Best Trailer Manufacturer?

[Sharecropper]

I'm considering a M105 trailer, and was wondering which manufacturer is considered to have built the best trailer? There seems to have been several producers of this unit, and I would like to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of each manufacturer. Please chime in, all comments are welcome.

Thanks.

 

[steelandcanvas]

I assume there wouldn't be any differences between the manufacturers of these trailers. One would think that they would all be made to the same specifications.

 

[frodobaggins]

They are all the same.

 

[BKubu]

I agree with STEELANDCANVAS and FRODO...they should all be the same.

 

[L999here]

...also agree..

Remember...all were made to same specs...and the lowest bidder got the contract. Have had and pulled several M105's...Turtle,Stevens,Int'l. Harvester...you get the idea. All were the same and 'aged gracefully'. Have never seen a list of all the M105 Mfg's.,but believe there were over six of them over period of 50+ yrs. My earliest model is a 1953 Int'l. Harvester and cannot tell the difference between it any any of the other 4 models I have.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Didn't the "Checker Cab Company" also win a contract to build these trailers? Mine was built by Kasel Mfg. Co.

 

[drgreg]

Yes, Checker did make them. I bet there were even alot of other companies that actually made trailers for the companies listed above. The History of the M105, a must read.

 

[Sharecropper]

drgreg, where could someone find the History of the M105?

 

[wehring]

Not so...

I have found that the Pribb M105s have some extra supports IN the bed that prevent the use of a CBC. Don't know if that is useful to you or not...

Justin Wehring
979 997 3112

 

[Nonotagain]

The best as far as I'm concerned is the M105A3 made by Pribbs Steel Mfg.

Pribbs phosphates the trailer beds once welded, and the underside of the bodies are rust proofed. Both of my M105 trailers appear to be NEW with no rust underneath.

There are a lot of M105 trailers floating around with the Pribbs name on them (data plate changes only), but Pribbs didn't start manufacturing the 105 until 1997.

 

[MarcM35A2]

My M105A2 was made by Kasel MFG USA Co. and there is no rust anywhere.
I didn´t know the year of manufacturing, but CARNAC told me it was build in 1968.
But I can´t believe it.... it looks quite new. May be they changed the body. Who knows?
Marc

 

[citizensoldier]

I respectful disagree that they are the same.. They are not all the same.. I find the older units to be built a little bit better. They have a thicker higher grade steel,"probably more nickel?" cast greasable pintle hitch inserts and some other differences. The newer ones have welded together pintle inserts that are a pain to get the pintle out of. Some have a different bearing/hub set up on the axle too.
In the M101A2 series I have found the trailers made in the 80's have thinner metal boxes that rust very quick, shorter weaker frame rails, fewer leafs in the springs. Starting around 90 or so some boxes are galvanized and then some are both galvanized and re-enforced..