Question re: Loading MEP 802 or 803 onto M116A3 trailer

How the heck is it done in the field? Or is it?

Do soldiers tilt the trailer and gently (as much as possible) offload the things, use a comealong to get them back on, or don't do EITHER in the field?

Curious 'cause I'm considering picking up an 803a but it's on the ground. Never was around these gensets on field problems (LAST deployments were in the early 90s), got my 802A home on a 4x8 Harbor Freight folding trailer but seller used a forklift to put it there. Son and I slid it off slowly, using a come-along and tow straps but the 116A is what, like 12 feet higher than most civilian trailers? (Had an M1102, I know how high).

Thanks.

Norm

I have used cranes of all types, wreckers of all types, fork lifts of all types, bucket loaders of all types, back hoes, CEE trucks, two pipes through the fork lift holes and 8 soldiers, tipped the trailer, (not my favorite), slid it off the end onto pallets and probably several other methods. But normally, in the field, a wrecker.

My personal favorite was a tiny fork lift. As it was "risky", I drove. I picked up a MEP-803A, and it tipped the fork lift forward, back onto the trailer. Several of my young Hearties, jumped onto the back of the fork lift, and the rear end went back down to the ground. Well, as no one was looking, I drove away. I went down a dirt road, and stupidly had the gen set up to high. Should have had it low, and drove backwards. But in any case, at some point, the fork lift slowly tipped forward again. While we were moving. So as to compound the whole problem, I applied breaks. Over we went. Slow, easy, and stupidly. There we were, in the middle of a field, rear of the fork lift, with 3 men clinging to it high in the air, me strapped to the seat, staring down at the ground. After a while, we stopped laughing and I sent someone for more Hearties. When about 5 or 6 guys were on board, it slowly tipped back onto its rear end. Humbled, I let it down to two microns above the ground, and we drove on.

I use an inexpensive gantry with a chain hoist.

I used a New Holland tractor with bucket. Two tow straps hooked to the lift rings.
Picked it up, pulled the trailer, let down to drive with.

A shop gantry rated at 2000lb and an electric cable lift rated at 750kg (1650lbs) and a 1 ton trolley. Works wonders up and down. Not so much front to back but it is moveable.....low and slow.

I mounted a Hiab 026T on my M923. It's how I got my 803 off and back on the trailer when it needed more work than I could do on the trailer.

Well, without moving the trailer into the garage...

If you have to move a lot of these things, it pays to make a lifting rig. When I worked in Patriot, I had my welder/machinist make a lifting rig, that spread the chains/cables away from the sides of the gen set. The first rig we made was just for 60 KW's. It worked so well, the next version was adjustable. That way we could lift every type of gen set in our supported units. The really nice thing about it was that no matter what we used to lift with, it all worked without a hitch. Crane, forklift or a bucket loader. It was one handy little tool.

Norm
Why not leave it on your Harbor freight trailer? I bolted one of those trailer's together so it doesn't fold anymore. Welded 2 6"x8' 3/16 steel plates on top, for my 803 skids to bolt to. A couple of drawers from a beat up husky tool box, just happened to fit perfectly in front and rear. I can put 3 jerry cans in the front & my rolled up cable in the rear one. Makes it easy to move around with a lawn tractor or atv.
However, I am about maxed out on trailer's weight rating. I've been eyeballing an 802 on a m116a trailer, if I aquire it I would swap machines with trailers.

I unloaded mine with tractor forks. I drag it around on the skid when i cant get to the pockets.

Some great ideas. The crane I hadn't thought of but looks like a good investment. There's a LOT of mfrs of these selling on amazon and epay. turns out guy I might buy one from can deliver, I'll just McGiver it into place like the last one.

As to trailers, I don't have space right now to store an M116a3 although I could probably use it. The 4x8 folding harbor freight trailer I rewired, installed some tie-downs, upgraded tires, wouldn't hesitate to haul the MEP802 down to TN with it (750 miles), an 803, not so much. Would either rent a uhaul trailer, borrow or buy an m116 when I need it, but I'll definitely start shopping for a crane.

Great answers, timely, informative, helpful, about what I've come to expect of the Steel Soldiers group.

Thanks again, all.

If you don't have to lift it very high you can use an engine hoist in a pinch. Loading a 803 into the back of my F350 was a little sketchy but it did work. Lifting one a foot or two to get onto a low deck height trailer would be no problem.