fyredan
New member
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- Jefferson City, MO
Well, I just picked up my first bit of rolling military surplus, an M105A2 purchased from an online auction from a site in Hooks, Texas.
B4 I say more, thanks to those who posted wiring diagrams and tips for picking up these trailers because I arrived with everything I needed, including replacement LED bulbs, a home-crafted wiring adapter to go from 4-pin to the military trailer harness (and it worked right away), etc.
But that is not what really stood out about my trip to the Red River Army Depot. What struck me most was the actual drive through the RRAD to get the trailer and then to get it back off the base.
For those who have never been there, it is a collector's dream. All kinds of awesome vehicles and parts - the kind of vehicles that go anywhere, handle almost anything, and boost your testosterone level just getting near them. Just seeing them made me want to rush back and find more work to raise more money for more auctions for more machines. You guys know what I mean.
Then I saw one with large bullet dents across the side, and another with blackened, shattered glass and a right front quarter panel that looked like it was blown to bits. Then there were others t hat had clearly been hit by bad things, and still others that had hit bad things. And I thought about the fact that, when the hitting occurred, there were probably soldiers - American soldiers - in these vehicles.
I don't know how to explain it, but it changed my attitude. I felt differently. It may sound stupid or sappy, but this heavy duty trailer is not just a trailer. It carried supplies for American troops. As seen in a picture I found online, soldiers may have taken breaksand rest on the ground around it, in it's shade and cover. They may have climbed out of the truck pulling it, M-16s loaded, ready to go, during training or in actual combat. It adds a whole different level to collecting these things.
What I realized is that the military surplus vehicles are not just stout, nearly un-stoppable, sometimes literally bullet-proof power machines; they are not just pieces or American history and examples of American military strength; they are tied with the lives of the men who drove them, lived in them, rode on tlhem, bled in them, trusted them to get them out of trouble, and sometimes rode them straight into trouble, often knowing they were doing that, but doing it, anyway, because they were asked to.
I guess I just get something now that many don't get, and I get it on a deeper level than I got it before. I've never, ever, lost respect for America's fighting men and now women, but driving through rows of battled scarred steel warriors woke me up a bit to the ugliness our men and women have endured, and are stille enduring, for us.
Hope this isn't too long or too off-topic for posting. If so, delete it, thump me on the head, I'll get the message and I hope you'll forgive me.
As for the trailer, I drove it nearly 10 hours, through the Ozark mountains, behind my 1992 Chevy K1500, and it never had any problems. No sticking brakes, no wheel bearing issues. The only problems I can see that keep it from being in perfect condition is the paint, and I can live with that in a trailer I bought for work. Well worth the $600 total I have in it now, including the auction price, wiring adapter, LED lights, and the gas to go get it and bring it back. Doubt you'll get a trailer this heavy and solid for that price anywhere else.
--Dan M.
B4 I say more, thanks to those who posted wiring diagrams and tips for picking up these trailers because I arrived with everything I needed, including replacement LED bulbs, a home-crafted wiring adapter to go from 4-pin to the military trailer harness (and it worked right away), etc.
But that is not what really stood out about my trip to the Red River Army Depot. What struck me most was the actual drive through the RRAD to get the trailer and then to get it back off the base.
For those who have never been there, it is a collector's dream. All kinds of awesome vehicles and parts - the kind of vehicles that go anywhere, handle almost anything, and boost your testosterone level just getting near them. Just seeing them made me want to rush back and find more work to raise more money for more auctions for more machines. You guys know what I mean.
Then I saw one with large bullet dents across the side, and another with blackened, shattered glass and a right front quarter panel that looked like it was blown to bits. Then there were others t hat had clearly been hit by bad things, and still others that had hit bad things. And I thought about the fact that, when the hitting occurred, there were probably soldiers - American soldiers - in these vehicles.
I don't know how to explain it, but it changed my attitude. I felt differently. It may sound stupid or sappy, but this heavy duty trailer is not just a trailer. It carried supplies for American troops. As seen in a picture I found online, soldiers may have taken breaksand rest on the ground around it, in it's shade and cover. They may have climbed out of the truck pulling it, M-16s loaded, ready to go, during training or in actual combat. It adds a whole different level to collecting these things.
What I realized is that the military surplus vehicles are not just stout, nearly un-stoppable, sometimes literally bullet-proof power machines; they are not just pieces or American history and examples of American military strength; they are tied with the lives of the men who drove them, lived in them, rode on tlhem, bled in them, trusted them to get them out of trouble, and sometimes rode them straight into trouble, often knowing they were doing that, but doing it, anyway, because they were asked to.
I guess I just get something now that many don't get, and I get it on a deeper level than I got it before. I've never, ever, lost respect for America's fighting men and now women, but driving through rows of battled scarred steel warriors woke me up a bit to the ugliness our men and women have endured, and are stille enduring, for us.
Hope this isn't too long or too off-topic for posting. If so, delete it, thump me on the head, I'll get the message and I hope you'll forgive me.
As for the trailer, I drove it nearly 10 hours, through the Ozark mountains, behind my 1992 Chevy K1500, and it never had any problems. No sticking brakes, no wheel bearing issues. The only problems I can see that keep it from being in perfect condition is the paint, and I can live with that in a trailer I bought for work. Well worth the $600 total I have in it now, including the auction price, wiring adapter, LED lights, and the gas to go get it and bring it back. Doubt you'll get a trailer this heavy and solid for that price anywhere else.
--Dan M.
