M200A1

[shanekarl]

So i have worked out a deal on a M200A1 and a mep-005 generator i will pick up in a little less than two weeks.

The generator and trailer are about 1800 miles from my house so its going to be a quite a road trip. I have a 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 offload truck with has the 6.4 hemi and the upgraded 4.10 gears. I pull a 12000 lb 5th week with no issue so the 5k weigh of the generator/trailer combo does not scare me a bit but not having brakes on the 1800 mile trip through the mountains does.

I want to get feedback from others. I have called 3 or 4 shops with in a few hundred miles of pickup and posted on a few trailer forums looking for someone to do an air over hydraulic to electric conversion but have yet to find someone to do it before i head back home. I am aware the cost of parts runs about 1000 plus whatever labor cost me. I hope to find a shop to do the work but if not...

So my question is how dicey is it going to be pulling this though the mountains with no breaks?

Advice?

 

[Jbulach]

Load it all on a known good trailer with brakes. Typical 7000lb car trailer would do nicely.

 

[shanekarl]

Load it all on a known good trailer with brakes. Typical 7000lb car trailer would do nicely.

I dont have another trailer and i dont mind renting a uhaul car carrier but when i just googled this I see its to wide to fit on a usual car carrier but do like that idea

 

[Jbulach]

Also as far as brake conversions, going to surge brakes would be much cheaper.

 

[Jbulach]

Just pull an outer dual or two off to narrow.

 

[porkysplace]

I dont have another trailer and i dont mind renting a uhaul car carrier but when i just googled this I see its to wide to fit on a usual car carrier but do like that idea

Hertz Equipment rentals rent construction equipment trailers .

Equipment & Tool Rental for Construction and Industrial Use - Herc Rentals

Equipment and tools rental from Herc Rentals. We offer daily, weekly and monthly rates for construction equipment and industrial applications from over 400 rental locations near you.

www.hercrentals.com

 

[Coug]

to answer the question of "how dicey..."

if the pavement is dry the entire way you'd probably be okay if you have a lot of trailer towing experience, and added some extra weight in the bed of the truck to help keep the trailer from pushing you around.

If it's wet pavement and you have to make a panic stop, or brake hard going around a corner, you're likely to total the truck and trailer, and possibly injure or kill yourself and whatever/whoever you collide with. Nothing is certain, but the odds aren't in your favor, especially with it being a longer trip.
I'd personally recommend against it.

If you do decide to do it drive at a much reduced speed and give yourself plenty of time to react.

(many places anything over 3k lbs is required to have functioning brakes, however I know the laws in Texas are different and have speed limits associated with trailer weights with no brakes)


That being said, I doubt Uhaul will rent you a trailer for this, as they won't have anything in their system for hauling a trailer on the trailer. Even with the outer duals pulled it might not fit, and you'll still have to figure out how to secure the tongue, as well as the loading/offloading.

I will admit I've pulled heavier trailers without brakes on wet pavement (9k travel trailer 100 miles after my trailer brake controller failed, but tow vehicle was an F450 with the 7.3L and a 12 foot flatbed)


Were it me I'd take the tools and parts I needed to do the electric over hydraulic conversion with me (basic tools, and metal to make brackets to mount the actuator assembly as well as the battery for the trailer, and everything I needed to install the wiring and the break away assembly) as well as plenty of DOT5 fluid to flush the brakes and fill the system, then just drive it. It shouldn't be very complicated to do the install, you can even leave all the existing stuff in place except for where you unhook the line from the air/hydraulic actuator and move it over to the electric one.
I'd expect it to take maybe an hour or three depending on how stubborn the hardware is and how familiar you are with moding/fabbing this stuff. Do it near an auto parts store so you can walk over to get any parts you might need that you didn't know about, and maybe take a small welder and a generator to power it just in case you need to weld a bracket on to mount it rather than just bolts, along with drill and taps (or rivnuts, or however you want to do it)

Either that or mabe ask if there is anyone on here in the general area of where you are getting the trailer from to see if they have space you can use or are willing to help you with it, we have a lot of good people on here that enjoy being able to help out.


Also, one other thing to consider, you'll want a hitch that raises up quite a bit, these things are a little top heavy and tongue heavy, and every little bit that the tongue angles down will increase your tongue weight quite a bit.

 

[shanekarl]

Just pull an outer dual or two off to narrow.

thanks Coug!

I ordered a 12 1/2” drop bar I plan to use upside down for the pintel hitch to get it up and my truck has a pretty decent lift. I’ll also bring enough tools to flip the pintel hitch around so it’s lower on the trailer.

I agree with what you said on the uhaul car hauler - it makes sense.

the electric conversion is a little bit to big of a project for me to take on myself and I don’t own a welder but I’ll try calling a few more shops tomorrow - I’d feel a lot safer if I could get that done and it’s a one time expense so I don’t mind at all.

thanks for the advice hopefully I’ll get this sorted quickly.

 

[Guyfang]

Take a propane torch and lots of liquids to remove the rust on the pintel hitch. Some wil only come off with Man Mountain Dean and a 6 foot cheater. I have screwed up several pintel hitches by stripping the threads.

 

[shanekarl]

Take a propane torch and lots of liquids to remove the rust on the pintel hitch. Some wil only come off with Man Mountain Dean and a 6 foot cheater. I have screwed up several pintel hitches by stripping the threads.

