220KAK 26' Box Van Trailer
This restoration is a work in progress.... Very, Very SLOW progress so far.
She's currently parked in our back yard in such a position that photos worthy of posting are nearly impossible to be had. We have not done much toward her restoration yet as she's currently serving "dry storage duty" for various tools and equipment.
These photos are "as found".
The interior of the 220KAK is seemingly ORIGINAL woodwork with the bump-rails and all. Only the right rear cargo door is missing its original plywood inner skin.
The oak flooring has been covered with some thin sheets of compressed board, presumably due to wood rot on the base floor planks.
Close inspection of the aluminum roof shows years of west Texas hail exposure with numerous dents.... Battle wounds, of course. Thankfully, the roof is weather-tight. The slight puddling seen on the floor in these photos is because the doors had been left open and we had had a rainstorm the night before.
Branded on the upper interior just forward of the cargo doors.
This number "662" is also showing in very faded white paint on the outside of one cargo door.
The original Date Plate:
Model: 220 KAK
Mfg. Ser. No. 21287
NSN No. 2330-542-2511
Vehicle Wgt. Unloaded 10250 LBS
Payload Maximum 36000 LBS
Gross Wgt. Maximum 46250 LBS
Date of Delivery 1-13-1960
Contract No. DA-20-113-ORD-24272
U.S. Property USA702100
Axle K-20-6A, Brakes 6 In.
Wheels Budd-65350-8
Drums B-1826-1
Supports Homan M-2000
Suspension Neway-632-1
Inner Brg. Timken, Inner Cup 653
Outer Brg. Timken, Outer Cup HM 212011
She's wired (Original Equipment) for BOTH 24V Mil-Standard Lights AND 12V Commercial Standard Lights with separate circuits all the way to the back where she's got two sets of taillights. I have not yet chased the circuits, but I believe that the corner and upper marker lights are connected to only the 12V system.
As you can see in this photo, the 12V connection box is heavily damaged. I have not yet find a "correct" replacement for a historically accurate restoration.
HISTORY:
Built in 1960 by the KINGHAM TRAILER COMPANY in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
To the best of my knowledge, this is a rather RARE MV to be found nowadays.
Only one other time have I found anything on the internet about a 220KAK. A few years ago there was one that popped up in an GSA-online auction. It was located in Orange, California and was in decent shape for being of the same vintage, although the auction notes said "Rust Damage". The one at auction was 1959 vintage, S/N 31175. Ours is a later vintage but bears the lower SN 21287, so we cannot tell from the SN how many might have been produced.
I have seen some photos of these trailers at ammunition facilities - factories, dockside (both in the States and Vietnam), etc.
They are officially a "Dry Goods Van" trailer, but I believe they were often used as "Sea Containers" for ammunition. Their short bodies and high payload would indicate that the density of ammunition masses in ammo cans would easily rationalize the need for such a compact yet heavy-duty design.
Being wired for both 24V & 12V electrical connections would also indicate "intermodal" functionality.
When we found her, she was languishing in an electrical contractors storage yard. When I inquired about her the old guy told me she'd been in that yard for almost 10 years and had, for the decade or so prior to that, been serving his business as a support/storage trailer at his larger job sites.
Since her undercarriage is all heavy steel, and her superstructure is all aluminum, and also considering her wooden floors and inner skin, the best local scrap price I was quoted was $0 - TOO labor intensive to dismantle!! So, I gave the guy a $400 bid and he bit!!! Not a bad price for a bit of history, huh?
So now, she's awaiting my serious efforts at restoration. We've now also acquired an XM818 as motive power for her mobility. I really have no excuse for not giving her the attention she deserves.
As for my Poll Campaign.... I'm not really expecting to gather many votes. She kinda looks like the UGLY DUCKLING.
I figure that just getting the word out that this NEARLY EXTINCT and yet beautifully restorable MV is still around MIGHT help us locate another of her pedigree... and, if there IS another, that they may breed and produce offspring, too.
This is the M936 that Danial Morgan recovered for me out of Warner Robbins. Basically kept is as delivered. Fresh fluids and filters. Drives like a charm and everything works.
