Buying a trailer this week, what to check out?

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REZARF

REZARF

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Joined
Sep 8, 2003
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Bozeman, MT
Howdy,

I am closing the deal on a m416 this week. I was wondering if there is anything in particular to check for before signing the dotted line?

I am unfamilar with any of the hidden things that could come back to bite me, so I thought I would ask.

FWIW, this will be a utility trailer/camping hauler. I love to tinker and modify and this will fit the bill this winter.

Thanks in advance!

Rezarf <><
 
Drew, I resto'd a 66m416.

What year? does it have a title?

Rust in the tub is the most obvious thing to look out for esp around the drains. They are pretty simple trailers though. Is it complete?

How much and do you have pics?
 
Hey Wes-

The dude with the trailer hasn't been calling me back so we will see if this goes through or not.

The trailer is a mid 60's model, with everything complete. Parking brake, lunette ring, the kick stand, lights, springs, spare tire, wiring harness, and tow safety chains.

Looking at 450.00

Here is a shot of it...
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few more... you can see in the pics the vehicle side end is pushed out a bit, but overall it is solid and complete. The owner says there is a few tiny holes from rust, but we all know what that means... it has rust.

Plans are to basically copy Henry C's trailer as I think his is very well thought out and looks outstanding.

This will happen only as time and funds allow, but it should be fun to tinker with.

Rezarf <><
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looks nice and clean. Go for it.

You will want to switch to cruiser hubs and wheels, as well do new lights. So it will make a great trailer.
 
I'd replace the lights with m-series lights like these http://vegasauto.net/images/fullred-1.jpg


I ended up pulling off the military pigtail at the very end and keeping the pins. I think took a 7 pin connector and put that on in place of the military pigtail removing each pin and wiring it in the process. I ended up having the stock military wiring which is nice and waterproof and heavy duty and it'll connect to any 7pin pickup out there and I also carry a 4 pin converter in case somone else pulls it. http://www.etrailer.com/faq/wiring.asp Turned out really nice when most people pull the whole harness and install some junk autozone trailer light kit
 
Thanks guys,

I haven't heard from the seller now in a few days, maybe he is bailing out.

He didn't have a title or a clear vin#, how much junk would the DMV give me to make one legal?

Wes, I like the lights, but I will be modifying this one quite a bit and thought about using these instead. ;) From Cool Cruisers....

Purists can stop reading now, this will only serve as a base to modify into what I want it to end up like, it will probably eventually get a nice roll on coat of Smurf blue too :D
coolfj40_1908_182145125.webp
 
brownbear said:
looks nice and clean. Go for it.

You will want to switch to cruiser hubs and wheels, as well do new lights. So it will make a great trailer.
Click to expand...


Where is the best place for a hub conversion? It is pretty high on my list of things once I actually get one in hand.

Thanks, I have learned a lot from all your posts Brownbear, I have been lurking for a while.

I figure if I can get a clean m416/m101 for under 500, then I am at a good starting place... if my search lasts for months and months, I will start a scratch built unit.

Rezarf <><
 
No title: No problem!

If you can't find any 3#'s on it, apply for a homebuilt trailer title. Say that you built it, if you say someone else did, they want info on the manufacturer. All you need is box dimensions and weight. Not actual weight, just a guess within 50 lbs or so.

When you do this, they will give you a new VIN tag to be placed on the trailer frame. You will also get your plates and your title within a few weeks.

If your trailer has ever been liscensed in the state of Colorado, it should have this VIN tag or stamped numbers on the frame by the state of Colorado.

My 1944 Willys MBT military trailer (predecessor to the M416) has a serial # stamped on the frame rails. The # ends in COLO.

I don't have a title either and I have to apply for a Bond title. Not a big deal but a few more papers to shuffle.

Good luck.
 
Nope, looks like I am getting the cold shoulder. I haven't heard from the dude now since Sunday... we'll see.

Jim, I am looking at a camping set up unit. The rack needs to go, I would like to make use of an expedition style tent... maybe a homebrew pop up on top.

