Aust. One Ton trailer info. required

[Ganmain Tony]

Firstly, thanks to the Richard C-S for starting this thread and to all you guys who contributed...

Answers a lot of questions I would have asked about the trailer below...

A couple I will ask... if you look closely at the first photo you will notice a curved pattern of bolts which attach the guards to the trailer.

Now...my anecdotal information is that all the humbers we received out here came with a british built trailer. The one Richard Farrant described earlier in this thread. The FV 2401 A

To bring them in line with the ones we built out here, the Brit built ones had their round guards removed and replaced with the square ones.

AND were re-plated to indicate they were an Australian No 1 Mk 1 Trailer

Righto - over to the experts. Is the above info correct?

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Hi Tony.
Bigger and heavier than they look in a photo are'nt they. Maybe the square guard was just a design change at begining of production, tinnies roll off the round ones.
My trailer has the same pattern of round gaurd bolts, but is plated as a Corio Air Eng. I have never actually heard of the Humbers coming into Aust. with trailers, had assumed they were all manufactured over here. We only got 145 (Give or take one) Humbers, and Mike Cecil says early on in the thread that the trailer order was probably 500.
Also waiting with interest......
Rich.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

Hi Tony.
Bigger and heavier than they look in a photo are'nt they. Maybe the square guard was just a design change at begining of production, tinnies roll off the round ones.
My trailer has the same pattern of round gaurd bolts, but is plated as a Corio Air Eng. I have never actually heard of the Humbers coming into Aust. with trailers, had assumed they were all manufactured over here. We only got 145 (Give or take one) Humbers, and Mike Cecil says early on in the thread that the trailer order was probably 500.
Also waiting with interest......
Rich.

Yes Rich - they are quite a good set up in my opinion... an important fighting modification were those guards.
Fancy spilling your tinnie whilst being shot at??? Not I for one

Incidentally, does yours have an ID plate at the front near the one I posted?

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Id plate around the corner from the one you posted is the Corio Air Engineers pty ltd plate, can't rember what else it reads.
Rich.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

Id plate around the corner from the one you posted is the Corio Air Engineers pty ltd plate, can't rember what else it reads.
Rich.

You havent by any chance got a photo of that plate Richard?

The one on the tailer I photographed has had its info buried under incalculable layers of paint.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally Posted by Ganmain Tony

A couple I will ask... if you look closely at the first photo you will notice a curved pattern of bolts which attach the guards to the trailer.

Now...my anecdotal information is that all the humbers we received out here came with a british built trailer. The one Richard Farrant described earlier in this thread. The FV 2401 A

To bring them in line with the ones we built out here, the Brit built ones had their round guards removed and replaced with the square ones.

AND were re-plated to indicate they were an Australian No 1 Mk 1 Trailer

Righto - over to the experts. Is the above info correct?

Hi Tony,
Interesting, since the first time I saw one, I thought it was a British one, as apart from the simple mudguards and different wheels, the rest is absolutely identical, down to the X pressings in the side and the drawbar components, not to forget the hubs.
regards, Richard

Edit:
Just looked at Mike Cecil's excellent book, Mud & Dust and see that Corio built the trailers to a British War Office design. Maybe they originally had the round mudguards and changed them later as they were close fitting around the tyre and could get damaged. This explains a lot.

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

I tried Tony, but the plate does not come up at all well, it is a much lighter plate than the other with less and lighter stamping, apart from manufacturer it just has the date and serial no. (all I can see any way)
Taking it to Corowa?
Rich.

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Hi Tony,
Interesting, since the first time I saw one, I thought it was a British one, as apart from the simple mudguards and different wheels, the rest is absolutely identical, down to the X pressings in the side and the drawbar components, not to forget the hubs.
regards, Richard

Edit:
Just looked at Mike Cecil's excellent book, Mud & Dust and see that Corio built the trailers to a British War Office design. Maybe they originally had the round mudguards and changed them later as they were close fitting around the tyre and could get damaged. This explains a lot.

