Towing an M105 with civy truck

[oifvet]

I'm thinking about getting an M-105 Trailer to go with my deuce. Right now, my truck is away. Can I tow an M-105 with a civy vehicle easily enough? Or, will it be too much of a PITA? What adaptations will I have to make? And, what is easiest, adapting trailer to truck? Or truck to trailer? This only applies to getting the trailer home from load-out. I do not plan to tow the trailer with anything but the deuce after that.

 

[emmado22]

borrow a set of magnetic tow lights.. Thats the easiest way...

 

[rosco]

Thats a lot of trailer for a pickup, but I have made a few dump runs with mine.

Flip the lunette, so it raises the tongue to max hieght. I have a small pintle hook with an adjustable hieght offset in it for the receiver hitch. Between that and the lunette, the trailer sets pretty level. Allow extra stopping distance, in front of you.

Just use a couple magnetic lights, hooked to the truck. My rear view mirrors are OK with it.

Lee in Alaska

 

[54reo]

I've towed mine with my Dodge Dakota. As Emmado22 says, the lights should be your only issue, and a minor one at that.

 

[emmado22]

Flipping the lunette is a great idea, if it's not rusted inplace.. Mine was. I loosened the nut, beat on it ith a sledge hammer, still didnt move after 15 minutes.. I put the nut back on, and rolled like that, with no problems.


Also, BRING A GOOD JACK WITH YOU. Chances are VERY GOOD that your hitch wont be at the same height as the landing leg when it is completely compresed (if it's the later dual wheel style). A floor jack with some 4x4's or the like will make lowering the trailer onto the hitch a breeze.. If you think you can heft it on by yourself, your going to be disappointed.. It wont happen, I dont care how strong you think you may be.... The jack is the way to go.. Or, give the DRMO guy who is rolling thru the pickup yard with a forklift $20 to help you out lower it on as you pull the landing leg release..... Dont ask me how I know....

Here is a pic of my recovery with a Dodge 1500. The truck is level... The M105A2 angled down, but pulled great for the 5 hour trip.

Also, if you have a spare tire/rim for the M105, bring it.. That will guarantee you wont get a flat.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Bill, I have the civy pintle hitch setup that raises up 8 inches. let me know if you need to borrow it and the high-lift jack.

 

[gunhog11]

If you think you can heft it on by yourself, your going to be disappointed.. It wont happen, I dont care how strong you think you may be.... The jack is the way to go.. .

You aren't kidding. Some of us have to learn the hard way. M101 is about the heaviest I'll lug/lift/drag around.

 

[amanco]

I just pulled Lane's M105 Wood shop trailer home, about 80 miles with an '07 Dodge 1500 w/V8. No problems what so ever. Lunette in the stock position. I used the draw bar with the adjustable plate on front to raise the pintle up about 6" GL guy lowered the trailer on to the pintle with a fork lift and when home, I used the floor jack and 2 6x6's to lift it off. Trailer is no wider than the truck so stock mirrors were fine. it wasn't right but I didn't bother with lights. I just gave plenty of lead time if coming to a stop with some one behind me. Even passed an Ohio State Hwy patrol (AKA the gestapo) with not even as much as a notice. My one concern was the tires but upon arrival the tires were pretty good looking. Drove 55-60 the whole way home about 80 miles.

 

[oifvet]

Hey! You guys are a great help! One question that I know the answer should be obvious to me, but it's not clicking... Why flip the lunette? What will I experience if I do not?

Also, gimp, that pintle set-up you have... Is that something I could find at maybe Tractor Supply Co.? Is that a farm item? I may get with you when trailer time comes. I'll hope for Columbus or better yet, WPAFB in Dayton.

Thanks again for the top-shelf knowledge! Sure makes life easier!

 

[emmado22]

The lunette is "bent". Look at the pic of my trailer/truck, or this one http://web.govliquidation.com/auction/view_photo?eventId=3256&lotNumber=3415&picNumber=1


If you flip the lunette the other way, it gains you like 4-5 inches. How it is on my trailer, I lost the 4-5 inches... There is a cotter pin and a castle nut that holds the lunette on the trailer.. Becareful "beating on" the nut if you have to, it's a military only thing, and there are no replacements at the hardware store...

