Wire 3 Chorehorse mount

[Jordan Baker]

Hi all

I'm hoping to find some more information on the elusive Chorehorse mount as used on the C15a FFW Wire3 trucks.

I've only got a few photos showing this mounting bracket. The cover I believe is on a hinge to allow it to lift up towards the cab door. However the cover is also removable.

In the second picture I have highlighted a couple items. The red arrow points towards what I believe is the Chorehorse flexible exhaust pipe. My thought is that the exhaust would be routed closer to the trucks exhaust vs exhausting directly under the cab floor.

As for the green arrow, well I'm not really too sure what it points to. Other then it appears to be a small box like cover. Could it be a cover for a terminal junction connecting the Chorehorse to the radio batteries via the charging board?

Lastly here is my Chorehorse simply sitting on the cab step. This is the orientation that I believe to be correct. It allows for easy access to the pull start, control panel and gas and oil reservoirs. Yes the fuel fill plug sits out from the edge of the step, however as in the first picture there is a fair bit of overhang of the cover as well.

[charlie fitton]

Great photos Jordan..can"t wait to see the next bit...

I'f you can pick a nice afternoon, we can wire that up to work.

f

[Jordan Baker]

Is this setup truly that elusive?

[Eric R.]

Just finding info on the wire 3 trucks is hard. Not much info even here. Only a few threads.

There is supposed to be a restored truck in the communications museum in Kingston that I have to make a trip to document. Maybe see if they have that type of cover on that truck?

good luck and if you find it document here please so all can see it!

[Barry Churcher]

Jordan, I think it is elusive. I have never seen reference to it before. The only Chore Horses that I have seen mounted have had the canvas covers. Thanks to another MLU member I have this photo of a C15TA with a Chore Horse on each front fender with the canvas. These would not be as easy to start as yours.
Barry

[Jordan Baker]

Wow. That's a neat layout Barry. Thanks for sharing.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Barry Churcher

Jordan, I think it is elusive. I have never seen reference to it before. The only Chore Horses that I have seen mounted have had the canvas covers. Thanks to another MLU member I have this photo of a C15TA with a Chore Horse on each front fender with the canvas. These would not be as easy to start as yours.
Barry

Wow, what a rig!!! It will make all us wireless types...excited. Wall to wall radios, with a High Power No.19 on the left, a Canadian 52 set on the right and a No.5 Switchboard to make it all work. No wonder it needed two chorehorse.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Jordan, is your plan to make up your Chev as a full Wire-3? There is at least one wireless table kicking around out there that I've seen.

[Jordan Baker]

Yes that is the plan. Full wireless 3.

[Eric R.]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

Jordan, is your plan to make up your Chev as a full Wire-3? There is at least one wireless table kicking around out there that I've seen.

Are they reasonably available? I need one for my wire 3 too but if they are too rare I could try the fabrication route if someone had an original.

That along with the no 5 switch board are the two biggest things I don't have and that looks almost impossible to fabricate.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

I've only got a few photos showing this mounting bracket. The cover I believe is on a hinge to allow it to lift up towards the cab door. However the cover is also removable.

Do you think the cover is hinged? I agree it is removable but what looks like hinges may be reinforcing and ridges so the top of the cover acts as a step?

[charlie fitton]

Handle is on the fender side, so my guess would be that it lifts off. hinged open it would be in the way of the door.

the platform that the genny mounts on looks lower that the original step, and is lengthened to provide additional strength. that would imply that the cage could still be on it.

Agreed, the ridge could be to provide strength and a better grip for foot step.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Do you think the cover is hinged? I agree it is removable but what looks like hinges may be reinforcing and ridges so the top of the cover acts as a step?

Bruce, from what I have read on the HMVF forum, it's sister, the Bedford MWR, has a cover that hinges about 90 degrees and can than be removed. I presume the Wire3 uses the same method. Funny thing though is that the MWR has the chore horse on the right hand side fender....but it does indeed have ridges on the top of the cover so it can be used as a step.

