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M1101 just rescued from Gov Planet (GovPlanet Refugee)

sail78385

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Hey guys, got my first M1101 trailer. Love it!

got to from GovPlanet in Butner NC. $700 won it and out the door it was $980 with SF97. I’m sure a lot of people have gotten better deals, but I’m stoked about it.

Seems like one of the hubs is warm and the other is cool. I suspect the castle nut is too tight. I just began to wonder though, is this not inspected during travel by the military? My unit did not have trailers so I have no experience. Hoping the 4 hour long drive home goes without issue.IMG_2800.jpeg
 
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Mullaney

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Hey guys, got my first M1101 trailer. Love it! Seems like one of the hubs is warm and the other is cool. I suspect the castle nut is too tight. I just began to wonder though, is this not inspected during travel by the military? My unit did not have trailers so I have no experience. Hoping the 4 hour long drive home goes without issue.View attachment 930455
.
And I would suggest that you get yourself a "Temperature Gun" so you can drive for 30 minutes, then hop out and zap the hubs. Compare one to the other, then drive for another half hour and do it again...

Like @98G mentioned, you might check the tightness on the castle nut on the end of the hub and maybe even add some grease.
 

sail78385

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Location
Charleston SC
After a 300-mile journey and a 4.5-hour drive, I'm pleased to report that my M1101 from GovPlanet has finally been freed. I will forever refer to this trailer as the Gov Planet Refugee.

This morning, I dedicated some time to working on the trailer with the primary goals of cleaning it thoroughly and completing the 12V wiring. Initially, I hand-washed the trailer but found that additional power was needed to achieve the desired result. After the initial wash, I took it to the car wash up the road, and now all the dirt, grime, and algae are gone. The trailer looks much better cleaned up, and I discovered that there’s black primer beneath the sand-colored CARC paint.

Given that I may own a HMMWV one day, I decided not to entirely remove the 24V wiring, recognizing that maintaining original components can preserve value over time. I pre-terminated the 12V 7-pin trailer harness with Packard connectors, and the install went smoothly. However, I found that these connectors require a bit of effort and perform best when cleaned and lightly lubricated. I plan to revisit this later to add covers or heat shrink over the unused connectors to protect them from dirt.

I had preemptively researched and purchased a box of 1156 and 1155 bulbs, only to find that both trailer lights use 1156 bulbs. It seems that in 2012, some revisions were made to the lighting on these trailers; mine is a 2008 model, and I’ve noticed that a few of the corner running lights differ on newer models. One of my lower running lights is out, but it's not a major issue.

For those seeking a good deal on taillight bulbs, Ace Hardware offers the best price at $3.99.

The primary motivation behind acquiring this trailer was to transport a golf cart, which fits well. However, the tailgate currently hits the leaf springs. I’m considering fabricating a new, lower tailgate that will resolve this issue. I just need to track down a set of the lower hinges if possible. Additionally, I’m thinking about adding a top to the trailer for future camping use.

This weekend, I might tackle the hubs.

Absolutely thrilled with this trailer, for the money I don't think there is anything better. m11013.jpgm11011.jpgm11015.jpgm11018.jpgm11017.jpgm11016.jpg
 

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Mullaney

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sail78385

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Charleston SC
Please tell me you cleaned that spindle before you took a picture of it?
Yes sir, I had just cleaned it of the rusty clumpy grease. Really fortunate I made it home but after going through the motions of replacing the bearings and races, this job would have been awful on the side of the road. I’m sure I could have cleaned and repacked the bearings, but why bother and not do a complete job?
IMG_2844.jpegIMG_2845.jpegIMG_2846.jpeg
 

sail78385

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Charleston SC
I'm sure most of you are already familiar with these trailers, but for those who aren't, they come with some really cool features. The parking brakes on each wheel and the rear landing gear allow you to load just about anything without needing to be connected to a vehicle. Additionally the tailgate is very easy to remove and light weight. One of the main reasons I got this trailer was to haul a golf cart. If it weren't for the low hanging leaf springs the tailgate would close. I plan on fixing this issue with a custom made tailgate, so to make this possible I'm on the hunt for an affordable tailgate or a pair of female hinges to get something custom fabricated. Later this week, I'll be upgrading the taillights and adding a reverse light—stay tuned for those improvements!

trailer2.jpgtrailer3.jpgtrailer4.jpgtrailer5.jpg
 

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sail78385

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Location
Charleston SC
Ive got a pair of aluminum ramps, had them for years but I think they came from Harbor Freight. Whenever I use them I make sure they are secured to the truck or trailer so that they don't move during loading/unloading. For transport I just keep them in my truck but will probably look into a way to secure them on the trailer or under it.

ramps.jpgramps1.jpg
 

M813rc

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Perhaps try the old fashioned 2x12(s) on the trailer floor at the back, to raise the rear of the golf cart enough to clear the tailgate? I've used that trick a few times to get a few extra inches of clearance.

