M105A2 and M101A3

New member here and I can honestly say this is an awesome site with great information. Thanks to all of you in advance for your advice and wisdom.

OK here is the deal, I just purchased from GL a M105A2 and a M101A3. They seem to be in great shape, but that is only from the pictures on the auction site. I am still waiting for my EUC to clear so it could be a few weeks before I have to recover the trailers.

I am not too worried about recovery because I have a 2500 diesel pickup, a raised pintle reciever and have read a lot of posts from this site on recovery. I only have about 30 miles to go also.

So here is my question which I have not been able to find an answer to. I want to use the 105 as a dump trailer around the farm. This is how I plan on using it, please let me know what I am missing.

I pick up 3000 lbs of gravel from a local gravel pit, take it to the farm. unhook it from my pick up and hook up with my tractor. take trailer where the gravel needs to be dumped, then tilt trailer by the tongue using the loader on my tractor, once the traler has been dumped, lower the tongue back to the ground. OK, let me have it. Can this be done.

thanks again and sure glad I found this site

It can be done. You might want to modify the tailgate so its easy to remove. Or replace the tailgate with a plank that can be slid in and out.

The issue you will have with the M 105A2 is you will have no brakes , 3000 + pound trailer + 3000 pound load = unsafe. Most states require traier brakes on trailers over 3000 pounds , here is a link to trailer laws by state; Towing Laws Listed by State - Towing World

yes to having to do something to the tail gate. it would get in the way im thinking. the inner fenders would hurt some too but not that much. i can see you needing to install a hitch on the front end loader. one that you can control better than just lifting the front up. picture being able to lift up and then pull the trailer forward using the hitch. sounds like a plan that could work

You would have to do some thing with the tail lights or they will not be there after dumping. But it would work.

The M101a3 has a hiway load rating of 2250 lbs. A member has posted that he has hauled 3000 lbs with no problem, If you use the M101a3 you will have brakes and would be safer than a loaded m105 with no brakes.

Welcome from the Missouri Ozarks !

And thank you for thinking about doing it the way you have descibed, that is a refreshing change from the "Can I make my M101A . . . dump ?" ! Which ever trailer you decide to use, the unhooking and using the tractor is the way to do it and not tear things up !

I posted to a thread on how to tear a 101 trailer up, will add the link in a bit !

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/24414-m101-dump-bed.html?highlight=m101+dump


And by the way, if you read this, it was an exercise in what not to do, and was already damaged before I started !

I use several 105's here for the exact same thing, I dump mine with a forklift and a ball and as a secondary attach the safety chains. They are very heavy when loaded and it can bend the tailgate if not removed. If your tractor is BIG it will work (without shovelling). For repetitive dumping I removed my forks and just dumped from the mast, now I use this for repetitive dumping on the farm. I keep pea gravel in my one 105 for the drive in the winter and usually dump it out every spring. the farm. If your gravel pit is close and you drive cautiously it might work, I use an F-550 when I do my annual gravel run. BIG brakes, cautious driver, source is close by (about 2 mile, no red lights etc...)

All,

Thanks all for the great comments, I am very optimistic about my plan now that I have read all of your posts. I am trying to figure out the best and safest way to lift the trailer and to bring it back down in a controlled manner. I have a mid size tractor but might not be big enough to lift a couple tons of gravel. I also have a 6K forklift that I know will do the job, just the hook up is a concern right now. If you have any suggestions for the forklift let me know. I am sure chains will work, just not the most efficient.

As for the brakes...the gravel pit I use is only about 2 miles away and only on back roads. My duramax breaks pretty well with just the engine brake, but I take it very slow and am overly cautious with loaded trailers and no brakes.

Does the tractor have remote hydraulics ? It wouldn't take much to take the box off and built a sub-frame with a sissor lift and make it a real dump trailer . You could also add a electric hydraulic pump . The trailer in the picture has a 5 yard box on it , and I have been able to load heavy enough that it won't dump . It has a 12v pump with a sissor lift witch only has a cylinder about 14 inchs long with a 1 1/4 inch ram. I really like the height over Bri-mars and such , because it dumps the load without spreading over 20 foot.

porkysplace said:

Does the tractor have remote hydraulics ? It wouldn't take much to take the box off and built a sub-frame with a sissor lift and make it a real dump trailer . You could also add a electric hydraulic pump . The trailer in the picture has a 5 yard box on it , and I have been able to load heavy enough that it won't dump . It has a 12v pump with a sissor lift witch only has a cylinder about 14 inchs long with a 1 1/4 inch ram. I really like the height over Bri-mars and such , because it dumps the load without spreading over 20 foot.

Click to expand...

thanks for the pic and suggestion. I do have remotes on tractor, but not really looking at modifying trailer. I was hoping to just use the tractor or forklift and lift the tongue to dump. if that doesnt work well then i go to plan B, which is to make a dump triler out of the 105