Ww2 jeep trailer

[Little Jo]

Hi all

I now have my purchased WW2 Jeep trailer at home and I have started to do some work on her. I know it is an Australian Trailer as it has the square mudguards on it. Can any one help me with my restoration regarding the following:

1. Looking at photograph one of the trailer. Are there any obvious missing items on the trailer I need to be looking for.

2. On photograph two. I started to rub down and found the following number on the draw bar. Is this the serial number and if it is am I able to find out any history details regarding the number.

I propose painting the trailer in the same desert colours as my 1942 MB Jeep and will include the same TAC Plates on the rear of the trailer as on the Jeep.

Cheers

Tony

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

Your trailer is a 'Trailer, 8 Cwt, GS, (Aust) No.4' (or is it No.4 (Aust) ... I don't remember and am away from the office so cannot check just now). This was the last design of the Australian 'jeep' trailers built in Australia, and is easily recognisable by the high-mounted mudguards (the earlier No.3 trailer had the guards mounted up to the chine (change in angle) of the tub).

There should be a cast nomenclature plate on the rear, low down, which will indicate the manufacturer, type, and have a stamping with either the registartion number or manufacturer's number (depends on which company built it), but this is apparently missing from your, judging by the question you posted.

The 5 digit number shown in your image was not an allocated Aust Army registration number: it fits within the sequence, but the records show a set of numbers, including yours, that were not allocated and left blank in the register. Most No.4 trailers had 6 digit registration numbers beginning with '1', unless it was a trailer allocated to the RAAF, in which case the 6 digit number would begin with '2'.

There are plenty of nicely restored examples about, so you should have no trouble finding out details for your restoration.

Nice looking example, BTW.

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

I've checked and its 'Trailer, 2 wheel, 8 cwt, (Aust) No.4'. I'm also pretty sure the hand book included 'GS' in the nomenclature as well.

A couple of points: your image shows a flat plate and bracket inside the right hand front drawbar: this is for holding the 'spacer' insert for the towing eye when not in use. The towing eye on the No.4 was large enough to fit the pintle hook on CMPs and USMP vehicles, so to reduce the ring size for the jeep pintle hook, an insert spacer, consisting of an upper and lower half, bolted together, was inserted in to the towing ring. When not in use, the same connecting bolt was screwed into the hole in the flat plate shwon in your image, with the 'u' of the spacer against the short bracket visible on the flat plate, above the bolt hole.

The towing ring had a spring and collar arrangement, and was mounted within the draw bar (ie between the arms of the drawbar), rather than above it as on the No.3 and 3A trailer.

The original wheels for the No.4 trailer were Australian manufactured wheels, not two-piece 'jeep' wheels. Stud pattern was the same. Axle was tubular.

Mike C

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Tony,

I've checked and its 'Trailer, 2 wheel, 8 cwt, (Aust) No.4'. I'm also pretty sure the hand book included 'GS' in the nomenclature as well.

A couple of points: your image shows a flat plate and bracket inside the right hand front drawbar: this is for holding the 'spacer' insert for the towing eye when not in use. The towing eye on the No.4 was large enough to fit the pintle hook on CMPs and USMP vehicles, so to reduce the ring size for the jeep pintle hook, an insert spacer, consisting of an upper and lower half, bolted together, was inserted in to the towing ring. When not in use, the same connecting bolt was screwed into the hole in the flat plate shwon in your image, with the 'u' of the spacer against the short bracket visible on the flat plate, above the bolt hole.

The towing ring had a spring and collar arrangement, and was mounted within the draw bar (ie between the arms of the drawbar), rather than above it as on the No.3 and 3A trailer.

The original wheels for the No.4 trailer were Australian manufactured wheels, not two-piece 'jeep' wheels. Stud pattern was the same. Axle was tubular.

Mike C

Mike

Thank you for the updated information. Yes I am very happy with the trailer, it is in fantastic condition. I propose bringing it back to the original standard when it left the factory. It still has the cast nomenclature plate on the rear (see attached photo). The plate shows it as a Ford built No 4 trailer, however I can not find a number on the plate. I am now confused with the number 86586 on the draw bar. I also noted different colours of paint as I started to rub it back. I appreciate you finding time to bring me up to date.

Cheers

Tony

[Mike K]

Tony ,

It's a rare happening , but Jeep trailers have been known to flip over . A club member here was on his way to Corowa years ago, as he approached the crest of Mt Slide, up on the Melba Hwy, the trailer suddenly flipped over.. all of his camping gear was spread out on the road verge .

I witnessed it also. I was following a Jeep up to Barooga years ago and the trailer , without any warning, jumped up and almpost went over . The road was perfect , about 40mph speed. We stopped and checked it but nothing was found . It didn't do it again .

The pintle, I believe, can rotate 360 degrees ....

Mike

[Local Chap]

Originally Posted by Little Jo

Hi all

I propose painting the trailer in the same desert colours as my 1942 MB Jeep.

Cheers

Anthony (Tony) VAN RHODA
1942 MB Willys Jeep Restored
1942 Australian No. 4 Jeep Trailer

The plate on the trailer clearly shows a build date of 1945. The No4 trailers were far too late in the scheme of things to see service in North Africa, and I don't believe any of them were ever painted in Desert Colours. It would look nice to have a matching trailer and Jeep, but hardly an authentic restoration for 1945. I would just get rid of the star and leave it Green.

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Local Chap

The plate on the trailer clearly shows a build date of 1945. The No4 trailers were far too late in the scheme of things to see service in North Africa, and I don't believe any of them were ever painted in Desert Colours. It would look nice to have a matching trailer and Jeep, but hardly an authentic restoration for 1945. I would just get rid of the star and leave it Green.

Hi Local Chap

You are correct, 1945 was to late for the Desert Campaign. Food for thought.

Cheers

Tony

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

I can just see, from your image, the stamped serial number adjacent to the 'FMC' cast letters. Being a Ford, the serial may be something like 'JTXX', the last two being numerals. It seems to end in '2', but if you clear the paint off, it should become clearer. GMH appear to have stamped the actual ARN onto their plate, but Ford used their own production serial. 'JT' stands for 'Jeep Trailer', by the way!

The comment about desert yellow is right: far toooo late for an authentic restoration, but it's your trailer.

Mike C

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Tony,

I can just see, from your image, the stamped serial number adjacent to the 'FMC' cast letters. Being a Ford, the serial may be something like 'JTXX', the last two being numerals. It seems to end in '2', but if you clear the paint off, it should become clearer. GMH appear to have stamped the actual ARN onto their plate, but Ford used their own production serial. 'JT' stands for 'Jeep Trailer', by the way!

The comment about desert yellow is right: far toooo late for an authentic restoration, but it's your trailer.

Mike C

Hi Mike

Thanks for the information. I will start cleaning the plate and use the old magnifying glass to see what was stamped there.

Cheers

Tony

[Ryan]

Tony, it seems you have a problem.
If you leave it green you will please others but be unhappy yourself.
If you paint it desert colour you will please yourself but make others unhappy.

Solution...

Paint it pink with flowers then everyone will be in agreement......that it's bloody terrible!