Trailer options

[Doc2012]

Alright guys.

I want opinions. What do you think? Why? Be honest.

I'm looking around on the government liquidation sites and seeing quite a few M101A3s around me. Very seriously considering getting one and building it to a expo/utility trailer.

Tell me what YOU think and WHY.

Money IS a concern here. Don't have a whole lot to throw at this thing, and need it kinda quickly.

***The reason I'm putting this here is because I have a 3rd Gen. Just for the hell of it, here's her specs:***

3.4L V6
4.88 gears
ARB Lockers
Auto Transmission

 

[KidVermicious]

I think if you have the money, you should buy one that has the options you want. If you have time, you should build it from scratch exactly how you want it. If you don't have money or time, you're not going to be happy with a compromise. That's my take on it.

Personally, I don't like the converted military trailers as camping/expo rigs. I think they're far too heavy, and everything you can do with a military trailer you can do better with a scratch-built. I'll convert a chopped up pickup bed before I'll convert one of those military trailers.

 

[Singtoe]

Reply [email protected] [?] flag [?] : miscategorized prohibited spam best of Posted: 2013-04-18, 9:35AM EDT
MILITARY M116A3 TRAILER FOR HUMMER - $400 (Knightdale)

Military Trailer M116A3 No title. Sold as scrap. I don;t answer e-mail so call me Don 919-266-4587
Location: Knightdale
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Posting ID: 3750911191 Posted: 2013-04-18, 9:35AM EDT email to a friend
Avoid scams, deal locally! Do NOT wire funds (Western Union, Moneygram). Beware cashier checks, money orders, shipping, non-local buyers/sellers. More info

 

[Doc2012]

post

IDK man. Then I'd have to build the box and all that crap. I can probably get one from GL for around that price, if not less, with a tarp and bows for it.

Looks good though.

 

[98OzarksRunner]

The M101 series are way too heavy and big to pull on the trail with a 3rd gen. The M100 or M416 is what most guys start with. Lots of trailer info on expo (Expedition Trailers - Expedition Portal).

I'm building one from a 53 Ford F100 bed and frame. I shorted it a little (bed is 5'8" now) and put a metal floor in it, and a new axle. It should weigh 400-500 lbs empty and I'll have about $800 in it after paint (but too many hours of labor). If I were doing it over, I'd build it all from scratch or start with an M416 trailer, but it'll be done soon.

 

[TCMach]

I'd have to agree with KidV. I'd rather make one from a chopped up truck bed. Much lighter and, in my personal opinion, more fun to make. Plus you can build it exactly how you want from the ground up.

 

[Bandit Runner]

I say build it from scratch. I've been wanting to build a trailer for quite a while now. It would be used for camping and utility duties. The floor would be just larger than 4' x 8' so I could use it to pick up sheets of plywood from Lowes. I even started designing it in CAD. One of these days when I get all my 4Runner projects done, I'll actually start building it.

 

[Doc2012]

Good info so far guys.

Thinking about jumping on this one though......

1 1/2 Ton Military Trailer Classic Large Must See LOOK

 

[98OzarksRunner]

Good info so far guys.

Thinking about jumping on this one though......

1 1/2 Ton Military Trailer Classic Large Must See LOOK

That looks like an M101. It will be too heavy to pull offroad with a 3rd gen (at least up hills!). It is huge:

You need an M416 or M100 1/4 ton trailer.

 

[Singtoe]

Reply [email protected] [?] flag [?] : miscategorized prohibited spam best of Posted: 2013-04-18, 9:35AM EDT
MILITARY M116A3 TRAILER FOR HUMMER - $400 (Knightdale)

Military Trailer M116A3 No title. Sold as scrap. I don;t answer e-mail so call me Don 919-266-4587
Location: Knightdale
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Posting ID: 3750911191 Posted: 2013-04-18, 9:35AM EDT email to a friend
Avoid scams, deal locally! Do NOT wire funds (Western Union, Moneygram). Beware cashier checks, money orders, shipping, non-local buyers/sellers. More info

dejavu

 

[Doc2012]

dejavu

You shold see if he still has that trailer. Then we could build you a nice expo one...

 

[blueblur1984]

I've been jonesing to build a trailer myself. Depending on what you want out of it you either need to spend a grip to have a fabricator build you one or retrofit an existing trailer. Building from scratch gives you a lot more latitude and, if you don't make too many mistakes, much cheaper.

