M332 Sacrilege, desecration and carnage

[SouthwestUSA]

"Forgive me Father (I mean Uncle Sam) for I have sinned"

I am about to plunder, pillage and ravage my most recent acquisition... my really cool looking M332 trailer...

I originally bought an M105 to use for hauling an aluminum 600 gallon fuel tank I plan to use on my farms for hauling and storing diesel fuel. As I thought about this (after I won the bid on one of those surplus 600 gallon tanks at Red River Army Depot) I looked at my new tank when I got it home and "chickened-out" and decided the tank would sit up too darned high in the M105, making it prone to tipping over and lunging forward if I had to do a quick stop. All that heavy fuel at that "altitude" on an M105 got me nervous, even though I'd probably go into town twice a year for filling, and most of the time the trailer/tank would sit in a shed.

I found a couple of M332 trailers and saw that they have a lower center of gravity, When I got my M332's home, I parked one next to my M105 and saw that the M332 leaf springs sling under the axle and on the M105, they ride on top of the axle.

I plan on removing the bed off of the M332 and placing the tank on the frame. I hope to shave off perhaps 600 pounds or more of metal from the M332 so I can put more diesel fuel in the tank. At 8 pounds per gallon, and 500 gallons, with the weight of the aluminum tank, I'll exceed the design limits of the M332, but after looking underneath the trailer, HOLLY COW, they look over-engineered. And I don't plan on moving the trailer around too much, perhaps a yearly trip up the road, when the traffic is non-existent (traffic here is nil anyway.)

Has anyone here on SS actually taken apart an M3322. The bolts underneath the bed where they attach to the frame look fairly easy to get to with a wrench, but I have the cutting torch ready just in case the years of paint is too tough to "wrench" through.

I also plan on modifying my other M332 and converting it into a motorcycle hauler. I've been toying with the idea of buying a 2012 Royal Enfield Military OD Green C5 http://www.racewayservices.com/raceway/images/enfield/bullet_g5_military_efi_lg.jpg , and keeping the M332 OD. Should look pretty cool when I haul the combo to about 50 miles south of Sturgis and sneak in... (OK, I'm an old worn out fart and no way in the world can my aikey-breaky body ride a motorcycle from Texas to darned near Canada and back...

 

[uscgmatt]

Its only a sin if you put chrome rims on it.

 

[SouthwestUSA]

I had to laugh...
In some parts of Texas, I see "young whippersnappers" spending more money on chrome wheels and those odd looking flat/skinny thin tires than the car is worth...
My M332s I paid about $250 for... and after I "modify" them, I will remain faithful to keeping them O.D.

 

[197thhhc]

The military would modify those trailers into whatever the needed them to do. I dont see any reason why we should feel bad for modifying surplus equipment.

These trailers are always underrated I dont think you will have a problem.

Good luck. post pics.

 

[SouthwestUSA]

When I filled out my EUC form, I bet the people in Battle Creek read it and said a hardy "Yea, right. This old guy is going to rebuild these heavy trailers into a "scooter hauler"? Give me a break..."
Well, I once did build a real airplane in my backyard, licensed it and flew it... so I'm probably already on the feds "To Watch List."

 

[lacoda56]

Go for it, man! Sounds like you're putting them to good use.

P.S. I think we're all on the "Watch List"!

Ron

 

[Capt Pat]

You and lacoda56 can both rest assured as can we all that we're on some federal list. But they may find their plans for us harder to accomplish that they think. Sounds like your planning on having some fun with your trailers. Can't say as I'd want to be taking a 'motorbike' any distance at all myself being another of those older, "rode hard and put away wet" at the hands of the federal govt. people. Come to think of it, last time I was on a cycle was in 1969 in Hawaii, and THAT didn't turn out well either....... Wonder if that Honda 90 is still laying at the bottom of that cliff off Diamond Head????

 

[quickfarms]

That bike does look cool. At a recent air show we were next to a dealer that was selling them but my says nothing with two wheels, and an engine, or that flys so she is taking the fun out of it. What is going to follow me home next.

 

[SouthwestUSA]

I was going to "de-furb" the bed by wrenching it but the nuts were probably installed in 1965 and this old man gave up and took the cutting torch to the bed... A few more cuts in the morning and I'll be very close to getting my tank installed and then the 12 volt pump...

As far as the EUC, I guess the folks in Battle Creek think I'd be exporting this to some 3rd world group... Heck, they don't need our old surplus, they were mounting cannons in the back of 1984 Toyotas and blowing Col. Moamar Gadhif out of his palace with old trucks from Japan. The Feds will probably send the civil air patrol over my farm just to make sure I didn't put a bazooka on my M332...

 

[doghead]

Please try to post in the correct forums.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 29th, 2012.

So, Doghead, we have a military motorcycle forum on here dedicated to British/Indian Diesel Enfields? And heck, an O.D. Prius is nothing if not a suppository for a Unimog or a Deuce in that order...... Now I'll get my, but the laughs should be worth it, cause his hearts in the right place....

 

[SouthwestUSA]

Here is a progress report on my M332 project. I fabricated "The Mother Of All Hitches" so my M332 would be level behind my pickup when I towed them home. My hitch has adjustments to go 4 inches higher to accommodate my M105. I can add a lower receiver and pintle hitch for my M103 and M101 trailers on this same hitch.

I bought two M332 trailers and piggybacked them 400 miles home. One of the M332 trailers I took my cutting torch to and shaved off 500 pounds (estimate). My 600 gallon fuel pod fit on the M332 much better than it would have ever fit on my M105, and the M332 has an 8 inch lower center of gravity.

My 2nd M332 will be "converted" into a camo motorcycle trailer for hauling an O.D. Military motorcycle (or I might paint my wife's Prius Olive Drab and stick it on the "modified" M332 so folks in coffee shops in my small community will have more gossip and rumors to spread about that "Vietnam Vet Village Idiot... whut is hee up 2 now?"

 

[wallew]

I gotta ask, what part of north central...

the reason I ask - I'm trying to start a MV club in North Texas -

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/76972-i-am-going-start-my-own-mv-club.html

can't wait to see the second M332 mod, LOVE the fact that your fuel tank sits so nicely on the other M332 rails - looks great - is it going green as well?

 

[SouthwestUSA]

Around the Abilene area. Except people here call this West Texas... I grew up in El Paso. People out there consider the city limit sign in Midland on the highway headed to Fort Worth is the "end" of West Texas.
The Dallas area (to me) is "East Texas" except people there call it "North Texas." My wife grew up south of Amarillo and she considers that North Texas... People in McAllen call that south Texas... I call it Central America.

This state is just too darned big to make any sense of it.