Here’s another in the long and distinguished list of Jeep military vehicles: the M715, also known as the Five Quarter.
Everyone knows the story of the original WIllys Jeep. Developed for the U.S. military, it became famous in World War II and was then adapted for the civilian market, where it became a huge commercial success for Willys-Overland. For the M715, the path was reversed.
This time around, the civilian J-series truck (also known as the Gladiator; see our feature here) was redeveloped for military use as a replacement for the aged Dodge M37. By adopting this COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) approach, the company (now known as Kaiser Jeep Corporation) was able to deliver the M715 for half the cost of the M37. With its one-and-a-quarter-ton load capacity, the Jeep utility truck was known in army lingo as the Five Quarter.
Reportedly, between 30,000 and 33,000 M715s were produced, including multiple variants: the M724 chassis cab, M725 ambulance, and M726 telephone truck. While it was based on the J-series, the Five Quarter departed from the civilian version in numerous ways: flat windshield and instrument panel, canvas top, giant fender clearance.
The 4WD chassis and running gear were severe duty all the way, with a Warner four-speed crawler gearbox, Dana 60 front axle, and full-floating Dana 70 at the rear. However, the engine proved to be not so robust. The 230 CID Tornado overhead-cam six was discontinued in Jeep civilian products due in part to its troublesome nature, but it carried on in the M715 from 1967 through 1969.
The M715 had a spotty record with the U.S. military—complaints included frame breakage and excessive oil consumption. It wasn’t particular suited to the jungle conditions of Vietnam, and the Pentagon eventually replaced it with the Dodge M880 in the 1970s. Yet the M715 is extremely popular among offroad enthusiasts today, no doubt due to its rugged looks and Jeep lineage. They’re a common sight in that world in both restored and modified form. An evolved version of the M715 is still used by the Korean military, manufactured by Kia and powered by four-cylinder diesel engines.
I love the M 715. Even carrying significant flaws, for me it is the quintessential army truck.
Definitely cool looking. The modders create great vehicles with them.
I was a motor pool sargent in the Viet Nam era, stationed in Germany. We had the responsibility of maintaining a battalion’s worth of equipment in case of invasion from Warsaw Pact countries.
We hated the 5/4 trucks because so many of them ended up being red-lined, waiting for parts or repairs. Axle seal problems, U-joint failures, suspension problems [mostly rubber seal deterioration], engine valve covers that cracked & warped, and frames that cracked, even without heavy use.
Motor Pools were expected to maintain a high degree of readiness at all times, and the several hundred 5/4 trucks we maintained and repaired were often red-lined waiting for spare parts, or repairs at higher echelon repair shops [like frame alignment & repair]. These high rates of red-line vehicles made it almost impossible to achieve the required levels of readiness.