I'd sure like to see the rest of that M715!

Cheers
 

sail78385

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Location
Charleston SC
That’s a great idea, if I don’t get this tailgate modified by the next road trip I might just do that. Been chipping away at the Kaiser truck for a few years, things were easier before kids ha! 1967 Kaiser M715, AAM 11.5 rear axle from a ram 2500, custom Dana 60 front, 42” Nitto on 20” Battle Born beadlock wheels, Alcan springs, low bucket Mastercraft seats, custom aluminum door panels, ect… I don’t have an engine, transmission, or transfer case yet -so the “carolina squat” is just temporary.
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M813rc

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Wow!! Very cool!
I am usually a "bone stock" guy when it comes to MVs, but I'll admit to doing a slightly modified M715 myself. ;)
It had already strayed far from stock, I just changed it back a bit to what I wanted it to be.

What engine, trans/trans are you planning?

The markings are very nice too (says the old Marine). (y)

Cheers

 

sail78385

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Location
Charleston SC
I had no plans to take this truck this far, but it happened. I bought it sight unseen from Oklahoma. It was stored in a garage most its life and the big appeal to me was it being rust free. Upon delivery there was so much wrong with the truck and a shortage of parts available it just made sense to upgrade it. Ultimately I would like to put a 6.6 L8T gas engine, 6l90, atlas in it. But we will see what happens when the time comes.

I ordered a couple of cans of touch up paint for the trailer to see how well it matches. 686 Tan from Rapco. Tested it out on the fenders and tailgate. Came out pretty good, Ill probably get a few more. New lights should be here this weekend. I would like to get another one of these trailers in the woodland camo paint pattern or at least in solid OD green. Thought about completely repainting this but have zero motivation to do that -its just a trailer I keep telling myself ha!

trailer1.jpgtrailer 2.jpgtrailer3.jpg
 

sail78385

Member
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96
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Location
Charleston SC
New taillights showed up, spent too much money on them. They were the best solution to gain reverse lights without mounting auxiliary lights on the trailer. From my understanding a lot of people have been using these on H1 and have reported good reviews, especially working on 12v. I used wire 23 on the chassis harness to plug into the reverse wire on the lights and then hooked my yellow wire on 7 pin to plug into 23. I bought them from USC Industry. I’ll post a video up later of them functioning at night. IMG_3028.jpegIMG_3021.jpegIMG_3019.jpeg
 

sail78385

Member
80
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Location
Charleston SC
Guess videos don’t work here… a few photos. My impression is that the red led lights are incredibly bright compared to the incandescent lights they replaced. The reverse light put puts a decent beam, but it’s a minimal amount of light that’s drown out by the red from the running lights. Overall I’m happy with them, but they are stupidly expensive. I do like that fact that there is a reverse light built in, which above all will signal to anyone behind the trailer that it’s in reverse.

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sail78385

Member
80
96
13
Location
Charleston SC
Revived the paperwork from the auction over the weekend, SF-97 and re-assignment of SF-97. For those wondering I live in South Carolina.

Let me start of by saying that in SC you do not need to register or tag a utility or cargo trailer, however if you plan on taking it out of state you are supposed to -I’ve never been bothered pulling a trailer out of state, even though that may have been wrong.

For my best interest I thought it would be wise to just do it, and maybe it will have more value for someone else later on down the road if I decide to sell it to someone idk.

anyways on the SF-97 form is says how much IronPlanet paid for the trailer $322.77 -isn’t that wild! I would love to know if the price fluctuates with options that might be on the trailer like a cargo cover or something.

SC DMV really have me considering not registering this though, it was a small fortune but it’s done.

I would like to purchase a Humvee next but really skeptical about them, I know we beat those things to death with the few ones we had at my Unit. One was even accidentally dropped 20’ or so from a CH-53 and it messed that thing up pretty bad. We also always had a few “abandoned” Humvees on the LZs we used for lifts at night. I think I would lose my mind if I got one that had been on a LZ. I would like to get a running one for the least investment possible -always found things seemed to be more enjoyable the less spent on them -even if they need money put into them. Stay tuned I guess…
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sail78385

Member
80
96
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Location
Charleston SC
For those of you with a few moments of free time please check out my YouTube video. In it I give a walk around of my trailer and talk about the issues I found when converting to the 12v bulbs I had found referenced on the internet. Thank you!

YouTube Link: M1101 Trailer Video
 
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