More info wanted, M149

[aboonski]

Wait until I get the other trailer home and pressure wash it! The representative that assisted me said that it also has a stainless tank but it is a newer model and has the desert tan coloring. I asked the people at the Forrestry Service to forward additional photos of the units and I'll see if they will post here as well. I still had a few more that I took of the trailer tht I brought home today as well.

 

[aboonski]

Here's the bad stuff that I have to fix on this trailer. Not sure what the thickness of the sheet metal is but I think it will be easy to find out. Unbelieveable rust and probably why they decided to part with it. In one photo there's some kind of part that is made of aluminum that I would like to know more about - it almost looks as though it was added on to the trailer. Anybody know what it is? For now I will keep the fenders over the tires to keep the sun from deteriorating the rubber.

Sometime next week I will run back up to Altoona to retrieve the second trailer and will provide photos of it once I get home. That one has the fenders and tail lights on it and it looks like a much better unit than the one in these photos.

 

[maddawg308]

Tank trailers are everywhere - this one was turned into a water fountain at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

 

[aboonski]

That is really neat! Ironically I am about 45 minutes from Disneyworld. There are so many uses for these things! Years ago someone in Orlando had a really old aluminum water buffalo that had bullet holes in it and shredded tires on weird looking rims that looked like the ones used on the H1 - but this was something from the Korean War era. I'll bet it is still sitting in the guy's back yard to this day! I have photos of it somewhere. Thanks for postig the photo by the way!

 

[aboonski]

I brought the other half of the lot home today - this one is rough!!!! At least the landing gear is the kind that one person can work with but I'll have to get the lift kit installed on my CUCV before benefitting from the crank-up mechanism. The forest ranger that helped me with the retrieval said that this and the other water buffalo have been sitting for ten years in the same spot! I believe it. Just before hooking on to this thing I saw a scorpion run and hide somewhere up by the pintle hitch; when I got home I checked out the faucet area and found several wasp nests with one active wasp running around on the comb. Nothing like something for free ("spoils"). The ride home was uneventful and I averaged 55 mph during most of the trip except through some of the small towns I had to drive through on my way back to I-95. The thing I liked the best was the way someone jacked up the tank so that they could hook into the front outlet by using layers of boards. I also liked the growth on the tail light assembly and the tank too! It will be a while before I draw any water from this thing! Looks like a "tank-off" restoration to me.

 

[maddawg308]

There will be a lot of wrench-turning to get that sucker looking good, but you know, it will be worth it in the end. Nothing beats having a tank full of cold water on a hot day, out in the field...

 

[aboonski]

More photos. Tomorrow I will pressure wash this thing to see what is underneath of the garbage on the tank. I'll definitely be looking for some replacement parts for this! Not too long ago I saw someone on Ebay selling faucets and the hand brake arms for military trailers and I did not bid because I did not have a water buffalo at the time - now I have two of them. If anyone knows of a source for used or surplus parts for these trailers let me hear about it! I really think I will use this one with a pump for my brush fire rig. The other trailer does not need a whole lot to become a functional water beffalo again.

 

[aboonski]

How right you are maddawg308! I think it will be fun wipping this into shape - should take me the rest of my life the way it looks though. I did not photograph the leaf springs which are also in pretty rough shape too. If I only use this for around the yard very little will have to be done. I already have an antique pump that runs on gas and has a magneto ignition but have to fix that too. For hurricane use, I can fill this thing up and use it to flush toilets if nothing else!

 

[Ruppster]

The landing gear on these is pretty neat too - it cranks up and down; unfortunately the pintle on my M1008 is too low to benefit from that feature so we had to manually raise and lower the trailer into the open pintle in order to raise the landig gear for travel.

All you need is a pair of mechanic's ramps. Problem solved.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/25596-how-you-hook-up-m105-trailer-m1009.html

One of these days I need to drive out your way to see your collection. Was watching your youtube vids about the wrecker last night. I really need to get one of those.

Ruppster

 

[stevo]

my water buffalo does NOT have a complete data plate. Its Ex USAF, but has the camo paint scheme. Interesting thing about mine is its a 400 gallon, has the 8 lug CUCV wheels & tires, BUT a manual crank down leg in the front and two "holed" upright box legs that hold "up" the back end when in place. I let one of th efellow MV club guys use mine this past winter for his Airsoft Event, but when he returns it I'll try to post pic's of it. NOT sure what he "M series #" would be. Kinda just refer to it as a water buffalo, but don't believe its a true M149.
Steve ( KCMO )

 

[aboonski]

RUPPSTER!!!!

