Valence's 1960 Pioneer Tool Trailer

[rustystud]

Thanks Mr. Gimp. Do you have a rough estimate what thickness of wire would be good for those two applications? My brother said he uses 0.030" wire - I assume he meant for everthing he welds.

I wouldn't go over .035" on this machine. Go with your brothers use of .030" . That is a good compromise .

 

[gimpyrobb]

.023 for tin is what I used.

 

[tobyS]

Nice welder. Miller is good quality. If the machine runs on 240v, which you say it does, give yourself a nice long and large wire size and you can do some structural welds, even far away from the power source. The electronics make operation on 120 volt much better than they used to be but when doing heavy or extended time welding, the higher voltage will not heat your machine as bad (or blow circuit breakers).

Do some practice of like metal prior to starting on your trailer. I doubt if burn through will be an issue but getting a good penetrating weld will take some practice. Do you have a welder friend to help you get going. The Lincoln arc welding manual is well worth the money. Put in ebay; The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding, 13th (or 12th) edition. It's a GREAT read and explains preparation really well. Have fun!

 

[rustystud]

Nice welder. Miller is good quality. If the machine runs on 240v, which you say it does, give yourself a nice long and large wire size and you can do some structural welds, even far away from the power source. The electronics make operation on 120 volt much better than they used to be but when doing heavy or extended time welding, the higher voltage will not heat your machine as bad (or blow circuit breakers).

Do some practice of like metal prior to starting on your trailer. I doubt if burn through will be an issue but getting a good penetrating weld will take some practice. Do you have a welder friend to help you get going. The Lincoln arc welding manual is well worth the money. Put in ebay; The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding, 13th (or 12th) edition. It's a GREAT read and explains preparation really well. Have fun!

When I was in Apprenticeship school (for mechanics) that Lincoln manual was our text book for welding. I think it was the 7th or 8th edition then. Back then you had to take welding to become a Journeyman Mechanic. Great manual full of all the knowledge you will ever need to weld properly in my opinion.

 

[Valence]

I haven't been working on this project as of late. I will admit the deuce projects this year turned out to be much bigger than I had anticipated with additional maintenance piled on top so I'm burned out on "projects". But I will need to finish tearing down and removing any items I would like to keep from the donor pioneer tool trailer so I can have it gone in a month or two.

I removed the right-side gull-wing door and stored it in my shed. It was only held on by 1 hing arm and, miraculously, about 2" of rubber hinge that hadn't yet fully failed. I also plan on attempting to removing and keeping or possibly selling in the future if I so decide:

• lunet
• front kick stand leg
• the 1 safety chain
• rear wire harness
• axle
• hand brake components

And I'm debating about keeping:

• right-side leaf springs (the left side has 2 cracked leafs in the rear)
• left rear door (it is bent some, but not super terrible)
• the front plug end of the wire harness

But all of that will now need to be done while the trailer is in my M105. Forum member red was in the area with his M816 wrecker and I couldn't refuse good help with capable machinery for loading/prep for the scrap yard run. It's definitely easier to lower anything I want to keep out of the M105 vs loading. Though removing the axle may be interesting.



Trailer in a trailer, so I had to make this meme!

 

[Terracoma]

I also plan on attempting to removing and keeping or possibly selling in the future if I so decide:

• lunet
• front kick stand leg

If you do decide to sell these items, I'd be very interested in purchasing them.

Sending you a PM, as well.

 

[Valence]

I currently have the donor trailer's stripped frame up for sale in the classifieds and a couple places on Facebook. I'll be posting it up for sale locally and if no takers there, then I'll haul it to the scrap yard before winter. Being perched on the M105 trailer makes it easy to take to the scrap yard, but not so easy to sell to a private party...

 

[m715]

I have the same type trailer and wonder what you used for the top rubber hinge?

 

[CMPPhil]

I have the same type trailer and wonder what you used for the top rubber hinge?

Hi

Have a friend that was looking for hinge material for one of those trailers, suggested rubber membrane roofing. They have a heavy reinforced type, which I've used to replace the tarred canvas roof on my S56 shelter, and lot weather seals on the big shop doors. Nice thing about is most commercial roofing companies will have scrap they will sell real cheep or just give you. I always have a picture to show them what I'm working on.

Cheers Phil

 

[Valence]

I have the same type trailer and wonder what you used for the top rubber hinge?

I apologize, I keep forgetting to take a picture in the evenings, but I have a friend who has is able to get used conveyor belts. It's a little thicker (about 3/8" vs 1/4") but appears to be made of the same material: the rubber with internal woven cloth for strength/durability. I have yet to see how well it'll work though, or if it'll add significant difficulty when opening the gull wing doors.

 

[m715]

I cut the sidewall of a 900-16 tire,the tapered thickness of the tire made it work great.I think this was one of my best poor country boy cob jobs.

