Anyone near Conyers, GA that can look at a Jeep trailer

[wilfreeman]

I won an auction through Govdeals yesterday for an M762 trailer. I am planning on picking it up on Monday or Tuesday. My primary plan is to take 2 wheels with good tires along with tools and wheel bearing grease. Remove/clean/repack bearings, change wheels/tires and pull it home (246 miles).

Plan B - if I can't get that accomplished, I will rent a U-Haul trailer and bring it home on that.

The problem: I asked the lady if the trailer rolls easily and do they have someone there that can help me pull it up onto a trailer if need be. She said she can't provide me with any additional info and there will be no loading assistance available. The auction says they were donated years ago and have been sitting 20+ years.

So, I was wondering if there is someone close by (the address below) that can check the trailer for me so that I can be better prepared when I get there. I really just need to know if it rolls easily (enough to pull it onto a trailer if need be) and if it looks like there is anything out of the ordinary that would prevent it from being serviced and pulled 250 miles home. If it doesn't look like it will be road worthy with a service and new tires, I will bring a trailer and a winch to load it.

The contact info is:

Seller Name:	Rockdale County Board of Commissioners, GA
Asset Contact:	Penny Sanders (Phone: 770-278-7545)
Asset Location:	2570 Old Covington Hwy SW Conyers, Georgia 30012-3310 Map to this location

 

[simp5782]

If it can be picked up on Friday I can get it loaded and you have a forklift or equipment at your place then I could just bring it to you on Saturday. when I come thru that way. I can pull it on my trailer but I will transfer it over to the bed of my 5 ton before my pickup in Augusta.

 

[wilfreeman]

Well as it turns out, Friday, after 1:00PM is the only day for pickup at this place. This was not specified on the auction. Now, add to that the fact that your item has to be picked up within 10 business days, TODAY was the only day that I can pick it up! Or should I say the only day I can pick it up without having to take a day off of work.

So I left work at 7:15PM last night, stopped by my in law's to pick up a portable winch and air tank (just in case), stop by the bank for money (they don't take cash, but she said she was trying to help me out) and head home. Once home, I proceed to hook the trailer up, check air pressures in all tires (truck, trailer and spare), grease hubs on trailer, check fluids in truck and load recovery tools. I was back in the house a little before 9.

I set out bright and early (0720) and make only one stop on the way out of town to get gas. Everything was great once the fog broke - truck running and driving great and averaging 14mpg, which is great for my truck. I stopped at Chick-fil-a for a biscuit about 2 hr in in Greenwood SC. About 10 miles outside of Abbeville, SC I started smelling something. A few miles later it got stronger - and smelled familiar. Then it hit me - BURNING BRAKES! I pulled off onto a paved turnout and grabbed my temp gun (that I brought to check the temp of the trailer hubs). I ran around checking driver front, driver rear, passenger rear - then saw the passenger front - smoking and 621 deg!

After about 5 minutes of letting it cool and trying to decide what to do, I jacked it up, removed the wheel and pried the brake shoes away from the rotor to push the piston back in the caliper. Then I went back in the truck and pushed the pedal - back out and pried. Did this a few times until I was comfortable that it wasn't sticking - then I put the wheel back on, loaded up and headed off - BACK HOME.

I got back to Abbeville after stopping to check the caliper temp twice and stopped at O-reilly. The guy said the hose was probably collapsed or the caliper stuck. I asked if they had some sort of clamp to clamp the hose to disable that caliper so that I could limp the 95 miles back home. He suggested trying vise grips (of which I didn't bring - of course I brought most of the toolbox, but NOO - not vise grips!). So I bought a $15 set of vise grips and used the small needle nose ones to clamp the hose and cable tied them up out of the way. I stopped a couple of times to check the caliper temp, which was fine at 75deg. Of course, I could tell when I hit the brakes that the right one WASN'T working. I got home, unhooked the trailer, unloaded the truck and drank a beer - back home 6hrs EXACTLY from the time I left this morning with no trailer to show for it!

Now, I still have a trailer sitting in Conyers GA waiting for pickup - NEXT FRIDAY AFTER 1PM, no truck to go get it and STILL have to take a day off of work and borrow a truck if I want it bad enough.

What to do, what to do?

That's just a day in my life!

