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Trailer ID required.
- Thread starter RickWG
- Start date
gimpyrobb
dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
- 27,786
- 755
- 113
- Location
- Cincy Ohio
They are trailers. They were used to haul stuff. A long time ago.
Outstanding, can you count to potato?
- 10,865
- 758
- 113
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- Appomattox, VA
I've never seen military trailers like those. They look like small-contract, special-purpose items. Probably 1940s-1950s from their "look". Did you happen to get close and see if they had any data plates?
- 10,865
- 758
- 113
- Location
- Appomattox, VA
Maybe for one or two of them, you might be right. That one on the left looks somewhat like a WWII van trailer, but smaller. Last one, the "tank trailer" is definitely military, probably started life as a M105 cargo or M149 tank trailer, and had the body replaced with that weird tank thing. The center one, the large van, looks like a civvy frame and axles, but the body has the lines of a M109 shop van body (but it's not).
Really odd ones, where did you take these pics?
quickfarms
Well-known member
- 3,495
- 25
- 48
- Location
- Orange Junction, CA
That explains it. They are probably from some project at the base.
gimpyrobb
dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
- 27,786
- 755
- 113
- Location
- Cincy Ohio
Like one potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four? I can go on, want me to count some more!?
- 34,012
- 1,808
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- GA Mountains
I believe 4 potato is a Navy shower trailer.
- 10,421
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- Camp Wood/LC, TX
#3 is a shop van body that would have been used on the WWII GMC CCKW 2 1/2 ton 6x6 truck. There were numerous variants of these depending on the mission (photo, machine shop, shoe repair, etc). I am not sure about this one. These are hard to find not rusted out and sought after by WWII vehicle collectors.
Swiss is the official Count here on SS. Please stand down.
- 5,606
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- Metairie/La (N'awlins)
Since they are parked next to a deuce and a m105 and painted green and they do look military, they sure look the part.
Maybe special unit mods for a specific purpose?
Maybe special unit mods for a specific purpose?
steelypip
Active member
- 769
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- Charlottesville, VA
Edwards AFB has been the world's epicenter of aviation testing for decades. If it's weird and US military or NASA and it ever had anything to do with aviation or space flight, it probably spent some time at Edwards/Muroc, with the possible exception of some unmanned stuff that was either at Vandyland, Canaveral or Wallops but never made it to Edwards.
There would be all kinds of oddball pieces of equipment one-offed to support this or that test program and then left in the desert when the program completed its course. Sometimes the equipment gets pulled back in later for refurbishment and reuse on another project, sometimes it just sits out in the desert.
It's really hard to link a lump of hardware like one of these trailers back to the program it supported, both because they were shop-built one-offs without much/any surviving documentation, and also because the program they were put together for was probably what is now called 'black.' If you get lucky, you might find some pics on NASA's websites - there are neat ones of the ground systems for the X-15 program, for instance. But for stuff earlier than the manned space race you're going to be short on photos and shorter on documentation.
There would be all kinds of oddball pieces of equipment one-offed to support this or that test program and then left in the desert when the program completed its course. Sometimes the equipment gets pulled back in later for refurbishment and reuse on another project, sometimes it just sits out in the desert.
It's really hard to link a lump of hardware like one of these trailers back to the program it supported, both because they were shop-built one-offs without much/any surviving documentation, and also because the program they were put together for was probably what is now called 'black.' If you get lucky, you might find some pics on NASA's websites - there are neat ones of the ground systems for the X-15 program, for instance. But for stuff earlier than the manned space race you're going to be short on photos and shorter on documentation.
- 10,421
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- Location
- Camp Wood/LC, TX
Right you are! Great detective work. Google "K53 weather station" for what it is supposed to look like.I've just found out that the box trailer thing is the back half of a K53 truck
- 34,012
- 1,808
- 113
- Location
- GA Mountains
The strange round tank trailer was identified in post 7.I've just found out that the box trailer thing is the back half of a K53 truck & the strange looking round tank is a water heater for field showers
