FOLEY & LARDNER

                                ATTORNEYS AT LAW

CHICAGO                           FIRSTAR CENTER                     SACRAMENTO
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                                                           CLIENT/MATTER NUMBER
                                                                    061300/0108
                                  June 25, 1999



Oshkosh Truck Corporation
2307 Oregon Street
P. O. Box 2566
Oshkosh, Wisconsin  54903

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel for  Oshkosh  Truck  Corporation,  a Wisconsin
corporation (the  "Company"),  in conjunction with the preparation of a Form S-8
Registration Statement (the "Registration Statement") to be filed by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the  "Securities  Act"),  relating to 425,000  shares of the  Company's
common stock, $0.01 par value (the "Common Stock"),  and related Preferred Share
Purchase  Rights  (the  "Rights"),  which may be issued  pursuant to the Oshkosh
Truck Corporation 1990 Incentive Stock Plan, as amended (the "Plan").  The terms
of the Rights are as set forth in that  certain  Rights  Agreement,  dated as of
February 1, 1999, as amended, by and between the Company and Firstar Bank, N. A.
(the "Rights Agreement").

         We have examined: (i) the Plan; (ii) the Registration Statement;  (iii)
the Rights Agreement;  (iv) the Company's Restated Articles of Incorporation and
By-laws, as amended to date; (v) resolutions of the Company's Board of Directors
relating  to the Plan;  and (vi) such  other  documents  and  records as we have
deemed necessary to enable us to render this opinion.

         Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

         1. The Company is a corporation  validly existing under the laws of the
State of Wisconsin.

         2. The Common Stock,  when  delivered from treasury and paid for in the
manner  set  forth  in  the  Plan,  will  be  validly  issued,  fully  paid  and
nonassessable  and no personal  liability will attach to the ownership  thereof,
except with  respect to wage  claims of  employees  of the Company for  services
performed  not to exceed six (6) months  service in any one case, as provided in
Section 180.0622(2)(b) of the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law.




FOLEY & lARDNER

     Oshkosh Truck Corporation
     June 25, 1999
     Page 2


         3. The Rights to be issued with the Common  Stock when issued  pursuant
to the terms of the Rights Agreement will be validly issued.

         We consent to the use of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration
Statement.  In giving our consent,  we do not admit that we are "experts" within
the  meaning of  Section 11 of the  Securities  Act or within  the  category  of
persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of said Act.

                                     Very truly yours,

                                     /s/ Foley & Lardner

                                     FOLEY & LARDNER