M932/M1088 Fifth Wheel Height vs. commercial truck???

Hello gentlemen,

I am a noob to this forum, and this is my first post.

I have never owned a military vehicle before, but am interested in a M932 or M1088 fifth wheel for personal weekend use. We camp nearly every weekend because we are into offroad motorcycle riding. So everywhere we go, we end up off the pavement on dirt roads and camping in pastures. I am getting tired of getting stuck in my diesel 4x4 pickup pulling our toy hauler fifth wheel camper. Therefore, I am contemplating purchasing a 6x6 to pull a Kentucky moving trailer (a commercial trailer with low deck height used to move homeowners furniture). I will wall off the first 15 feet of the Kentucky trailer, and convert that to living space. The rest of the trailer will be used for work benches and storage for the motorcycles and side by side ATV. An added benefit to the moving trailer is they have low deck height and side doors that can be opened to get ventilation moving through the trailer on hot days.

I realize these trucks are slow, noisy, and hot...but that is a small price to pay for the fact that a 6x6 should be able to get us out of our camping area if summer rains come through the area.

However, I am concerned that the fifth wheel plate might be too high for a regular commercial trailer or that the kingpin might not be the correct size. I realize that I would need to convert from 24v to 12v for the trailer...but if the truck/trailer will not hook up...then this would be definite deal breaker and I would need to reevaluate what truck I would be looking for. I realize I could use a 915 or 916, but I am afraid these would get stuck easier in an open field after a rain event with non aggressive road tires. Remember, that I will be going "off the grid" at these camping locations.

I also realize the military made trailers that I might use, but a Kentucky trailer would be perfect for what I am wanting to do with it.

Would the existing fifth wheel height be an issue? I don't really care if the trailer is level going down the road. I really won't be carrying a heavy load at all, and my distances will be around 50 miles one way to the camping spots.

Also, would y'all recommend a M932 or M1088? I probably opened up a can of worms with that question Or, would there be a better vehicle that I need to look for. Remember though, I will need the ability to exit a muddy field from time to time.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom and experience you could share to this noob.

Merry Christmas!

The M1088 is taller than a commercial rig.

A M916, at least the sets they've been selling recently, have some decent tires, not just standard . Might be more an option.

Thank you for the advice.

In my opinion, if you are getting stuck in a 4x4 pickup pulling a toy hauler, you will get just as stuck in a 6x6 pulling a dry van. Except now you will need a bulldozer to pull you out.

I may be wrong but depending on your pickup truck tires and the size of your toy hauler, I dont know if these truck are going to give you much of an advantage pulling a full size van on low pro tires out of a greasy field.

I would definitely look into a winch truck, the heavier the rig the harder to extract, then your biggest worry is finding a sufficient anchor point.

Working CTIS would also be of great benefit for your application.

Buy 24volt led lights for the trailer and run a normal 4 prong pigtail off your rear lights or plug in. If you plan on buying a 5 or 14ton truck and going to learn the hard way that a winch will not always save a big truck. Even the HETs need a lil tug from another truck. I would buy a spare 923 or 925 as a backup to support the towing truck. If you bury out a 5 ton then you better like to use a shovel.

A 932 and a dry van full of toys will require at least a double line to get it out if it's bad off. A 932 will walk thru some stuff carrying a 60,000lb mulch grinder on its plate

54inches from ground to pin on a m931/932 with 11.00 tires.

You would not be able to utilize the rear winch on the 916 with the trailer attached

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I think these guys hit it pretty well. I have seen M931s get through some rough terrain by themselves. Adding a big long and heavy van trailer will definitely hinder any of these trucks. I thought of a few questions:
What are the dimensions of the van trailer? Mainly concerned about height
How how much will the trailer weigh when fully loaded?
What type of conditions are you talking about when it rains? Clay, mud, dirt?
Give us some specs on your current set up so we know where you are coming from.

Lukes_deuce said:

...How much will the trailer weigh when fully loaded?...

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Split of the trailer weight (weight on pin vs trailer axles) even more important.

So the stock 5th wheel plate on a 932 I belive has a bigger hole for the king pin 3in vs a 2.5in. I may be wrong.

The stock plate also is a 2 axis pivot and is quite a bit taller than a civy hitch.

The good news is you can remove it and install a civilian sliding plate that will reduce the height several inches. I'm not sure of the measurement with the 14.00's on it. You can also reduce the truck's ride height by going with the 395's instead of 14.00's. I'm not sure of other off road tire sizes availible.

As far as the 6x6 capabilities, if it's just greasy you should be fine. Mud is the one area it doesn't excel in. When you drive in the mud hole one of 2 things WILL happen. 1) the tires will go straight to the bottom or 2) it will stop when the frame hits the mud.

We have some mud holes here and I wouldn't even go near one with 2 dozers on site! Sand on the other hand, as you can see in my avatar. It's one of the best beach vehicles I've driven. Just as easy as any Jeep I've drove.

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One thing I forgot is that the 1088 cab does seal better than the 932. So the heat is more effective and you don't get wet when it rains.

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Ford Mechanic said:

One thing I forgot is that the 1088 cab does seal better than the 932. So the heat is more effective and you don't get wet when it rains.

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assuming you don't have a 3' wide hole in the roof...

bikeman said:

assuming you don't have a 3' wide hole in the roof...

Click to expand...

Good point!

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bikeman said:

assuming you don't have a 3' wide hole in the roof...

