Vehicle
M3S
The Praga. Two seats, six wheels, 600 slots and a top speed you can outrun on a bike. The vehicle that moves a base.
Key facts
M3S at a glance
The M3S is the Czech Praga V3S, in DayZ since 2014 and reworked as the covered M3S in 1.10. It is the slowest vehicle in the game and carries more than anything else, which is the whole point of it.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Seats | 2 (driver and passenger; the back is cargo) |
| Cargo | 600 slots (10×60); up to 1,400 with four barrels and four wooden crates in the bed |
| Top speed | 60 km/h in the files; about 65 downhill, 25 on gentle throttle |
| Fuel tank | 120 L |
| Engine | Diesel: glow plug, truck battery, no radiator |
| Noise | Extremely loud |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Colours | Green (covered), blue, orange |
| Real-world basis | Praga V3S (1953 to the early 2000s) |
| Class names | Truck_01_Covered, Truck_01_Covered_Blue, Truck_01_Covered_Orange |
Figures come from the game files as documented by the DayZ Wiki and checked against our vehicles page. The file top speed is a ceiling; on a busy server you will rarely reach it.
What it needs
Required parts
Six wheel positions: two single front wheels and four dual rear wheels. It will move on two duals at the back but is miserable until all four are on. Then a truck battery and a glow plug.
| Part | Size | Weight | Found | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2× M3S Wheel | 10x10 (100 Slots) | 30 kg | M3S, M3S Wrecks | Uncommon |
| 4× M3S Dual Wheel | 10x10 (100 Slots) | 50 kg | M3S, M3S Wrecks | Uncommon |
| 1× Truck Battery | 5x3 (15 Slots) | 18 kg | Military Industrial | Uncommon |
| 1× Glow Plug | 1x2 (2 Slots) | 200 g | Work | Rare |
Fluids: petrol from a jerrycan only. The trucks have no radiator slot; the "Radiator (Truck)" item exists in the files but is not implemented.
Optional
Body parts and extras
Doors and the hood protect the cab; two headlight bulbs for night. Spare wheels ride in the rear compartments, which you open before you can take one out.
| Part | Size | Weight | Found | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M3S Left Door | 10x10 (100 Slots) | 15 kg | M3S, M3S Wrecks | Uncommon |
| M3S Right Door | 10x10 (100 Slots) | 15 kg | M3S, M3S Wrecks | Uncommon |
| M3S Hood | 10x10 (100 Slots) | 15 kg | Work, Found on M3S | Rare |
| 2× Headlight Bulb | 1 Slot | 150 g | Work | Uncommon |
Step by step
Getting it running
- Find one at a military or industrial site. Bare M3S shells are rarer than cars and usually sit in the same compound every wipe.
- Bring two M3S wheels, four dual wheels, a truck battery and a glow plug. The wheels are 100 slots each, so this takes a car or a lot of trips.
- Fit wheels with a lug wrench. The battery and plug go into the engine bay under the hood.
- Fuel it. 120 litres takes six full jerrycans; it does not need to be full to run.
- Start. If it will not catch: battery flat, plug ruined, or a wheel ruined.
- Do not redline. Engine damage from over-revving is internal and cannot be repaired.
On the road
How it drives
Slowest thing on wheels
60 km/h flat out. Plan routes that avoid anyone who might want it.
Engine damage is permanent
Hold the revs below the red line; damage from redlining cannot be fixed.
Seat swap
With the engine off, look at the other seat and use it to move across without getting out.
Loading the bed
Four oil barrels and four wooden crates fit in the cargo area and keep their contents.
Engine access
Repairing the engine on PC is awkward because the bay is only reachable from some angles. Open the hood and walk round.
Best use
Base moves, wall materials, barrels. Never the getaway car.
Where it spawns
Military and industrial compounds, with wrecked M3S trucks along roads supplying wheels, doors and hoods.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What does the M3S need to start?
Two M3S wheels, four M3S dual wheels, a truck battery, a glow plug and fuel from a jerrycan. No spark plug and no radiator.
How much can the M3S carry?
600 slots in the bed, and up to 1,400 if you load it with four oil barrels and four wooden crates.
Does the M3S use a spark plug?
No. It takes a glow plug, the diesel equivalent, which also fits the M1025.
Keep going
More guides and tools
Checked 1 November 2026 against DayZ 1.30 (PC 1.30.164200, console 1.87).