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M105 will not pass inspection

muthkw25

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I own a 1968 M105A1. I went to the inspection station and everything on the trailer works. The breaks work, lights, etc. But the gentlemen that handles inspections said in order for the trailer to pass, It needs to have a breakaway. I proceeded to tell him that this trailer did not come with a breakaway system and that the new systems do. He still said that it has to have it. I said, not if the trailer was not fitted with it. That ruling should only apply to trailers or vehicles that were designed with it and or were made after a certain date. Anyway, he said he would not inspect it. I have looked at the manuals and the TM's have stated that there is only one air hose but does not say that it did or didn't come with a breakaway system. I was wondering if I have missed something or if anyone else has had a problem with this.
 

clinto

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Your State doesn't have any kind of grandfathering system? Is a '55 Bel Air required to have dual circuit brakes?
 

juanprado

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I would recommend registering it in Maine. There are no requirements and no inspections. All can be done via email and with a credit card. Perfectly legal plate in all 50 states. Maine is by far the prefered choice for trailer registrations for most intermodal fleets and over the road firms.

I registered my m101 painlessly and actually cheaper than what it would have cost in La.

check out Maine trailer registrations:

http://www.mainetrailerregistrations.com/
 

clinto

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The man is apparently correct. PA regs require breakaway brakes on utility trailers with a GVW of 3,000 Lbs or more. View attachment 439285
If that's the case, it would probably be easier to buy an A2 and sell his A1 versus upgrading his A1.
 

Flyingvan911

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Cut the shaft of the lunette half way through and ask him if that will work. Can you find a shop to add a breakaway? Seems like a silly requirement to me.

rofl
 

muthkw25

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Thank you Juanprado for the idea of registering it in a different state. It doesn't make any sense to me as to why they wouldn't grandfather it in. I am going to send an email to the PA DOT and see if I can talk to someone that will know. I think maybe this guy has never dealt with military vehicles before and he is protecting himself.


He also told me that I needed side markers on the bed of my M35A2. I said I don't think so. It's not over 26,000 pounds, it doesn't have full air brakes and doesn't require a CDL to drive. I said it only weights about 1 ton more than a Super Duty F250 Dually with Crew Cab and full bed. He just looked at me. I understand where he is comming from but at the same time, I would think he wouldn't want to turn business away. I am going to talk to PA DOT and if that doesn't work, I will register it in another state. It sucks because I all ready got the plates and registration from PA and spent money. Oh well.

I am getting the trailer inspected so I can drive the trailer behind the deuce legally on the road. I am restoring both at the moment and couldn't get farm tags since I don't own a farm and couldn't get a classic plate since photos need to be taken so I went with standard truck plates so I can drive it more than 50 miles from home legally.

I don't want to add a breakaway because 1) It wasn't put on the truck and 2) I don't want to spend money if I don't have to. If the trailer weighed more, I would think about it. Had I known it was going to be a problem, I would have looked at an A2 or something else. I just wanted the trailer to be close in year to the truck.
 

m1010plowboy

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I have no idea if this will be helpful but the MVPA has an affiliate in PA. http://www.mvpa.org/home/local-clubs/find-an-affiliate/#PENNSYLVANIA

http://www.gpamvhs.org/
http://redballonline.org/Redball_Home.htm

Squeaky wheel and strength in numbers and all that good stuff. Maybe they have some advice.

Using a historical trailer commercially would justify modifying to meet regulations but modifying a historical trailer just isn't right. Might need to buy a trailer with electric brakes to haul your trailer.

Good Luck with it and take donuts to the inspection next time, worked for me.
 

jdknech

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my buddys M149 water trailer is set up to lock the brakes if the emergency glad-hand is disconnected from its air supply.. this should be the same air-brake system as your M105..
and i know the system works, because when i disconnected the emergency line from my 5ton, it locked the brakes tight.. we tried to move it by hand, and had to bleed the air off.. (because it's air over hyd, straight air, and you would have had to pressureize the system to release the brakes)
here in Indiana that is considered a "breakaway system" and is ok by our DOT..
was the inspector looking for a electric setup? or does he just not understand airbrakes and/or air over hyd?
 

muthkw25

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So the M149 has the same set up at the M105? I thought the M149 had dual air lines, one for regular and one for emergency. Mine only has the standard air line.

We told him and he could see that but he said with a weight over 3,000 pounds, you must have one. I said, yes you do, on vehicles that are designed from factory. This trailer never had one. They were not installed untill 1977. I got tired of trying to argue with him.
 

muthkw25

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can you get classic tags for the trailer? (i was able to here with my XM971 semi trailer) and you might try a differant inspection station..
Well we can but we have to submit photos and there can be no rust. We are restoring it now so we can't get those plates until after we have finished it. I am going to try another inspection station. Apparently there is a guy that's about 1.5 hours away from me that handles military trucks more often because of the gas companies in the area. That's my best bet.
 

harleyhouse

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We in Pa get spanked for everything!

There was a chipper accident several years back that killed a family on Route 8 Near Pittsburgh.
"Perscription drugs, proper safety chains, and lazieness was the cause not the trailer"

Since then Pa. has cracked down on trailer registering, It has to be inspected to get legal and you have to jump through hoops to do it.
Pa has their certified inspection stations and we must use those. $$$$$$$ in their pockets.

The inspectors are by the book and if they have never seen a trailer system like yours they don't know what to do.

10 years ago you registered a trailer with four pictures and fees sent to PENN DOT, two weeks later you were legal.
 

clinto

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To clarify this thread:

Early M105's (and water buffaloes) have one air line and do not have safety brakes.

Later models (both 105 and WB) have 2 air hoses and those are the ones with a breakaway system.
 

muthkw25

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Had I known that this would be a problem, I would have bought an A2 from the start. At this point we are checking with DOT before we cut and or add anything to the trailer, still waiting to hear back as to what can be done.

Might end up registering it in another state and not messing with it.
 

fireball

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One of the quirks of the PA inspection system is that inspectors license number becomes his drivers license number too. If any violations are reported in the system then not only they lose their ability to earn a living as a mechanic they also lose their privilege to drive. Consider yourself lucky that he didn't issue you a failure notice requiring you to comply within ten days. State police hate mechanics who issue failure notices since it requires a whole lot of paperwork to track the failure to comply yet this is the first violation the state police file against a mechanic when they find a inspection violation in a fatality.
 
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