5 or 7.5 ton Flatbed

[JCM]

I've been surfing around tonight looking for a heavy duty flatbed trailer to put to work off road in a landscape rock pit in Central Oregon and keep showing up on this site. Very interesting! The M-979, M-1073 and M1061A1 types catch my eye. I'm not looking to restore, so it can be a little rough but needs to be sound. Anyone know of something on the West Coast that might work for me? Any advice is appreciated.

(I do own a 1951 CJ3A but please don't hold that against me)

Jim

 

[jasonjc]

One thing to keep in mind is it can be hard to find parts for military trailers. You just don't run to the auto parts store. Another thing is they are ALOT heavyer compared to a civi trailer of the same size and load rateing.

 

[JCM]

Thanks, The heavyness is what interests me the most. We need something to hold up getting them off the hill so we can then load them on the hiway truck.
I'll keep looking

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

My Bolster trailer would handle two of those I am quite sure as I have had it really heavily loaded with wet white oal logs two to three feet in diameter

 

[AaronHorrocks]

I bought an M979 series trailer, and it appeared to be in great shape.

Then I had to buy tires. $$$$
Now I'm stuck looking for hoses and break parts. then I'm going to have to rebuild the brake system.

You do of course have a military 5 ton to pull it with right? The 979 series was only intended to be pulled behind the 5 ton and the M113

 

[JCM]

Thanks for your replies. I don't know if I'm not getting my intended use across. I'm looking for a trailer that will never be put on the road. It will only be pulled up a skid road (built by an excavator) pulled by a large 4x4 farm tractor or maybe a small cat. Brakes wouldn't be hooked up. I don't know if these trailers are hard to find and sought after for restoration or readily available. They just looked like they were built heavy and durable for the kind of punishment I would use it for. If usable tires are hard to find, that might be an issue for me. Again thanks for your help.

Jim

 

[Mike_Pop]

Have I got a trailer for you!

It's a converted M117 semi trailer. The bed length is 28'. It turns on a dime because of the single axle. Empty weight is 8,000 lbs. Rated for 6 tons but I've had more on it. Air brakes, dual landing legs, 24 volt lights, pintle hitch, very heavy duty. Tires are not a problem. It uses 9x20 deuce rims and tires which are easy to get.

I sold my Unimog and have nothing to tow it with. It's made two cross country trips without any problems. I hauled stuff through Bend a few years ago with it.

PM me for more info. I really need to sell it. It's not doing any good sitting at my home in Nevada. I'm located 550 miles from Bend, OR.

 

[JCM]

Sorry I dropped this thread last fall. We still haven't found anything yet. The trailer offered looks to me like it is too long and too much tongue weight for our application.
Any advice is appreciated.

JCM

 

[MilitaryRestoration]

Is this something like what you are in search for?

 

[11Echo]

Thanks for your replies. I don't know if I'm not getting my intended use across. I'm looking for a trailer that will never be put on the road. It will only be pulled up a skid road (built by an excavator) pulled by a large 4x4 farm tractor or maybe a small cat. Brakes wouldn't be hooked up. I don't know if these trailers are hard to find and sought after for restoration or readily available. They just looked like they were built heavy and durable for the kind of punishment I would use it for. If usable tires are hard to find, that might be an issue for me. Again thanks for your help.

Jim

I think you might be able to get by with a M 345.

 

[M1075]

Oh yeah, the M345 is too cool! One of my biggest regrets is not buying one when I had the chance.

 

[MilitaryRestoration]

ditto m1075... had chance to get two now and passed both them up

 

[maddawg308]

There was a M345 recently on GSA auctions, missing the front two wheels. I wonder if anyone got it here....

 

[JCM]

You bet, both would work. Any leads on the West coast?

Jim

 

[AaronHorrocks]

Jack Tomlin of Utah has a YARD full of trucks and trailers... I saw some neat 5 ton series ones there... But that sure is a long haul!

 

[11Echo]

Thanks for your replies. I don't know if I'm not getting my intended use across. I'm looking for a trailer that will never be put on the road. It will only be pulled up a skid road (built by an excavator) pulled by a large 4x4 farm tractor or maybe a small cat. Brakes wouldn't be hooked up. I don't know if these trailers are hard to find and sought after for restoration or readily available. They just looked like they were built heavy and durable for the kind of punishment I would use it for. If usable tires are hard to find, that might be an issue for me. Again thanks for your help.

Jim

The M345 has an off-road payload of 10 tons and 13 tons highway,(37,260 gvw highway). The deck length is 23'.