Iltis and M101. Ready for Coe Hill

[Ed Storey]

Judging by the photographs that I have of this trailer type, the M101CDN2 was originally delivered in the NATO three-colour camouflage as seen in this image taken at CFB Kingston in 1994.



I am not sure when they were repainted to only Canadian green, but I also have images of these trailers in use in Bosnia in 2001 still sporting the NATO camouflage.



I have imagery from 2002 that shows these trailers now painted green only.



I cannot say if they were ever painted white for a UN mission and would be interested to see an image of one so painted. I believe though that, the M101CDN2 Iltis trailers were not painted in the Canadian three-colour camouflage although once again if someone can come up with an image that shows one in CF use so painted, I would be pleased to see it.

[servicepub (RIP)]

I bemoan the lack of photos of the CFR plate!

[rob love]

As I recall, the black "stitching" was an early recall to prevent premature rusting, from the water collecting under the re-enforcing panels. It well could have been in the instructions then to touch up the pain, which by that time would have been the single colour. The 28 that I bought were hardly used and none of them showed any signs of cam. They were in the serial ranges of between 250 or so up to about 750. I'll recheck mine for any signs of cam underneath the green, but I don't believe there was any color but green on them.

The LSVW came out at the same time as these trailers, and were in green only. The HLVW was built around 89/90 if I recall, and they were camo'd. Could be that the 101Cdn2 fell right on the border of the implementation, and the paint scheme was changed during production.

[rob love]

Yes, but my thought is that it may have been the paint scheme at the beginning of production, and dropped during production. I still have not gone to mine to see if there is any other colours under the green.

Thanks for the pics...unusual to see them cammed in this end of the country.

[Scott Bentley]

Not sure if the point came up here at all, but what I find more entertaining than wether the trailer was mono 383 Green or Nato Temperate 3 Colour Cam (I've also seen both), was that it was never painted to match the Vehicle that it was designed to be towed by....

[rob love]

By the late late 80s we were going to the NATO cam as opposed to the Cdn 3 colour cam. The M101Cdn2 was produced at the tail end of the NATO cam era while the Iltis was in the tail end of the 3 colour Cdn era. By the mid 90s, both would have been correct in the solid green. Not sure I ever saw an Iltis in solid green though.

[rob love]

The chrome rims and oversize tires are cool too. That one owuld have had a hub change I would assume.

I modified one over to a tailgate and painted it red for a customer. It was, when cutting out the tailgate, that I realized just how heavy these things were built. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to cut through the metal.

[Ed Storey]

Here is a photograph from 1996 of a green Iltis Light Cable Layer. I have another image of this vehicle taken a few years earlier when it was still in its factory applied camouflage.

[Scott Bentley]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

Here is a photograph from 1996 of a green Iltis Light Cable Layer. I have another image of this vehicle taken a few years earlier when it was still in its factory applied camouflage.

No doubt, there were more than a few Iltis out there that were mono 383 Green, but you have confirmed my memory Ed that most were either SEV's (TOW Iltis comes to mind) or had returned from a Roto Overseas, rather than a fleet wide mid-life painting scheme. My comment above was based on seat of the pants feel rather than historic fact

Scotty