 

[CARMAN]

Buy a new truck! Just messing with you. Yes..it sucks sometimes, but this is what it takes. Like when I picked up a truck then had the radiator blow up on me. Not like I can just swap it out on the interstate with my vice grips

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Hopefully you can find someone to help you out. While I haven't seen pics of the trailer I've always had good luck with the m416s. I think 1 out of close to 20 I've messed with had bearing problems and that could have been easily fixed by adjusting the bearing nuts (someone cranked them down tight).

The trailer can also be moved somewhat easily in the bed of a full size pickup truck. It's not ideal but it can be done, and 2 people can flip it up over backwards into a truck or m101 sized trailer if there's no equipment to load it right side up.

 

[wilfreeman]

Buy a new truck! Just messing with you. Yes..it sucks sometimes, but this is what it takes. Like when I picked up a truck then had the radiator blow up on me. Not like I can just swap it out on the interstate with my vice grips

Hey, now I have a new piece of kit to keep in the truck! Going to replace ALL of the brake hoses and right front caliper. Then the only things that won't be new is left front caliper and both front rotors.

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[wilfreeman]

Hopefully you can find someone to help you out. While I haven't seen pics of the trailer I've always had good luck with the m416s. I think 1 out of close to 20 I've messed with had bearing problems and that could have been easily fixed by adjusting the bearing nuts (someone cranked them down tight).

The trailer can also be moved somewhat easily in the bed of a full size pickup truck. It's not ideal but it can be done, and 2 people can flip it up over backwards into a truck or m101 sized trailer if there's no equipment to load it right side up.

I've had a couple of offers to pick our up and deliver or store it for me. I just hate to put anyone to any trouble doing a favor for me - especially since this place has such a strict pickup time.

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[CARMAN]

Flush it out. We had a work van that kept locking up on us and it turned out to be crud in the lines.

 

[wilfreeman]

Flush it out. We had a work van that kept locking up on us and it turned out to be crud in the lines.

I changed the fluid last year when I replaced the master cylinder and rear rotors/calipers/pads - should have gotten anything out of the lines doing that. Once I replace the flex hoses and front calipers, everything will be new except the front rotors. I had the rotors turned when I replaced the front pads last year.

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[Coffey1]

That rotor that got 600 degrees will most likely be warped again.

 

[wilfreeman]

Yeah, prob so. I found all flex hoses on Rock Auto, delivered, for $85. I can get the calipers locally for $64 ea. Turn the rotor for $12. Hopefully the bearings weren't hurt, but I'll repack them anyway.

I am working on getting the trailer - I have someone that is fairly local that said he would pick it up for me and store it until I can get back down there. He is working night shift and would have to get up early to go get it for me. I hate to ask anyone to go out of their way to help me, but I am kinda out of options without rescheduling vacation that I applied for just last week (which is kind of a PITA with my supervisor).

My Father in law offered to go with me next Friday (using his truck and company gas) if I took the day off. The only problem there is his wife (Mother in law) is going in for a heart cath on Thursday. The last time she had that done, she didn't leave the hospital for a week (after stints were installed). So there's a chance he still wouldn't be able to go after I change vacation days and tell the guy in GA that I am going to pick it up.

I am going to call the office that has the trailer this morning to tell her I am overnighting a money order and the trailer will be picked up this Friday - either by me or someone else. At least it will be paid for on time.

 

[wilfreeman]

Yeah, prob so. I found all flex hoses on Rock Auto, delivered, for $85. I can get the calipers locally for $64 ea. Turn the rotor for $12. Hopefully the bearings weren't hurt, but I'll repack them anyway.

I am working on getting the trailer - I have someone that is fairly local that said he would pick it up for me and store it until I can get back down there. He is working night shift and would have to get up early to go get it for me. I hate to ask anyone to go out of their way to help me, but I am kinda out of options without rescheduling vacation that I applied for just last week (which is kind of a PITA with my supervisor).

My Father in law offered to go with me next Friday (using his truck and company gas) if I took the day off. The only problem there is his wife (Mother in law) is going in for a heart cath on Thursday. The last time she had that done, she didn't leave the hospital for a week (after stints were installed). So there's a chance he still wouldn't be able to go after I change vacation days and tell the guy in GA that I am going to pick it up.

I am going to call the office that has the trailer this morning to tell her I am overnighting a money order and the trailer will be picked up this Friday - either by me or someone else. At least it will be paid for on time.

