What should I plan to spend on an M101A2-3 trailer???

[Jevy]

Hey everyone,

I've been putting a RTT trailer together but am thinking about buying a M101A2 or 3 just for hauling bikes/kayaks etc. I don't like the idea of leaving my RTT at a boat dock while spending a day of kayaking. I'm thinking about just picking up one of these service the bearings and make the lights work. Just looking for thoughts of what I should expect to pay for them and is there really any significant difference between M101A1-2-3? Thanks.

 

[Mark Harley]

I paid $500.00 for mine.
If you go the Government Listed Auctions route you will find them cheaper.

I would only spend up to $800.00 for one that is titled from a local sale.

Look on SteelSoldiers.com there are several listed.

As for the A2 verses A3 the A3 will be higher in price due to the high centered axle.

 

[DonBeasley]

Mark is an expert on these as he has 2, if I am correct and has done some great work on them. If you are planning on pulling with a smaller vehicle I would especially follow his thread on stripping weight off of these things as they can be heavy to tow.

Military trailers can be addictive!!

 

[74CJ5]

As Mark said, Government Liquidations is a great place to get them on the cheap side, but I could never find any that were close enough to go pick up. I finally got lucky and won mine off of eBay for $315. They are usually listed for much more though. Again as Mark stated, I wouldn't go over $800 and it had better be in good shape at that price. Good luck on your hunt.

Oh, btw, that is exactly what I use mine for, bikes and a kayak. I have mine set up so I can put 5 mountain bikes in it.

 

[Jevy]

Thanks guys. I registered today with govliquidation so I will keep an eye out there and on steel soldiers. They pop up occasionally within a couple hundred miles on craigslist. I'll just keep an eye out. I'm not in a hurry at all.

 

[Pikeman]

I bought mine on Gov liquidators for $210 and had to drive 200 miles to pick it up. I literally hooked up checked air in the tires put a cheap set of tow lights on it and pulled it home. I stopped every once in a while to check bearing temperature. It pulled very nicely behind my 98 Toyota 4 Runner. It has been sitting in my garage as an unfinished project ever since. I can use it as is but have expedition style modifications and no money available to finish it.

 

[Scrapdaddy]

Do some reading on Steel Soldiers, in the trailer forum. The Government mixed and matched components on the M101. I have two M101 A2's with A3 axles under them. The A3 axle is wider and the tires stick out past the fenders. A3's have a crank up landing leg, which is nice when the trailer is loaded with weight. The axle is rated at one ton instead of 3/4 ton and is bumped up in the middle for better ground clearance. Good Luck hunting

 

[Jevy]

Thanks!!!!! I'm going to put a few WTB ads up on CL and Steel Soldiers to see if I can kick one loose in the next few months.

 

[onebowtiedguy]

Wow those are some great priced buys you guys scored. They have a cdn. military model trailer similar here. It seems I missed the boat so to speak there was quite a few sold via a surplus store 4 hours away from me back in 08/09 but hardly ever come up in the last few years unless someone has already started to customize it..... I keep searching.

 

[robertwalker2003]

I paid $750 for mine, but it was less than 20 miles round trip to pick it up.

 

[shogun]

Wow those are some great priced buys you guys scored. They have a cdn. military model trailer similar here. It seems I missed the boat so to speak there was quite a few sold via a surplus store 4 hours away from me back in 08/09 but hardly ever come up in the last few years unless someone has already started to customize it..... I keep searching.

Lets keep our terminology straight here;

A US M101 is a 3/4 ton trailer.

A US M416 is a 1/4 ton trailer.

A Cdn M101 is a similar copy of the US M416.

When 416s were easily available nobody wanted the M101. Now that 416s are difficult to find people are picking up the M101s. They also resorted to importing the CdnM101. Now those are drying up.

Soon folks will be buying M105s (which couldnt be given away 10 years ago).

 

[E Dr. P]

GL is usually the cheapest way, make sure you factor in the 10% premium and the cost of the sf-97 if your state requires a title. Also be prepared to fix some dents or replace some parts if the forklift operator decides to play smash-up derby with your trailer.

 

[Jevy]

I actually found one locally today. I am going to pick it up next week. Thanks guys!!!!

 

[74CJ5]

I actually found one locally today. I am going to pick it up next week. Thanks guys!!!!

Well that didn't take very long! Post up some pics once you get it.

 

[owlxxx]

I bought mine on Gov liquidators for $210 and had to drive 200 miles to pick it up. I literally hooked up checked air in the tires put a cheap set of tow lights on it and pulled it home. I stopped every once in a while to check bearing temperature. It pulled very nicely behind my 98 Toyota 4 Runner. It has been sitting in my garage as an unfinished project ever since. I can use it as is but have expedition style modifications and no money available to finish it.

I live about an hour from Barstow CA where they seem to have an abundance of m101a3 trailers. I've got a question, What is the E.C.U. that I need to fill out on the auction site? Basically, I would like to know how easy it was to acquire the trailer. The starting bids are 150.00 and on craigslist they are about 800-1500 so that is a substantial difference in price.