Need to replace trailer jack

[ning]

I've got an M149 water buffalo trailer, ex-army. Has a 400 gallon stainless water tank and a super heavy frame.

It has a very heavy "landing gear" jack that allows the trailer to be moved around without lifting the jack; this jack takes up a lot of room where I'd like to put a hose reel and it also weighs a ton (there are kits to make it friendlier for a single soldier to handle!).

So, I'd like to remove it and replace it with a simple lighter trailer jack, as I have no need to move the trailer with the jack down and only need it to support the trailer when stationary.

There's a data/weights plate on the trailer similar to this one:

It appears that the tongue weight of the trailer itself, full or empty of water, is about 400 pounds (the tank is centered over the axle so it doesn't affect the tongue weight much).

Between my pump, hose reel & hose, and a bit of plumbing, I'll be adding another hundred pounds to the tongue weight.

Can I get by with a 2k trailer jack?

 

[ponytug]

I've got an M149 water buffalo trailer, ex-army. Has a 400 gallon stainless water tank and a super heavy frame.

It has a very heavy "landing gear" jack that allows the trailer to be moved around without lifting the jack; this jack takes up a lot of room where I'd like to put a hose reel and it also weighs a ton (there are kits to make it friendlier for a single soldier to handle!).

So, I'd like to remove it and replace it with a simple lighter trailer jack, as I have no need to move the trailer with the jack down and only need it to support the trailer when stationary.

There's a data/weights plate on the trailer similar to this one:
View attachment 884360

It appears that the tongue weight of the trailer itself, full or empty of water, is about 400 pounds (the tank is centered over the axle so it doesn't affect the tongue weight much).

Between my pump, hose reel & hose, and a bit of plumbing, I'll be adding another hundred pounds to the tongue weight.

Can I get by with a 2k trailer jack?

If your jack is rated to hold up 2,000lbs, yes, if it is rated for a 2,000lb trailer, my bet would be not for long.

Did you look over a SteelSoldiers.com? There are more than a few threads on good ways to adapt Army surplus trailer landing gear, in part because many go to surplus without landing gear.

If you do replace your landing gear, I would consider hanging on to it for whenever you sell the M149, as lots of folks like the military landing gear for its strength.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

Maybe someone else has figured out something better, but my first guess would be that it will be difficult to find anything nearly as heavy duty as what is already installed. Do you have a pintle hitch for your tractor 3pt? I don't think you're going to be moving this trailer around much by hand no matter what you do. YMMV

 

[ponytug]

@ning try this;

M149A1 Water Buffalo with A2 Tank.

Recovered the water buffalo yesterday. The chassis plate shows it started life as an M149, then later updated to the A1 version. Still researching the differences. At some point, the A2 stainless steel tank was installed and that tag says 1987. Unknown if it’s a manufactured date or installed...

www.steelsoldiers.com

Or look over at e-trailer.com the folks over at steelsoldiers seem to use 7-8,000lb models.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ning]

@ning try this;

M149A1 Water Buffalo with A2 Tank.

Recovered the water buffalo yesterday. The chassis plate shows it started life as an M149, then later updated to the A1 version. Still researching the differences. At some point, the A2 stainless steel tank was installed and that tag says 1987. Unknown if it’s a manufactured date or installed...

www.steelsoldiers.com

Or look over at e-trailer.com the folks over at steelsoldiers seem to use 7-8,000lb models.

All the best,

Peter

Pretty sure 7-8k are way overkill, but they have the right "heavy duty" look to them to match the rest of the trailer, and the price difference isn't large between the wimpy looking (but sufficient) 2-3k units and a 7-8k unit (factor of two in price perhaps).

I'm thinking of using a swivel mount jack, with two mounts - one for when the jack is needed, right up by the tongue, and one where the jack will be more out of the way for "travel"/trailer-in-use.

This bulldog unit has a drop leg, so you can get a bunch of extension just by pulling a pin and extending it, and then crank the last bit - useful when the mount is about 35" off the ground in the first place. It goes from (bracket height) ~13" to 41":

(https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Bulldog/BD190758.html)
It's "only" 5K, but the entire water tank is squarely over the axle and doesn't figure into the tongue weight - unless you're pointed downhill, then you get some of it. Still, 5K of lift capacity is significant overkill (and the static capacity is greater yet - 8K). This is the bulldog brand so should be pretty solid.

 

[alexpops]

harbor freight has a coupon out for their 10K drop leg jack @$129.99 until 8/15 ... regular price $159.99. Seems to get good reviews & looks like the one on my Kaufman 15K trailer.

 

[ponytug]

Pretty sure 7-8k are way overkill, but they have the right "heavy duty" look to them to match the rest of the trailer, and the price difference isn't large between the wimpy looking (but sufficient) 2-3k units and a 7-8k unit (factor of two in price perhaps).

I'm thinking of using a swivel mount jack, with two mounts - one for when the jack is needed, right up by the tongue, and one where the jack will be more out of the way for "travel"/trailer-in-use.

This bulldog unit has a drop leg, so you can get a bunch of extension just by pulling a pin and extending it, and then crank the last bit - useful when the mount is about 35" off the ground in the first place. It goes from (bracket height) ~13" to 41":
View attachment 884523
(https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jack/Bulldog/BD190758.html)
It's "only" 5K, but the entire water tank is squarely over the axle and doesn't figure into the tongue weight - unless you're pointed downhill, then you get some of it. Still, 5K of lift capacity is significant overkill (and the static capacity is greater yet - 8K). This is the bulldog brand so should be pretty solid.

I really like that swing away two position design, especially for off road trailers.

Do you have the M149A2, with the stainless tank?

All the best,

Peter

 

[ning]

I really like that swing away two position design, especially for off road trailers.

Do you have the M149A2, with the stainless tank?

All the best,

Peter

Yes, that's the one.

I'm very gradually setting it up to use as a fire water tank / pump / hose trailer... mostly as an interesting project, because if a serious fire comes, I'll park it in my open cut grass meadow and let anyone who feels like sticking around use it, because I at least currently have fire insurance and my part in fire protection against an apocalyptic fire ends with following evacuation orders!

Otherwise I'll have it on hand when I have burn piles, or next time my neighbor catches his land on fire - we're at 3x now, two years ago I was hogging nearby when he decided lighting a big blackberry bramble on fire to clear it out was a good idea and I scraped a fire line and shoved another bramble out of the way (hey brambles are all green on the outside! so they're not going to burn really hot right???). I was >this close< to calling the FD but we managed to keep it together.

I figure that the final result - 400g stainless tank, bombproof trailer, Davey fire pump, 100' booster hose w/ manual reel - will be worth far more as a package if I want to sell it than I put into it, so it's a fun project that's not likely to be a money pit even if I never use it. Plan is to have it carry suction line to refill from the pond or irrigation canal using the on-board pump, and/or be able to spray water while sucking from the refill ports. It'll be interesting to see how much water spraying the pump's gas tank supports.

 

[ericm979]

Sounds like a cool project! Perfect for when you're burning brush or at a controlled burn.

 

[ning]

Sounds like a cool project! Perfect for when you're burning brush or at a controlled burn.

Going to have to make sure I don't get overconfident because of it! *oh i'll just burn that off, i can always just spray it down*