Towing M105 behind Jeep Wrangler

[hoodiegadoo]

I just purchased a M105 that will fit nicely behing my jeep wrangler and I think I'm just going to splice in a flat 4 plug for the lights but I want to be able to use the trailer brakes as well. What do I need to get that setup in the jeep? All I could find on here was that I needed an airpack? But I can't seem to find where I'd get one. I already have onboard air and an airtank installed on the jeep. Thanks in advance.

 

[jbingvtx]

I think that you will find that M105 is HUGE compared to your Wrangler. IMHO a M101 would be a better choice.

 

[glcaines]

Whoa! You do not want to pull an M105 behind a Jeep Wrangler. Besides being illegal, it is very dangerous due to the weight, even when empty. You need to pull it with something much bigger or trade it for a lighter trailer.

 

[greenjeepster]

The 105 has an empty weight of 2600 lbs. A Jeep Wranglers tow capacity is only 2000 lbs unless you have an Unlimited or Rubicon...... even so you would not want to put anything in the trailer.

as far as the airpack goes you would probably have to do some custom fab work to make one off of a deuce fit your jeep.

 

[tennmogger]

Agreed, that is a big trailer for a Jeep. Size and weight wise. Matching up the tow heights will be a challenge, too. However, to answer your specific question, is this an M105A1, A2, or A3? The probable A1 and A2 are air-over-hydraulic without a safety tank on the trailer. The A3 has a reservoir tank but is still air over hydraulic, I think.

You will need an air brake controller to supply variable pressure air to the trailer which then applies hydraulic pressure to the brakes, proportional to braking force. Not a simple challenge. I have heard of a modification to make the M-105 an electric over hydraulic. Maybe search the forum for that.

The M-105's are 24 v unless modified.

Good luck, but be safe.

I just purchased a M105 that will fit nicely behing my jeep wrangler and I think I'm just going to splice in a flat 4 plug for the lights but I want to be able to use the trailer brakes as well. What do I need to get that setup in the jeep? All I could find on here was that I needed an airpack? But I can't seem to find where I'd get one. I already have onboard air and an airtank installed on the jeep. Thanks in advance.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

So far not one of those replies answers my questions... My jeep is not stock and pulls the trailer without any issues. its well built for rock crawling with 1 ton axles, regeared, and 42" tires. Size wise the trailer is perfect: 6" narrower, few inches lower, and slightly smaller tires. But this thread isn't supposed to be about my jeep. I'd like to get the brakes going so loaded down on the downside of the cliff I have brakes on the trailer as well.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

However, to answer your specific question, is this an M105A1, A2, or A3? The probable A1 and A2 are air-over-hydraulic without a safety tank on the trailer. The A3 has a reservoir tank but is still air over hydraulic, I think.

You will need an air brake controller to supply variable pressure air to the trailer which then applies hydraulic pressure to the brakes, proportional to braking force. Not a simple challenge. I have heard of a modification to make the M-105 an electric over hydraulic. Maybe search the forum for that.

The M-105's are 24 v unless modified.

Good luck, but be safe.

thank you, this is helpful. I'm not sure which trailer it is. I'm waiting for my folks to get back to me. I'm deployed with the military at the moment so I have plenty of time to plan this out. I think I'd like to keep it air because I'd also like to mount an air tank to the underside of the trailer and it would be convenient for it to have aux lines as well as air for the brakes but not required.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 4th, 2010.

hoodiegadoo:

I read your post about your Wrangler not being stock, however, I must concur with the posts above..... Your Jeep is not up to the job of pulling an M105A2 empty, much less loaded, as the trailer runs at least 5500 lbs on the road or more. The deuce was designed to handle the trailer, and even then if the air btrakes are not cut in, the trailer can be a handling nightmare. Even my Unimog S404.114 (Swiss) which is a 6100 Lb empty weight ton and a half truck cannot manage the M105A2 easily or safely, and the Unimogs, any of them, are far better towing vehicles then a Jeep........
This is not intended to be a "pissing" contest, this is based on experience as I have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (2006) and it would be completely unable to handle the loaded or empty weight of the M105A2 that I have. It is pretrty much guaranteed you are goning to get ticketed by either the state troopers in Florida, or will get into a wreck which none of us want or need. All it takes is one hotshot to bring the DOT and the Feds down on our hobby with an ill advised modification or accident related thereunto. Your Jeep might manage an M101, but it would be better with the WWII size Jeep trailers, as that is about what it can manage. I might also add, while you have modified your jeeps ride height, you have not improved its stability, and the M105 may end up taking control of your jeep in severe accellerations, turns or stops in ways you have not considered..... It's your life, but most of us are gonna say you don't have the right to threaten other drivers safety will this adventure..... Besides a rock crawling jeep is not a deuce in capability.....