Once again Richard your knowledge and helpful direction is invaluable. Great points, one's I had not considered...will investigate through Mike's book.

Actually hoping he gets back onto this thread..

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

I tried Tony, but the plate does not come up at all well, it is a much lighter plate than the other with less and lighter stamping, apart from manufacturer it just has the date and serial no. (all I can see any way)
Taking it to Corowa?
Rich.

Hopefully Rich, it needs a bit of work done, but we are fired up to do it.

Look forward to a yarn at Corowa and hopefully with more knowledge about these trailers...will it be blasphemy to tow it behind a Cab 12 Blitz?

[Mike Cecil]

Perhaps not blasphemy .... after all, both the Cab 12's horribly cramped cab and the Corio trailers 'over engineered' design owe their origins to British War Office 'thinking', albeit at different times.

Richard's comments about the mudguard are interesting: the Land Rover mudguard (series 2A for Aust Army) was developed as a result of trials experience with mud building up between the wheel and rounded mudguard, and the small space being too tight to clear out easily. Perhaps this is another instance of that?

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Dianna

I think it's a bit more complicated than just using a Pan Brake: the square guards require cutting the blank, punch the mounting holes, press the ribs in the top (using a die in a press), notch the fold points, fold and flatten raw edges, fold edges at right angles, fold guards and weld, most of which are manual operations. For 1000 plus guards (for 500 trailers plus spares/replacement parts) that's a lot of time/labour. I don't doubt that the set-up costs of large blanking, forming and trimming dies for a double-acting press are something to consider, but I'm just not sure that it is the main driving force behind the square versus round design in this case. Same for the thousands of Aust jeep trailers: I think the main driving force in all these cases was access/mud clearance, rather than the economics of pressed versus folded guards. The Aust Army already had considerable experience with the Bantam trailer before the Aust No.3 & 4 were designed, and it is probably the reason why the No.4 trailer guard was mounted even higher on the body than the No.3: to provide maximum clearance.

Mike C

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Tony, heaven forbid Corowa Should have a "Year of Everything Must Be Perfectly Correct".

In the same era the Austin Champ had the round front mudgaurds replaced with the square ones after the proto-type (Mudlark) stage. Unfortunatley the round guards on the back remain, they leave very little room around the wheel/tyre and could become mud bound quite easily.


Rich.

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

Tony, heaven forbid Corowa Should have a "Year of Everything Must Be Perfectly Correct".

Rich.

Great thread Rich. The above quote won't happen with me. I have a Corio trailer which I tow behind the White Scout Car. I modified the stud patten to 6 studs and fitted M3A1 wheels. That way I only have 1 spare wheel to worry about. The spare is mounted where the missing front box usually is. To balance the trailer more, I have fitted a jerry can holder on each side at the rear and across the tailgate is mounted the roller clamp which clamps to the roller at the front of the Ws/c and the ex-British 'A' frame. The 'A' frame mounts underneath at the back. We have had to be towed home about 3 times, so the clamp and 'A' frame are a necessary piece of equipment.

It is good to see that there are a few people planning to bring their trailer to Corowa. Get your entry in now,please, if you haven't entered yet.

Regards Rick.

[Mike Cecil]

'MGB'? ...

Mike C

[Richard Farrant]

What is interesting about Tony's trailer, is that the mounting holes for round guards (as the FV design) are present, see the photo on his post. Why were these mountings put in if the more angular guards were to be fitted from the start?
Has anyone got an original parts list or user manual? Might offer up a few clues.

[Mike Cecil]

So all you need now is the bridge! Or maybe that would be ....

'A Bridge Too Far' ..... (with apologies to C Ryan!)

Mike C

[Ganmain Tony]

"Year of Everything must be perfectly correct" thats got to get an award at Corowa...

Well done Mr Farrant - thats the angle I'm hoping we'll take on this thread..no pun intended.