Thanks, i checked with the seller and luckily the pintle is already in the lower position so i lucked out not having to fight it. Really down to only one issue finding a shop to do the electric over hydraulic conversion.

 

[Jbulach]

An inverted flare union, a handful of electrical connectors, and self drilling/taping screws.

Not trying to discourage you, but what are you going to do when the tread flies off one of the tires, or you wheel bearings seize on you 1800 mile recovery if you cant handle slapping a brake actuator on? Rent a U-haul trailer for $75, pull one of the outside duals off the m200, come-along it on, chain it down, and comfortably cruise 80 mph.

 

[Jbulach]

Also, unless your moving this $500 trailer longer distances frequently, I wouldn’t bother spending $1300 on brakes. Your pickup will handle it just fine moving it around the neighborhood. And a long shot, if someone can get it to the Cincinnati area before next weekend, I can get it as close as Winnsboro for you.

 

[shanekarl]

An inverted flare union, a handful of electrical connectors, and self drilling/taping screws.

Not trying to discourage you, but what are you going to do when the tread flies off one of the tires, or you wheel bearings seize on you 1800 mile recovery if you cant handle slapping a brake actuator on? Rent a U-haul trailer for $75, pull one of the outside duals off the m200, come-along it on, chain it down, and comfortably cruise 80 mph.

I had given serious thought to the uhaul trailer it’s aboy $400 one way so very doable. The only trailer uhaul has that’s big enough is the car carrier as the m200a1 is almost 14 ft long. The uhaul car carrier does not have a solid deck so I’d have to rig something up to support the trailer jack.

I also called both sunbelt and United about renting an equipment trailer and the issue is they don’t do one way rentals. Im willing to pull it up and back but they also told me I’m not allowed to take it from the state I rent it.

I know I can break the rules and just do it but if I have an accident I’m on the hook.

I really think the condition of the trailer I’m buying is good so I don’t mind putting the money into the brakes if I can get help. I get it’s an easy project but I always run into gatchas and 1800 miles from home I don’t have access to tons of tools and time to fix them.

anyhow I really Appreciate all the advice you guys are great. Hopefully I can figure something out. I am also looking into uship but $2 a mile hurts although I know that is the going rate for shipping something like this across country.

 

[NDT]

Knowing your plan for the 005, that being a long term solution for home backup power, I would build a concrete pad for the 005 with a shed roof over it. And leave the M200 in RI. Put the 005 in your Dodge to haul it.

 

[shanekarl]

Knowing your plan for the 005, that being a long term solution for home backup power, I would build a concrete pad for the 005 with a shed roof over it. And leave the M200 in RI. Put the 005 in your Dodge to haul it.

Thanks, i am really wanting to keep the trailer - so i can easily move the generator when it needs repairs.

 

[155mm]

I sent an 005 in the back of a 3500 srw Chevy from Oklahoma to western Montana with no issues,

If jenny is properly secured in pickup bed, then you could pull empty M200 trailer with no reservations

 

[Jbulach]

Thats not a bad idea! If something would happen to the trailer along the way should be easy to find somebody on the spot to donate it to These things go airborne on bumps, let most of the air out of the tire if pulling empty.

 

[Coug]

Looking at specs for the truck and generator, a ram 2500 4X4 with 6.4 Hemi and 4.10 gears has the following rating
3610 lbs for regular cab long bed
3300 lbs for crew cab short box
3140 lbs for crew cab long box
2910 lbs for mega cab short box

so looks like the MEP-005a weighs about 2850 lbs dry, so any of the above trucks should have no problems with removing the gen and hauling it in the back of the truck bed if the truck bed is long enough.
However, if it has the ASK (acoustic suppression kit) installed, the gen weighs over 4k lbs, and none of the above truck configurations are rated to haul it. Add to that at least a couple hundred lbs of tongue weight from the trailer and you'll be squatting REALLY badly.

 

[Guyfang]

No ASK.

 

[shanekarl]

Looking at specs for the truck and generator, a ram 2500 4X4 with 6.4 Hemi and 4.10 gears has the following rating
3610 lbs for regular cab long bed
3300 lbs for crew cab short box
3140 lbs for crew cab long box
2910 lbs for mega cab short box

so looks like the MEP-005a weighs about 2850 lbs dry, so any of the above trucks should have no problems with removing the gen and hauling it in the back of the truck bed if the truck bed is long enough.
However, if it has the ASK (acoustic suppression kit) installed, the gen weighs over 4k lbs, and none of the above truck configurations are rated to haul it. Add to that at least a couple hundred lbs of tongue weight from the trailer and you'll be squatting REALLY badly.

Coug,

You are correct I have the 4x4 crew cab so 3300LBS of bed weight and i can tow up to 15,940 lbs with 1500lbs toungue weight or 2300 5th wheel / gooseneck. I know for a 3/4ton truck its not huge but it tows almost everything i would need in life.

I have worked out a deal to have the trailer converted to electric over hydraulic and i think that's the ideal solution. I know i am putting a lot of money into a trailer that's inexpensive but its perfect for what I need it for long term so i dont mind the expense - i dont plan to ever resale the generator or the trailer.

Thanks a bunch for everyones advice and help! you guys really are fantastic and have given me lots of ideas!