Deuce hauls an MK 18 Trailer

[sandcobra164]

Had a nice trip today. I forgot to bring my camera so there's not much in the name of "in progress" photos. I talked Atomic into helping me pull a trailer for Hoefler. I didn't explain exactly what was going to be involved because what's the fun in that. We first went to Mr. Herbert Kellam's place just south of the airport here in Albany to pick up a towbar and a tire. We then went to MCLB Albany where there was a rebuilt in April of 2011 MK18A1 trailer. We installed the towbar with the help of a forklift, got the air lines hooked up and connected the trailer to the truck. Atomic suspected we were having a problem when we started lowering the trailer on the the pintle hitch. The Deuce dropped about an inch or inch and a half from the weight of the lift system on the trailer. Made the trip home without issue and even stopped for a bite to eat. The trailer weighs 21,800 and the towbar weighs about 500 so figure about 22,300 pounds. The truck made it to 45 mph on the flats and never got under 40 as I eased off some going up the hills. Got home and man what a score. The thing appears to have all of it's Basic Issue Items to include the bridge brackets, container locks, front lift adapter, even the remote and new cable were still in the boxes and looked to be new. For those who don't know us personally, in the picture with both of us, I'm on the right.

 

[sandcobra164]

Few more

 

[FireFighterHill]

Wow, that thing looks brand new! Great Score!

 

[nf6x]

Very interesting! I did not know that there were tow bars that allowed those RBUs to be towed by a regular truck pintle. I'd guess that the driveshaft needs to be removed before towing to avoid unnecessary excitement.

 

[sandcobra164]

Very interesting! I did not know that there were tow bars that allowed those RBUs to be towed by a regular truck pintle. I'd guess that the driveshaft needs to be removed before towing to avoid unnecessary excitement.

Sir, the towbars are found on some MK-14 trailers and are used for doing a tandem tow. That's a MK48 connected to an MK 14 with an additional MK 14 for a combo of 3 units. The towbars are a little on the rare side and they weigh about 500 pounds so I wouldn't attempt to install without a forklift. Since you're on the West Coast, keep an eye out on MK-14's coming out of Barstow. I know a member on here from Florida that purchased one with a towbar. His plan is to make a camper out of a 20 foot ISO container, mount it on his MK 14 and pull it behind his M925. I can't wait to see it at the next GA Rally.

 

[nf6x]

Even more interesting! I have a few 20ft ISO containers on my property that I need to move around someday. I'll probably just try dragging them with my M936A1 rear winch, but now you have me daydreaming about moving them with a self-loading RBU equipped with a towbar. But that would just be silly.

 

[Hoefler]

Looks great. Recovery of these trailers would be real tough with experts like this.
Many thanks to Sandcobra and his buddy.
pete

 

[quickfarms]

That is cool. I need to look into the hydrolic requirements so I can determine how big of a power pack would be required to run one on a trailer.

 

[sandcobra164]

quickfarms, they are normally powered by the hydraulic pump on the MK 48. I have no idea how much volume it produces but I know this much about it. When you want to use the hydraulics on the trailer, you pull a knob out on the passenger side of the MK 48 commonly known as the 8 ball. When you pull that out, you divert the hydraulics away from the steering and articulation joint and give the trailer hydraulics full reign. If you forget to push that 8 ball back in, you have no steering to speak of and no articulation. I spoke with Hoefler earlier about this and he thought his truck had a bad "Priority Valve" since it's safety wired in the "steering" position. I laughed and said that we have to send them out that way. Marines will play jokes on one another and pull that valve out and the combo will move and stop fine but not steer.

I'll let on another secret to MK48's, play this joke if you want to but I don't recommend it. If you come across an MK48 coupled to a rear body unit. Get inside, turn the steering wheel to the right, left back and forth, it doesn't matter, just turn it. When somebody comes and cranks it up, it will try to bleed the air out of the lines and it will beat the driver and whatever is to the left and right of it to death. If you have an MK 48 coupled to a trailer, I'd recommend chaining the steering wheel, not so much that someone would steal it, I'd not like to get in one that the steering wheel has been messed with. I have experienced the "Joke" I just talked about first hand.

 

[goldneagle]

Even more interesting! I have a few 20ft ISO containers on my property that I need to move around someday. I'll probably just try dragging them with my M936A1 rear winch, but now you have me daydreaming about moving them with a self-loading RBU equipped with a towbar. But that would just be silly.

timntrucks managed to move 2 of my 40 foot 9-1/2' tall empty containers on my property in 2008 using his wrecker. So it can be done.

 

[dangeroustyz]

Great score. How much did that set you back?

