Air Brake Question

[Unforgiven]

I won a 14 ton bolster trailer today. I plan to use the frame, tongue, & lunette but will ditch the axles in a future poject.




I want to pick up the trailer with the Deuce. This trailer is normally towed by a 5 ton. It appears to have air brakes.

My question for the trailer experts is this:

Are the trailer spring brakes automatically on? If so, how do I release them to allow the trailer to be towed behind the Deuce? I don't have to go far as I won it at a local GL location. And once I get it home it's getting different axles.

But I'm not sure how to get it from GL to home (maybe 15-20 miles). I don't mind pulling it without brakes, empty, really slow. But if the air brakes automatically lock when parked them I'm not sure how to do it.

Thanks.

 

[poppop]

I dought if it has spring brakes. If it does you can use cage bolts to cage the springs. Most truck stops carry them and they could still be in the storage locations on the cans. Its easier to just back off the adjustment on the cams until the brakes release.

 

[nk14zp]

Just hook your air lines up and turn them on.

 

[KsM715]

The airlines on a 800 series 5ton opperate the same as a deuce.

 

[Unforgiven]

So the air supply at the rear glad handles is always pressurized, I assume. I never bothered to check.

That would pressurize the trailer brakes, freeing them up for travel. The trailer could then be towed, without brakes, to the destination.

I hope that I've interpreted that properly. Does it matter which glad handle I hook up, left or right?

 

[Nonotagain]

You have two glad hands, one for service and the other for supply. Supply has air all the time, service only when the brake pedal is applied. Still plan on caging the brakes if the trailer has sat for a great deal of time, but don't get caught as the DOT only allows for this by tow trucks not general use.

I understand that you are only going a short distance, but trailers greater than 3000 lbs are required to have operational brakes.

 

[sp00n]

Supply is passenger side and service is drivers, by the way. Don't forget to open the valves on both sides after you get it hooked up. If you've never used them open the valves before hookup to blow out mud and other trash. Valves are located about 6 inches back behind the gladhand fitting on the truck.

 

[jaxsof]

You've gotten my curiosity peaked. What is the model/designation of the trailer? Its just such an unusual piece, and my 5-ton says the pintle is rated/limited to 15000 lbs(I dont believe it, but uncle wanted it folowed) and 14ton is a little north of that.

 

[area52]

I think that is a trailer meant to be pulled by the older 5 ton Bolster truck M815, for long logs like telephone poles and such. If so, I don't think its rated at 14 tons = 28,000 lbs. Brakes should be air over hydraulic. I think he meant 4 ton.

here is a thread about them:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/trailers/17470-questions-m796-bolster-trailer.html

heres more:

http://www.olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_m815.php

 

[Unforgiven]

Thanks for all the answers. Yes, I thought 14 tons was a typo on GL when I saw it.

But there were two of them, both rated at 14 tons. I ended up winning one of them.

It's a model that I've never seen before until this auction. Here's a link to it. Now that the auction is closed it should be okay to post that link here:

2330 - Trailers at Government Liquidation

It's a model number GPT 28

2330-00-926-7157, GPT28, MILT45386

Whatever it was used for, it was 14 tons.

I don't need nearly that capacity. What I'm going to do is stick an M36A2 bed on it & make a giant, Big-Dumb-Camper trailer out of it. I'm going to use Deuce rear axles & electric over hydraulic brake control.

So the 14 ton axles & springs will just have to sit on the sidelines while I figure out what to do with them.

I liked the deep frame rails and heavy tongue/lunette on this trailer. It leaves a lot of protected space under the bed for water, black water, propane, etc. for an RV trailer.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll open up/ clean out those glad handles this weekend.

 

[drgreg]

That is definitely not an M796 Bolster trailer. That thing is huge. Have you seen it in person?
I don't see any air lines. You may have gotten a few more tons of trailer than you wanted.
Let us know what you find out.

 

[drgreg]

I guess it is traditional air brakes, you can see the cans in this picture.