 

[Valence]

I hauled the body and frame to Clearfield Recycling yesterday, which is ironic considering the title of this thread. Behold the final moments of the donor trailer. Fortunately, its parts will live on in my trailer (which project I will resume next spring).

Frame, leaf springs, cargo body minus both rear doors and 1 gull wing door weighed less than 840 lbs (Probably about 800 lbs, as I had some other metal being scrapped). I received $23.10 for the 840 lbs.




Interestingly enough, my deuce (with tools, tire chains, and recovery chains), and M105 trailer weighed 20,320 lbs! By spec the M105 weighs 2750 lbs empty, but it didn't have its sides, bows or cover on, however, the G177 tires are heavier than the stock 9.00x20 bias plys. Still, that means my deuce with M66 Gun Ring, tool chest and chains, and Goodyear G177s weighs in excess of 17,000 lbs!

 

[NEIOWA]

Looking at a newly rebuilt (don't know what year/how long in storage) now at DRMO for my FD.

Is frame/axle/wheels unique to the Pioneer Tool trailer?

In good condition, are these relatively weathertight?

Is there an M-xxx # and a TM somewhere?

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

Looking at a newly rebuilt (don't know what year/how long in storage) now at DRMO for my FD.

Is frame/axle/wheels unique to the Pioneer Tool trailer?

In good condition, are these relatively weathertight?

Is there an M-xxx # and a TM somewhere?

The frame/axle/wheels are the same as their m101/a1/a2/ counterparts. All standard m116/m116a1/m116a2 stuff depending on the setup. If the rubber hinges are in good shape it should stay pretty dry, all of mine did. There isn't a special M number for these, and I don't believe a special operator's manual exists. I do have the supply catalog which lists the inventory of one setup, and another TM for it around somewhere.

 

[Valence]

What Evil Dr. Porkchop said, with one correction though, versions of the M101A2 & M101A3 have different axles, and thus use different wheels. From my research on Steel Soldiers, the following is the best I can determine the differences to the M116 FRAME that was used on both the Pioneer Tool trailer and M101 trailers and other 3/4 ton trailers:

For clarity:
The rolling frame on the Pioneer Tool Trailer and M101 variants is designated as M116 so some mis-labeling sometime occurs.

Extracted from this thread:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?54629-M101-a1-a2-a3

• "A0" (lack of any "A" designation after the model)
  • 5 lug wheels with exterior locking ring (matches older Dodge Power Wagons from the 1940's to 1960's, and the M37)
  • Had the old style "lift up" ratcheting hand brake system at the front of the box but between the frame rails
  • no brakes during operation
• A1
  • Modified the hand brakes with the newer style "push down to lock" hand brake levers and moved to the exterior of the frame at the front of the box
• A2
  • Hydraulic surge brakes during operation which also modified the pintle attachment at the front of the trailer.
  • One piece 8-lug wheels to match the Chevy/GM CUCV's
• A3
  • Has lug pattern and wheel track that matches the HMMWV

The TM for the actual Pioneer Tool Trailer has never been released. You can look up the info for the frame though in the M101's Technical Manual:
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...330-202-13P-M101-Trailer-Dec-30-2011-revision

The Pioneer tool trailers will stay dry inside only if the rubber hinges on top are in good condition and the rear doors close properly. Unrestored trailers will most definitely leak and many are rusted out because of it (like the green trailer I scrapped earlier in this thread).

 

[Evil Dr. Porkchop]

What Evil Dr. Porkchop said, with one correction though, versions of the M101A2 & M101A3 have different axles, and thus use different wheels.

I didn't say a2s and a3s used the same wheels as earlier trailers, I said it's all standard m116/m116a1/m116a2 stuff depending on the setup. It's not uncommon to find tool trailer boxes on those 3 different chassis right from the auctions. I didn't mention a3s as I've yet to see a pioneer box on an m116a3 chassis other than the one I built.
Also, not just m101a2 and m101a3s have different axles, all 4 standard variants (m101,m101a1,m101a2,m101a3) use different axle assemblies (yes, some parts do interchange between the base model and a1, and between the a2 and a3).

 

[Valence]

Well, I've done it again.

I had been watching a local ad for a larger, newer style Pioneer Tool trailer. I think it had been for sale for the past 6 months. Probably their first snow fall judging by the pictures. It was in a pretty isolated section of northern Utah, past Park Valley town proper, about 30 miles from the Nevada boarder along state Highway 30. 144 miles 1-way for me.


(Note, in the last picture, that's not a crack in the pintle hitch, but just the shadow of a random wire tied to it for whatever reason, and in the second picture, yes, that is a large nest of some bird or rodent built in one of the tool shelves.)

I decided I better go look at it, as I might as well consider all my options. I'd yet to see one of the larger bodied tool trailers in person. As can be seen (and was advertised as such), both tires were long since rotten and only good for holding down the tarps. I put my current, smaller tool trailer on jack stands and borrowed its new STA super lug tires, and even grabbed the spare.

