What did you do to your trailer today.

[Coug]

So used it last weekend, it was hooked up to a buddy's Base-X 303 tent. Was enough to keep it comfortable in 90 degree weather in a field, and more than warm enough overnight. Not sure how much fuel I actually used as I put about 40 gallons into the tank on the way there, but everything worked how it was supposed to once we fixed things like the air tubes being a little short and the extra tent material getting sucked into the intake tube and blocking off air flow. Put about 20 hours on it total no problems.

Gen ran at 50-60% on AC, and at 105-110% on heat with only 6 of the 9 heating coils. Also had to turn down the voltage knob to lower the amount of power draw to keep it from tripping when we plugged in things like lights and the projector to watch movies.

edit: tent strapped to the back of the trailer for counterweight is a Base-X 8D32. MUCH too big to work with this little cooling setup, and I don't have the liner for it anyway. It did make it so I could barely lift the tongue before I added the fuel to it. I put some wood blocks to space it away from the air vent on the generator.

 

[Coug]

So on to a different thing I did over the weekend with a different trailer. Though only partially about the trailer, there isn't a "what did you do with your "other" equipment today" thread in the "other auxiliary equipment" page.

Helped with a recovery on a shelter. Wasn't much space behind the barn, so used the HMMWV to drag the shelter out and around, to where the new owner could hook it up to his 5 ton.
We ended up using a pair of farm jacks for most of it, as the front half of the dolly's hydraulics were full of air and water, and even when flushed and filled wasn't lifting it. Took a couple hours to get it out and hooked up due to the low overhead clearance.





We had 2 5 tons, 1 HMMWV, 1 civi jeep, and one ex cop car involved in this.


As for what is so special about this particular shelter...

Downside of this shelter though is the door isn't in the middle, so you are unable to enter the shelter while it is attached to the dolly.

 

[Mullaney]

So on to a different thing I did over the weekend with a different trailer. Though only partially about the trailer, there isn't a "what did you do with your "other" equipment today" thread in the "other auxiliary equipment" page.

Helped with a recovery on a shelter. Wasn't much space behind the barn, so used the HMMWV to drag the shelter out and around, to where the new owner could hook it up to his 5 ton.
We ended up using a pair of farm jacks for most of it, as the front half of the dolly's hydraulics were full of air and water, and even when flushed and filled wasn't lifting it. Took a couple hours to get it out and hooked up due to the low overhead clearance.
View attachment 806747


View attachment 806751

We had 2 5 tons, 1 HMMWV, 1 civi jeep, and one ex cop car involved in this.
View attachment 806752

As for what is so special about this particular shelter...
View attachment 806749
Downside of this shelter though is the door isn't in the middle, so you are unable to enter the shelter while it is attached to the dolly.

Wow!!! Serial Number 0001 - - - That is definitely neat!

 

[Coug]

Wow!!! Serial Number 0001 - - - That is definitely neat!

One other different thing about it, all 4 sides were bolted on, like they cut everything but the corners off and started from there. All the pictures I can find of these shelters show them as single units, no side panels held on with bolts.
Didn't get a chance to look inside this time, but maybe later if the new owner has it off the dolly.

 

[lfhoward]

Today I replaced the cable connecting my M116A3 trailer to the tow vehicle. I looked up the National Stock Number of the cable so it was a direct swap.

Got all the connections matched up properly.

Interestingly enough, both the old and new cables had an extra connector labeled 37 that did not exist on the trailer side harness. I wonder what that would have been for?

 

[maddawg308]

Interestingly enough, both the old and new cables had an extra connector labeled 37 that did not exist on the trailer side harness. I wonder what that would have been for?

Good job on the plug replacement, the old one sure looks long in the tooth and due for an upgrade.

According to my pinout records, 37 is listed as "Auxiliary Power" on some truck and trailer harnesses, and is not used on most common MVs. Not sure what exact models of military vehicles WOULD use the 37 leg, but suffice to say it's just a spare line for most vehicles.

 

[juanprado]

Today I replaced the cable connecting my M116A3 trailer to the tow vehicle. I looked up the National Stock Number of the cable so it was a direct swap.

Got all the connections matched up properly.

Interestingly enough, both the old and new cables had an extra connector labeled 37 that did not exist on the trailer side harness. I wonder what that would have been for?

The harness is common across many trailer platforms not just m116. It comes with the extra wire I can think to power dome light. In the tm section. I uploaded a document with all the wire numbers as they are a universal numbering system on all military tactical equipment.

 

[lfhoward]

Thanks for the info, Maddawg308 & JuanPrado. Maybe some auxiliary reverse lights could be in my trailer’s future.

 

[M813rc]

Various trailers need an auxiliary power wire to provide for equipment items they might have.
In the case of my FHT (Humvee 5th-wheel shelter carrier) 37 provides the 24v needed to power the electric brakes.