Any manuals on operating the MWR floating around? They might give us a clue whether the Chore horse was used in situ or not.
Alex

[Jordan Baker]

Alex thanks for the clarification on the Bedford MWR cover. Yes I too believe that the wire3 cover was similar in concept to the British one. I still think that there is a hinge to allow the front portion of the cover to lift up and if needed the entire cover can pivot up 90 degrees and then lift off from the generator. In the first pictures I posted there is clearly a rib or rod along the length of the cover right at the top of the curve on the cover. In one picture you can see it doesn't go right to the edge. I think it is like a piano hinge. If it was just for strength it seems very undersized.

As for the cover rotating up to 90 degrees and then lifting off. I believe the raised up ridge that is just below the cab frame/floor is what allows for this. That would be an almost identical copy of the British cover.

A few have made mention of a cab step as the reasoning for the ribs. When I fitted my chorehorse on the step I tried to get into the cab pretending there was a cover/step ontop of the chorehorse. It was way to high to be practical. This is why I believe there is a foot step built into the cover/bracket. In my first pictures the green arrow points to a box or air filter. The open top "shelf" the that little box is in is what I believe to be the new cab step. It is at the same height as the original step. Place you right foot on it. Pull yourself up and put your left foot onto the cover then step into the cab.

Lowering the cab step was also mentioned. However I don't believe this was done nor needed. The chorehorse with out the cage fits fine on the cab step. It would have even more room if I had taken the cage base off from below the fuel tank. I still think the original cab step was left in place. I believe you can just make it out between the fender and the small mud flap in the pictures above.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

If you put your right foot on the small running board extension to the rear of the cover, then your left on the top of the cover I think that would get you inside the cab. My thinking that the ridges are for 'traction' is based on the number of them. If not for anti-slip or as reinforcing for a step, then what? I also think from the resolution of the pictures that if the top strip was a hing you'd make out a hint of the hinge sections. If it is hinged, then why isn't there a fastener on the door to hold it in the up position? If it isn't meant to be held in the up position, then why hing it in the first place? And then it would require one joint for a hinge and another for removal of the cover. My other question is whether the equipment in a FFW 15cwt was meant to be removed for use outside of the vehicle. FFW's were a replacement for HUW's and everything in an HUW (wireless table, seats, chorehorse) were 'quick release'. If that was similar for the FFW then the generator would have slid into place rather than being bolted to the running board.

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Alex thanks for the clarification on the Bedford MWR cover. Yes I too believe that the wire3 cover was similar in concept to the British one. I still think that there is a hinge to allow the front portion of the cover to lift up and if needed the entire cover can pivot up 90 degrees and then lift off from the generator. In the first pictures I posted there is clearly a rib or rod along the length of the cover right at the top of the curve on the cover. In one picture you can see it doesn't go right to the edge. I think it is like a piano hinge. If it was just for strength it seems very undersized.

As for the cover rotating up to 90 degrees and then lifting off. I believe the raised up ridge that is just below the cab frame/floor is what allows for this. That would be an almost identical copy of the British cover.

A few have made mention of a cab step as the reasoning for the ribs. When I fitted my chorehorse on the step I tried to get into the cab pretending there was a cover/step ontop of the chorehorse. It was way to high to be practical. This is why I believe there is a foot step built into the cover/bracket. In my first pictures the green arrow points to a box or air filter. The open top "shelf" the that little box is in is what I believe to be the new cab step. It is at the same height as the original step. Place you right foot on it. Pull yourself up and put your left foot onto the cover then step into the cab.

Lowering the cab step was also mentioned. However I don't believe this was done nor needed. The chorehorse with out the cage fits fine on the cab step. It would have even more room if I had taken the cage base off from below the fuel tank. I still think the original cab step was left in place. I believe you can just make it out between the fender and the small mud flap in the pictures above.