Possible M-416, what to look out for

[Faramir66103]

Hi All, I'm new here, and having a blast reading through back posts and trying to get up to speed. My end goal is to outfit my '99 Wrangler for extended road (and offroad) trips. Now onto my first (of many) series of questions.

I've found an M-416 that I may purchase. I've never bought a trailer, much less a former military vehicle. What do I need to ask the seller, and/or look for to make sure I don't end up in trouble? The trailer is located a state and a half away, and the seller will be sending me pics, which I'll post when I get, so any and all help/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam

Edit: Pics Added

Also, what would a ballpark going rate for a trailer like this be?

 

[socaljeeper]

Hello Adam, welcome to expo. I think the biggest problem I have seen with these trailers are how rusty and damaged they get. All these trailers have rust, some more than others. Most of the time the tub is damaged or the floor needs to be replaced because of rusted out holes. Also, I have seen people modify the stock lunette to a more common hitch set-up. I look forward to seeing some pics! Good luck!

 

[davegonz]

Condition of tub (rust, dents, etc.), condition of frame, and condition of wheel bearings and tires (especially critical if you are hauling it back home a long way). Some people like the fact that tailgates have been cut and some don't. I personally think a tailgate adds a ton of functionality.

 

[sseaman]

If you can find someone local to take a look it is always a plus.

 

[datoy]

The pintle hitch is one of the great advantages of this trailer. If you purchase this one you will post likely want to convert it back. With the original hitch, the trailer could roll with out causing a problem to the receiver of tow vehicle.

 

[Faramir66103]

Yep, I was a little disappointed when I saw the ball hitch. However, I'm seriously considering converting it to a Lock-N-Roll. It looks like that ball coupler is welded to the stub of a pintle, so perhaps I could have the Lock-N-Roll similarly attached and could swap between them. That way I could have the advantages of the off road hitch, but if my family needs to use it, it could be connected to their installed ball hitches.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

It actually doesn't look too bad at all to me. You may want to float way back to my thread whereever it is. They really clean up nicely when sand blasted as long as there isn't too much rot or banged up. Again looks like it has total potential to me. Price is a good one: anywhere from $200 to $800 is pretty reasonable I'd say. $200 being a sick deal, $600-800 being a pretty reasonable deal...

Also, the way it was modified is luckily pretty clean that it didn't mess with the original mounting system. It will also let the regular ball and tongue rotate (though you'll probably want to take it apart and clean it. My axle was actually totally functional, it had been through Canada to Kansas to Colorado before I got it. They are pretty strong with grease being the biggest issue.

The question is if you want to mod it and how much time you want to put into it. I would do leafs personally again, just super long ones off the back of a spent FJ60 Land Cruiser maybe (or something along these lines) or buck up for the AT independent arm kit.

Hope it helps! Andre

 

[Faramir66103]

Another option

Well folks, I've been looking for ages with no luck, and within 2 days find 2. So here the pics of the second option. It's closer to me, and seems to be in slightly better shape. I'm going to try to get better pics, but here's what I've got so far. Thoughts?

 

[Robert Bills]

Trailer #2 looks like a better candidate to me, even if it costs more.

 

[Faramir66103]

So, I'm pretty good at reading wiring diagrams and working with electrical stuff, but I've never worked on a 24 volt system. Aside from adapting/building a 4 pin intravehicular cable, what's necessary to convert a 24 volt trailer lighting system to 12 volts? Is it simply a matter of swapping out the 24 volt bulbs to 12 volt versions?

Thanks,
Adam