[GeronL]

Military surplus heavy vehicles actually do make sense for rural towns,

I hear maintainence costs are huge for those things.

[tanknetter]

I hear maintainence costs are huge for those things.

MRAPs use a lot of commercial/off the shelf components, and are usually based on a commercial platform (Navistar - formerly International Harvester - made a lot of them.) And there's a good supply of spares to draw from, including vehicles used for cannibalization.

Still, yes, much more expensive than a police cruiser or super-duty commercial pickup truck. But in something like the aftermath of a hurricane or tornado or flood (or even during a flood, with their fording capabilities), they're going to be invaluable.

The two deuce and a halfs and Dodge 3/4 ton weapons carrier my town had (WWII or Korean War surplus) were invaluable when Gloria tore through Southern New England in 1985.