Military wants a better Humvee

Might make sense to buy a full-size pickup chassis and then build a custom carriage to ride on top. They can even go for HD pickups.

That very thing is in process here at Malmstrom AFB. We have a Ford F-350 with an armored cab and turret. It doesn't have any of the lighter materials discussed in the blog (not to my knowledge anyway), but it sure is cheaper than buying an H1 (which I don't believe are even in production). The best part is that you can simply order factory parts to fix it. H1's are notorious for maintenance costs.

Military Humvees are still being built, as they have to keep replacing those getting blown up in Iraq.

I can't isee a civilain 4x4 being modified to replace the H1. A military vehicle needs to climb trees and concrete barriers every day while being driven by people who make rental car drivers seem like grandmothers. It also has to have passenger space and huge doors for big guys with lots of dangerous gear that's packed in a hurry. It would be huge to have a replacement that's better armored with more diesel effiency. I hope they spend tons on this to get it right this time.

Actually the military is looking at replacing the Hummer with several different vehicles depending on the roles the vehicle is taking on in what is known as the JLTV program. TACOM and TARDEC are currently looking at many short-term options currently to fill the needs of the Army as well as possible solutions that they can work with the Marines on, but ultimately they are looking at a whole new fleet of A-Kit/ B-Kit (field up-armor) units that are versatile, can take on many different roles, and are far more robustly constructed than the venerable Hummer. There are a good number of heavy-hitting companies in this market as well as many smaller ones vying for congressional funding to build test units for the U.S. military.
  
Specifically the battlefield application and 'up-armored' units are severaly stressing the Hummer chassis that was never designed to carry the type of weight that is brought upon from field bolt-on armor applications, this stresses everything from the engine to the transmission, suspension, excessive brake wear, you name it, everything takes a toll. It's more dangerous to drive and you don't expect the people at the helm are going to be any less aggressive with them.
 
The utilization of civilian components is an excellent thing.... to a point. Some things are easier to replace with non-MIL specific parts such as axle assemblies from off-road trucks, transmissions from the likes of Allison, engines from Cat, Cummmins, and Detroit, and certain electrical components. But there are many areas that you need to adhere to MIL-spec components including electrical systems and components that are standard service items (unless you can prove to the gov't that your new solution will save them money and headaches.)
  
This will be very interesting how this competition runs out over the next several years, I know watching the next gen of military vehicles being developed is quite interesting. We want to provide the best solution possible for our guys on the ground and we're working hard at trying to keep them safe and give them any advantage possible!