Click to expand...

What some deem an inconvenience, others deem a life goal...

Ford Mechanic said:

So the stock 5th wheel plate on a 932 I belive has a bigger hole for the king pin 3in vs a 2.5in. I may be wrong.

The stock plate also is a 2 axis pivot and is quite a bit taller than a civy hitch.

The good news is you can remove it and install a civilian sliding plate that will reduce the height several inches. I'm not sure of the measurement with the 14.00's on it. You can also reduce the truck's ride height by going with the 395's instead of 14.00's. I'm not sure of other off road tire sizes availible.

As far as the 6x6 capabilities, if it's just greasy you should be fine. Mud is the one area it doesn't excel in. When you drive in the mud hole one of 2 things WILL happen. 1) the tires will go straight to the bottom or 2) it will stop when the frame hits the mud.

We have some mud holes here and I wouldn't even go near one with 2 dozers on site! Sand on the other hand, as you can see in my avatar. It's one of the best beach vehicles I've driven. Just as easy as any Jeep I've drove.

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939, lmtv fmtv and m809 series trucks, and m915s run a standard kingpin

911, 916, 920, 983, 1070s run 3in and about a 6ft height on the plate

And ond m123 will drag anything thru any type of terrain.
Also any truck on duals will pull better offroad with a load. Adding chains to this will only improve traction by 50 percent.

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I have no idea what the trailer will weigh when loaded, but I am guessing I will have 10,000 pounds loaded in the trailer. As far as terrain, I am mainly worried about clay soil. I am not worried about the sandy places I go. My Dodge 2500 4x4 and camper never gets stuck in sandy soil situations. I am wanting a 6x6 for the races we go to where there is clay soil. We predominately park in a farmers field where it is relatively flat, manicured, and free from ditches, holes, etc. The race organizers and/or land owner will cancel the race if it gets too much rain and too muddy...but if the top 6 inches is greasy with a hard bottom after that...then we have the race. These are the conditions that really get my goat. There is nothing worse than racing a long race, being so tired you cannot even remove your boots, and then loading up on Sunday afternoon to go home only to find out that you are stuck in this field and have to wait HOURS for a tractor or dozer to pull you out. There could be hundreds of campers being pulled out and you just have to wait your turn. After years of this scenario, I decided to look into other options to reduce (but I understand not eliminate) the likelihood that I will get stuck trying to leave.

I realize the question I am about to ask is reminiscent of the Ford vs. Chevy debate...but I wanted to know if y'all had a choice, which would you choose...the M932 or M1088. So I guess it is Cummins vs. Caterpiller ha ha. In all seriousness, I realize this is most likely a personal preference on which one each of you prefers...but I really want to know. Money is hard to come by and I would hate to purchase the wrong one.

I sincerely appreciate all of the responses and information gentlemen.

God Bless, and Merry Christmas.

faithrider said:

I have no idea what the trailer will weigh when loaded, but I am guessing I will have 10,000 pounds loaded in the trailer. As far as terrain, I am mainly worried about clay soil. I am not worried about the sandy places I go. My Dodge 2500 4x4 and camper never gets stuck in sandy soil situations. I am wanting a 6x6 for the races we go to where there is clay soil. We predominately park in a farmers field where it is relatively flat, manicured, and free from ditches, holes, etc. The race organizers and/or land owner will cancel the race if it gets too much rain and too muddy...but if the top 6 inches is greasy with a hard bottom after that...then we have the race. These are the conditions that really get my goat. There is nothing worse than racing a long race, being so tired you cannot even remove your boots, and then loading up on Sunday afternoon to go home only to find out that you are stuck in this field and have to wait HOURS for a tractor or dozer to pull you out. There could be hundreds of campers being pulled out and you just have to wait your turn. After years of this scenario, I decided to look into other options to reduce (but I understand not eliminate) the likelihood that I will get stuck trying to leave.

I realize the question I am about to ask is reminiscent of the Ford vs. Chevy debate...but I wanted to know if y'all had a choice, which would you choose...the M932 or M1088. So I guess it is Cummins vs. Caterpiller ha ha. In all seriousness, I realize this is most likely a personal preference on which one each of you prefers...but I really want to know. Money is hard to come by and I would hate to purchase the wrong one.

I sincerely appreciate all of the responses and information gentlemen.

God Bless, and Merry Christmas.

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The biggest problem is probably the height of the front of the trailer most will be 13' on a civilian tractor, the military tractors are taller by at least 4" starting are the 931/932 basic with 11.00r x 20 tires and it goes up from there.

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Faithrider, have you considered pulling your existing toy hauler with the 6x6


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I cant give you an exact height, when the tap measure got to 14' I stopped measuring.



Since this photo has been taken, I have removed the 14.00/20's and put on 11R24.5's, I lost about 1" overall height. I need to move a box trailer around this weekend, I will use 'Rock Chucker' and try to get a measurement for you.

932 over a 1088, no question about it especially since you mentioned that money is a factor. For what a 1088 will cost to pick up and make reliable you could get a m916. m932 is cheap by comparison

red said:

932 over a 1088, no question about it especially since you mentioned that money is a factor. For what a 1088 will cost to pick up and make reliable you could get a m916. m932 is cheap by comparison

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Not to mention parts costs. If that kitty cat goes south it will break you. I have put 33,000 miles on my 923 since july. With minimal problems and never being left stranded. Grossing 40k to 72k always.

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