M101 3/4 ton trailer

[alfio]

hello all

looking into building a trailer for camping and hauling. right now i'm mostly looking to military trailers and for my application, i'm seeing mostly M101s since m416s are waaaaay overpriced at the moment.

i'm concerned with the width because these trailers are about a foot wider than my would be tow vehicle (92' toyota). here's a link with the trailer specs. i've never towed anything wider than my vehicle and i'm not sure what that means in terms of highway handling / aerodynamics, etc.

also concerned because my truck has the 3VZE motor (otherwise known as 3.slow). is an m101 just too much trailer for my toyota? thanks

 

[roberto]

i just bought a M116A3 which is 7' wide which I plan on decreaing the width for it has very wide humvee tires which are coming off so therefore the fenders dont need to be that wide then. My cousin had bought an older 3/4 ton M101 and we were going to try and swap the axle and cut down as well. My M116 weighs 960lbs. These military trailers are built but are wide and tall.

R

 

[alfio]

i just bought a M116A3 which is 7' wide which I plan on decreaing the width for it has very wide humvee tires which are coming off so therefore the fenders dont need to be that wide then. My cousin had bought an older 3/4 ton M101 and we were going to try and swap the axle and cut down as well. My M116 weighs 960lbs. These military trailers are built but are wide and tall.

R

i hear you on the wide and tall bit, that's for sure. i actually like the fact that i could potentially use this thing to go get gravel and cement, etc. and not have to use my pickup bed. my concern is that it is going to be too much weight on my little truck, not only in terms of hauling it but more so when it comes to stopping. i guess i could get it and try to shed some weight off the tires and axles.

 

[tropics]

Hi, I have the same trailer with a 94 4Runner with the same 3.0slowwwww. it pulls it loaded, your not going to get any speeding tickets, just plan ahead for uphill grades. Stopping isnt a problem, also just plan ahead. I got rid of some of the weight of the trailer by changing out the axl and hubs, they weighed a ton. Its a great trailer, solid as heck! good luck.

 

[alfio]

Hi, I have the same trailer with a 94 4Runner with the same 3.0slowwwww. it pulls it loaded, your not going to get any speeding tickets, just plan ahead for uphill grades. Stopping isnt a problem, also just plan ahead. I got rid of some of the weight of the trailer by changing out the axl and hubs, they weighed a ton. Its a great trailer, solid as heck! good luck.

cool. what did you replace the axles with? do you have any pics of your setup or truck/trailer pics? thanks

 

[tropics]

I used a standard 3"axl tube and 6 on 5.5 hubs to match my Runner and tacoma. The shocks are Walker Evans units (overkill for the trailer) but they match the ones on the Taco. The pic has the Tacoma in it which has more power than the 4runner but the Runner maneuvers the trailer around easier since its smaller. I hope the pics attach, sorry, dont post much but do lurk a lot.

 

[panzer]

Aflio I also answered your post on mud but for the benefit of the Expo crowd.
Here is my work truck with a M101 attached.

In my opinion the US101 is too much for a toyota
(no offense to those that do it anyway)
I use a CDN101 behind my FZJ80 expo truck.

 

[alfio]

definitely too much trailer

i recently had an opportunity to rent a uhaul car hauler which roughly weighs about the same as the M101 3/4 ton and while the 3.0 3VZE managed remarkably well, it is definitely too much weight. my poor 3.0, if that wasn't enough i eventually used it haul a '91 2WD pickup in tow. trailer and pickup way heavier than my '92 4x4 but nevertheless the 3VZE soldiered on without a complaint.

anyway, there it is. i will probably end up doing something else because M416s are too small and completely fetishized beyond reasonable prices and the M101 is too big. i think i'm going to start me a trailer build thread one of these days...

 

[highlandercj-7]

I agree it's a bit much for a taco. If you got creative you could cut and section it to the size of a 416. It would be that hard to put it on a wicked diet.

Tropics that's one sick trailer axle. The cool part is there are spare parts for the truck if you need em out in the sticks.

Panzer, where was the pic taken of the 80/101? That's a sweet pic.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

Tropics that's one sick trailer axle. The cool part is there are spare parts for the truck if you need em out in the sticks.

I think you may have misunderstood him (or I did). It looks in the picture to be a standard, non-braked trailer axle, not some hybrid piece that uses truck parts. I think the shocks are the only thing that match the truck.

 

[highlandercj-7]

Yeah I was just refering to the shocks. Guess bad choice of words lol.

 

[jagular7]

I think the overall size is rather large, but for the capacity of such a trailer, why not lighten it up with a lighter frame, axle and suspension. You've replaced the axle and that is a great start. It looks like you also removed the parking brake capability. I know Dexter has axles with a parking brake.

The box should be heavy for sheetmetal but that keeps is rugged. Since the box is symmetrical, why not also cut it in half longitudinally. I'd make it the size of a camper top so that you can secure a top on it. Then reassemble and add a limited frame as the box can be its own frame.

 

[upcountry]

M101a2 replacement axle for 6 lug on 5.5

I just won a M101a2 on auction for $400. While waiting fr the EUC to clear, I wanted to start the weight trim plan. I am interested in your axle swap.

I have an 07 Taco TRD 4x4 4 door short bed with V6, TRD Supercharger, and 6 speed so weight should not be a problem.

Where did you get the axle from?

Did you also replace the leaf packs?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Mark Harley]

M101A2 build

I bought a M101A2 last month and plan on making it into a camping hauler for family outings.
It is a heavy trailer but My rig is a 2002 GMC 2500HD crew cab Sierra I pulled her home over 200 miles on the highway and other than aerodynamics I did not feel it back there.

I put her on a diet by removing the non working brake system, Lunette mount, lines, handles, cables, drums, backing plates, landing leg, safety chains and any other tabs or brackets not needed. This removed over 250 pounds.

The M116 frame under it is stout and built heavy as with the axle, springs and hubs.
I kept the original axle with the matching 8 on 6.5 bolt pattern so I would not need a spare.
I matched wheels to the truck.

Cleaned rewired painted and she looks great. The trailer is heavy but I am able to move it around the yard by myself.
I plan on making a hand dolly with a hitch to make it easier to move in the yard.

Keep us posted on the build. and show pictures.
Mark

 

[upcountry]

Nice setup. Now I have two nicely done retrofits to model mine from.

How did you re-work the hitch to eliminate the pintle setup in favor of the ball hitch?

Thank you for sharing!