Sometime in the 1930's someone used the term 'Carryall' to describe a vehicle that had previously been just a 'station wagon' Most of the major US manufacturers of the time, notably Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and International, produced these wooden bodied vehicles on their ordinary car chassis.
Although Chevrolet and International produced 4 x 2 units for the US Government during the WW2 period, the quantity manufacturer was the Dodge Brothers Division of Chrysler Corporation, who produced not only the 4 x 2 half ton vehicle but also the 4 x 4 half and three quarter ton types, and it is the Dodge product that this article is about. In 1939 Dodge opened the new facility at Mound Road, Detroit and it is there that all the military carryalls were made.
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The VC 6 was the first recorded military Carryall. Dodge's own Master Parts List production figure is 24 produced, but if anyone had bothered to check Dodge's own factory shot of the prototype (below) they would see the USA number W-22297 on it which takes the total to 25 by my counting. W-22297 would be in the middle of a run of pickups (the USA number for a Carryall SHOULD start 20xxxxx) and of course it's entirely a concidence that my VC 3 is numbered W-22297 by 'mistake'........
Mound Road factory prototype shot
Proctor-Keefe of Dix Avenue, Detroit, did the conversion of the standard '40 series panel van body. The addition of four side windows in boxes, fitment of two rows of rear seats, a front jump seat and a transom tailgate / liftgate rear was all that was needed inside. Fuel tank was moved to the rear of the chassis to make way for the transfer case and front wheel drive mechanism and the rear springs got double plate hangers, though the front still had the open civilian 'C' type, like the jeep. Solid disc wheels on small wheelstuds, mounting 7.50 x 16 cross-country tyres, six volt electrics.
The fact that a Carryall was produced on the standard civilian '40 pattern panel truck body, apparently all by hand-alteration** suggests that the body configuration may have existed even before the VC 6's were built, but if it did they were hand-built rather than machine produced. Known production dates for VC trucks all appear to be late '39 to August 1940 . The prototype shown above was produced in the same production run as my VC 3 which had a date of delivery of May 7th 1940, and the three known survivors of the production batch all have delivery dates on or shortly after 7th August 1940. Although I haven't examined the one original truck in the Krause collection the Master Parts List suggests quite a few differences from the later trucks. The side framing is wooden, the side panel lining Masonite, and like the 41 / 42 T112 series trucks the side windows were frameless with just a bottom runner. They had the close-set headlights and military brushguard common to all the VC's, plus a distinctive panel below the tailgate about 6" high which isn't found on any other Carryall, cut away to clear the bumperettes. Like the VC 1 and VC 2 Command Cars the US Army considered them to be cars (as opposed to trucks) so the 24 production units also got the conventional number plate mountings on front bumper and tailgate, and USA numbers painted under the hood that the Commands did. VC's also tended to carry a lot of brightwork, from the five stainless bars across the front grille to the small grille ornament, hood hinge, and even the loose wheel rims*.
* (2004 note) Paul Christensen tells me the wheel rings were originally Cadmium plated, and the wheel type was derived from the 1939 one ton TD series, although they had six bolts and the recess round the rim was the other way, pointing out rather than in to retain the 1939 hubcap)
** (2005 note) Recent examination of a second original VC 6 has firmed up some previous suspicions. The body tag is 4013-xxxx, confirming that the two known survivors from the second production run were hand-altered from standard half ton van bodies around August 1940. This also explains why the rear window location is different to the later trucks with a thinner centre divider and more space between the outer window edges and the ends of the side panel. In addition it is fairly obvious that the spare wheel mount is a pickup-style bracket mounted to the chassis and protruding through a slot in the body side panel, to the extent that the spare wheel actually overhangs the running board and there is no body side recess to accomodate it as in all other Carryalls. The drivers seat floor shows no sign of the later Carryall 'box' to carry the wide drivers seat, so the assumption would be that both front seats in the VC 6 would be the same single seats as the contemporary van.
(2007 note) A third VC6 has turned up in North Dakota, date and number information has been added to the survivors list at the link immediately below and pictures will be added as soon as possible.
