1946 Bantam Trailer Build

[edwardvmassey]

Well, I got lucky and found a 1946 Bantam trailer for sale near my alma mater in Southwest VA. My buddies picked it up for me and brought it home amongst a flurry of approving stares from jealous men dreaming of their own classic trailer!! It was selling for $450 and given its incredibly good condition (basically rust free) and its lack of squeaking bearings, we pulled the trigger immediately and mobbed it back to Richmond as soon as possible.

Here she is!


The plan is to have this thing in perfect expedition order before our July 1 departure for the great west adventure. June 1 would be ideal as it would give us the opportunity to take it to Cape Lookout with the wives so that they can have a little bit of luxury on the beach.

As far as the planned work goes, here's the list:

1. Complete breakdown of tub and frame- sand blast, grind, and hammer down to bare metal everywhere. There are about 4 different layers of paint on this thing
2. Patching and or replacing of any metal that is in need of work
3. Straightening and reinforcing the tub with 1" square tubing as well as new hinges and latches for the tailgate
4. Gusseting the frame where necessary and extending/strengthening the tongue
5. Replacing axle (straight or torsion? comments welcome) and suspension to fit the matching wheel/tire combo
6. Building a hinged top to accommodate a rack with RTT
7. Tongue box w/ spare tire mounting point
8. Wiring for lighting and a couple outlets
9. Custom fenders, sliders, side-rails
10. Converting my old propane grill into an integrated expedition grill (with the infrared conversion! love it so much on my new grill)
11. Integrated bulk water storage option (frame tied tank or tank in the tub)
12..... OCD essential storage options for the tub so I dont lose my mind

For now, she sits (fitting perfectly I might add) in my storage unit waiting to be torn apart and built back up into a glorious ride.


I'm always looking for suggestions on the best way to attack this so please, comment on whatever you'd like as I can't get enough advice on this.
The first debate I'm having is whether or not to upgrade to a 3500# axle and leaf spring suspension with a spring-over or to just go for the torsion axles with a full width and 4-6" drop. All input is welcome!
Subscribe to stay posted on the progress and to chime in with your expertise. I'll update this as often as I can.

 

[OverlandKyle]

Ooh! Looking forward to this build

 

[BigOrca]

Sounds like you should buy those buddies lots of beer.

 

[edwardvmassey]

You don't feed the animals

 

[Robert Bills]

As far as the planned work goes, here's the list:

1. Complete breakdown of tub and frame- sand blast, grind, and hammer down to bare metal everywhere. There are about 4 different layers of paint on this thing

Unlike the M416 trailers where the tub can be unbolted from the frame, the tub of your T3-C is welded to the frame in several places. Separating the tub from the frame will not only be difficult, it is probably unnecessary. Consider media blasting to remove the old paint.

2. Patching and or replacing of any metal that is in need of work


3. Straightening and reinforcing the tub with 1" square tubing as well as new hinges and latches for the tailgate

On my T3-C I fabricated a flat top for the existing 1" round tube on the trailer tub by welding pieces of 2x3 rectangular tubing to a piece of 1"x2 1/2"x 3/16" flat stock. The 2x3 pieces slide into the stake pockets and are bolted in place; the flat stock rests on top of the 1" round tube. [Photos of my trailer at http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/showgallery.php?cat=924

4. Gusseting the frame where necessary and extending/strengthening the tongue

Here is what I did for lengthening the tongue:

And for strengthening the frame/adding a rear receiver for a bike rack:

5. Replacing axle (straight or torsion? comments welcome) and suspension to fit the matching wheel/tire combo

You can get a replacement axle from Dexter custom built with your lug pattern, with or without electric trailer brakes. As for springs, shackles, etc., replacements are the same as the front springs for the MB, GPW, CJ2 and CJ3 jeeps.

6. Building a hinged top to accommodate a rack with RTT.

If I were rebuilding my trailer today I would construct the frame of my "covered wagon" top from larger diameter tubing to carry the load of a RTT. I never liked the idea of a hinged lid with RTT because it limits the height of what one can carry inside the tub and it is difficult if not impossible to open the lid with the tent deployed.

7. Tongue box w/ spare tire mounting point

Check your tongue weight for a tongue box and spare tire in front. You may find that the tongue weight is too much if you have both.

8. Wiring for lighting and a couple outlets

I used a simple battery box with Group 27 battery for my 12v fridge and lights, charged by the tow vehicle alternator while en route. I had every intention of upgrading to something more sophisticated, but it been over 10 years and my rudimentary system is still working fine.

9. Custom fenders, sliders, side-rails

10. Converting my old propane grill into an integrated expedition grill (with the infrared conversion! love it so much on my new grill)

11. Integrated bulk water storage option (frame tied tank or tank in the tub)

Check out Ronco Plastic in Tustin CA for poly tanks. http://ronco-plastics.com/ The current online catalog doesn't show many of the options available. I looked for a tank to fit under the tub and over the axle, but couldn't find anything with the capacity I wanted. I eventually placed a Ronco 15 gal. tank inside the tub directly over the axle shaft. (Please excuse the rust on the threads of the filler neck, that has been taken care of.)

12..... OCD essential storage options for the tub so I dont lose my mind

My storage consists of an Action Packer 35 gal. storage chest with hinged lid [35 x 20-3/4 by 16-7/8 inches], Sears truck box on top of the water tank, Engel 12v Fridge, a hand made chuck box and 4 milk crates.

I'm always looking for suggestions on the best way to attack this so please, comment on whatever you'd like as I can't get enough advice on this.

Hopefully these photos will give you some ideas.

 

[edwardvmassey]

Robert, how did you wire your alternator to charge your trailer battery? That is something I have been looking into as well as a solar charger

 

[Robert Bills]

I used a continuous duty solenoid. These write-ups explain better than I can:

http://www.doityourselfrv.com/bring-van-camper-life-add-batteries-solenoid-stealth-rv/

https://www.etrailer.com/question-64598.html

 

[jscusmcvet]

Nice find and great post by Robert. I am finally getting started on my own Bantam build and this topic came up just at the right time.

 

[edwardvmassey]

Small update: I took my trailer over to my buddy's to get a second opinion on how to strip this beast down and we both agree it's going to be a b^#$h... I got a rough quote to blast it for $450...might be worth it if I can por-15 it all over. Decisions decisions.

On a light note, I got the max coupler ordered, and I have the parts for a bulk water tank/running water set up. Should be pretty clutch!

As I move forward in planning, I'm slowly starting to realize just how big of an undertaking this thing is...

Looking for a bit of advice here: Since I am putting a top on the trailer, I want to reinforce the tub. I'm going to reinforce the lip perimeter, but is it necessary to do vertical supports? I was thinking of doing 4 verticals (1 per corner) that follow the contour of the tub and maybe one centered on either side. Does that seem like overkill with 1" tubing?

Thanks boys.

 

[razorsharp]

Depends on the amount of weight your going to place on the top of those supports. If your not going to carry much then one on each corner should do just fine.


Nice find