Best of 2018: This 1960 Video Shows The Army Testing Rolling Fluid Transporters – Brilliant But Unsuccessful


Best of 2018: This 1960 Video Shows The Army Testing Rolling Fluid Transporters – Brilliant But Unsuccessful

Ideas, we all have them. Some are fantastic and go on to change the world, Spam as an example. Some are awesome on paper but in the end do not succeed in the real world and those typically out number the good ones by a country mile. Take the video below for example. This 1960 video shows the Army testing rolling fluid transporters in a bunch of different scenarios.

So what were these things? Well they were effectively large tires that held 500 gallons of fuel a piece and were designed to be towed, floated, or just dragged along behind a truck. These were also modular and you will see a scene featuring 10 huge tires rolling down the road behind a truck. It looks pretty impressive!

The concept makes lot of sense, really. We cannot say for sure why these were never adopted in a more widespread fashion but they are preset neat. Rolling over flat ground, down the highway, etc seems like the perfect scenario. Perhaps they were too heavy to be dragged through rougher terrain? Maybe they were too balky? Maybe they offered a large target and turned the truck pulling the tires into a truck tethered to a big bomb?

We love stuff like this. We wish we had been in the room when the first guy looked up from his desk and said, “What do you think would happen if we…..?” and then the process in bringing these to fruition. How did the fuel get out of the “transporters”. Air pressure was used and there was a hand pump option. Well, we don’t want to be the guy hand pumping 500 gallons a side out!

Rolling fluid transporters. Awesomely neat!

Press play below to see the Army test rolling fluid transporters –


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7 thoughts on “Best of 2018: This 1960 Video Shows The Army Testing Rolling Fluid Transporters – Brilliant But Unsuccessful

  1. Matt Cramer

    I once read a historical novel where a family in the early 1800 moved to a spot in south Georgia where the terrain didn’t lend itself to trying to use a wagon. They had packed all their things into large wooden barrels and simply rolled them across the ground. This looks like a later version of the same concept.

    1. sbg

      It always makes me laugh to hear people tell of how naive or even stupid the people of ancient times were. Not one person that has said that to me has the smarts it’d take to live in those times…. what’s even more fun is when we take a problem and solve it with methods ‘discovered’ in archeology.

  2. SSNOVA427

    Failed because of simple physics. The rotational mass of these would grow exponentially with speed making them extremely difficult to slow down,stop or change direction.

    1. sbg

      they’re on axles, brakes could easily be incorporated in them. Not just that but they’d weigh less then a tanker on a trailer. I bet the biggest issue was back in those days there were so additives in fuel that didn’t play nice with vulcanized rubber (benzene for one).

  3. familyguy81

    Just a guess but i’m thinking unstable at speed and turning and extremely vulnerable to destruction by even small arms fire?

  4. KCR

    First off I’m sure they were not to be towed at 70 MPH . those old deuce and a half trucks had a gas flat head 6 cyld. Just how fast do you think they could go with 90 HP. I don’t think “towing at SPEED” would be a big issue.Also this concept is still in use kinda. I forget the name of those small off road 2 wheel drive motorcycles .They have both front and rear wheel drive on a 2 wheeler. Their tires are made to be used as a fuel hauler. I believe they are still being made today. Also I agree with you sbg. Most wouldn’t be able to make a fire with out a bick lighter.

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