Help for a trailer Noob (1 Viewer)

[rustycruiser88]

Hey everyone,
I have been looking for a while for a trailer to pull behind my six cylinder rig. I wanted a basic utility trailer that I could get occasional scoops of composte or gravel and use for gear if needed on camping trips. I really liked the military trailers but they seemed expensive but I just found what seems to be a M101 CDN for a reasonable price. I am going to check it out tomorrow and have a few questions. Remember I know nothing about trailers....

1) It has a hitch conversion to a ball hitch... Do I need to look for anything specific on this to make sure it is safe?

2) He says that it doesn't have a title and he just has the bill of sale from the previous owner and that he will provide me with a Bill of Sale. He seems legit and the price is low enough that it seems worth the gamble. He said he would return my money if I had trouble registering it. How do military trailers work with being civilianized (term?)? Am I going to have trouble registering it? I am in CA.

3) Are there key things I need to look at for the trailer that would make me pass it by?

Thanks for the help.

 

[greentruck]

The hitch conversion needs to be attached in place of the lunette holder casting. Several ways to do this, from totally whacked/hacked to very slick and neatly done.

Best would be a bolt-in conversion, because that means you could convert it back to the lunette easily. A welded one would make that tougher to switch back. If someone welded in a standard square receiver, then it would simply be a matter of swapping the hitch you want to use in it.

Can't help with a Cali registration.

The M101 CDN is a fairly recent build compared to its older American counterparts. They tend to be relatively rust-free, except for surface rust, but sometimes will have sat outside in the weather with water pooled toward the front of the bed. That's where the only pinholes I had were. Easily fixed for my purposes.

If it has the original tires, best to swap 'em out, as they are very old and likely dry-rotted by now. However, I know there are folks still running them

Some of them were painted with CARC, a special paint that made decontamination easier in case of a gas or bio-weapon attack. CARC and its dust are very problematic. Sandblasting can deal with it, but take precautions unless you just paint over the original paint.

The parking brake handle is often rusty, but a good soaking of penetrating oil should eventually break it free. If it's too far gone, there should be NOS handles available from various vendors. Some people trash the parking brake system. However, it's very handy to have on the trail, where it can be a PITA to keep a trailer in a spot if you need to unhitch.

There is a Yahoo email group for the M101 CDN that has a lot of useful info in their file area, manuals, parts lists, etc. Well worth joining. They're great trailers, so scoring one is definitely worth it. They hold their value well and should be easy to sell if you ever think you don't need it any longer. Can't imagine that myself, but...