perimeter into the encapsulated plastic that the window is mounted in. It was a nightmare

[@TrentGreene24]

Really?? That’s insane 😭

[@sincity2562]

I feel like almost all government crap is like this. I was a 15R in the army and every single time I had to remove a windshield or replace a windshield in the AH64 Apache, I had to remove or replace like 50 screws for each large panel. Top that off with removing the sealing compound that they doused everything in, and it just makes for a horrible time. If the screws stripped, I had to get someone from airframe to come over and drill the mess out. Loved my job, but that's the most fun I never wanna have again!😂😂

[@sumdumguy2648]

19 screws to be exact. ;)

[@alericjohansen6775]

I love the fact that i came for a review about the car, and got a VERY deep , and heavy lesson about nostalgia, leaving things in the past, allure, and rose tinted glasses/lenses. Very interesting video.

[@TheGearJamminDeer]

I suddenly REALLY want one of these, and i would cherish every time i drove it, simply because it's unobtainable, and i love that. I'd get mine painted a really bright neon color too, both to make it stand out even more in the Walmart parking lot, but also to make it obvious it's not a USPS truck

[@Bigoleboi]

Here's some interesting information, the numbers on the roof on the mail truck tell you the year it was built. Made from 87-94 the first number tells you the year it was built. 2564327 would be a 1992, 8821001 built in 1988. This goes for all post office vehicles. 1987-1993 LLV's have a 2.5 iron duke(good luck getting over 55 mph) the 1994 has a 2.2 that rev's higher and more acceleration at the high end(that's how Caleb can reach 90 downhill in this.

[@BootScoot]

My mom worked for the post office up until last year. Every single LLV in the local fleet was driven into the ground and well below it. One of the things I was told was that they aren't washed, more that when they're serviced that a fresh coat of house paint is applied, dirt and all.

[@thJune]

That’s fucking fantastic 🤣 If that doesn’t explain government work, idk what will

[@takumisato7126]

As a mailman thats true, they go to the service department and come back with white house paint in spots and sometimes new black wheels, my LLV at work gets 4mpg, yes i calculated it lol

[@Zipppyart]

@@takumisato7126 ive been seeing reports that the new mail trucks get 8 MPG! that's actually an upgrade, despite some publications saying how bad it is, guess they didnt consider mail deliveries.

[@hambrabai1256]

Locally our post office has a corner of their backlot where they slowly scavenge a couple wrecked LLVs for parts, hose them with the pressure washer, and touch up the paint with brushes. 100ft and further the little weirdos look pretty decent, get closer and they get absolutely vile real fast. In the local area, most of our LLVs are right on the verge of total collapse from frame rot, I expect the Oshkosh will replace them en masse and the next door scrapyard will get a couple flatbeds of LLV shells and rust fragments on wheels.

[@97I30T]

@@Zipppyart The outcry over the bad mpg of the new mail trucks is so overblown. The conditions that mail trucks operate in is not conducive to getting good mpgs. People who are complaining that these new mail trucks get "only 8 mpg" should try driving their cars loaded full of crap and stop every 50-200 feet for 8+ hours a day and see how good their fuel economy is.

[@keeganm2482]

Thank you for your eloquent commentary. I share the same love for these vehicles.

[@BrianJNelson]

Just an FYI, most LLVs do NOT have swivel driver seats. I have never seen one in the several offices I've been in that has a swivel seat. Also, the passenger seat is called a "jump seat" and is usually mounted in the back when needed (for supervisor or trainee ride-alongs), because where a passenger seat would normally go there is a mail tray. Normally you can't get in the "passenger" door.

[@jde824]

I’ve never been in one that didn’t have a swivel seat.

[@Ericisnotachannel]

Most Grumman LLVs have the swivel seats, the Ford CRV Utilmasters have the Ford Explorer adjustable seats.

[@TheJacel86]

Caleb is a great interview and absolutely the perfect person to wind up with one of these delightful monstrosities.