 

[sp00n]

what on earth was that trailer for? It doesn't look like the cargo space is more than 12-14ft long, what is 12 feet long and weighs ~14 tons?

 

[Unforgiven]

Nope, I bought it based on the dimensions I found in the specifications. It's about the right length, might need a tiny extension welded to the tail end for the M36 bed which is 17' overall.

It's heavier than even the M796 by a little. If it ends up being too big then I'll just chop the tongue off past the A frame and scrap the rest. In my design, weight is a good thing. It will keep the center of gravity low. I'm planning to put a Deuce bogie under it. That will also help keep the trailer planted off road.

And if Spicergear ever decides to finish his powered-Big-Dumb-Trailer then I might use that as a guide to build my own in an RV version.

I originally bought a Deuce to make into an RV. Then I changed my mind & decided to make an off-road RV trailer instead, pulled by the Deuce. I'm shooting for a maximum 15,000 lb RV. That's what larger fifth wheel campers run. Of course, if I can engineer it to weigh less & have lower CG then I will do it.

I'm not going to do insane rock crawling with it. But, at the same time I don't want to feel limited to pavement or improved, graded gravel roads. Otherwise I'd just get a Chevy 3500 and a fifth wheel.

I'm like the guy at Long John Silver's ... I want it all! I want off-road performance, durability, ground clearance, low CG, and ample space.

Can I pull that off? Probably not without some compromises somewhere. Still, I want to avoid this type of scenario:




[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGiwfiepKCQ[/media]

 

[sp00n]

you want to go offroading and hang tanks underneath? better make some skid plates.

 

[Unforgiven]

what is 12 feet long and weighs ~14 tons?

Let's just say the wife is happy.

 

[Unforgiven]

you want to go offroading and hang tanks underneath? better make some skid plates.

Absolutely.

In fact, I'm contemplating using the M36 bed as the bottom mount/skid plate. I might weld up custom tanks that fit under a false floor exactly the height of the M36 bed. That would allow access by lifting floor panels & would completely enclose the tanks with M36 bed metal. The downside is it would raise the CG a foot or so compared to having them under the bed.

But with heavy Deuce axles & a pop-up design that minimizes the rest of the mass height it might be a better way to go. The underside could be used for gear storage of a non-crucial nature.

Think of an oversized, Alaskan-type camper sitting on Deuce axles. That's kind of what i'm shooting for.

 

[topo]

when you hook up to this trailer and charge it with air the brakes will apply till the tank fill enough and they will release now its ready to tow . if by chance the air lines get crossed and the brakes apply and stay locked you will have to unhook drain the air tank this will bleed the system and the brakes will release . I only see one air line in the picture so it may not have spring brakes . this trailer may be a p-14 and is pulled behind a m748a2 or a m748a1 I have never seen any of these . if you have problems and pull it with out the brakes bleed the air tank if air is left in it the brakes could apply themselves as the air bleeds down good luck kenny

 

[Unforgiven]

I guess it is traditional air brakes, you can see the cans in this picture.

That's what I was wondering. This thing is pulled by a 900 series truck or something.

If I hook up the trailer brakes to the constant-air-supply side of the Deuce that should free up the air brakes, right? They won't work, but they won't stick either.

Do trailer air brake connections fit the Deuce glad handles?

All I really want is that beefy tongue & lunette. If I can use the frame, great. If not, oh well. But before deciding that I need to get it home.

 

[Unforgiven]

when you hook up to this trailer and charge it with air the brakes will apply till the tank fill enough and they will release now its ready to tow . if by chance the air lines get crossed and the brakes apply and stay locked you will have to unhook drain the air tank this will bleed the system and the brakes will release . I only see one air line in the picture so it may not have spring brakes . this trailer may be a p-14 and is pulled behind a m748a2 or a m748a1 I have never seen any of these . if you have problems and pull it with out the brakes bleed the air tank if air is left in it the brakes could apply themselves as the air bleeds down good luck kenny

So I should hook it up to the constant air supply, not the air-assist Deuce line right