trailers that can be used with the M983 HEMTT tractor

Hey all,
I was just wondering what for trailer can be hocked upto and operated by the M983 HEMTT tractor? Would a flatbed (mil) work or is the 5th wheel to hight? Is there a difference between the mil 5th wheels and civy 5th wheel? Thanks for the help/suggestions. Here's a picture of the M983 that I speak of (not mine ).

DOD uses std 2" kingpin on "normal" size trailers. Tactical tractors have a floating 5th wheel (pivots on axis parallel to the frame) to allow crosscountry operation.

Large tractor/trailers have 3.5" kingpin. Such at the M911 and M1070 Oshkosh HET and the M920 Freightliner.

I don't know which size kingpin the HEMMT uses.

The -10 TM says what size kingpin it has.

Ok so what does it say?

3 1/2" kingpin on the HEMMT
M983 is used to tow the Patriot system.

How do over the road tractors not have to deal with a trailer twisting on the single axis 5th wheel vs the military 2 axis 5th wheel?

3.5 inch for the M983 OTR tractors dont ever leave the road. Mil ones go cross country frequently

thanks guys for the info.

Re: RE: trailers that can be used with the M983 HEMTT tracto

rmgill said:

How do over the road tractors not have to deal with a trailer twisting on the single axis 5th wheel vs the military 2 axis 5th wheel?

Click to expand...

Slop/tolerance, trailer frame twist, break.

rmgill said:

How do over the road tractors not have to deal with a trailer twisting on the single axis 5th wheel vs the military 2 axis 5th wheel?

Click to expand...

That's what I've been saying for years! I can't tell you how many times I'd be going over rough parking areas, off camber docks, steep approach and departure angled lots, etc. For my own use I wouldn't have anything other than a two axis hitch. We used my buddy's one ton to move our 5th wheel camper and he's got an old single axis hitch. On a SLIGHT off camber the trailer was twisting on his hitch so hard it almost ripped it out of the truck! Give me two axis or naught!

Sorry to dig up an old thread but I was looking up M1070's and wanted to throw my 2 cents in on this.

This will be the second revival for this thread now....

So what trailers can the M983 tow? I think I saw a pic of an M870 behind one, but how about the M747 or the M1000 (obviously newer and way different, I don't know much about them), or maybe something else? Just curious, as we all are...

I have info somewhere that I collected on the first 983s for the XM 893, as I understand it' the 983s came from the factory with a 3 1/2" for tactical offroad use or from the factory with 2" for normal use with transportation companies, ect,. don't know about the current 983s

One issue you have to consider is the distance from the front of the trailer to the kingpin.....different trailers have different measurements......if the distance is too long the rear of the tractor will contact the landing gear of the trailer.

I was picking up a van trailer at Redstone last year and two guys in a twin screw Ryder tractor showed up to pick up a couple of the same type trailers. He asked the GL guy if he could back up under one of them and was told to do so.

I told him he could back under it but he wasn't going to pull it very far......I then explained that the 5th wheel on the Ryder was fixed and could not slide back to allow the trailer to turn.......of course he didn't believe me and backed under it....only to have his buddy to give him the bad news.

He had an interesting phone conversation with his boss and left in a huff (or maybe it was a Freightliner).

When the M915's first came out they did not have sliding 5th wheels....this caused a lot of damage to tractors and trailers until they retrofitted them.

heres a HEMTT pulling the new boeing recovery trailer

And what trailer is that? Any specs? Obviously if its new, it is unavailable, but specs are nice...