Their location has no cell coverage unless you're a Verizon customer, as all the rest of the carriers just focus on the main centralized population corridor along I-15 next to the Wasatch mountain range known as the "Wasatch Front". I called the owner at the closest gas station, which was at Snowville, UT, about 70 miles away, and they met me at the mile post rear-entrance to their leased 350 acres. The main entrance was washed out due to recent flooding. Come to find out, they were leaving the lease-to-own land as they were unable to keep paying for electricity and other rates were far too high for the unproductive land they'd been on for 5 years. They were also tired of not having running water and had to hand carry water to their trailer.

Here are some pictures of the drive out and back, taken by my dear mother who I picked up for the day-trip. I left at 11:15am with heavy rains but there was enough wind and sun it was dry on their property when I arrived about 01:50pm.



These were good folk, and I know even my mother had a good time as there was a homemade tortilla recipe shared, evident by the picture I found on my phone. Maybe someone here would like to try it. No guarantees. Heheh.

The picture reads:
Home Made Tortillas

• 3 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 c coconut oil, melted
• 1 c hot water
• Mix all together and kneed until dough is silky.
• Divide dough into balls the size of a large egg.
• Roll out thin and cook on hot skillet. Do not oil skillet.
• Cook about 1-2 min each side

 

[Valence]

Honestly, even though I know they'd had a number of interested potential buyers, no one was going to travel to their remote location with another trailer to winch this one on and haul home, and who would be willing and have the right set of tires and wheels to bolt to it and tow it home? Only me. The trailer was much rustier than I had preferred, but I decided to still place and offer for the trailer, which was accepted after a bit of moving.

Fortunately with a bit of WD-40, I was able to remove the 1-1/2" lug nuts with 3/4" Harbor Freight cheater bar. It wasn't actually any more difficult than my trailer at home. New tires on, junk tires in the truck bed, lights, zip ties, broken hand brake cables wired down, and ratchet straps to ensure the doors with no and bad rubber didn't move, we rolled out about 03:45 pm. I stopped at 1/4 mile, 2 miles, 5 miles, 30 miles, and then 60 miles to check the hubs and trailer. I was greatly concerned about the bearings on a trailer that probably hadn't moved in 20+ years, and perhaps not even serviced since it was built. The left bearing warmed up noticeably, but it was only warm, and I was easily able to keep my hand on the hub. Besides some unexpected hail and pooled water on I-15 about Honeyville, UT on the way home, the recovery was blessedly uneventful. I ran the return trip at 60 MPH, and arrived home at about 07:20pm.



I still think these tires are very likely the only ones ever mounted to these wheels.



This data plate on the right rear door reads:
US ARMY
Tool Outfit, Pioneer
Portable Electric
Tools: Trailer-MTD.
NSN 5180-00-289-9569
Part No. 13217E0400
MFD By Southwest Truck Body Co.
Contract No. DAAK01-76-C-5332
Date: 9-76
Reg No. 6A71667
Serial No. PTK-105
WT. 3000 LB



The data plates on the front left of the frame are mostly illegible, but I can pick out the following:
06 7166
TEAD 8-73

I take it to mean that the frame was manufactured in August 1973, while the body was made in September 1976.



This plate, next to the one above reads:
Trailer Cargo 3/4 Ton 2W M116A1
Stock No. 2330-898-6780
(illegible) Belleville, Ohio
(illegible) No. 06 71667
YR MFD (illegible)
Model No. M116A1
Contract No. (mostly illegible)
Publications
(illegible) .UST SN1 6-748
Technical Manual TM 9-2320-202-14



Behold my shame, I mean "collection". Now I need to decide if I'm going to keep and use the smaller, older Pioneer Tool trailer, or keep and use the larger, newer Pioneer Tool trailer that needs more rust repair. I think it would be really neat to have the variety and collection and fix both up, but I'm not sure that would be the best use of my time, money, and space at the moment (considering that I also did just buy the M101A1).

 

[NEIOWA]

Fire Dept received a newly rebuild Pioneer trailer (M116A2 chassis) BEAUTIFUL unit. Only issue is no handle for the landing gear jack. NSN 5340-01-386-3974

Any ideas where to find one?

Have complete set of new data plates from inside the trailer available..

 

[Valence]

Fire Dept received a newly rebuild Pioneer trailer (M116A2 chassis) BEAUTIFUL unit. Only issue is no handle for the landing gear jack. NSN 5340-01-386-3974

Any ideas where to find one?

eBay or you'll have to make your own. I purchased an NOS front leg jack for an A2 model from a member here (CUCVFAN), and he had paid someone to make a crank handle for it (that was like the original)

Have complete set of new data plates from inside the trailer available..

Please post this in the Classifieds.