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Fuel Pod on a M105a2

SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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They won't fit very well inside an M105 as I measured the wheel wells in my M105. I was going to do the same thing with my 600 gallon aluminum fuel pod, put it in my M105. I changed my mind and am going with the M332. As you can see in my side-by-side photo, the M332 has a lower center of gravity than the M105.

When I measured everything, I was concerned the fuel pod would ride too high in the M105. Even though the fuel pod has a modest baffle inside, I was concerned that as high up in the M105, if I had to stop quickly, the weight moving forward in the M105 might be a tad stressful on everything, And the other thought I had about installing the fuel pod in the M105 was having to climb up on the trailer with a fuel hose when I would fuel it... It's hard (for me anyway) to climb up into the M105. My M332 is much easier to get into and I think it will be a little safer for fueling...

I'll post a picture when I get this finished. I should be far enough along by tomorrow to load the fuel pod into my trailer, but getting some attach points welded in will happen several days down the road.
 

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SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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Am I seeing your photo correctly? Dual wheels?
Maybe your trailer will work, it looks a lot "beefier" than my M105, but I suspect the insides between the wheel wells is even more restricted than my M105?
 
SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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mkcoen said:
I have a 600 gallon pod in my 105A3. The widest portion is above the rail line but even if it weren't it would still fit between the sides as long as it was centered. Unfortunately I have no idea how much wider the low profile tanks are.

My tank is baffled but I have no intention of driving down the road with it. It's only purpose is for fuel storage around the property and so I can move it easily when it's carrying fuel. Since I paid more for the tank than I did the trailer I thought it a fair compromise.
Click to expand...
I must have slipped with my tape measure when I was checking the width & height at the wheel well area. I thought there would be some metal rubbing, but your photo proves me wrong...

I think for my needs, I'll feel more comfortable putting my fuel pod in my M332 with it's lower center of gravity... And, with worn out knees, it's much easier for me to "leap" into my M332 than my M105,
__________________
 
SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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RWG421 said:
No I need to go duel, My tailer is stock. This is a picture I found, and I 'm not sure what I need to go duel on mine.

My trailer Pic.
Click to expand...
Hey, I guess I was wrong... I just saw mkcoen post, who installed a fuel pod in an M105... (here on this thread)...
It still makes me uncomfortable having the fuel ride so high. But if you are basically using the M105 for wheeling around on private property, it probably isn't a problem. Me, I need to move my fuel down the road a bit between farms...

I guess, long story made short, don't listen to my advice. But I'll add some pictures when I get my M332 finished.
 
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mkcoen

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I could be wrong (it's been known to happen once or twice) but I believe all you need for the duels is a set of budd nuts and mount them like deuce wheels. They were used for soft ground conditions (sand, snow, etc).
 
SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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I like that surge brake you found...
And I was thinking this might be a good option for my M332. But yesterday, one of my M102 trailers with the surge brake started going nuts and chattered like the devil and started bucking.

Someone suggested I pull the old axle and wheel assembly off and replace with a new one having electric brakes. For me, I'll have to just risk going the 5 miles to where I'll be buying off-road diesel and coming back on side roads going slow when I'm hauling fuel.... I would love to have brakes, but the expense involved for one or two trips per year for fuel is keeping from making the plunge on a brake system. I wish there was a way to fabricate an air brake kit of some sort, but that is way beyond my skill-set.
 
RWG421

RWG421

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Well, I finally got my pod, and mounted it.

For the man hole I got a sheet of viton for the hatch.
My question is for the cork gasket, can I coat it with permatex? Is there a specific type that fares well in diesel.

Thanks,
 

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Seth_O

Seth_O

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Varyag said:
Full it would overload the 105.

A gallon of diesel weighs about 7.1 pounds * 500 and you have 3550 pounds of fuel plus tank weight.

It doesn't overload it by much (relatively) and I doubt the 105 would be stressing THAT bad with it (not considering the effects on the suspension long term) but it isn't marshmallows that you would be hauling.
Click to expand...
500 gallons?!?!? It's not the weight I would be worried about. Here in Kalifornia that would be $2250 to fill right now. Yikes.......

If you're not competely sold on the M105, you should look at one of the ammo trailers (M332) as already mentioned. Much lower to the ground, and easily capable of carrying that amount of weight.
 
SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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In looking at your photo of how your pod is placed sideways in your M105, I'm wondering how the sloshing action effects braking, since the interior baffle is placed inside the pod for "fore and aft" movement? You are probably like me, not traveling far or fast while hauling your pod and it won't be a problem. (I did though haul my pod 50 miles a new farm we just bought and 50 miles back... driving 45.)

I've so far only filled my pod up with 310 gallons of diesel. I didn't have the "guts" to put 600 in (nor did I want to empty my bank account.) And I paid $3.50 per gallon a couple of weeks ago.

If Iran pops a missile into the Straight of Hormuth (or however it is spelled) I'll be in pretty good shape with a modest supply of "cheap" diesel.

I added a gallon of Sea Foam to my diesel.

As for the gasket, I simply used a heavy aluminum foil tape (the type they use in HVAC duct work) and sealed off the edges of the "Munckin" Hole Cover, to keep rain out. I think my gasket was in pretty good shape, but the aluminum just gives me some peace of mind. I sprayed it O.D. so it wouldn't be an "eye sore."
 
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SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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Opps, I forgot to add, that I read the DOT regs that apply to folks like me here in Texas, and I had to add the diamond shaped HazMat signs to the rear and sides of my tank. I also added a mounted fire extinguisher on the front of my trailer and the rear and a flashing strobe light on the rear.

I was a licensed private investigator here in Texas. You can't believe how many lawsuits I've worked for "negligence" issues, and thus the reason for the strobe (and fire extinguishers) and if I ever get hauled into a courtroom, at least I'll have photos and evidence to suggest that I took measures to "communicate the hazard" as lawyers are prone to use in court. My thought is since my tank and trailer are painted OD/camo, I don't want someone running into me, saying in a courtroom "I never saw the guys mobile fuel tank because it blended in with the background."
The HazMat placards, the strobe light and the red fire extinguishers "defeat" the cool look of a military trailer in OD/camo but I'd hope a judge would think I went above and beyond, to "communicate the hazard" if some teeny-bopper runs into my trailer while he or she is texting...
 
SouthwestUSA

SouthwestUSA

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Thanks a million for adding this video. I was with the 538th and then the 47th Trucking Companies, medium truck, petro based out of Long Binh in 1971, 1972 and this really brought back a flood of memories. We hauled jet fuel, diesel and mogas all the way to the Mekong Delta and up into the Central Highlands... Once we saw some US Army grunts humping along a highway, and we stopped asking them if they wanted a ride to the next village. When they saw we were hauling jet fuel, they said, "NO THANKS, YOU GUYS ARE NUTS."
 
RWG421

RWG421

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Thanks for the reply, The Low profile tanks have Quad baffles( Front Back , Left & right) but your right this is for back up generator reserves, not frequent road use.

Thanks,
 
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