 

[oifvet]

Got it! Needed a jump-start there. Thanks! And finally, what am I looking at for dry weight on an M-105 with side-boards and (hopefully) a cover?

I have a small camper that weighs 1600 lbs. (dry), and was not manufactured with brakes. I can stop with it easily enough. Does the M-105 have surge brakes or anything?

 

[emmado22]

The 105A5 has airbrakes, so your not going to have any trailer braking capability. Figure 2500# total for the trailer.. You should be OK...

I'd take the cover/bows/sideboards off and put it all in tbe bed so it saves the wear and tear on everything and doesnt kill you on gas.

 

[oifvet]

I knew that!

Long time, no truck!

Didn't know the weight though. Thanks!

I'm rated for 5000# towing, and 500 or 750 on the tongue, depending on which vehicle I use.

So, I guess it's time to go shopping for a trailer.

 

[nhdiesel]

Don't let some of these guys scare you. The M105s tow very easily...just try to get it as level as possible. I towed 2 of them stacked 350 miles from northern Maine to northern N.H. behind a Durango with a 4 cyl. Cummins and 5-speed (otherwise stock) with no problems. My father and I just got back from Chambersburg, where we picked up a deuce and 2 trailers. We used an '06 F-150 with 4.6 to tow the M105 back (500 miles), and half of that was with an Argo 6x6 in the 105! No problem at all. Here is how we got the Deuce home:

 

[CliffW]

towed my m105 back with a f250 70 mph for 690 miles and could not it was there.

 

[chevycrew]

We just used our m105 to help move (it had to make the trip anyway)

I dont reccomend it to everyone but, heres the specs and weights.

tow rig: 97 1/2 ton std cab short box with 9" lift 37" tires and stock 3.73 gears, it does have about a 350hp built 350 though.

trailer: loaded with a bunch of stuff out of my garage. Trailer axle tipped the scales at about 5200lbs, truck scaled at 6000lbs.


We took it easy and it towed great from Boise to Ogden (320 miles)

The sad part, the 26' uhaul with car trailer and camaro behind weighed in at 27,000lbs and with the gas 8.1L had the easiest time on the hills.

The small block lifted truck at 11,000lbs was in the middle

The worst on the hills was the '00 powerstroke towing my chevy crew cab on trailer at 19,000lbs

 

[steelandcanvas]

Towed a 105 just a few weeks ago from Colorado Springs to Denver with a Dodge Cummins Dually. Never knew it was there, had to look in the mirrors to be sure. Get that Civi/Pintle Hitch, and a set of magnetic lights from Wal-Mart and get r done! Don't even bother to flip the lunette if you don't want to, we didn't. I believe the 105 weighs about 2700# and the hitch weight is close to 400#, just off the top of my head. Take a jack (as suggested) or a high lift. Good Luck!

 

[nhdiesel]

Oh, and yes, you can pick up the tongue yourself. I have 2 of these, and thats how I move them around- pick up the tongue using both hands- once up, holt it in 1 and yank the release for the jack with the other. Set it down on the hitch. This morning we unhooked it with a load in the trailer with two of us. We thought the jack was hitched in- but it wasn't and the tongue dropped to the ground. We picked it back up and made sure the jack was locked in place before setting it down. There are grab handles on the tongue for a reason, and these trailers are pretty well balanced. Just enough tongue weight to pull pretty well, but still be able to move them easily.

The hardest time I had was picking one up off the ground by myself (jack was stuck on that one when I brought it home) with a couple feet of packed snow in it. I had freed the jack by then, but had to hold the trailer and snow up while I made sure the jack was latched in place securely.

Jim

 

[chevycrew]

I can pick mine up as well, (barely) glad mine has the newer style landing gear. Its harder with the old style trying to hold it up and release the gear.

 

[oifvet]

I'll go ahead and ask now.

How does one spot the "newer style" landing gear, verses the "older style?" Is it simply, "dual-wheeled?"