I've got my own design on autocad I'm playing with, but I figure with some junk yard parts you could have a really cool one off trailer. Here's some links I've been using for reference and some ideas I've been thinking for my own:

-Junky old jeep axle with leaf springs, wheels and tires (seen them on CL for less than $100)
-Food grade water tank with propane shower head to run hot/cold water
-Frame in steel and skin in something thinner using pop rivets
-China freight tail lights
-Deep cycle marine battery and rocking sound system...? For the burning man crowd :hat:

Expedition Ops » Blog Archive » Fresh Water Tank Installation

Finally dialed in my electric components on my trailer - Expedition Portal

Light weight rock crawler trailer - Expedition Portal

Military Expedition Trailer Built by Swag Off Road - Page 2 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

My scratch built expedition style trailer build up thread - Page 26

Plumbing M416 - Expedition Portal

Registering a HomeBuilt Utility Trailer at the Calif DMV

 

[Doc2012]

I've been jonesing to build a trailer myself. Depending on what you want out of it you either need to spend a grip to have a fabricator build you one or retrofit an existing trailer. Building from scratch gives you a lot more latitude and, if you don't make too many mistakes, much cheaper.

I've got my own design on autocad I'm playing with, but I figure with some junk yard parts you could have a really cool one off trailer. Here's some links I've been using for reference and some ideas I've been thinking for my own:

-Junky old jeep axle with leaf springs, wheels and tires (seen them on CL for less than $100)
-Food grade water tank with propane shower head to run hot/cold water
-Frame in steel and skin in something thinner using pop rivets
-China freight tail lights
-Deep cycle marine battery and rocking sound system...? For the burning man crowd :hat:

Expedition Ops » Blog Archive » Fresh Water Tank Installation

Finally dialed in my electric components on my trailer - Expedition Portal

Light weight rock crawler trailer - Expedition Portal

Military Expedition Trailer Built by Swag Off Road - Page 2 - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

My scratch built expedition style trailer build up thread - Page 26

Plumbing M416 - Expedition Portal

Registering a HomeBuilt Utility Trailer at the Calif DMV

Thanks for those links man. Some good stuff in there.

I definately plan on running at some kind of shower/washer. I think I might even know how I'm going to do it. Just popped into my head. LOL. I'll start a new thread/put something in the build thread for the trailer. Though, I still need to get some metal for the damn bumpers.....

 

[justinh]

I guess I'll offer my input, 2 people have already told you that an m101 trailer is too big and heavy to take "offroad". I built this one (it started as an A3), we cut the fenderwells out of it and pushed them back into the A2 width basically. I just towed it from Los Angeles to Atlanta, GA fully loaded.

We went through Zion, the North Rim, up to Colorado, through Telluride pulled it up to the top of Bridal Veil falls and then OVER Imogene pass into Ouray (all offroad).

It is definitely bigger than some of the small trailers out there but I couldn't have fit everything I needed in a small trailer. Plus, i needed a "utility" trailer not just an "expedition" trailer.

I paid $419 for the trailer on gov liquidators and after selling all the parts I didn't use and making the modifications I wanted to it I won't have more than $400 in the trailer.

Here is a list of what I've done to it.

-Removed the standard "hitch" assembly with surge brakes and landing leg, built new hitch with receiver.
-Stripped off all of the lights and wiring and re-wired with a regular trailer light kit
-Removed massive axle and HUMVEE tires and wheels, replaced with a 3500lbs axle with electric brakes (and parking brake) with Toyota lug pattern on tacoma wheels with 285/75/16 bfg's.

I didn't get to wire up the trailer brakes before I left and my 4runner has 4.10's with 285 BFG's. It impressed me the entire trip, it definitely isn't ideal but then again I'm not happy with the power my car has unloaded after having a new tacoma for several years. The 4runner however controlled the load just fine and towed the trailer beautifully. In an ideal world I'd have a small camping trailer AND a utility trailer but honestly they fill up quick when you have a kid, a wife, a dog and bicycles, etc.

Here are some pics:




I plan to take the rails off before we head back west at the end of the summer. I've got some other detail work to finish here and I hope to get it painted while we are "home" in Atlanta.

The mods I made resulted in several hundred pounds of removed weight.

 

[Doc2012]

Guess I should Update this thread.

I got a M105 trailer from a place down here for 400. It was great. But MASSIVE behind the 4Runner.

I found a guy who has a bunch of trailers, and traded him straight up for a M116A2 Generator Trailer.

Its a 3/4 ton trailer, with a flat bed. Basically, I'm going to build this b¡tch up the way I want to.


AND, it's a Dump Trailer.....


Pics:





And the 4Runner with 37s on her:

 

[justinh]

Be carefule if you try to "dump" it with any weight on it. I like the "tilt" "feature" but they apparently aren't intended to be used like that, it is for folding down the tongue when stood on end for storage as I've been told. That being said, i see plenty of videos on youtube of people using it as a "dump" but apparently the mounts will break. I can't see myself ever tilting it with more than mulch or something in the bed.

I ordered parking brakes on my new axle to maintain this functionality as well as for storage and parking purposes (base camp).

 

[gearnuts]

[MENTION=12141]justin[/MENTION] do you have a thread about the mods you did to your trailer? I'm very interested to learn the mods and axle/hubs/brakes parts you chose to replace. I just sold my f150 and have been looking for a nice utility trailer to pull with 00 t4r. m100/416 are too small for my needs most of the time and much harder to find. thanks!