[@Aethercell]

I really appreciate that you filmed this up on the road to Johnston Volcano Observatory - such a beautiful corner of our state. Come back any time, friend.

[@JesusBehindtheWheel]

Like Crown Vic P71s, Grumman’s are generation defying vehicles. Soon only those of a certain age (and back pain) will be able to remember seeing them in service.

[@AaronOfMpls]

Yup, I very much remember these being _the_ mail truck in the '90s and '00s. As they've aged, many have been replaced with converted minivans. And still feel the urge to check my speedometer when I see a Ford Crown Victoria in my mirrors. 🙂 The Crown Vic-based Police Interceptor was _the_ ANSI standard police car of the '90s and '00s, until Ford stopped making them. I still see the occasional retired beater car around, but it seems like even the taxi companies have mostly replaced them now. (Police departments hang onto cars for only a couple years to avoid breakdowns. Cab companies used to buy the same cars -- sometimes with police bumpers and spotlights -- but seemed to hang onto them longer.)

[@MichaelMulin]

Long live the CVPI’s. Owned one for 2 years most fun I’ve ever had in a car. Also got away with speeding every single day 😂🤣

[@mariusjenkins7294]

@@AaronOfMpls There is a pretty big community around the panther platform cars (Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car) and there are some really nicely maintained and preserved CVPI's among them... I have an old civilian Vic that's in pretty rough shape, but when I get a couple other projects done I plan to get it looking pretty nice again... Definitely the best cars to ever come from Ford... They are also very reliable (uncharacteristic of Ford lol)... Other than ball joints, vacuum/intake leaks and the occasional transmission dying, they didn't have a lot of common problems...

[@Mister_Brown]

@@AaronOfMpls our local pd still uses them every once in a while, they outlasted the chargers that replaced them and the Taurus SHO's that replaced those

[@LITTLE1994]

Yeah, they were used to be common.

[@ThisGuyRightHereXB]

Crazy how long these have been in use given they haven’t made them in almost 30 years

[@jtp336]

They're living up to their names ;)

[@markmiller3279]

But I bet most have had a lot of new parts swapped in, including engines. That was the beauty of the design.

[@joebledsoe257]

Talking Unique - A guy I went to school with and was in my Boy Scout Troop had a Funeral Home Black Cadillac hearse. Complete w/ a wood casket. It would carry 6 people, it sat 5 people with one more laying down. He drove it to school when he got his license.

[@TrentFalkenrath]

Man, imagine this converted into a stealth camper. It's gotta have room for a bed large enough you could laid on. It wouldn't be too stealthy, but that would be very interesting.

[@chloesamclutch]

Have driven one daily mostly for the last twenty plus years. Would be totally easy with the slots in the sides to build folding bunk beds where the accessory shelves mount. Mostly by now they’ve been beat to hell, windshield leaking on the fuse box, shift linkage wore out, but for what they are with some maintenance they’re darned functional and versatile

[@sergeant_salty]

this was my first thought too. it's like a big metal tent

[@gearjammergamer8560]

@@omercarrothers7537 I absolutely don't understand the fascination with being homeless. One of the popular "Van Life" guys finally made a video about how it gets fucking old shitting in a bucket and not showering for days so he was buying a house. I've drove truck for 20+ years and lived in my semi for 10 years. It fucking sucks. Having to find a shower, a safe place to park, no one wants you on their property, cant find places to take a dump. Living in your vehicle is a short term fantasy

[@gmac8852]

@@gearjammergamer8560 everyone wants to until they have to.

[@jonlee2553]

@@gearjammergamer8560 Most of those dudes are either rich, or just front for the cameras. I had a buddy that did it for two years a while back. He had reliable access to a 24hr gym, so there's your shower and toilet. He saved up enough money to put a nice down on a house, but he did say that he wouldn't do it again.

[@stefthepef]

This dude's taste in cars is perfect. Weird. Quirky. Odd. Here for it. Also, I like Schuylkill County pee water.

