Mermite can question

Thinking about ways to transport hot (275°F) used cooking oil from the restaurant.
Question: Can the Mermite box handle that temp and what's the approx volume?

Temp no idea. And I'd say maybe 2 gal.

Many years ago I was a driver for our unit mess hall.
We used to carry hot coffee, soup and boiling water to heat C ration cans (I told you it was may years ago) in Mermites.
What is the temp of boiling water?
The interior of Mermites is aluminum and I think they are stamped. I don't think boiling oil would harm them even if they were welded.
My guess is that the insulation between the outside and inside is some type of expandable foam.
They also came equipped with black plastic gaskets that must be used to keep them from leaking and to keep the product being transported hot or cold.
Rumor has it that they could be used as a field expedeint beer cooler by putting the beverage in and filling them with ice.
I'm sure GI's would never missuse govenment property to that end.
It may also depend on how old they are. I'm not sure when the Army quit using them or if they are still being used by some guard or reserve units.
You might try it in one as an experiment. Worse case is you lose a couple of gallons of oil and if you put it in a containment vessel you could recover the oil and do an easy clean up.
Remember this too. When liquid cools in a sealed container it contracts. If the container isn't vented you may get a locked condition.
We once had a tanker trailer collapse because the driver did not stop and vent it periodically as instructed when he loaded hot liquid in it. It literally looked like a collapsed soda can and the landing gear was dragging the ground.
Hope this helps.

Rather than a foam beer can drink insulator, we need a trash can -sized one!

More seriously - hot water heater insulating wrap if you can keep it taped so the oil doesn't foul it up.

Or DOD large vacumn jugs (Silver Bullets). Though they go expensive (rightfully so) at govliq.

A 20 pound bag of crushed ice fills a Mermite can all the way up. I don't know what volume that would be, but it give you an idea.

I've got several Mermite cans that are in really nice shape that I got from N3UKA (thanks, Dave!)...and I can attest to the fact that they make great beer coolers. My only complaint about them...they can't hold enough beer...that's why I got several. I had one that was sitting out on my deck from Friday through Sunday in the middle of the summer and, by Sunday, it still had cold water in it (the ice had melted by that point). By Sunday, the outside of the container was too hot to the touch! Someone else offered a great suggestion to me one time...put the Mermite in a cool location the night BEFORE you want to use it. Otherwise, your ice will spend some of the time cooling the Mermite down. I keep one in the basement and the rest in the garage...I never know when I'll need to call on one.

Is there a TM for this? I'd like to be able to transport the hot oil from the restaurant in a sedan, possibly the trunk, that steel garbage can doesn't seal and has made a mess in the Blazer cargo area....Hate to worry about having to make a sudden stop with the lid coming off.

Bjorn: Why not buy an M149A2 water trailer? I used to have one for sale, but a fellow SteelSoldiers member bought it.

How many bottles of bier can one hold approx. w/a little ice? 6? I would buy a few by money order from anyone if they were decent shape. Anybody out there?

What I really should do is weld up an aluminum box insert for a 20mm or 30mm ammo can and allow space for insulation on all sides and top. That way anyone can haul their favorite assortment of biers that conform to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516

BKubu said:

Bjorn: Why not buy an M149A2 water trailer? I used to have one for sale, but a fellow SteelSoldiers member bought it.

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A better size for towing behind a small vehicle (and perhaps better fitted to the size of the fryer at the resturant) might be to put a tank (or a 55 gallon drum or two) onto the flatbed trailer that is the same basic chasis as the M416. I forget the number for the little flatbed, but I do have one in the backyard that I've been thinking about turning into an oil hauler. I think that it would fit better behind a Blazer (or in my case the M38 or M37...).

I also mention this because you say that you've sold your tanker trailer...


I can also attest to how long a Mermite will keep things cold if the lid is kept on, and how handy a seat they make while working on things (or relaxing after...). I have more than one as well, one to sit on, one to drink out of, and some for hauling the food around in...

24 12oz cans with about eight pounds of ice fill mine nicely...

That would be an M762. The exact same chassis as an M416, only it is rated at 1/2 ton. I have a couple of them.
I know a mermite will keep soda cold ALL day, in the Idaho heat on the 4th of July, while straped on the opposing rear fender as my radios on my M151A2. I put ice and a 12 pack of soda in the morning, and the next mornig, I still had ice and a few soda left over. I think it got up to 105 that day, with the mermite out in the sun.
As with most insulated food containers, a large percentage of the energy (either the cold created by the ice, or the heat created by the hot food) is used getting the inside temp to where ever the temp is supposed to go. Which, in other words, means if you PRE-cool, or PRE-heat the insides, keeping it there doesn't use as much energy.

Wayne Harris had a few pallets of Mermites as well. They have 3 individual containers in them but usually give them away. Mine are strictly coolers.

Recovry4x4 said:

Wayne Harris had a few pallets of Mermites as well. They have 3 individual containers in them but usually give them away. Mine are strictly coolers.

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The inserts also fit into a slick holder that will sit either on a table by itself or will nest inside the deep rectangular pan that is part of the field range setup. That way, food can be served out of the insert and/or reheated. There is also a shorter version of the insert that is half as tall that is used for condiments and such. I think that you could double stack them in a Mermite, but I have never tried.

I've got a few Mermite's without inserts... Last bunch I got at a sale had the inserts in them. A couple missing a handle, but otherwise in good condition.
I've already sold all but five of them...

Thanks for the M number on that trailer of mine Bill. Mine is missing the dataplates and fenders, but it does have the USMC lifting loops in place and a complete set of lights (got it from the local Forestry shop after they pulled the genset off...).

I found a German version of the Mermite in a surplus store a month ago. If your goal is sealed liquid transport, it might be a better way to go since it is about 1/3 bigger inside.

I saw no markings on it and haven't found any info since. This is the place that had them.

http://www.colbubbie.com/

I would like to have a couple of mermites and I have some questions…

1. Are NOS Mermites out there?

2. What should I expect pay for either a complete NOS or a complete in very good condition Mermite?

3. Anyone have some perfect ones they want to sell?

Here is some on E-Bay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mermite-can-coo...ryZ36065QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

You can still find brand new ones surplused for $60-$70. The top seal will cost you $20+ if you get one with a bad seal. So, a new one might be a better choice for the long run.

so...what is a mermite?

Riz...look at the link above your post...it explains them

I had heard of using an ammo can under the hood of your veh to cook food. Mounting an ammo can under the hood and splicing into the heater hose, routing the hose through the ammo can and you would have a small food heater. Taking that same principle, a heater hose could be routed to the back of your transport veh. A large marine cooler would be your container, running your heater hose inside and possible using an old motorcycle radiator or heater core as a heat exchanger. Use some 1/4 turn valves and/or quick disconnects and Im thinking you could keep your oil quite warm for several miles and long periods