TACTICAL6
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I searched the site and didn't find anything, so do any of you M109 officianados know what these brackets on the side of the box are used for???? Four of them on each side.
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M109 brackets, what are they for???
- Thread starter TACTICAL6
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I have been told they were meant to hold some sort of bow kit so that a cargo cover could be affixed over the van body. This was done so the truck could be disguised as a cargo truck. The van truck was a more desirable target than a cargo truck. The same thing goes for the fuel truck and wrecker...both of those trucks could have had a bow/cargo cover kit on them, although I have never heard from anyone in the service who saw them in use on these trucks.
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They, in the manual are a bracket for holding a spotlight. The may also be used for hooking on stand-off poles for a canvas sunshade for the roof or lean to for the side. The only problems being, no one has been able to find the spotlights or the stand-offs that fits these brackets 
TACTICAL6
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More of a mystery than I thought 
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I never heard the spot light thing before. Could be...just never heard that before. However, I've spoken to a bunch of guys who have been around a while and the cargo cover use was what I was told. I am unsure why they would need so many of them up and down both sides and in a high and low position if they were for a spotlight. Also, that would not explain the cargo cover tie down points up and down both sides of the van body. I am still sticking with the cargo cover theory.
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Bruce I was with you also on the cargo/ canvas, but I went through the parts manual and found them listed as "bracket, spotlight". I then went through the various repair sets hand receipt lists looking for a spotlight that would fit that bracket, no joy!! I am going to use mine up top as a sunshade for the roof when there are no trees to camp under and the lower ones as hook on for a side awning. Dave
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I'll defer to Dave, then. I was only repeating what I was told by a few guys and it seemed to make sense, but admittedly I never saw it in print...and it sounds like he has seen the spotlight thing in print...so I stand corrected. Thanks for clarifying things.
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From David Doyle's Standard Catalog of Military Vehicles, page 139:
"The M109 trucks also had provision for mounting bow, allowing canvas to be fitted to disguise the vehicle as a cargo truck"
Also, from later on in the text, different vehicle but more explanation, page 279:
"This Ben-Hur built water tanker has the supports in place for a tarpaulin, which acts as camouflage to disguise this as a cargo trailer. Any specialized equipment, be it trucks or trailers, seemed to draw an unusual amount of enemy fire, so efforts were made to create a uniform appearance with normal cargo-carrying vehicles."
"The M109 trucks also had provision for mounting bow, allowing canvas to be fitted to disguise the vehicle as a cargo truck"
Also, from later on in the text, different vehicle but more explanation, page 279:
"This Ben-Hur built water tanker has the supports in place for a tarpaulin, which acts as camouflage to disguise this as a cargo trailer. Any specialized equipment, be it trucks or trailers, seemed to draw an unusual amount of enemy fire, so efforts were made to create a uniform appearance with normal cargo-carrying vehicles."
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I've been waiting for this moment for a while! According to my ORD 9 it's a spotlight bracket! Finally have a decent ORD 9.
gimpyrobb
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When are you submitting that again?
54reo
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))
vinny-socom1
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I have talk to a guy who drove these trucks in "VietNam" and he says they used that bracket for a light kit/spot light but most of the lights broke and where pitch in the trash. But the canvas info sounds good too. I plan on modifing a shop light to work in it.
Vinny
Vinny
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I'll submit mine for destruction when someone puts a better one in its place! LOL
Deuce_Biganslow
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Ok, so while trying to figure out what these brackets were for (before searching SS), my 6-year-old son said, "and I'll bet these (pointing to the ladder-type brackets at the bottom) are so you can put your ladder up to reach." He's dying to know if he's right or not...seems reasonable to me - anyone know for sure?
Thanks in advance!
DB
Thanks in advance!
DB
54reo
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How many of the brackets are on your box?
Pawnshop
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There are notches down low to hook your ladder to so you can service the windows. The "mystery brackets" are on the sides up high. I will try to photograph mine tomorrow and post some photos.
David Doyle's book DOES show a photo of a 109 with a tarp on top, but it is an early 5 window box. As soon as I saw that photo I scurried outside an looked at my M109 and the brackets are not the same ones. The bows and cover for the M109 are the same as the M35 so there would need to be 5 evenly spaced brackets up near the top edge where it rolls over. My box has two (I think two) on each side between the windows.
David Doyle's book DOES show a photo of a 109 with a tarp on top, but it is an early 5 window box. As soon as I saw that photo I scurried outside an looked at my M109 and the brackets are not the same ones. The bows and cover for the M109 are the same as the M35 so there would need to be 5 evenly spaced brackets up near the top edge where it rolls over. My box has two (I think two) on each side between the windows.
tm america
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i think both are right bow kit and lights but there may be alot more uses we will never know just like all the extra holes in the dash and firewall they were put there for a reason but why
i like to think of them as just in case brackets.
i like to think of them as just in case brackets.
jasonjc
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Even the newer parts books call them spot light brackets. For the cargo cover I think the bow coners bolt to the top of the box. I think there are 5 set of bolt's on each side near the top. If you look Daivd's book. He show a shop van with the cargo cover open up like an anwing useing two things that look like they mount or could be mounted on the "spot light" brackets.
KaiserM109
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Thanks for asking; I have been wondering too. I have always assumed they are for some sort of tarps and that is what I intend to use them for.
What the heck are you guys talking about?
Pawnshop
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I looked on mine and there are five sets of bolts on the rounded edge of the box and two brackets, the bolts would be the correct spacing for the tarp bows and the brackets are for the lights (?) I will go out there this afternoon and photograph them (forgot my camera this morning) AND the ladder brackets on the side in operation.