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[twright]

Well go get a air pack off a DUCE and try to make it fit your brake master clyinder them you could have air brakes on the trailer good luck
AEC Retire tony
A lot of green things

 

[dittle]

A SS member on here took his M105 removed the trailer bed and built his own axel/trailer frame with new axels that are electronic brakes. That would be the safe way to put this trailer behind your Jeep. The bed best guess weighs 500 - 600 lbs so the rest of the 2100 lbs empty weight is frame and axel. If you do like my buddy did I think it dropped the entire trailer weight to around 1200 lbs and it gave him brakes that would work properly with your Jeep.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

January 4th, 2010.

hoodiegadoo:

I read your post about your Wrangler not being stock, however, I must concur with the posts above..... Your Jeep is not up to the job of pulling an M105A2 empty, much less loaded, as the trailer runs at least 5500 lbs on the road or more. The deuce was designed to handle the trailer, and even then if the air btrakes are not cut in, the trailer can be a handling nightmare. Even my Unimog S404.114 (Swiss) which is a 6100 Lb empty weight ton and a half truck cannot manage the M105A2 easily or safely, and the Unimogs, any of them, are far better towing vehicles then a Jeep........
This is not intended to be a "pissing" contest, this is based on experience as I have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (2006) and it would be completely unable to handle the loaded or empty weight of the M105A2 that I have. It is pretrty much guaranteed you are goning to get ticketed by either the state troopers in Florida, or will get into a wreck which none of us want or need. All it takes is one hotshot to bring the DOT and the Feds down on our hobby with an ill advised modification or accident related thereunto. Your Jeep might manage an M101, but it would be better with the WWII size Jeep trailers, as that is about what it can manage. I might also add, while you have modified your jeeps ride height, you have not improved its stability, and the M105 may end up taking control of your jeep in severe accellerations, turns or stops in ways you have not considered..... It's your life, but most of us are gonna say you don't have the right to threaten other drivers safety will this adventure..... Besides a rock crawling jeep is not a deuce in capability.....

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

It's got about 115" wheelbase and 96" width... both of those improve stability. So again I ask, let me worry about the jeep. The answer I need is how to get the air brakes on the trailer operational.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

A SS member on here took his M105 removed the trailer bed and built his own axel/trailer frame with new axels that are electronic brakes. That would be the safe way to put this trailer behind your Jeep. The bed best guess weighs 500 - 600 lbs so the rest of the 2100 lbs empty weight is frame and axel. If you do like my buddy did I think it dropped the entire trailer weight to around 1200 lbs and it gave him brakes that would work properly with your Jeep.

Thats not a bad idea at all. I might consider that if its too much of a hassle.

Its a m105A2 by the way.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

that being said I could just replace the axle...

 

[dittle]

Sorry, forgot to state his was an A2 as well.

 

[DUG]

I would love to see pics of the jeep. I've towed my M105 with my 2500HD GMC and it does ok, but I have only had trash loads for the dump in it, not any serious weight. I like it a lot better behind my deuce.

 

[Recovry4x4]

It's got about 115" wheelbase and 96" width... both of those improve stability. So again I ask, let me worry about the jeep. The answer I need is how to get the air brakes on the trailer operational.

If you want to worry about the Jeep, figure it out! The trailer doesn't need mods to work the brakes, the Jeep does. Some folks concerned about safety are making some points for you and the answer you need was already posted. There are a great number of details that you need to be concerned with but without us getting into issues with the Jeep, can't be much help. Not a single one of us want to be responsible for giving you info that could hurt some innocent motorist.

 

[hoodiegadoo]

these are 44" tires but everything else is the same...

 

[swbradley1]

To answer your questions:

1. You could just get lights at Tractor Supply, put them on and run new wires up to the hitch and put a plug on.
2. Go to OD Iron's website and buy an air pack for $367 and engineer the control system from scratch to accomplish what you want to do.

But you have some other alternatives.

1. Get one of the trailers with the surge brakes.
2. Get a Deuce to tow what you have.
3. Put a different axle under the 105 with electric brakes.

I prefer number two.

Lights are easy but I doubt your Jeep is big enough to stop it loaded without brakes correctly engineered for the application. (Unless you put a Jeep body on a Deuce.)

sw

 

[hoodiegadoo]

So it sounds like my best bet is just throwing an electric brake axle underneath it and calling it a day. Thanks for the help, wow that was painful...

 

[Josh]

Based on the jeep, this appears to be offroad use only I take it?