My M101A3 trailer recovery home photos

[jbmilart]

Howdy fellas...

Here's a few photos of my first trailer recovery... actually it's really my 82 year old dad's trailer... I just helped him with the bidding, all the paperwork and computer stuff...as he doesn't do computers...

Got the trailer on Thursday from the Tracy Army Depot and brought it back home (170 miles round trip) with no problems at all. The trailer tracked nicely behind my dad's 2003 Toyota Tundra 1/2 ton pick-up... and I'm really glad I read all those valuable tips on recovering your first trailer here on SS. It made the whole experience a breeze once we arrived to the Tracy depot yard. Recovery tools, extra extended break away chains with quick link couplers, and a 24 volt to a 12 volt converter pigtail really made the difference... Thanks a lot guys!



All the lights worked fine with the new trailer converter plug I bought at Erick's Military (item # X-6034) for 74 bucks... and even better when I changed the 24 volt bulbs to the 12 volt 1073 and 89 replacement bulbs!

I took off the large hooks from the original break away chains and added 7 link chain extensions with the quick link couplers (rated at 3 tons) to both ends of the chains connecting the trailer to the tow vehicle. The vinyl canopy top and the metal bows all were in great shape... (except for a few small, tiny holes on top of the canopy). All of the fiber glass rails and their pins were accounted for and worked great too.

Even though this 101A3 was made for the Marine Corps back in '97... this trailer doesn't look like it saw much action... if at all... looks almost new in fact! The only thing that was damaged was the master cylinder. The breathing tube was missing and when I took off the master cylinder to inspect it... it was full of a nasty rusty sludge inside. A total washout! We decided... (for now)... to not replace the master cylinder and pin and lock the surge brakes... as we never had any brakes when we took the trailer home... and didn't have any problems at that time... but that could change too. Just wait and see for now.

Jim

 

[jbmilart]

More photos...



The first three photos are of my hand made landing gear handle... which the original handle was missing. I had an old 1/2" drive speed handle laying around and a worn out 1/2" socket collecting dust... cut a couple of slots for the shaft and pin... works like a champ!

The other photos are all the connections to the tow vehicle and how they look. A photo of my dad's 4x4 Toyota pick-up attached to his trailer... and a couple of photos of my old '93 Ford F250 4x4 diesel attached to his trailer as well.

My dad is very pleased and excited with his new trailer and told me to thank you guys for all the help and I'm sure we'll have more questions about the trailer as time goes on... But now he's talking about maybe buying another trailer... and maybe something a little bigger in a towing vehicle... He's been looking at those deuce and a halves on GL... I think I've created a 82 year old monster!

Jim

 

[jbmilart]

I was just wondering... At the Tracy Army Depot yard... the girls in the GL office, including the office manager... said that we could take our time making sure the trailer we were picking up, was safe to take on the road... but the yard foreman said that we had 20 minutes to hook up the trailer and get it out of his yard and off the base... ASAP! I didn't find that was the policy at the Sharpe Army depot in French Camp at all...

Which is a more common policy at the different bases were you pick up your paid property? Just asking...