 

[sandcobra164]

Sir, I didn't score it. I pulled it for a fee but it really is nice and newly rebuilt. If the owner want's to post what it sold for, he'll speak up and if he doesn't want to, that's fine as well. I will say that when it comes to bidding, things have gone way up with new interest in the hobby. I'll go even further to say the Deuce in the pictures went for $1045 after fees and only needed a set of batteries. Try getting that on GL now a days. That truck was purchased about 4 years ago, did not have the Firestones and did not have the canvas when I bought it but it has been to 2 GA Rally's which are 180 miles or so each way and has performed pretty good on road trips and local pickups. Welcome to the game and since you're in GA, we'll punch your report card as "Tardy" or "No Show" if you don't make it to the 13' Rally at Durhamtown. Hope you join us!!!

 

[sandcobra164]

Now it's about to get interesting. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to back this thing on a flatbed with ramps. I would rather it be a landoll with a dovetail ramp or an RGN but there should be some interesting pics tomorrow night. I believe the entire truck and trailer combo should fit on a flatbed before I unhook. I'm working towards "backwards driver of the year awards" at this point!!!

 

[sandcobra164]

Got easier, at least it started that way. I left work at lunch to go and get the tires for Hoefler. I left out in the Deuce to Mr. Kellam's yard to pick up the tires. Wrestled them off of his forklift onto the truck and had just about got the canvas buttoned back up. Got a call from the wife. Lee County Sheriffs Office along with NCIS or Naval Criminal Investigative Service were in my front yard and inquiring about my recent additions to my front lawn. I got them on the phone and told them "I'm about 30 minutes out and I've got the paperwork". I headed back towards the house and another phone call, the trucker from Landstar let me know his location and dang if we didn't meet in the road. Well, that solved the "GPS doesn't take you all the way to my house" issue. He followed me in and parked. I passed off my paperwork for NCIS to review, they took pictures of it and the trailers and they said "Sir, you're good to go, we remember that you're a stand up guy after the CUCV incident, we've got a duty to follow all leads or tips". Man, am I in the wrong line of business now, I'm glad I keep paperwork. Get the stuff lined up for pick up by a wrecker. The truck driver and myself agreed to park the MK 18 on the road where the wrecker could back straight to it's side, lift it straight up and back the trailer under it. Cool, things are going smoother now. Wrecker blows an inner tire on the way out so it took him a little longer to get there. No Worries, Wrecker get's there, backs up, lifts the trailer, Trucker chains it down. Simple enough, I'm drinking beer at this point and helping where I can. Wrecker leaves, now we need to load the tires that Hoefler had me pick up onto the step decks fifth wheel space. I back the Deuce up to his trailer and we roll and stack the tires onto his trailer. He's got a load to pick up behind the MK 18 but he's got nothing for the fifth wheel space. Loaded up and trucker leaves. 10 minutes later, I get a call from an Irate dispatcher from Landstar. The trucker tried to charge for the space the tires occupied and the dispatcher was mad as fire. I told him to get that truck back to the yard "right now" and we'll kick those tires off. I also contacted Hoefler and told him that he needed to call the dispatcher. Phones went quiet for about an hour so I called the dispatcher back and "they had worked it all out". I'm posting pictures and putting this story to bed, it's been a heck of a day!!!

 

[sandcobra164]

Few more Pictures.

 

[sandcobra164]

Last of photos.

 

[Hoefler]

Wow!
What a day. Sounds like Monday I will have some excitement getting her off that trailer.
Pete

 

[sandcobra164]

Sir, the ramps are only rated to 20K, the trailer with towbar comes to about 23,5K. The Deuce would have been on the ramps before the trailer was off and that's another 13K. I'm glad I decided to load the trailer on the trailer with a wrecker as the driver quickly informed me that he would not allow me to even try to back that trailer over his ramps. When it's get's to your home town, plan on a wrecker or a dock to back the commercial rig to and back to your load with your truck. He's very proud of his ramps and he informed me they costed about 4,500 bucks.

 

[Hoefler]

I have a typical height dock with a hydraulic dock plate. From the look of it, it seems his trailer is very low. My Dues is to tall to fit out of our dock door, so think of lifting the tow bar with out 6,000 pound fork lift, then pulling to dock door-then hooking to truck.
Can you advise what rating your wrecker is rated at? I may have to get one to lift this off.
Pete

 

[Derrickl112]

Sir, the ramps are only rated to 20K, the trailer with towbar comes to about 23,5K.

The ramps should be rated for 20k per axle. That guy is a wimp!

http://www.discountramps.com/step_deck_trailer_ramps.htm