[@MrLM002]

This was so wholesome, thank you. That guy earned my sub. I got the Jeep Granddaddy of this A DJ-5 with a 232 I6 and a A-727. I'm fully with this guy when it comes to car preferences. I've had my fun going too fast in a great handling car in my highschool days and I've drifted at low speeds in my pickup. Slow speed fun is much better than high speed fun, much safer too. I'll take soft suspension, a durable build, and a practical boxy body over any sports car any day.

[@PetarVN]

I met the owner of this LLV at my local C&C (Lake WA Cars & Coffee) and got to take it for a quick spin. These things ROCK! I absolutely adore the LLV, and adore how it's a hidden hero of American culture. So cool to see it on here too :)

[@PostalDog94]

That was a fun day :D I'm hoping to bring it to cars and coffee again this Sunday if the weather holds up

[@PetarVN]

@@PostalDog94 looking forward to seeing it again! :)

[@MrNightpwner]

As someone who is a mail carrier, we're ready for the next generation. You keep saying the post office is on the decline, but we're always hiring and as a new hire I'm proud of it. The mission is still the same as always, and day after day my station gets it done. We still deliver the mail and respect it like it was our own. The post office ain't going nowhere. This was a hilarious review, getting to see civilian opinions on a car I spend 45 hours a week in there, it's an experience. Your analysis was scary spot on. My fun piece of crap. 😂

[@quillmaurer6563]

I likewise disagree with the "postal service in decline" statement from what I've seen. I highly doubt the government will ever go to doing everything electronically - they're trying but all "official" business I'm sure will still be by mail for decades to come. Then there's the rise of online shopping, much of which is done via mail. Can't get physical items delivered via Internet! Amazon has their own delivery network, but there's still other online retailers that rely heavily on the USPS. I also feel like, now that its been obsolete long enough, younger people are actually finding novelty in sending each other physical letters. Then of course there's junk mail, which will probably last as long as civilization, nobody would want to preserve the USPS for that purpose but it surely helps pay some of the bills.

[@RRaquello]

I started working in the Post Office in 1989, and even back then they were saying the same thing. The USPS was going out of business or was going to privatize. In 10 years there would be no Post Office. At the least, there's be no every day, every house delivery. Saturday delivery would be gone by next year. Etc. Etc. A lot of it was scare tactics by the union. The rest was scare tactics by the management. The union wanted to raise money for their PAC. The management was trying to force more work on you. Every month or so we had these service talks where we were warned "Doomsday is right around the corner". And they wondered why worker morale was so low. I worked in NYC, so I don't know if it was the same in the rest of the country. I think the post office will be around for a while yet. I think when I left, the USPS had something like 700,000 employees. I don't know any politician on any side who wants to be blamed for putting 700,000 people out of work. Periodically, you get some blowhard who makes a big speech about how the USPS is losing money and that it should be put out of its misery, but they only make the speech because they know it won't happen and they're trying to get easy brownie points for their austerity. Like with all government programs, there's always talks of cuts, but when it comes to actually cutting, everyone chickens out.

[@manfromnantucket9544]

I'm a Canadian Postal Worker (Canada Post). Every year our depot breaks new records for parcels and packet deliveries, so I wouldn't say we're in decline at all. Unfortunately that means flyers/admail are at an all-time high too lol

[@quillmaurer6563]

@@RRaquello All very good points. As for it "losing money," I see a bit of a logical fallacy there. It is asked to do a necessary service, not a profitable one, that is the design from the beginning - like most government services. Some parts of its business are profitable, but they in turn have to subsidize the unprofitable parts. The profitable parts compete with private industry, such as FedEx and UPS, who only do the profitable parts, not the necessary but unprofitable parts. Thus the USPS cannot be profitable, as the profitable parts couldn't cover the costs of the unprofitable parts and at the same time be competitive with private industry. Private industry, not having this burden, has a natural advantage, so it's unreasonable to ask the USPS to be profitable in competition. But we shouldn't, we should look at it not to be profitable but as necessary. Same is true of other government services that are not and never will be profitable (at least not consistently) without subsidies, but provide necessary services. Amtrak, basically any public transit, and so on. But at least they make some money back. Nobody asks the military, NASA, police/fire, public education, and so on to be profitable (at least not directly, major indirect benefits of most of those), yet they are very much necessary or beneficial for a functional society. Sometimes we need to think not of profit but what is needed to make a functional society.

