WW2 Ben Hur Trailer Indentification

[Tinwoodsman]

I am getting ready to begin the restoration on a WW2 Ben Hur (G51 trailer to pull behind my WC-51 Weapon Carrier and I thought I would take a chance and see anyone could help me. I am at a loss as to identifying the manufacturer since there are not data plates. It has USMC markings on the tub and based on some holes in the tub floor I believe it was used as a generator trailer at one time.

I tried to see if the spring shackles had unique marking but they do not. The only markings are the USMC number and a stamping on the A Frame of the tongue. I have attached a few photos to see if you may have any insight on identifying the manufacturer.

 

[timntrucks]

i have a 1943 benhur arc welding/gen trailer and mine dont look like that one. mine has a 750 x 20 wheel like a duece wheel. that might be the main difference. the pincle hitch looks the same.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

The wheels are original Tim but I did blast, prime and paint them before I put new shoes on them.

 

[m1010plowboy]

The little bit of research I did on them said there were dozens of manufacturers of the little Ben Hur trailer. I think I found some of the info on a modellers site which came about after searching "Ben Hur Trailer" ""Images"", then went to visit the page the image came from. I also read it had the most production numbers of any trailer in WWII.
Here are a few links I dug up by using the images search so this might be one more step you can try,

http://www.usarmymodels.com/MANUFACTURERS/CGM/cgm006A.html
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Verdana]The Ben Hur Manufacturing Company was one of nearly two-dozen firms that produced these trailers, capable of hauling a ton of supplies


http://www.armyfiretrucks.com/steel_ben_hur.htm
[/FONT]G518 Trailers were made by the following companies:
American Bantam, Ben Hur, Century Boat Works, Checker, Dorsey, Gertenslager, Henney, Hercules Body, Highland Body & Trailer, Hobbs, Hyde, Mifflinburg Body, Naburs, Nash Kelvinator, Omaha Standard Body, Pke, Queen City, Redman, Steel Products, Strick, Transportation Equipment Corp, Truck Engineering Corporation, Willys Overland, Winter Weiss, Baker, Covered Wagon Co., Keystone, And Streich.

http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/the-sears-david-bradley-trailer.74865/


Thought there might be info in the TM so here's the TM.
http://www.slideshare.net/blancaisabelcig/tm9-883

http://www.cckw.org/ben_hur_trailers.htm
[FONT=Arial, Arial, Helvetica]The Ben Hur trailer, or the military designation of G-518 One Ton trailer, was one of the most massed produced trailers of WW2.[/FONT]






[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Verdana][/FONT]

 

[swiss]

OMG lots of work to get it to look like this.

This will be a great project, lots of wood to paint.

 

[swiss]

You and PB can race your Chariots once this gets completed at the next rally on the track. It will be the highlight of the GA Rally for 2017. I am thinking of building one now as I want in on the racing.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Thanks Plowboy. I have visited all those sites and even found manufacturers listed my USA Number ranges but mine is a USMC trailer and they do not reference those. The style of the front landing wheel narrows it somewhat by time period bet just not much out there. I appreciate your help.

 

[gerrykan]

It looks like 5 lug wheels, so this may be a 3/4-ton trailer that came before the Standardized WWII trailer with 6 lug wheels.

Regarding the tongue stamping, in Missouri if you titled this as homemade, the State would issue a number starting with DR.
DR = Department of Revenue.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

Thanks for the input. The hubs on my trailer are 6 lug and the tires are the standard 7:50/20 I am aware of the prewar version of the Ben Hur which was produced by GM

 

[nat42gpw]

Mine has 5 lug wheels as well,its a Lavine gear co,i think it was made in 1940

 

[nat42gpw]

finally found some info on my trailer,it is not a benhur 1 ton trailer as previously thought,on jeepdraw home page found a copied 1946 military surplus listing out of Florida with a list of serial numbers for jeeps,trucks,pickups,trailers,ect it was listed as trailer,cargo lavine gear 3/4 ton 1939 just some new info for those that didn't know

Mine has 5 lug wheels as well,its a Lavine gear co,i think it was made in 1940

 

[Eric WC63]

Hi Nat

My name is Eric we live in the Netherlands we are restoring vehicles from de Second World War and
we are currently restoring a lavine 3/4 ton trailer from 1939. The only problem is with ours is that it’s not complete. I hope that you can help us with some pictures and maybe some extra information. Do you have any pictures from the drawbar, axle, handbrake and cables the tail light and the fenders if you have more pictures i would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you in advance for your help

greetings Eric