What did you do to your trailer today.

Took the ferry over to Everett this morning to pick up an auction win. A Titan Model 250000 wheel well tool box, brand new in the box. I've been looking for one for a couple years now- there's no place on the M1101 trailer to store tie-downs and other stuff. I considered making a box out of an old Jerry can, but too much effort for very little space.

I've seen some wheel well tool boxes come up on craigslist but people want too much money for them. Someone local had a used pair in good condition and he was firm at $85 each - and no key.

So the Titan came up on the local auction and nobody bid. I entered a $30 bid and it said Reserve Not Met, so wasn't sure if I get it or not. The Monday after the auction ended I got the email- winner! Paid online and went to pick it up today.

While I was there I noticed they had three more of them, and asked if those would be coming up on the auction, the (very nice) lady said they would be, but if I wanted them for the same money she'd sell them to me. BONUS! I bought all four, and will likely use two in the M1101 trailer and flip the other two.

Canned pictures below. The four boxes are still in the jeep waiting on the torrential rain to stop. There's a how-to video here:

I’ll give you $35 for them.

Instant profit.

Capitalism is great.

Nice score!!

Congratz!
Nice score!

Nice deal guy.

Box installed. Only going to use one so I can fab a tire carrier for the same spot on the other side to hold the spare. Just the right size for a handful of tie-down straps and bungies. The trailer is not as deep as a pickup bed, so it sits just above the rail - not sure how I feel about that...

I put it on the driver's side due to a dent on the pax side that would have to be pounded out to make it fit right. I didn't use the installation brackets but just ran some self tapping screws through the box and into the doubled-up area on the trailer. Smaller holes than the hardware that came with and using four (vs the two in the kit) makes it more secure.

Install went smoothly despite the 40° weather, right up until I attached the lid. I could not get the thing to lock- there was some miss-alignment going on. Tried some filing, dremelling, magic markering, and finally got it to close without bending the key. Poor design in my opinion. I would like to remove the lock altogether and just have a handle.

Afterward I drove the trailer back over to its parking spot and while backing the wheels are locking. It's always backed perfectly, but something is out of whack now. I noticed it first when backing up the driveway before I installed the box, and it refused to be backed into the parking spot afterward. Something is amiss with the surge brakes....

Mainsail said:

Box installed.

The trailer is not as deep as a pickup bed, so it sits just above the rail - not sure how I feel about that...

I

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My two bits says the convenience of having them makes it worth the inconvenience of them not being "perfect" for the fit.

I think it was General George S. Patton Jr once who said "Perfect is the enemy of Good",

You got Good for now, and f the day comes when you find Perfect then switch them out!

(Disclaimer: I am a fan of General George S. Patton Jr.)

Mainsail said:

Box installed. Only going to use one so I can fab a tire carrier for the same spot on the other side to hold the spare. Just the right size for a handful of tie-down straps and bungies. The trailer is not as deep as a pickup bed, so it sits just above the rail - not sure how I feel about that...

I put it on the driver's side due to a dent on the pax side that would have to be pounded out to make it fit right. I didn't use the installation brackets but just ran some self tapping screws through the box and into the doubled-up area on the trailer. Smaller holes than the hardware that came with and using four (vs the two in the kit) makes it more secure.

Install went smoothly despite the 40° weather, right up until I attached the lid. I could not get the thing to lock- there was some miss-alignment going on. Tried some filing, dremelling, magic markering, and finally got it to close without bending the key. Poor design in my opinion. I would like to remove the lock altogether and just have a handle.

Afterward I drove the trailer back over to its parking spot and while backing the wheels are locking. It's always backed perfectly, but something is out of whack now. I noticed it first when backing up the driveway before I installed the box, and it refused to be backed into the parking spot afterward. Something is amiss with the surge brakes....

View attachment 785918View attachment 785919View attachment 785920

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I think it looks great. Great to hold all the tie downs and stuff that we always seem to need.

Regarding in-bed spare tire carrier: I used a bracket found on EBay. Search "Universal Trailer Spare Tire Mount fits ALL 4 5 6 8 Lug Stud Wheels Carrier RV" and am happy with results. I've changed my trailer tires to LT245/75R16 and the civilian tires fit in the bed quite well if you raise the bracket up a little bit. Also, you will need longer wheel mounting bolts and a double nut spacer on each bolt.

Sat there wondering why I have too many military trailers. Addiction maybe a bad thing but rehab is for quitters. Good news is the two expandable and the one white trailer are sold. Keeping the two cargo trailers and my 373A2 camper / tool box trailer. Started to get more of the parts collection stored in the one cargo trailer. Things looking good on getting everything packed up here soon so I can sell the property.