These trucks were 4 x 2 units with green paint and military serials. Like the VC 6 they had frameless side glass, but they also have wider set headlights, less chrome on the grille, a bigger grille ornament, and numerous civilian features like cowl lights, a centre wind-up windscreen mechanism, and a three speed gearbox. Chassis construction is very light, with open 'C' section spring hangers all round, and the fuel tank alongside the chassis underneath the driver, with a fuel filler behind the drivers door. Civilian drop-centre wheels on lug bolts, with 7.50 x 16 cross-country tread and 10.5" DODGE script hubcaps.
WC 36 production appears to be late in the year as the two trucks I had were December 1941 and January 1942. The illustrations I've seen of the later WC 48 type appear almost identical, except as noted below; Six volt electrics.
WC36, around a half dozen are known to remain. I bought two from Texas, one had 8th Service Command insignia on it. One of mine was sold to Julian Raschle in Dundee, Scotland to get finished off, the other is being reworked into a pickup and a few other vehicles. Ordinary 1941 civilian stainless trim phosphated over and then painted green.
WC48, The white one below came from Nevada, and is currently (October 2007) for sale at Wildenberg's in Holland.
Archie Acevedo bought a 12" stretch version from VPW in Iowa. Differences are mainly trim, as they seem to have the plastic (pressed soya?) radiator top shell ornament, and note the later military pod lights on top of the headlights.
A WC48, now at a dealers in Holland
These three types are almost identical, differentiated mainly by the engine engineering code, chassis, serial numbers, and full military-standard instruments on the T215 series.
The side glass is now framed to lessen the chance of breakage, fenders have been cut away all round, double plate spring hangers all round, and the body had been tweaked to sit marginally lower on the chassis and reduce the likelihood of an overturn. The front grille is now an integral part of the front end, and the rear floor now has provision for the centre seat row to be turned sideways, forming an operators seat if a radio unit is built onto the left hand body wall. Military pattern 7.50 x 16 side ring wheels mounting ND bartreads. Six volt electrical system.
Ok, so this is a half ton WC11 panel van, at Hickam Field Pearl Harbour, but did you ever wonder what a Carryall would look like if the fuel tank took a bullet?
Yet again the body has been lowered on the chassis, to the extent that the rear floor now has two covered slots in the woodwork to allow clearance for the chassis kick-up over the rear axle. Although the rear body sides have been reworked for round wheelarches, each truck still seems to have a fill panel leaded in behind the passengers door above the battery box where the spare wheel sat on previous models.
Military pattern 9.00 x 16 ND bartreads on side ring wheels. Twelve volt electrics, with a dash mounted voltmeter and switch.
In all the above series of trucks the primary buying points are condition and completeness.
Most Carryalls have lost their rear seats, and many have had solid roof panels welded or screwed over or in place of the fibre originals. The seats can be made by hand fairly readily, and the roof panel replacement is easy once you get the hang of it. Minor body parts, such as the tailgate and liftgate locks, can be a real problem. Rear window winder mechanisms are nearly always seized and easy to break, new mechanisms are expensive, and nearly always the wrong 'hand' for your needs, though left and right 'handing' can be changed if you know how. Wood floor replacement is surprisingly straightforward, though remember to leave it loose if you are using kiln-dried timber, and consider removing the fuel tank to get the seat hardware positioning right on the WC 53. Do not cut the seat mounting plate recesses or the skid strip holes until you have the floor in place.
One point is often overlooked, all the window side panels, winder mechanisms, and front door lock remote controls are secured with 12 gauge screws which are almost impossible to find these days, since that size is now obsolete.
The one factor not to buy for is mechanical completeness - all Carryalls share the engine and drivetrain of other vehicles, and none of the mechanical parts are difficult to come by. The only carryall-specific part of the drivetrain should be the 3/4 ton rear driveshaft, because it would be wheelbase-specific.
use the link at the bottom of this page to go to my main page with some Carryall " how to's " on it.
Two WC 53 Carryalls (USA 2092777 and 2092778) were turned into Field Command Limousines by the addition of side doors, roof rack, spotlights, and numerous other bits and pieces. Neither uncovered yet.
At least one 'VC 6' has been made, apparently by grafting an ordinary half ton T207 / 211 / 215 series body onto the more common VC 1 chassis and running gear - check before you buy….
One UK owner reports an original WW 2 period photograph of a WC 53 with a winch on - probably a graft since there is no evidence of any winch-equipped originals.
Copyright. Gordon W.I. McMillan, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007.
See anything wrong with the above? Know anything to the contrary that should be added or corrected ? Email me and I'll get it done.