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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: PWE on August 10, 2018, 04:20:41 PM

Title: Army trailers
Post by: PWE on August 10, 2018, 04:20:41 PM
I am sure that this topic was discussed before.
Can someone (again) explain to me how the online auction of these 750kg trailers work.
1) can you hook them up and tow them from the yard or do you need to it them on a trailer and get them roadworthy before you can toe them on the road
2) they have NATO hitch, so how do you tow them from the yard if Point 1 is possible
3) what is the biggest tyre you can fit? 285/75 16? Want to match Landcruiser tyres with trailer
4) are they any good
Any other questions i’ve Missed?

Thanks in advance
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Cruiser 105Tvan on August 10, 2018, 06:10:06 PM
You can get a pintle hook fitted to a 50mm insert that's used in the Hayman Reece Towbar.

https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Car-Truck-Tow-Pintle-Hooks/33653/bn_71620101 (https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Car-Truck-Tow-Pintle-Hooks/33653/bn_71620101)

You'd need a Light (Stop, tail, blinkers) board on a lead, because the Army plugs are different to most stuff on Civvie Street.
Probably need a Permit for Rego, if it wasn't towed up on a truck/another trailer.
Probably Land Rover bolt pattern hubs too.

Match to a Cruiser, new wheels and probably new hubs too.
They're not that big either, but high off the ground.......

Otherwise 'simples'.
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: vern on August 10, 2018, 06:11:38 PM
Go onto the landrover perentie facebook page there and ask, you will get every possible answer you need

https://www.facebook.com/groups/794864013896940/

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Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Craig Tomkinson on August 11, 2018, 02:45:40 PM
Hi PWE,  You can buy a a tongue that goes into the hayman reese towbar that suits the army ring I think if you buy off the maker around 150 to $200,  I would of thought seeing they have no brakes and under 750kg tare, you could get the paper work from MR for new rego on a trailer up 750kg and do a self assessment and fill it out and sign it, as long as it had working lights you could tow it home to work on it with your 4wd and its covered buy the tubs insurance , but check to make shore, But other than that hire a trailer to take with you and put it on that to bring it home, I bought one years ago and converted the parallel landrover bearings in there hubs, to 75 series Toyota hubs just got an engineer to spin up a shim for the back bearing and think the front bearing was the same, you would have to check though, I had 750 x 16 on spilt rims on mine, They have the same wheel base as a HJ 75 if you towed with a 80 series wagon the wagon wheel base is 150mm a side wider, the axle is made out of tough stuff not mild as they can flex and go back to strait without bending I use to load 70 big split posts on my Trailer and tow it out the bush with a 4wd tractor it just loved it, the springs are 11 leaves I think, I towed mine around for years and never broke a leave but did a center bolt once, They are one strong trailer but the tow poll is a bit short on them, Craig   
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Cruiser 105Tvan on August 11, 2018, 06:31:01 PM
Agree with you Craig.

Be more than 200Kg. unladen, so will need to be Registered eventually, if you have same Rego. conditions as down here.
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Bird on August 11, 2018, 06:38:36 PM
I always thought these things were rooted when they were sold? I asked about em years back and everyone said dont bother... ???
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Cruiser 105Tvan on August 11, 2018, 06:45:02 PM
I always thought these things were rooted when they were sold? I asked about em years back and everyone said dont bother... ???

Won't matter seeing as he intends replacing the bearings and hubs to suit the tow vehicle. 
May even be coil sprung nowadays.
Just have to check and make sure underneath it, there's no problems.
Most Army stuff nowadays is described fairly prior to Auction/Sale.
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Hoyks on August 11, 2018, 07:03:27 PM
I always thought these things were rooted when they were sold? I asked about em years back and everyone said dont bother... ???

They used to mainly sell the ones that were considered to be beyond economic repair.

The Army got a bunch of $$ to replace basically all of its land transport with updated gear (Project Land 121). Some of it dated back to before Vietnam and was well over due, some of it is only around 10 years old.

Most of the gear being sold now has been serviced every 6 months whether it needed it or not. Trailers get a bearing repack regardless of if they have been across the country or only across the road to the transport compound and sat there for 6 months.

They are stretching out the disposal, selling more gear online (they had a air deployable hospital a few months back) and spreading it around the country so they don't sell for nothing as would happen if lined up 1000 trailers at an Albury auction like they used to in the old days. The first dozen went for reasonable prices, but the market would quickly saturate and most were given away. Also saves $$ hauling everything down there, again like they used to, often costing more money than they sold for.  Overall a good result for taxpayers.
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: MattNQ on August 11, 2018, 11:58:37 PM
I was lucky enough to pick up
 one of the mid 90s Tactical trailers  made by Track with mc2 suspension and hydraulic override brakes about 7 years ago maybe.
I just got a permit and towed it home with no lights no dramas. Was just 15 Min across town though.
Bought a pintle hook type tongue that went in the receiver.  Still use that set up.
From memory mine had both NATO and a 7 pin connector.
The newer trailers are different now but should be just as bulletproof (well not literally I guess)

Never bothered changing the wheels.  Some Land Rover pattern with Whitworth nuts. Had to go to a truck parts store to find a wheel brace to fit.
Usually guards on all those army trailers have plenty of room for decent sized tyres.

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Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: PWE on August 18, 2018, 06:02:54 PM
How do you find out what the final bid was for these trailers
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: MattNQ on August 20, 2018, 06:45:43 AM
How do you find out what the final bid was for these trailers
I think the Manheim Fowles auctions used to publish the final bid online, because I remember looking at what the other trailers went for. Not sure about the other mobs.
If you know the lot numbers they might tell you?

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Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: bigfut on August 23, 2018, 07:17:39 PM
A haulmark pt1-1.2 is the best buy from the auctions at the moment. Going for about $1500. They are 450kg empty with a 1200kg atm 750kg payload. Hydraulic override brakes, but a cool design that is solenoid operated (brakes only operate if brake lights on so if reversing you don't have to jump out and lock then out like most override setups). Tyres are 31" ish but you could fit 35s in the guards if you wanted. I would think twice about changing the hubs as they are disc braked with a really good handbrake. They have rear drop down stabilisers already, galvanised chassis, aluminium floor and about $800 worth of hella Duraled tail lights and clearance lights. The pintle ring hitch has the standard hitch bolt pattern, so can be swapped out easily for a standard override coupling of your choice. The 12pin NATO plug can be chopped off, revealing your normal coloured wires, just connect the standard 5 wires and chop the rest down. I installed a new hitch and wired the light plug in the car park of grays online before towing it home. For the money you cant go wrong if you plan on a camper conversion. I just picked mine up and starting the build now.
Title: Re: Army trailers
Post by: Cruiser 105Tvan on August 23, 2018, 07:28:14 PM
Found this.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-vans-and-campers/133922-registering-ex-military-trailer.html (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/trailers-vans-and-campers/133922-registering-ex-military-trailer.html)