Got my m1102 delivered. With shipping and fees it ended up costing twice the auction price. Built a civvy 7 pin wiring adapter which worked fine on the first try. Phew. Included a separate 4 pin to run just the blackouts in case the mood ever strikes me. Went to my property to hunt and to load my s-250 'hunting cabin' into its the m1102 trailer. But never got to hunt because i underestimated the latter task. broke one winch, one come-along & several bolts, but finally got it done after over a day of struggling. Got stuck in the mud 3 times. Got myself out twice but had to have the neighbor pull me out with his tractor the last time. Soaking wet and covered in mud and clay. The rains were monsoonish for a while in St Louis this weekend. I did manage to get my new radiant propane heater set up on a nice tv swivel/tilt mount in the s250 though. In the end, I seriously needed a couch and a shower - not necessarily in that order.

Got new tires for my M116A3 yesterday.


BFG KO2 245/75R16 (31’s)


I found this however, when changing the tires.




Question: When I find a new hub body, will I be able to transplant my almost brand new Timken wheel bearings over to it, or will I have to buy new bearings? Never had this happen before. Based on the fact that the metal in the crack is oxidized and not a fresh break, it must have had a hairline crack there for a long time.

Sold the old storage trailer and the guy that bought it lives less than a mile away. I will grab the 915 tomorrow and move it to his house.

lfhoward said:

Got new tires for my M116A3 yesterday.

BFG KO2 245/75R16 (31’s)

I found this however, when changing the tires.

Question: When I find a new hub body, will I be able to transplant my almost brand new Timken wheel bearings over to it, or will I have to buy new bearings? Never had this happen before. Based on the fact that the metal in the crack is oxidized and not a fresh break, it must have had a hairline crack there for a long time.

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Should be good in reusing your bearings.
Races might be a different story since their not easily removed. Their not expensive luckily.

Dexter or Redline should have a new hub.

Well sold the two expendables today and my friend came to pick them up.

Finally got the S788 shelter mounted onto my FHT.

The FHT is something of a mystery trailer. It has no data plates, and there are no signs that it ever had any.
I believe it was built by now-defunct Laguna Industries, because there are tiny stamps of their cage code on most of the individual parts.
It has had at least two civilian owners, but neither has any information nor original documentation from the military, GL, or elsewhere, to show any of its history.
No one I know has ever seen another like it, though the similar Silver Eagle version seems to have entered at least limited production.

The shelter has a 5kw generator in the front tunnel, with full controls for it inside. The trailer has batteries and a diesel tank in that box on the front of the deck. The shelter was originally designed to vampire off its host Humvee for fuel and 24v power, the trailer provides this so the setup is stand-alone once enplaced.

The mating of the two was done with Jason/DrJay's able assistance at his shop, JS Motors and Fab. He has all the neat gear I lack to make a project like this reasonably easy.

It still needs the trailer-to-shelter tail light wiring redone, and the new truck pigtail attached. The original tail light wiring ran under the shelter and up the back in tubing, and I will replicate that installation with all new stuff.

In the last picture, it looks like the wheel well of the trailer goes back under the shelter at the rear, that is an illusion caused by the green overspray. The wheel well actually sticks out from the shelter sides by 3/4" its entire length. The green overspray was from painting all the places that would be inaccessible after the two were mated, in preparation for the final colour scheme of 383 camo (including the M1028 ).

Pictures -
1 - the trailer when first brought home
2 - the bare trailer on the M1028A2
3 - the shelter as found in the junkyard (bought for $200)
4 - shelter arriving at DrJay's on Reloader64's trailer. The small green squares on the back are where the tail light mounts go
5 - trailer, now power-washed and stripped of tail lights and rear reflectors, being backed into the shop
6 - lowering the shelter onto the trailer
7 - all bolted together and back at my place to finish up

Cheers

I’ll give you $400 for the shelter.

Boom, you just doubled your money!

I know, I’m generous. You are welcome.

That’s a super cool setup. I have seen pics of that gooseneck trailer, but never seen one in the wild. Congrats on a cool score!

Finally sold my Dutch ex-army trailer and for the price I wanted (€1450)
The guy wanted to pick it up on a trailer, because he had no hook on his Landrover FC101.
When he came to pick it up, we noticed my trailer was too wide for his trailer, so made him the offer to bring it, if he paid for fuel.
Long story short, the next day I drove a little over 150 miles one way to deliver the trailer.

When spring rolls in again, going to do some maintenance on my small caravan so I still can go out and about.

RobM36A2 said:

Finally sold my Dutch ex-army trailer and for the price I wanted (€1450)

When spring rolls in again, going to do some maintenance on my small caravan so I still can go out and about.

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Greetings, RobM36A2, glad to hear you got the price you wanted for your sale, it's great when you can feel happy!

Just curious, what exactly is the make-up of your "small caravan", are you meaning the M36A2-and-trailer?

Another Ahab said:

Greetings, RobM36A2, glad to hear you got the price you wanted for your sale, it's great when you can feel happy!

Just curious, what exactly is the make-up of your "small caravan", are you meaning the M36A2-and-trailer?

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The M36A2 was sold a long time ago..
Last summer I bought and painted a small Dutch built caravan to tow behind my M1028.
First raised the tow hitch, then painted. Pictures now included.
1 and 2 are the painted caravan. It is a Kip Goldstream.
3 and 4 are the raised hitch, I got some tubing and bolts to raise the hitch by 60 millimeters
5 is at a friends place last summer