Spooky M101A2 camper build

[wswinter]

I am starting a M101A2 camper build. Plan to convert the M101A2 to a roof top tent camper with a CVT tent. Bought the trailer from DRMO for $300 at Eglin AFB. First steps are to get it media blasted and painter/powder coated. Bought some wheels off of Amazon. The wheels fit but the hub size is a little different. The stock wheels have a 4.75" hub and the wheels I bought have a 5" hub hole. Does this matter? Am I ok with the wheels I bought?

 

[wswinter]

New wheels

 

[wswinter]

Old wheels

 

[TrailLifeBill]

Boy, you got a deal on that trailer!! Well done. I'll be following your build - sorry I can't help with the question.

 

[Tinstar]

New wheels should be fine.
It's the stud spacing that's critical.
But Im not 100% positive. Someone will chime in soon for conformation.

Looks like fresh paint on trailer.
Unless your going for showroom finish, the CARC paint takes new paint very well.

 

[timntrucks]

ill have to follow this trend as i want to do a build up on a 101a2 trailer too. thanks for sharing trailer looking great

 

[rosco]

Your good on the wheels.

 

[someoldmoose]

Agree with rosco (not that he asked for my blessing ) . Make sure you tighten the lug nuts with a TORQUE wrench to the ft./ lb specified for the trailer. Doesn't hurt to recheck them before each trip for a couple times.

 

[rustystud]

The inner hub is suppose to act as an "index" for the wheel. Once the lug nuts are tightened, it helps hold the wheel assembly to a concentric center. Meaning is helps keep it center to the hub assembly. If the wheel is allowed to "shift" during tightening it would cause a terrible out of balance situation. Most new wheels have a tapered nut area to hold the wheel center to the hub when tightened, so your probably good to go. If you do experience a severe wheel wobble or bounce then recheck the wheels.

 

[wswinter]

Thanks for the input on the wheels. Yeah, the paint looked fairly nice when I got it but it is pealing in a few areas. I found a guy to media blast it for a reasonable price. I am trying to decide if I want to paint it or powder coat the whole trailer. I live in Florida so I have to line up the media blast and paint/powder coat so it won't start to rust. I am trying to decide if it worth my time to paint it myself or just pay someone. I also just changed the lights to 12v and wired a 4 flat. My tow vehicle is a tundra 4x4.

 

[j10jim]

It looks good and the wheels would be fine. Would like to see shots of the wheels on the trailer. I have an a3 that I am going to pull the wheels/tires off of. Want a 16 inch wheel and that one looks pretty good.

Thanks

 

[harleyhouse]

Scuff the bad spots and paint it yourself.
I did mine in the yard with a 9.99 Harbor Freight HVLP gun and it has held up well.

 

[T. Highway]

Looking forward to watching this build.

Bert

 

[wswinter]

Finally got the time to do some more on the build. Got the trailer off to a local guy to blast it, prime it, and scorpion line the underside. He is scorpion lining the underside of the bed and the trailer tongue. He took the bed off the frame and is using POR on the frame and leaf springs.

 

[wswinter]

early before pic

 

[wswinter]

More before pics

 

[wswinter]

Pictures of it after media blasted. Came out pretty well I think.

 

[wswinter]

Primer on.

 

[wswinter]

Bed off and POR on the frame. The frame had a little rust pitting on it. It looked like the last time the military repainted it the didn't use primer. The paint was peeling pretty bad under the bed but the POR should take care of that. Still a solid frame though.

 

[wswinter]

And finally pics of the scorpion liner on the underside of the bed. When I left his shop last night he was going to put another coat of POR on the frame and another coat of scorpion on today. The bed will be put back on in the next day or so and I hope to pick it up this weekend. I plan to get the top sides and inside of the bed painted in a silver color to match my truck. The reflector frames, lights, and shackles will be black. Curious, how has everyone else mounted their license plates on the back? Anyone have pics? Nervous to drill into the tailgate. Next step after getting it back is paint, new tires on the wheels I bought and find someone to fabricate the rack for the roof top tent.