[@starlightando6890]

I've driven this for a month or two during my seasonal job at the Postal service. They aren't hard to operate, but not easy to drive either, especially while delivering mail. The mirrors are your best friend in these. Ive never driven these above 50, but good luck if you do. Its also one of the oldest cars I've driven in my whole life.

[@blackwidowsm]

Grumman was also one of largest makers of 12-17 ft aluminum boats between 50s to 80 they were up there with Lund Tracker and alumacraft. Had a 14 footer paired with a 15hp Evinrude. Caught a lot of fish in that boat growing up during the summers. Upgraded to a 17’ Boston whaler montauk.

[@WigWoo1]

With How square the vehicle is it would be a really great vehicle to put decals on or advertise with

[@Redmenace96]

Or, present art of any kind.

[@mikehall3976]

Y'know, like a Nissan NV200

[@theonlyMoancore]

Like a big USPS logo..

[@CaptainApathetic]

Get an advertising contract to put a giant UPS logo on it to fuck with people

[@Dankcatvacs]

Adult friend finder...

[@dougkoudelka3089]

Worked on these for over 20 years. I always wanted to get one, drop in an LS motor and put "Express Mail " on the sides.

[@stephenmoutafis5587]

Why it would be better with a modern Japanese or Korean 4cyl

[@xray606]

I always liked how they put little stencils on things, like the tire PSI and so on... Just like on a military plane. I talked to a couple guys in my hood, and they said they actually turned down the new trucks when they offered them to them, to keep this. But I'm in a big city. It would probably go the other way for rural workers. Most guys love the new walk in cargo vans.

[@EstebanRapido]

I used to work at a local repair shop that was contracted to the USPS. I was responsible for the invoicing. It's amazing how much money we made from fixing these vehicles. I've driven them here and there. It is truly amazing how uncomfortable and loud they are. And of course, no A/C.

[@takumisato7126]

They suck lol

[@amartinjoe]

this was made for union guys - trust me, you don't want these guys to be too comfortable in their job! NOTHING GETS DONE!!!

[@takumisato7126]

@@amartinjoe you should sign up, USPS is always hiring lol

[@gearjammergamer8560]

@@takumisato7126 Where? You couldn't buy a post office job around me. Only way to get in is if your grandad and your dad got you in cause they both worked there for 30+ years

[@takumisato7126]

@@gearjammergamer8560 I'm in Pennsylvania, we're so shorthanded they'll literally hire anybody lol

[@phong208]

The postal service is as grueling, bland, and harshly worked as hungover mondays. Much like the operation itself, the LLV represents that unstoppable will to get the job done.

[@quillmaurer6563]

I'm surprised he never mentioned that, he talked about how nothing could stop this thing, totally unphased by the weather. The Postal Service has long held that as their reputation, that they will deliver no matter what the weather. And we all know that if WWIII happens, everything gets nuked, the government collapses, society falls apart, the last piece of the US government - and society in general - to remain functional will be mail carriers driving these around on the bomb-cratered streets delivering mail to whoever's still alive. Given the postal service's dedication and unwillingness to be deterred by weather, they surely had some pretty specific requirements about its all-weather capabilities, such as the limited slip diff.

[@phong208]

@@quillmaurer6563 My family has been deeprooted in employment with the postal service for long before I was born. I'm currently 25. I remember dying to see the mail truck as a kid, waiting for my issue of lego magazine with the extra bionicle comic book. The fact my carrier would show up with almost four feet of snow on the ground blew my mind. Even today, working it for as a clerk, the fact we still show up regardless of conditions fills me with a sense of patriotism.