Well I FINALLY got it home! Not going into great detail, but let's just say it ended up taking 13hrs for an 8hr recovery.

Sleet, snow, slush. Didn't take a trailer because I read that the m416 will fit in the back of a full size pickup. It WON'T fit in the back of a 2017 f150 - it was about 3/4" too wide at the fenders.

We hooked it up to the pintle which, fortunately, I actually brought. Towed it to a gas station and aired up the tires. Stopped about 10 miles up the road to check bearings - they were fine. Found a 3" gash in the sidewall of left tire.

Located a u- haul place and rented a tow dolly. Found out we had NOT brought a drawbar and ball and the u- haul place didn't sell them. Ran to a Tractor Supply 10 miles away and bought one. Came back, hooked up, loaded the trailer and tied the lunette to the tow dolly tongue and took off.

Remember, it had started snowing and sleeting 2hrs earlier (this is all near Atlanta). It continued to get worse. We drove on and stopped about 2hrs later when it slacked off for a bite to eat.

About an hour after we got back on the road, the wintry mix stopped and it was clear sailing home.

We got home and unloaded the trailer and tow dolly and recovery tools.

Overall I am happy with the trailer - no body damage and only missing the military wiring and lights. After paying for all this extra stuff, I sure am glad I didn't buy it to resell!

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[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Didn't take a trailer because I read that the m416 will fit in the back of a full size pickup

I said that earlier in the thread and that's accurate. People do it all the time, it's not ideal but it can be done. The last one I did a couple months ago rolled right up some ramps into the back of a ford pickup, can't remember what year. It may take some minor adjustments to do it on a few trucks but 3/4" at the fenders isn't a big deal at all (for most people at least).

 

[wilfreeman]

I said that earlier in the thread and that's accurate. People do it all the time, it's not ideal but it can be done. The last one I did a couple months ago rolled right up some ramps into the back of a ford pickup, can't remember what year. It may take some minor adjustments to do it on a few trucks but 3/4" at the fenders isn't a big deal at all (for most people at least).

I don't doubt that some trucks are wider than others - it just turns out that the new f150s MUST BE narrower, because (other than getting the fenders above the tailgate opening of the truck) there was no way that trailer was going to get past the tailgate opening. An m100 would have fit though - it must be narrower. We actually measured mine before we left to confirm. My advice is to measure the opening of your truck bed at the tailgate opening (narrowest point) AND get accurate measurements for the m416 before you leave to recover it without a trailer to haul it home on.

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[porkysplace]

I don't doubt that some trucks are wider than others - it just turns out that the new f150s MUST BE narrower, because (other than getting the fenders above the tailgate opening of the truck) there was no way that trailer was going to get past the tailgate opening. An m100 would have fit though - it must be narrower. We actually measured mine before we left to confirm. My advice is to measure the opening of your truck bed at the tailgate opening (narrowest point) AND get accurate measurements for the m416 before you leave to recover it without a trailer to haul it home on.

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Brand to brand and year to year they are different .

 

[wilfreeman]

I don't doubt that some trucks are wider than others - it just turns out that the new f150s MUST BE narrower, because (other than getting the fenders above the tailgate opening of the truck) there was no way that trailer was going to get past the tailgate opening. An m100 would have fit though - it must be narrower. We actually measured mine before we left to confirm. My advice is to measure the opening of your truck bed at the tailgate opening (narrowest point) AND get accurate measurements for the m416 before you leave to recover it without a trailer to haul it home on.
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I have been doing a little research. Hopefully this info will help someone in the future. The width of an M100 is 56 1/4" (according to the data plate). This is the widest point (the fenders). The M416 is 60.5". You can remove the fenders on both of these to make them narrower by about 3". With the M762 trailer, you can remove the fenders by removing the front and rear braces also. Although doing this would have allowed us load the trailer into the bed of the pickup, that was NOT an option for us in the parking lot with deteriorating weather conditions. Looking back, we should've stopped operations when we saw that it wasn't going into the bed - then went to rent a tow dolly at that point. We could've gotten right back on the interstate 4 miles away and been home before dark. Of course, hind sight is 20/20. I'm sorry if I ruffled any feathers for my comments (which I edited out) - I know you guys are only trying to help.

The trailer is home and tow dolly returned - time to move on!