M989A1 HEMAT Trailer Question (Modification)

[Ram1911]

OK, this is my first post, I believe. Sorry for not introducing myself first. These things have come on the market here and there (Ft. Knox and Ft. Campbell specifically - closest to my family farm in SW Indiana) and they often come dirt cheap. I was thinking with the right bit of work and if a guy had a spare tandem rear off a junkyard truck, and some selective cutting, bracing, removal of non-structural parts, especially underneath, then welding or bolting the tandem frame to the rear of the trailer, and the addition of a gooseneck in the front, it would make a mean, if not heavy, basis for a hopper bottom (split dump due to the large tube backbone) grain trailer (among other things). My problem is, even with all of the pics on GP and the line drawing on the data plate and what I've found online, it's really hard to tell how the transition goes from the main backbone to the front, and moreso the rear structure of the trailer. Maybe this is just pie-in-the-sky, so feel free to beat me across the head and shoulders (proverbially). Also, I thought even without the front and rear modified, it would make a decent gravity box on-farm, pulled by a large tractor. Thoughts? My Dad (70 and still farming near Evansville) used to do a bunch of welding and built a couple of gooseneck hitches for farm equipment back in the 70s-80s, so I'm familiar with the process and "over-engineering."

BTW, I'm a career NG Field Artillery officer, so I was vaguely familiar with the HEMAT A1 from seeing them at Ft Sill in school days. Cannon-cocker myself (105mm "popguns" mostly).

Tony
Mooresville, IN

 

[Tinstar]

Welcome to the site.

The box beam runs the entire length of the wheelbase.
I don't think you could modify it without making it much weaker.
And to get the strength back you would have to use a lot of extra Steel and the thing is already heavy enough.

Ive seen a side dump option. Not for grain but other things.

They are cheap enough (for now anyway) to cut up and do a Frankenstein as you mentioned.

Anything is possible with the tools, cash, and skill.

Let everyone one know how it goes.

 

[Ram1911]

Thanks for the reply. I suspected the answer would go down that avenue, but not actually having physically touched one, it's hard to make a good SWAG even.