The downside was that the M1028A2 I pull it with didn't have power to the 37 pin on its end, so I had to add it to the plug (which was not difficult).
Per standard military wiring, 37 runs to the K pin on both truck and trailer connectors.

Cheers

 

[tobyS]

Good job on the plug replacement, the old one sure looks long in the tooth and due for an upgrade.

According to my pinout records, 37 is listed as "Auxiliary Power" on some truck and trailer harnesses, and is not used on most common MVs. Not sure what exact models of military vehicles WOULD use the 37 leg, but suffice to say it's just a spare line for most vehicles.

Can it be used to charge a trailer set of batteries? What could limit the flow (amps) so it does not burn up? Like for batteries on a dump trailer or ??

 

[topo]

Working on a 1967 M131 that is used to haul water . Both tail light housings had heavy rust out torque rods replaced brakes adjusted and more to do .

 

[topo]

Finished working on M131 replaced landing gear on left side with a used one from salvage yard - replaced one of the type 30 brake chamber and one set of new shoes and brake drum adjusted all brakes and bleed them .took off 11 22.5 tires and replaced them with 1100 -20 fixed the front marker light boxes and sealed them to keep wasps out

 

[tobyS]

Thinking of a design change to a drop deck in front of the axles on the one I'm building ( very slowly). I could step down about 12-14" and keep the CG lower. Axles (tandem) are from m105 with 19.5 duals, 31" tall tires. Gvw about 17,000, so could haul deuce.

The deuce 4x4 gooseneck has ball at 9" behind the axle, it was too much reach to go in front of axle. I wanted some bed left to use with a half cover and have a sleeping bunk.

Edit....so design is drop deck with 16' in front of the axle section, 12" drop. The axle section is 8' and rear ramp (goes up to flat) will be 6'......thus a 30' trailer. That will get an m35 on it, without setting on the ramp part. I beams start getting cut this weekend and I'm working on a full width "piano hinge".

 

[Mainsail]

Thanks to RobertoGatos making me a good deal on the uprights, I was able to get the project moving.

The M1101/2 trailers are big, but the sides are low, so they'll volume out long before they'll gross out. So for hauling brush and stuff like that, I wanted to add some high sides. I went out pricing lumber the other day and almost abandoned the whole project. Walking out of the Home Depot I passed some deck boards at $5.77 each. Great! Not only cheaper than anything comparable, but already weather treated.

This is Phase 1, at least most of it. I still need to figure out how to do the aft end. Unlike the front and sides, I want the back panel to come off easy and go back on easy, and I'm not sure the best way to make that happen. I'm thinking about attaching some C-channel on each side that the panel can drop into. I'd welcome some ideas though.

Phase 2 will be the bows. I just need to find an industrial electrician to (accurately) bend some ¾" conduit to fit in the sockets on the uprights. Once that's done, I'll stretch a tape over it and figure out what size tarp to get to cover it. If I'm lucky I'll find a standard size that will work, if not I'll have to consider having one made custom.

 

[Retired1]

Very nice!

Are the uprights available for purchase somewhere?

 

[Mainsail]

Very nice!

Are the uprights available for purchase somewhere?

The lucky buyers got a set with their trailers, the really lucky buyers got the bows and cover too.

They've become somewhat hard to find, and shipping costs are expensive due to the weight of the whole set.

 

[Mainsail]

Took it out for a ride. A little less visibility out the back.

 

[Mainsail]

Yes, I can be verbose.... Maybe my question got lost in all the text.

I need some ideas for the back panel. I want it to be easy-on and easy-off.

I looked at some stake-side corner brackets but they won't work with the uprights.

The only other idea I've come up with is to take some 1½" x 2½" aluminum box tubing and cut one of the short ends off, making it into a c-channel. Attach those to the aft end uprights on each side and the panel could slide down into those. (I can't find any c-channel deep enough that I'd be comfortable on the freeway, like the panel might flex and pop out and go zooming off and kill someone.) Trying to buy that material via websites is difficult tho. The box tube is 1½" OD, and the boards are just under 1" thick, so should be a good fit.

I considered using door hinges, half on the panel and half on the upright, then making the hinge pin fit a little looser so it goes in and out easier. Seems like a lot of work for something that isn't the easiest/best way to do it.

Any other ideas? Seems like it should be a simple fab but I can't come up with anything. Oh, I don't weld.

 

[Retired1]

Amazon has a selection of lift off gate hardware and lift off hinges. Put "Slip Joint & Lift-Off Hinges" into the search window on their site.

 

[Retired1]

I installed LED tailights and magnetic LED towing lights. I first mounted incandescent trailer lights but I could not see them when lit in the daylight. I figured that if I could not see them others would have the same problem. I can see the LEDs. They are bright (and submersible). The tow lights and the tailights plug into my truck harness independently of each other.

I put the tow light set on so I could move them around and put additional warning in whatever vantage point I wanted lighting in. Its 25 miles of 70 mph highway from my farm road to town. I want to be seen when I'm out and about.