M1088 with civilian trailer

[eric67camino]

I've been looking at possibly picking up a M1088 and am looking for opinions on usability.

I don't intend to use it commercially. Unless maybe I could pick up some extra work with it maybe pulling grain trailers for local farmers.

I realize that the hitch height is typically an issue with military trucks. Would it be workable for a M1088 with a civilian 5th wheel to pull civilian trailers?

Another thought had been to find a lowboy type trailer to haul other trucks, etc. Same question there regarding viability and hitch height.

Had anyone done this combo? I've been searching, but find very few pictures of these trucks with a trailer.

 

[hike]

The unloaded 5th wheel height is spec'd at just over 62"—

 

[eric67camino]

The unloaded 5th wheel height is spec'd at just over 62"—

That's why I am asking if anyone has done it. I know it's tall, but is it workable with a civilian hitch? Or is it still too tall? And does it clear landing gear when turning?

I know that some guys have swapped to civilian 5th wheels on other military tractors to eliminate the swivel function and loose height. I could be ok with some tilt to the trailer angle, if it would work otherwise.

 

[Mullaney]

That's why I am asking if anyone has done it. I know it's tall, but is it workable with a civilian hitch? Or is it still too tall? And does it clear landing gear when turning?

I know that some guys have swapped to civilian 5th wheels on other military tractors to eliminate the swivel function and loose height. I could be ok with some tilt to the trailer angle, if it would work otherwise.

.
I have a 1088 and I regularly pull 40 to 53 foot van trailers. I carry some 12x12 blocks to use on the landing gear. Works great for me but the guys with regular tractors tend to get a little fussy about the blocks .

 

[M813rc]

If the civilian trailer has a 2" pin, you should be able to haul most with the M1088 as is.

Are the frame rails on the M1088 34" like most other trucks? If so, a civilian 5th wheel is just a bolt on swap. Unless you need the height and side-to-side articulation of the military 5th wheel for heavy off road use, it's a good thing to do away with.

I got a Fontaine slider from a truck yard and put it on one of my M931A2s, I just had to drill a few extra holes in the frame to mount it.
The civilian 5th wheel dropped the nose of my box trailers between 7" and 9" (depending on the length of the trailer), and also allowed me to haul shorter necked trailers without tangling with the 14.00 tires on the 931. I did lose the military frame ramps on the back because of their height, but in 10+ years of operating the truck like this, I have had no issues getting trailers on it.

I used a front axle lock-unlock switch from an M35 to power the air ram on the hitch. It looks stock under the dash.

Cheers

 

[eric67camino]

.
I have a 1088 and I regularly pull 40 to 53 foot van trailers. I carry some 12x12 blocks to use on the landing gear. Works great for me but the guys with regular tractors tend to get a little fussy about the blocks .

Awesome. I hadn't considered blocks. I assume thats because the jacks dont go high enough? Likely it would only be my own trailers, so hopefully the blocks wouldn't be an issue.

 

[eric67camino]

If the civilian trailer has a 2" pin, you should be able to haul most with the M1088 as is.

Are the frame rails on the M1088 34" like most other trucks? If so, a civilian 5th wheel is just a bolt on swap. Unless you need the height and side-to-side articulation of the military 5th wheel for heavy off road use, it's a good thing to do away with.

I got a Fontaine slider from a truck yard and put it on one of my M931A2s, I just had to drill a few extra holes in the frame to mount it.
The civilian 5th wheel dropped the nose of my box trailers between 7" and 9" (depending on the length of the trailer), and also allowed me to haul shorter necked trailers without tangling with the 14.00 tires on the 931. I did lose the military frame ramps on the back because of their height, but in 10+ years of operating the truck like this, I have had no issues getting trailers on it.

I used a front axle lock-unlock switch from an M35 to power the air ram on the hitch. It looks stock under the dash.

Cheers

I hadn't considered a sliding hitch for clearance. I like that idea.

 

[Mullaney]

Awesome. I hadn't considered blocks. I assume thats because the jacks dont go high enough? Likely it would only be my own trailers, so hopefully the blocks wouldn't be an issue.

.
Yes Sir... Those blocks save a lot of time cranking the landing gear up and down. I found a guy with a small saw mill and I bought a pickup truck load of end cuts. Think I gave him $50 and I smiled all the way home!