[@krissteel4074]

Australian couriers used the Toyota Hiace and well, they're a little more luxurious in the sense the heater will work and the engine will keep going until the end of the universe. They put some brutal mileage on them too. In some ways its hard not to dislike the LLV 'as a concept', it wasn't necessarily a success as it could or should have been, but there was an attempt to make a vehicle which wasn't just a piece of disposable white goods and fit for purpose over a long, hard life like haulage trucks that have indefinite milage on the chassis and engines ticking over towards 5-600,000km before needing major overhauls before being sent out to run for another lap or 10 around the planet.

[@RRaquello]

@@phong208 I worked as a carrier and used to think it must be hell to be a clerk. Especially a window clerk. At least we got to go outside.

[@phong208]

@@RRaquello The worst part of being a clerk. You are the reason why mail gets mis delivered. You are the sole origin point, of why a piece of mail, or a package arrived damaged. The anger, rage, sorrow, and misdirected scrutiny of the public will beat you down and wear you out. Especially when first entering the position and learning the ropes. There's no escape from your tiny little window and your sluggish nine year old dust clogged desktop. Running on a tortured variant of windows vista featuring a painfully grade school interface and un optimized federal applications. "Don't shoot the messenger" means nothing to some. Twenty passports in a single day is the most exhausting retail experience that exists. I'm sure of it. However, it presents an opportunity for you to correct their feelings. A chance to undo the mistakes. Eventually you learn the job well, it's ins and outs. And rather than responding with escalation, you provide an answer. Clarity, and maybe even relief when things do not always arrive on time or in the right place. On the clock, there is no better feeling than correcting a mishap, and putting a customer's debacle to sleep. Solidifying their trust in something that is rapidly declining in relevance. But I do not forget those who trudge in all elements to deliver the mail to boxes of all shapes and sizes, and we should all work together to get the job done. No postal worker; be it clerk, carrier, mail handler, or 204b. We should never hold ourselves higher than one another. We all work towards a common goal. Get the mail from A to B. And that's what makes us the best. If Amazon won't make money on a specific street, they shove it over to us. Are we truly obsolete? Or is our competition incapable of doing what we do 365 days a year?

[@TheCanterlonian]

Grumman also made the lunar excursion module during the apollo program, i think that's pretty neat tbh

[@zarsasilver]

One of the last few remains from the 80's still in use today. Sad to see them slowly becoming too old. True piece of americana that I won't forget. I think every American who grew up with these things driving around is gonna be real nostalgic for these once they get replaced. Belongs in an American history museum to be honored forever. Long live the LLV

[@christopherscott3120]

I wouldn't be surprised to see one end up in the Smithsonian. After all, they've got a lot of other Grumman products.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Very much agree. And these look "right" for the job. The NGDV is unbearably ugly, thus I doubt it will ever have the same appeal.

[@SummeryMussel9]

@@quillmaurer6563 I just Googled it. Holy FUCK is that thing ugly

[@albertpintor3522]

I just learned how old llvs are last year and I can't believe that they have been everywhere since before I was born

[@RRaquello]

@@christopherscott3120 The Smithsonian actually has a separate Museum of Postal History. Not a small place either. It has its own building and is very interesting. I've been there a couple of times,

[@62jape]

I would get stickers for the sides and front that say, “NOT A MAIL CARRIER”.

[@VonGeggry]

I'd probably just paint it. Red maybe. Hot pink would also be humorous

[@cirrustate8674]

@@VonGeggry Red. Absolutely red!

[@mountain177]

@@cirrustate8674 with hotrod flames.

[@cirrustate8674]

@@mountain177 Nah. Front pretty much solid black, with some cracks, and then shards going back along the vehicle, making it look like I'm driving through a black pane of glass.

