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Thread: US Military trailers

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NJ outside Philly
    Posts
    55

    Default US Military trailers

    Are there any US military trailers that are similar in size to the various Sankeys? Also what about wheel bolt pattern size?

    Thanks,

    Mark Douglas
    1993 RRC LWB 195K

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Mass.
    Posts
    1,796

    Default

    Wheel and bolt pattern? No you won't find a US trailer that matches a rover pattern. As for a comparable size trailer, I think you're either stuck with a 1\4 ton like an M416\M100 or move up to the bohemouth trailers towed behind a deuce. I've had a 1\4 ton US trailer. They are pretty decent, light but also relatively light duty. For what you would pay for a good example of an M416 now you're better off looking for a Sankey IMO.
    M416's went through the roof as soon as everyone wanted to start putting a tent on top of them.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Concord, Va
    Posts
    111

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by I Leak Oil View Post
    Wheel and bolt pattern? No you won't find a US trailer that matches a rover pattern. As for a comparable size trailer, I think you're either stuck with a 1\4 ton like an M416\M100 or move up to the bohemouth trailers towed behind a deuce. I've had a 1\4 ton US trailer. They are pretty decent, light but also relatively light duty. For what you would pay for a good example of an M416 now you're better off looking for a Sankey IMO.
    M416's went through the roof as soon as everyone wanted to start putting a tent on top of them.




    I think Sankeys are better trailers all round when compared to similar sized US military trailers.
    DividingCreekImports.com
    Tdi 130 Crew Cab x2
    110 V8 5 door

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Snooseville Corner, Oregon
    Posts
    23

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    I have an M416 military trailer that I cut off the spindles, welded on flanges and bolted on series Rover spindles with hubs. Same width as the Series Rover. Now the wheels are interchangeable so I carry one spare on the Rover. These are sweet trailers. True they are lighter but the Sankey is too heavy for the stock series anyway...........let alone stopping. A fold down tailgate was added to mine in the past. The military made these to float across streams and I have a picture of one with a guy standing up in one crossing a river with a small outboard on the back where the drop tailgate is. With parking brake and flip down stand a great trailer.
    Wayne

    1963 Series IIA 88, with 122,000 miles
    1984 D110, 3 door, 300Tdi, 127,000 miles

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    172

    Default here is my M416

    It has Rover wheels - thanks to an adaptor from US wheel adaptors...
    Attached Images Attached Images  
    1963 Series IIa 109" 5 door Safari top (SOLD to new home)
    1971 Series IIa 88" Soft top (SOLD to new home)
    1995 RRC - LWB
    2001 Discovery II SE7 (SOLD to new home)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Mass.
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    1,796

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Howsomever View Post
    True they are lighter but the Sankey is too heavy for the stock series anyway...........let alone stopping.
    Respectfully disagree with this. Unladen weight of a 3/4 ton narrow track is 788 lbs per the manual. Looking at shipping web sites people are estimating their M416's to be around 583 lbs., my old Bantam T3 weighed in at 550 lbs. Not a big difference. The sankey has service brakes as well as the hand brake to assist with stopping, US trailers have no service brakes.

    My understanding is that the sankey narrow track was designed to be pulled behind military series truck which for all intents and purposes of being able to tow, are nearly identical to a stock series truck.

    Now I've also thought of using rover spindles on the US trailer's axle. Looks like you could redrill the axle tube flange with the rover spindle bolt pattern and have a nice setup. Welding like you did it works too. Were you able to keep the parking brake functional with the rover parts? It looked to me like the US cam mechanism could be made to work on the rover shoes.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Plainview, TX
    Posts
    14

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    I think my little Willys (or Bantam) trailer is going to work great behind my 88. Needs some work, but not too bad for $100. Already has 750x16 mud tires on it and has worked great for hauling mulch, sand and other stuff around the house behind the RRC.
    1983 LR 110 soft-top
    1991 RRC
    1963 LR II-A 88"

  8. #8
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    Nov 2006
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    Mass.
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    Quote Originally Posted by charo63 View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Willys Trailer.jpg 
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ID:	6727
    That's a nice little trailer and you can't beat it for the price! It looks like an M100 given the grab handles and the a-frame gussetts being a radius instead of a birds mouth.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Plainview, TX
    Posts
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    I think you are correct. It's had a tailgate cut into it along the way, which makes it way more functional for my purposes. I think the tongue has been flipped over and of course the ring was cut off along the way and replaced with a farm hitch. That tire is the original military tire without the the tread - and it was holding air and made it all the way home like that. Tough tires! I got brand new bias ply mud grips at the same auction for $1 and they work great on this little rig. Now for a new floor....
    1983 LR 110 soft-top
    1991 RRC
    1963 LR II-A 88"

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Mass.
    Posts
    1,796

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    Quote Originally Posted by charo63 View Post
    I think you are correct. It's had a tailgate cut into it along the way, which makes it way more functional for my purposes. I think the tongue has been flipped over and of course the ring was cut off along the way and replaced with a farm hitch. That tire is the original military tire without the the tread - and it was holding air and made it all the way home like that. Tough tires! I got brand new bias ply mud grips at the same auction for $1 and they work great on this little rig. Now for a new floor....
    Yup, the lunette\landing leg casting is flipped upside down on that. Do you have the landing leg? If not they come up used now and then or a reproduction isn't that expensive. Looks like the parking brake handle is gone too. There's a company in Maine that makes reproduction floors as well as front and back panels. Let me know if you're interested in their contact info and I'll see if I can dig it up.

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