shohnson
Member
- 36
- 0
- 6
- Location
- cincinnati, ohio
I'm prepared for the insults that come with sharing things on the internet, The "what were you thinking" and similar comments but I'd like to share some of the detail of my first MV recovery with my fellow steel soldiers members. I can't say I recommend doing any of what follows as it wasn't the smoothest trip but maybe some of you will be encouraged by what can be accomplished when you combine determination, ingenuity, MV induced poor judgment and A lot of Red Bull.
Here's the basic story, I found a huge auction on GL of M101a2's something I had been wanting for a while. The best part was they were selling them in lots of three. So I was sure to get a good deal. Why was I sure to get a good deal you ask? Because the buying pool was limited to people that had 1 of 2 things in they're favor. 1) They lived near Salina,KS (hint. NO ONE lives near Salina, KS) or 2) Has the ability to haul 3 of these things at once. I know all the hard core MV guys are going to chime in here bragging about how many m101's they can haul with their m923's but the reality is most Joe shmoes with a pick up truck don't have a way to do this. The catch was I also had no way to do this just like everyone else. So I started looking for how others had rigged multiple trailers behind one vehicle. I quickly found that many had stacked these trailers to haul two and that some had towed them in tandem with mixed results. But I had not found anyone who had hauled 3 with out a large flat bed trailer.
This is the point where most folks would have started looking in the classifieds for a local trailer and been done with it but I have something wrong with me that doesn't like some one telling me I can't do something. Even if that some one is me. So first I considered stacking 2 and towing 1 in tandem. that was thwarted by a no "triple tow law in Illinios" (not without a 5th wheel). So if I can't tow it I figured it got to go on the truck. First I checked the GVWR on the old nissan The folks across the pond optimistically rate it for #4400. So I took the truck to the scales. It weighed in at #2950 which gave me #1450 for payload pasengers and tools. First of all, never gonna happen m101 are 1350 alone plus me, my traveling buddy and don't forget the tongue wieght of two M101's. Nevermind the fact that the trailer won't FIT in the bed. It was time to give up again. Or something needed to go on a diet.
Part of the reason I wanted more than one trailer is because I wanted to use one for a new bed on my truck That being said I wasn't really against some truck mods to make this happen. Enter bedless truck theory. "If I create a way to hold a trailer on the truck frame The truck gets lighter and the trailer now fits" I thought to myself. Confident I could make this happen I pulled the trigger on the auction. 3 m101's were now mine for $500 and it was time to get out the sawzall. I stripped the bed that weekend, when I left the scrap yard the truck was tipped the scales at a skinny #2620 with the driver. That's a number I can work with. With some lumber from some old skids I rigged up a mounted point for the trailer. Wrangled up some tools and I was all set.
I'll post some pic's now and come back to write about how the trip itself went later.
Here's the basic story, I found a huge auction on GL of M101a2's something I had been wanting for a while. The best part was they were selling them in lots of three. So I was sure to get a good deal. Why was I sure to get a good deal you ask? Because the buying pool was limited to people that had 1 of 2 things in they're favor. 1) They lived near Salina,KS (hint. NO ONE lives near Salina, KS) or 2) Has the ability to haul 3 of these things at once. I know all the hard core MV guys are going to chime in here bragging about how many m101's they can haul with their m923's but the reality is most Joe shmoes with a pick up truck don't have a way to do this. The catch was I also had no way to do this just like everyone else. So I started looking for how others had rigged multiple trailers behind one vehicle. I quickly found that many had stacked these trailers to haul two and that some had towed them in tandem with mixed results. But I had not found anyone who had hauled 3 with out a large flat bed trailer.
This is the point where most folks would have started looking in the classifieds for a local trailer and been done with it but I have something wrong with me that doesn't like some one telling me I can't do something. Even if that some one is me. So first I considered stacking 2 and towing 1 in tandem. that was thwarted by a no "triple tow law in Illinios" (not without a 5th wheel). So if I can't tow it I figured it got to go on the truck. First I checked the GVWR on the old nissan The folks across the pond optimistically rate it for #4400. So I took the truck to the scales. It weighed in at #2950 which gave me #1450 for payload pasengers and tools. First of all, never gonna happen m101 are 1350 alone plus me, my traveling buddy and don't forget the tongue wieght of two M101's. Nevermind the fact that the trailer won't FIT in the bed. It was time to give up again. Or something needed to go on a diet.
Part of the reason I wanted more than one trailer is because I wanted to use one for a new bed on my truck That being said I wasn't really against some truck mods to make this happen. Enter bedless truck theory. "If I create a way to hold a trailer on the truck frame The truck gets lighter and the trailer now fits" I thought to myself. Confident I could make this happen I pulled the trigger on the auction. 3 m101's were now mine for $500 and it was time to get out the sawzall. I stripped the bed that weekend, when I left the scrap yard the truck was tipped the scales at a skinny #2620 with the driver. That's a number I can work with. With some lumber from some old skids I rigged up a mounted point for the trailer. Wrangled up some tools and I was all set.
I'll post some pic's now and come back to write about how the trip itself went later.
Any one want a porsche 924? Glad to here the tow bar is being put to good use.
