Our new Bantam civilian trailer

[jbjeeps]

I have posted pics and questions about our new Bantam trailer on the Early CJ5 Trailer Tech forum.

Even though it is a civilian model, it has some features that make me wonder if it might not have had a military past. Someone here may be able to help answer my questions, so take a look.

Here's a couple of pics. More over there.

[wesk]

My guess is it is just a Bantam T3-C to which someone has added the pintel and the brake drums which are a simple bolt on swap. The more difficult to find and install brake handle and linkage are not there. That appears to be a later early 50's unit. The early post war T3-C shared a lot with it's military cousin from WWII the T3.

Did you take any photos of the rear?

I have a very stock 1946 T3-C but I also have a very rough M100 and several spare complete brake / axle assemblies.

[jbjeeps]

Wes, thanks for your response here and on ECJ5. Here's what I posted over there a short time ago.


I know that all this may not be interesting to very many, but for those who enjoy figuring out the little mysteries that come with the stuff we drag home, read on.

While crawling around under the trailer this afternoon I noticed that the number on the back of the right hand backing plate ended in an "L" and the number on the back of the left hand backing plate ended with an "R". So, I went searching for pictures and found some good clear pics of Bantam military trailer axles. Whoever put the hubs on my trailer put them on the wrong sides, so they are upside down. The brake levers are on the bottom, below the spring, instead of on the top, above the springs. With the levers on the bottom, the brake cables could not be run to the levers.

Since this trailer would never have brakes, this didn't matter because no brake cable would ever have to run to the brake levers.

This could have been done at the factory. I understand that the civilian trailers were often assembled using surplus parts. Maybe my trailer was made on the day someone opened a box full of surplus brake drums.

Or, as Wes suggested, maybe some p.o. had a set lying around and put them on.

May never know which it was, but, I've had some fun figuring this out and learned some things about our new trailer too.

Now, what about those big ugly wheels? I haven't found any pictures of anything like them on other military trailers. Looks like someone on a budget robbed some implement wheels for their trailer.

As for the lunette, it's a big one. I read that the Bantam lunettes were thin and the later (M100?) lunettes were thicker. So, again, someone on a budget bolted what they had to the trailer.

Trading material? Maybe. Cliff over in Pocatello has already spoken for the lunette, and he's got good stuff to trade for. But I kind of like it, especially since the trailer came with a pintle on a stinger. I think the lunette stays for a while.

The wheels? They've got to go. It's a Bantam trailer, not a hay wagon.

I've got a picture of the back, as soon as it flies from phone to email to photobucket, I'll add it here.

Here's the tailgate picture. The OD green under the current paint is showing through along the top edge.

[wesk]

The frame is clearly civilian with no provisions for hand brake brackets and electrical receptacle or shocks. Most likely the axle and the swivel casting / lunette came from a scrap M100. Flip the axle, drill the holes for the brake handle, rivet or weld in the shock mounts, remove the stake pockets, rearrange the tie downs, add the storage box brackets, weld in a solid rear panel, add the floor drain, add the 4 handles, change to the M100 draw bars, remove the tail light supports, install M100 lamps and brackets, install two M38 wheels and voila you have an M100 for your M jeep.

Or swap the swivel casting and lunette for the stock Fulton, replace the wheels with a pair of CJ2A wheels, install the correct tail gate chains, remove the brake drums and backing plates and voila you have a completely stock original T3-C.

When you get time to put a little DOT 3 brake fluid on the serial plate to lift the paint and retrieve the rest of the serial number be sure to add it to the Bantam T3-C web site data base. http://bantamt3c.com/

[wesk]

I moved this here under trailer because it fits better here and will get more trailer interested folks viewing it and it has already started it's conversion to a quasi M100 anyway.

[Balvar24]

Just something to think about.

The biggest handicap the M-series trailer has (to me) is it's solid rear panel. It makes it un-handy for every day use. I would use mine all the time, but it's too hard to shovel gravel out of the bottom of it. A tail gate on the rear would increase it's usefulness 10 fold.

[jbjeeps]

Good comments, thanks!

I plan to keep it civilian rather than try to convert it to military. At this point the only thing I intend to do is replace the wheels. At some point in the future I may trade off the military parts for the other civvy parts it needs.

Thanks for the DOT 3 tip! I tried lightly sanding but could quickly see that I could easily damage the info, so I quit.

Yes, I'll post info on the Bantam site shortly. I hope to get a good clear photo of the ID plate to include there.

[jbjeeps]

Here's the ID plate after some DOT 3 and very light steel wool. With a little imagination you can see "Model T3 - C - Serial 11629".

[wesk]

Nice job on saving the number. My civvy Bantam number was that light also.

The original Fulton 1 7/8" coupler is very difficult to find in used as removed condition. The new replacements are different in appearance and are 2".


This is my original Fulton 1 7/8" coupler.


This is the original internal parts.


This photo is from the Bantam Web Site and shows the only remaining kits that you can find but they are for a round trailer draw bar tube but I am sure you can flatten the two side straps and modify them to fit the square tube setup in the Bantam T3-C. These kits are out of production and not easy to find.

[jbjeeps]

Yes, the numbers are really light, whoever was running the hammer that day must have been tired!

Thanks for the pics of the Fulton. I'll keep my eyes open for one. But the lunette works for me for now.

I got an email reply back from Art at the Bantam site this morning so I'll send him my info to add to the database.

I've been reading about year of manufacture for these and I see that the factory info did not survive. Based on the other numbers I'm seeing I'm going to call mine a 1947.

[wesk]

If you elect to keep the lunette installation there are two simple options for converting to a conventional ball for use with your CJ5. There's an outfit selling a device that bolts inside the lunette's circle ring and has a standard coupler (2") and many folks cut the ring off a damaged lunette and weld a standard 2" coupler to the end.




http://www.crofttrailer.com/site/produc ... f4a9fa6644

[jbjeeps]

I would like to use the trailer with our other Jeeps. Thanks for the suggestion, that looks like a good solution.

I also found this on etrailer: http://www.etrailer.com/p-TR63011.html

Since the lunette is still in good shape I won't cut and weld. As you said, it could be good trading material.

[Balvar24]

Go hit the Local Harbor Freight. I got one of those dual hitch deals for $20.

[wesk]

Since the lunette is still in good shape I won't cut and weld. As you said, it could be good trading material.
_________________

No, my post above recommends using an old damaged lunette for welding up an adapter.

Harbor freight is ok for non-structural critical items but I know that $20 unit will be the old "Made in China Buffalo unit" and not what I want holding on to a half ton of rolling metal behind my jeep on the highway.

[jbjeeps]

No, my post above recommends using an old damaged lunette for welding up an adapter.

Harbor freight is ok for non-structural critical items but I know that $20 unit will be the old "Made in China Buffalo unit" and not what I want holding on to a half ton of rolling metal behind my jeep on the highway.

A damaged one. Understood.

The $20 price is tempting, and there's an H.F. about 5 miles from home, but, just might want to have some good chains on the trailer too!