[@mountain177]

@@cirrustate8674 thats much vetter than my idea

[@thomasschaffner9601]

Interesting video. I spent nine years as a USPS VOMA. Points if you know what that means. Yes, driving at carrying capacity weight makes for better handling. The reason for the black oil, is the oil was only change every six months. The reason for the temp problems, your vehicle body is all aluminum. Aluminum is great heat sink. Lastly if you're a owner of one of these vehicles, if you have problem with the rear door go to a garage door repair man. The rear door is a garage door.

[@monstertrucker35]

“Postal service in decline”. My wife is a postal carrier and of the 4 cities she serves at, they are all overwhelmed by the amount of material passed through the USPS, and are desperate for more employees.

[@FunkyKong]

Yeah, seems to be a lack of understanding or curiosity of where things are going. The new vehicles are basically package delivery trucks. People "going paperless" is far from the end of the postal service.

[@monstertrucker35]

@@FunkyKong spot on.

[@TheRagnarok5000]

Man. Oddly enough though the majority of physical mail I get is junk. Advertising and marketing, sales, promotional, etc. I’d say 75%. Imagine if these companies just stopped bombarding our boxes with stuff that just goes straight to the trash and it was all just relevant mail. All that marketing budget money companies pay is a big part of what’s keeping it running. Well, that and packages.

[@GregoryStevens909]

Yeah, the decrease in letter mail was more than compensated for by the boom in package shipping. Even competitors like UPS, DHL, and Amazon's delivery service depend on the USPS to deliver a big chunk of their own packages.

[@JalopyGinger]

I got a postal Jeep as a project during plague days. It was still being used as a mail carrier until the previous owner blew up the engine the week before. I'm just getting it on back on the road and people in the hardware and auto parts store parking lots are absolutely loving it.

[@luckyduckydrivingschool3615]

Seeing one of these things drive on open roads more beautiful than a level from Need for Speed (the original) is awe-striking!

[@pdegnan4852]

I saw one of these on Interstate 79 outside of Washington Pennsylvania doing about 50MPH with the engine screaming and I was legitimately concerned for that mail carrier's safety lol. No idea why the hell they decided to take a section of the interstate that people regular do 80MPH+ through... especially when there's a road that flanks it (PA Route 19) that has a 45MPH speed limit The mail carrier gave zero fucks... and I can respect that haha

[@jarrodwidiger5472]

I had a 1974 DJ-5C as my first vehicle in the late 90s, despite being 2wd it was a monster in snow and mud and became unstoppable when we took the ORIGINAL tires off in favor of snow tires. Although mine was built by AM General (government contract AMC) I can attest it was pretty cheap. I don't think I'll ever buy another vehicle where the majority of the components are made by the lowest bidder.

[@customkey]

This takes me back to the days of my youth when we called transformed vehicles like this "hippie vans." Go back and check out the real insider films of the original 1969 Woodstock festival, I was there. Kids traveled there from all over the country in large groups in this kind of vehicle - old 20 plus year old bread trucks, school busses, delivery vans, repaired on the side of the road when they broke down. By the mid to late '60s these things could be bought for anywhere from $25 to $75 dollars or so, and someone who lived in your commune or group of friends could make 'em roadworthy to cross deserts and mountains. Windows would be cut into the side panels for light and ventilation and the old flathead engines could be coaxed back to life like your modern 4 cyl was. Check out the old International Metro and the Chevy Step Van, lots of those were reconstituted as hippie vans. Mine was a 1966 Ford Econoline station bus, in mint condition that my lady and I drove from NJ to California and back - lived in it for a while. Sorry to be so long, but this vid took me back to that very pioneering and fearless time. Don't be afraid of adventure!

[@grizzly-bear-1k24miles2]

I’m glad it’s nickname is the mailcat 😂😂 to bad Grumman missed out on the perfect opportunity

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

Interesting to see this level of respect for public servants.

[@Broseph1337]

I feel like social media has warped our senses of what the average person believes