Bama M101A2 acquisition and build (1 Viewer)

[booradley]

I decided I need a trailer. After some research, I picked up this beauty from RRAD in Hooks, TX. Drove it home in a tornado.

M101A2 retired from the Air Force (so probably used for moving espresso machines and air conditioners, croquet sets, etc. (ha)). It was originally camo, but it has a "get it ready for the desert" quick tan spray job. Light rust. Overall great shape. I love it.

For those that may be interested, purchasing and picking up one of these is much easier than I expected. Register on Govplanet, wait for one you want, bid on it much like ebay. If you win it, they will give you an Invoice and an Item Release. That's all you need to pick it up. This particular trailer no longer requires an EUC (End User Certificate). Alabama is somewhat chill about registering trailers, but Govplanet will sell you a SF-97 or a title for a little extra. I plan on getting a title for it in case I sell it to someone in another more finicky state.

I got a pintle hook for the 100, took some tools just in case, and I also acquired an adapter on ebay that allows you to hook the military plug into the 4-pin civilian plug. Hooked it up and the lights worked! Even the guy at the lot was impressed! Alternate plan was to make it to the Harbor Freight in Texarkana for some magnetic trailer lights. The trailer hooked right up and I was off in 10 minutes.

I got about 40 miles down the road and had a setback:

Both tires were extremely dry-rotted. I must have been living right, because somehow the tire was able to stay together long enough for me to limp down the side of the interstate to the next exit, and even though the next exit was in the middle of nowhere there just happened to be an interstate OTR wrecker shop, and the place had two old trailer tires that they sold me for $100. Slowed me down for about an hour. Hallelujah. Lesson learned: if you are going to get one of these sight-unseen, either take a tire or two with you, or have your AAA paid up.

The new tires were smaller and actually better because it sits more level now.

Survived the tornado and got it home two weeks ago. My plan is a slow build into an expedition trailer. Everything is on the table, but one main consideration is I need all expeditionary mods to be reversible so I can still use it as a utility trailer.

 

[booradley]

I had experience with military trailers, but not from a civilian use perspective. I will sum up some basics I learned about the current 2019 "military trailer for overlanding" market:

M416 (and Canadian M101) trailers are 1/4 ton trailers designed to pull behind jeeps. They do not use them anymore, you rarely see them being auctioned by the govt, and prices are going up because they pull very easily behind just about anything. They are small, but easily modded for a RTT, etc.

M105 trailers are 1 1/2 ton trailers pulled behind mostly 5-ton trucks. They are easily found (and cheap), but are too big for expeditionary use.

M1101/1102 trailers are the newest trailers. 3/4 ton, they were designed to be pulled behind a Humvee. They are constructed out of aluminum, but they are stoutly made. They are very wide. These are easily found (Govplanet is currently dumping them by the dozen), and my guess is this is where the market will go once everything else is dried up. People are already trying to narrow them.

M101A1/A2/A3 trailers. These trailers came out in the 50s, used for a long time, and are no longer being made. They are 3/4 ton, and were designed to be pulled, first by a 2 1/2 ton truck, then by a CUCV (military Chevrolet truck), and finally by a Humvee. The govt supply of these is drying up, but occasionally they will pop up.

Choice between these depends on your intended use. Can't sleep in a M416. Can sleep in a M1101 or M101A1/A2/A3. I note that when they went from the M101A2 to the M101A3, they moved the tires out (to match the width of a Humvee), and the space between the wheelwells was increased from 45" to 55", so you can get a 4x8 piece of plywood between the wheels of the M101A3 (and possibly tightly sleep two), but not the A1 or A2. The M101A3 also has a different, dropped axle. And I also note that because these trailers were made for so long, in the rebuild process they mixed and matched parts, so be careful when buying one to ensure it has all the parts you want.

I would not jump onto a highly technical rock-bashing trail with any trailer, but if that is your plan, then the smaller the better (I guess). I just wanted a basecamp situation for NFS roads, Cruiser Crawls, etc. An M101A2 trailer is big and heavy, but is not too big for a 100 in my opinion. The thing tracks very easily behind my 2002. I have kept the PWR switch engaged and have had no problems. It is heavy, though, and I plan to lose the surge brake actuator and redo the tongue, and replace the super heavy axle for a lighter axle with electric brakes (and hopefully matching wheels).

Please don't rely on this information without doing your own research. If I have anything wrong please jump in.

 

[booradley]

Scored some 2002 wheels.

I am going to try to reverse engineer an axle for this thing. I will get tires, then get adapters, then do the measurements for the axle. Looking at these adapters:
6x5.5 to 5x150 adapters
Did not realize how much of an offset these hubs have. Hopefully the 2" spacing on the adapters will allow for some of the offset.

 

[booradley]

Tongue is redone. Removed the surge brake assembly and leg, replaced with a 2" receiver and jack. Probably a net weight loss of over 100 lbs. I am keeping the lunette ring for now; I might go with an articulating hitch later.

Before:

After:

 

[bamabrock]

What is the plan for tire/wheel combo? same size as the 100 ?

 

[booradley]

What is the plan for tire/wheel combo? same size as the 100 ?

Yes. Same size. 16"

 

[booradley]

Stripped to bare metal:

 

[booradley]

Raptor-lined and new lights. Big shout out to Drew at Rustic Mountain Overlanding for the assist. And by assist I mean he did 99% of it.