That wrecker was never part of my collection and may still be available at a reasonable price. It's down in Punta Gorda - a long drive from where I live on the east coast near Patrick AFB. I would hove loved adding that wrecker to my motor pool but I think my neighbor has seen enough already. My latest addition is the M149A2 water buffalo and another M149something - I dont really know what it actually is. The data plate indicates it is a straight M149 and very old too, but the tank is stainless with a crude weird looking manhole cover at the top of the tank. I just ordered some new brake handles for both trailers this evening and will deal with the cosmetics later. You can come by anytime because I am always home anymore.

Stevo, please post photos of your buffalo when you get it back. I can't wait to get my A2 functional for drinking water! I need to find out how to properly sanitize the inside of the tank - thinking about using pure bleach inside of oue of those pump-up lawn sprayers then a nice pressure wash afterwards . I am tired of dragging those 5 gallon plastic bottles into the house after filling them up at a local water treatment place in the local area. Once this thing is sanitized I will bring my drinking water to the house and fill one gallon containers from the buffalo!

 

[Ruppster]

Is it in Punta Gorda or Ft Myers? I've seen it on Craigslist for Ft Myers. Would love to grab it but the only way I could afford it right now is if the guy would let me pay in 10 monthly payments.

Are you going the the Florida get together next month?

Ruppster

 

[papercu]

Stainless steel and chlorine (bleach) don't mix very well, just google for more info.
I wouldn't trust a water tank used by the Forestry Dept. there no telling what they had in it. If you do use it for
drinking water be careful about the very young and the very old drinking from it. The TM cautions about
leaving water in it for extended times.
Good Luck Wayne

 

[aboonski]

Wayne!!!

Thanks for the info on sanitizing the tank. I had a feeling there might be a chemical reaction of some sort with chlorine bleach and stainless steel. I am sure there is a proper way to bring the tank back to sanitary specs using some chemical to accomplish the job. I spoke with one of the rangers who said they used the trailers to water down thier dogs...... Looking inside the tank it appers to be relatively clean. I may elect to go inside and scrub it down with cleanser but have to be sure I can get in and out of the thing without difficulty. I really want to use it for our drinking water here at the house. If you locate the proper TM for cleaning this thing let me know - I found a referene - FM21=10 whatever that is. I guess Google would provide proper cleaning and samitizing instructions for stainless steel.

Ruupster, I'll have to call you sometime about the Florida meet. I may be going over to visit my son & family in Tampa soon so I'll contact you when I depart West Melbourne. I'll try to locate the cell number of the person with the wrecker for you so that you and he can discuss the purchase of the truck. I would LOVE to have that thing just for the running gear and the crane which functions perfectly. You would need all new hydraulic lines though.

Posting another photo of the handbrakes on the two water buffalo trailers that I am replacing shortly. I found a seller in Texas who has NOS parts - $25.00 each. I want to get the green M149A2 unit up and running before hurricane season. I would LOVE to find a set of fenders for this thing but will probably buy the steel and repair the ones I have - pretty easy to do I think.

 

[papercu]

The TM shows good old scouring power and in the back section shows a cleaning compound 7920-00-061-0038 (81349) MIL-C-18718 which looks to be powder swimming pool cleaner (Calcium Hypochlorite),all which inciudes some chlorine. Go figure! Wayne

 

[maddawg308]

You only need a few drops of regular bleach per gallon to kill everything in the water. Fill the tank full of water, add 1 gallon of bleach, and let it sit for a couple days. After you drain it, get inside and scrub with a hard plastic brush just to wipe any residual dead buggers off the sides, refill and re-rinse, and you're good to go.

 

[aboonski]

THANKS Maddawg!!!!! That's what I need to know - short and sweet! I am looking forward to using this thing on a daily basis.

 

[slash79]

it helps to pull the trailer around a mile or two to properly mix it up, least thats what they always do before doc tests the water.

 

[aboonski]

Hi slash79 - are you still over in Okinawa? I spent two years in Japan back in 1970 & 70 but was stationed at Johnson Air Base, Irumigawa Japan back then. The base was closed and returned to the Japanese back in 1974.

Thanks for the tip about taking the tank for a "ride" after filling it with bleach water. I wish I could properly clean the interior of the tank by getting inside, etc. but I just don't think I would be able to get out once I got in! I think the chlorine bleach solution will accomplish what I want because I will reprocess the water through my water system that is attached to the house which chlorinates the water, de-chlorinates it and then softens it. I am just happy that the tanks I have is made of stainless steel.

 

[Green_gator]

Aboonski,
Those tanks will come in very handy the next time a hurricane hits. I have some spare brake parts hanging around so give me a shout as you find what you need.