I'll post up if it goes through.

Rezarf <><
 
REZARF said:
Where is the best place for a hub conversion? It is pretty high on my list of things once I actually get one in hand.

Thanks, I have learned a lot from all your posts Brownbear, I have been lurking for a while.

I figure if I can get a clean m416/m101 for under 500, then I am at a good starting place... if my search lasts for months and months, I will start a scratch built unit.

Rezarf <><
Click to expand...

If you join the M101 group on yahoo they have lots of info. But I believe any trailer supply shop can get them. Basically it is a 10 inch hub and you want the 6x5.5 pattern(but you might want to pull one hub and take it with you into a trailer shop to order, Northern tools shows them online for 30-40 bucks). Lowenbrau on here shows his trailer being converted. Many pictures on his prairie dog website.

I have not done it yet. But I will. I want to have the same wheels as my cruiser. One spare for both. Although I am only running 32.7 inch tires(235/85/16) so I don't think I need to soa.
 
I was watching that trailer on Ebay. I was out of town until monday late and found the guy pulled it off ebay over the weekend. I figured someone had made a deal with the guy. I got a M416 off Ebay last year, $430 with a title and no rust. I had to travel from around Flagstaff AZ to Farmington NM to get it. The guy had it sold two times but the buyers wanted him to delivery out of state. On the military web sites he had it on he only want $300. I could have gotton cheaper if I knew where to look. I second M series lights. Hard to beat the metal housings. On that trailer you would just have change the lenses and put in 12 volt bulbs, those housing should already be metal.

John
 
wesintl said:
If you going to build a trailer ala henryc you'd be better off to start from scratch.

Hit up ian for welding ;)
Click to expand...

Everyone keeps saying that but I can't seem to get there from a coin standpoint.

I could have had a trailer for 275.00 US last week on ebay... should have gone for it.

I would be hard pressed to get the axle and hubs for that much. Then the suspension, steel, lunette, wiring harness, lights, landing leg... and that is before even thinking about getting a box fabbed up.

I don't know maybe I am missing something, but I can't seem to think it wouldn't be better to get the axle, frame, box, and lunnete and modify from there?

I can see there isn't that much to one of these, but if I can get started out with a clean one for 400-500 bucks I would think it would be the better way to go.

What am I missing?

Rezarf <><
 
Your missing all the mods. You buy a 416 then swap it to lc hubs. then extend the lunette for better towing, then add a lid that doesn't really fit. In a nutshell your going to mod it into what you want vs building what you want.

Go back and look through the threads even Henry himself will tell you start from scratch.

I guess short term you wouldn't have anything. A m416 is so simple to build

my 416 that I only partly resto'd I have over 1200 into it and I paid maybe 400 or 450 (rustfree) and for the most part is has NO mods.
 
Makes sense.

However, I got more time than money. Also, I can see this being a slow project over several seasons of wheeling, and having a trailer I can pull next week is a nice bonus.

Thanks for your thoughts Wes, see you on Sunday?

Rezarf <><
 
The M101 on its own is great. No real mods are needed to use it hard on the trail or anything. Just buy and use. Later down the road you do just about anything to it. Its a great starting point.

Unless you own a welder, have time and know how to safely weld joints, I would not build my own. The price of steel is not soo cheap. Go price what you think you need. Add 20% for the extras. I bet you are easy 3-400 in just metal. I built a trailer hitch for my car and it cost 90 bucks in metal. I know you can get it cheap in some places. sure.

I like the M101 for all the extras, hand brake, swivel lunette...etc. I can not see anyone building for cheaper than you could buy. Grinding discs alone are3-4 bucks, Going thru 1/4 metal eats them. Add up all the supplies and metal, tires, fittings, etc. Not including labour. So that 500 buck ole 416 is looking pretty cheap.

Want a new one, find a M101. My M101 was soo close to new it was frightening. The tires still had little hairs on them.
 
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