Perhaps we should "guard" this topic carefully (pun intended)

[Monkey Man]

I just got a hold of one of these today, had the rounded bolt pattern for the square guards, still had the connector box, canvas stowage box lid, bows, rear extra tow hitch? and what's left of origonal? lights. My wheel and hub combination looks different to what any of you guys have.
It does have 2 brackets underneath it, flat steel with round holes in them, not sure what they are for, the reversing bypass for the brake is dead set simple, slip the little steel U shaped strap over and brakes are disables, slip it off and ointo the bracket on the side to store it. The Manufacture date is 21/10/59 (scratch makes it look like 69') and it's S/Nr is below 1000 as it is 1297 according to the chassis plate, manufacturers data plate says 0297 but Transport will want the chassis data plate info I should think....
It'll be behind my M37 (3/4 ton rated Dodge), it does tow ok but would probarbly tow better when I get some good tyres on the truck, anyone got any good 900-16's about the place?? (yes, it's a long shot but if you don't ask you never know.....)

[Monkey Man]

Wheel setup...

MM



Extra Tow Hitch (pin missing)

[Richard Coutts-Smith]

Nice Tony.
I have made up a reverse lock like you have shown, had no idea that it was how it was done originally. Wheel combo does look strange, as does the rear hook, not seen one like that before. Hopefully those that are in the know will chime in.
Rich.

[Euan McDonald]

Originally Posted by Richard Coutts-Smith

Nice Tony.
I have made up a reverse lock like you have shown, had no idea that it was how it was done originally. Wheel combo does look strange, as does the rear hook, not seen one like that before. Hopefully those that are in the know will chime in.
Rich.

Hi Richard,
I don’t claim to be Mr. know-it-all but mine has the same rear hitch that folds up out of the way and the hubs were the same before I machined the out off to fit Blitz 20” wheels to match the CGT. I have a spare A frame with pintle eye and brake back up block if any one needs one.

[Monkey Man]

Cool on machining the wheels, I'll just put some 8:25 tyres on there to drop it down a whisker so it runs more level to the Dodge, I could put 9:00-16's on with the spare budd rims I have but besides the fact it would take a lot of machining and stuffing about it'd mod the trailer too much and basically look like sh..
I got this trailer as it's a good fit to the M37 unlike my little 6'X4' trailer (that I can't even see in the mirrors) and it'll fit the military set up quad bike better, I had extended the back of the Dodge a bit do reverse turning rate is reduced but it just means I have to take a few more swings at it, does remind me that I really have to make an effort to make that steering lighter, I have noticed the "armstrong power steering" is getting a little lame with age

MM

[Mike Cecil]

Have just come across an image of a 'Corio' 1 ton trailer in use in South Vietnam. It has ROUND guards.

Can't post the image, sorry: you'll have to take my word for it.

Mike C

[Monkey Man]

G'day Mike, loooong time no chat, would you be able to e-mail me a copy please? Purely out of interest and I can host the pic to put on here if you wish. It'll be a couple of months before I can get the time to work on the trailer with the view of making it road registerable, can you tell me what the 2 brackets with a large hole and 4 smaller holes under the trailer for? (Cable, Storage tube, Mystery Bit!!)
I'll let you ponder where we spoke Mike, involved taking what I think was B2 for a spin though...

Best Regards - Tony Eagling

[Mike Cecil]

Tony,

My Bushmaster session at Monegeeta??

I'll PM you shortly.

Mike

[Monkey Man]

No, you bought it to Corowa in 2004 (year of the Dodge) and showed it to all, think it may have taken you a while to clean it after we had all been crawling all over it and I took a couple of ideas from it to use on my very modified Dodge M37(recent pic of it in the marsden matting thread) and I haven't changed my opinion on what I said to you, You DO have a seriously interesting and cool job

REgards - Tony Eagling

[phoenix]

You know it wasn't until MM said that he had bought one of these trailers that I realised that I had a parts book for them in the REMLR archive if anybody needs a copy.