Recovered a M101A2

[stationjj]

I recovered my first military trailer today. I found a M101a2 in very good condition and great price. I towed it it 300 miles today back to Nashville. The tires are good, No rust, hand brakes work, and bearing seem good. The surge work for sure. On the interstate today had to make sudden stop I could the surge brakes kick in.

I towed it with my Nissan Murano and it did great. With the weight on the back the Murano sucked the gas.
I wanted to tow with my M1009, but the pintle hook latch is rusted or frozen, and the light issues. The PO converted lights to 4 pin.

The M101a2 is a beast. The tongue weight is heavy. Trying to maneuver alone for one man can be a challenge.

I plan to put a trailer jack on the trailer. This will it make easy for me to safely maneuver this beast without risking injury to myself.

What is everyone using for a Trailer Jack? I found a sportsman heavy duty (1500lbs) trailer jack on Amazon. It will raise 26 inches, comes with wheel and flat foot.

Pictures are below. The only damaged area I could see is the one corner on the front.



Thanks,

stationjj

 

[Trailboss]

Those trailers are real handy. I usually take the cover and bows off to reduce wind drag, which will help some with the gas mileage. You may find you want to put a pin in the brake actuator to back up. In fact, I leave the pin in all the time since I pull mine with a full size pickup.

 

[swbradley1]

Good looking trailer. The reason it sucked on fuel is because you left the giant wind dam on it....take the cover and bows off next time. With my Dodge I get 3.5-4 miles per gallon better. Yes, I have tested it.

 

[197thhhc]

Nice trailer. I want a M101 for the dump bed.

 

[3dAngus]

You said;
The M101a2 is a beast. The tongue weight is heavy. Trying to maneuver alone for one man can be a challenge.

I plan to put a trailer jack on the trailer. This will it make easy for me to safely maneuver this beast without risking injury to myself.

What is everyone using for a Trailer Jack? I found a sportsman heavy duty (1500lbs) trailer jack on Amazon. It will raise 26 inches, comes with wheel and flat foot.


From that, I gather you are referring to the leg under the tongue. Yet, that appears to be in place.
What kind of trailer jack are you referring to? If I was not happy with the tongue jack I would use a boat jack, and just bolt it on the side. It has a large wheel and makes the trailer more portable for manuvering around by hand once it is disconnected.
They make all kinds and sizes that bolt on. You can usually get one at Walmart, especiallly if you live on the coast.
Otherwise, you have a nice selection of bulldog jacks at Tractor Supply. Both can be witnessed on line.

And if this is not what you're referring to, I apologize. I may be confused about what you are asking.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Nice trailer. I want a M101 for the dump bed.

Dump bed? These things are NOT made to dump. The way it attaches to the frame makes some people think they dump, but in fact, they are NOT made to do that. Yes, you can get it to dump, sometimes, if the load is balanced just right. And, you can break your trailer trying it.

Why do they look so goofy if they are not made to dump? They are built so that the tongue can be folded DOWN so that many of them can be transported in less space.


If you replaced the rear mounting points with some kind of proper bushing, it might work better, but the balance is still an issue.

 

[swbradley1]

It certainly isn't the best option for dumping.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1i9vhQwy_E

 

[harleyhouse]

I went with the Weld on ring Harbor Freight 2000 LB Model # 41006 It is a little shorter than I like so I am going to get the
HF # 3961 3500LB taller jack Both were less than $40.00 on sale. I like the weld on ring versions better than the bolt on. Less bulky material.
Here are several pictures of mine.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

It certainly isn't the best option for dumping.......

Nope. It can be done, but try it with a real load on there. That's another ball game. Those mounting points aren't set up to carry weight while rotating. That's why I mentioned installing bushings, but that wouldn't be a trivial project. Something I may tackle someday...



For now, I just disconnect from the tow vehicle and use my farm jack. With a heavy load of logs, it dumps just fine and I'm not worried about breaking some mounting points.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

I went with the Weld on ring Harbor Freight 2000 LB Model # 41006 It is a little shorter than I like so I am going to get the
HF # 3961 3500LB taller jack Both were less than $40.00 on sale. I like the weld on ring versions better than the bolt on. Less bulky material.
Here are several pictures of mine.

I like it. A trailer jack is on my upgrade list.

 

[Scarecrow1]

I agree with all those who said to loose the tarp, I went to Richmond VA 2 years ago and picked up my first MV and it was a 1968 Johnson 101a1 with the tarp and bows. I went less than 10 miles before I pulled in and removed the tarp. Boy that thing was as aerodynamic as a brick .I made the 500 mile trips and have to fill up one more time than I did to get there but, it was a ball to play with. I made a few repairs on it and kept it for several months . It was really to heavy and too high to be practical to use for everyday use. A fellow SS member saw it one day and had to have it so I sold it to him . It may sound funny but there are times I miss that darn thing just being there to play with .......Good luck with yours

 

[mudman]

I'd never use mine to dump with a load on it...My luck it would fold up like a card table.!!

 

[ThunderCracker]

Nice looking trailer John! You got lucky finding that one

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

It was really to heavy and too high to be practical to use for everyday use.

Funny. I find mine very practical. I use it to haul trash to the collection point about once a week, and I also haul firewood to heat my home. That's pretty regular use.

I have used it to haul bags of mulch for my boys' Scout Troop fundraiser. Drop the tailgate, and the forklift puts a full pallet on there, then scoots it forward to a decent balance point. Sometimes we've had 60 bags on there. At 60 pounds per bag. You do the math. Didn't stress it at all.

I just hauled a couple of loads to the dump a few weeks ago, and plan to go again soon.

All of the above is towed behind my Jeep Cherokee. No problem.

Once I get my 1028 running, it will do the weekly trash runs (just so I don't have to back a trailer up to the collection point), but other than that, I anticipate many years of regular use for my 101.

I didn't know about SS when I bought it, but now that I've been around here a while, I realize I got one of the better ones. There's not one thing wrong with it except a very slow leak in one tire, and the tires look almost new. There are no dents, no cracked welds, no rust. It's cherry.

Not bad for a trailer that cost me under $500, including registration and converting to 12v and a 7-pin RV connection.