OK. Answer time. (Well sort of an answer…but still leaves the question open)
Situation is as follows:
I asked one of the mechanics, “the next time you are in the yard, could you get me the Identity Number from each M105A2 parked by the yard gate”.
He said “What’s an M105A2?” (Note: he normally works on the aircraft…not the MVs)
I said, “It’s a trailer. There are 2 of them parked together. It will say M105A2 on the data plate, which is on the trailer tongue. Stamped onto the data plate will be the Vehicle Identity Number. That’s what I need”.
Off he went, and came back 10 minutes later and said “Sorry, couldn’t find any M105A2 trailers”.
So I rushed out to the yard with him, thinking the worst (stolen trailers, etc) and there were the trailers. I walked up to the trailers and showed him the data plate. “That is an M105A2. It says so on the data plate.”.
He responded with “But that’s not the data plate I looked at. I was looking at the one on the other side, and it says M103A3”.
So I go around to the other side of the trailer, and sure enough, there is a data plate that says M103A3.
So I check the second trailer…exactly the same..M105A2 on one side and M103A3 on the other side.
So….back to original question…… What is the military designation of the trailer? Is it an M105A2 or an M103A3?
(I know that an M103A3 does not have a body, so I am going with M105A2. It is still single axle, greater than 3500 Gross, so for highway use it has to be registered. In Texas I can go the FMV route, but I still needed to know what to put on the registration document.)