AUSTRALIAN Jeep Trailer REGISTER and database - AUSTRALIANS PLEASE READ

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi All,

I have posted this here knowing that there is a large amount of Australians on this site and that they would probably be happy to participate.

During WW2, a variety of Australian manufacturers (automobile and not) produced trailers for the military. These were all locally designed and as the designs progressed, the pattern followed that more of the US 1/4 ton trailer- MBT/T3 etc. Some of these trailers survive, but what model, where, condition and how many is ANYONES guess.

I, along with another collector decided to start a trailer register and database of Australian jeep trailers- mainly to record data and survival of those trailers which were produced in limited numbers in Australia during WW2, but also any overseas variants which reside here and were used by the Australian Military.

Chuck Lutz from www.g503.com/forums maintains a register of the USA produced trailers around the world. The aim of this register is to make something similar to Chucks list for Australian produced or used trailers for everyone to easily access to complete and read (I did it this way as it means i do not need to continually update the register with data and it is accessible anywhere).


I have set up a 'google documents' survey which is then linked to an online database. By filling in the survey, data is then recorded on the online database for all to see. The survey is voluntary and you can contribute as little or as much information as you like.

THERE IS ONE RULE THOUGH: ONLY CONTRIBUTE INFORMATION FOR TRAILERS YOU OWN OR WHEN YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER TO SUPPLY THEIR INFORMATION. PLEASE DO NOT PUT SOMEONE ELSES PERSONAL INFO IF THEY DO NOT WANT IT PUT. I would hate to have this spoilt by annoying people who do not want to participate.


So, for those of us with WW2 jeep trailers (Australian or US made) IN AUSTRALIA, or who own an AUSTRALIAN jeep trailer, please feel free to fill in the survey and contirbute. Please note, i am not collecting this info for personal hoarding/use, i just thought it would be a good idea to start a trailer register for all to know what is out there.

The survey is running through the following website. Follow the links and you will see what has been done and you can do. Please pass on the link of the following website or the direct link to the survey to all those who you know with jeep trailers in Australia as only through word of mouth will this get out there and will it be as successful as i think it can be.

http://www.vintageengines.net/page11.htm


Cheers and thankyou. If there are any questions or suggestions, please contact me!

Ian.

[phoenix]

Sounds a bit like what REMLR does for land rovers, international trucks and No.5 trailers (and derivitaves).

Depending on how much depth you want to go into, the AWM still have the registration books noting all of the trailers used by australia.

The ones I find fascinating are the jeep trailers that were modified to use land rover hubs and wheels for the early land rovers.

I have one photo of such a jeep trailer on this page of REMLR. http://www.remlr.com/lrpr_raeme_ade.html

I have a couple more photos of them which I am yet to put online if you are interested in a workshop jeep trailer.

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Richard,

Thanks for that info. I didnt realise there was one for landies etc. I look at it from the point that there can never be too much information to share about!

I realise the AWM has the rego books with the trailers in them, however i am hoping to create a list of surving jeep trailers, not so much those which were here in the first place.

Intersting pic of the US made trailer there! I didnt realise the army modified them so much! Can you please put up the other trailer pics?

Thanks,
Ian.

[phoenix]

I'll dig them out tonight and post them up

REMLR kept track of survivors and spottings in the flesh and on e-bay before we had the registration numbers available, and finally transcribed. We are still doing the trailers though as there is a lot of them, some as late as in the 70's.

Richard

[phoenix]

Ok, I think these are all of the photos that I have. I also have a couple of studie workshop trucks set up. These photos are all from the same period of time as the page of photos I linked to on REMLR above. They were all done my ADE presumedly for appraisal before deciding on what would find army use. Some made it to regular use, others did not.

I have larger versions of all of these photos if anybody wants or needs copies. I will post these photos over a couple of posts.

[phoenix]

[phoenix]

[phoenix]

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Recorded for posterity.
Bob

[Ian Fawbert]

Thanks very much Richard!

Those are some great, detailed pics! Its interesting to note all the modifications and brackets put on the trailer to support the workshop equipment. There are pics on the AWM site of a USA trailer made into a mobile office during WW2 by Australian forces with a variety of brackets etc on it.

Do you know of any surviving examples of the USA trailer made into the workshop trailer as you have shown above?


Bob- thanks! Please pass the word around your contacts! When i get sorted i`ll send something out to all the clubs to put in magazines to get the word out even broader.

Cheers,
Ian.

[phoenix]

an, the one trailer in those photos may well have been the only one converted. the SWB workshop land rover in the photos we only know of 2 that were converted, and one that still exists.

THe photos appear to have been taken of prototype vehicles and trailers prepared by the ADE for approval. However I'd say that the later design land rover trailer was the one that was accepted because it was larger and more flexible than modifying existing trailers.

So it is quite possible that it was the only trailer that was modified. I think the ARN is the same in all of the photos.

[Ian Patrick]

Hi Richard and Ian,
The pictures above are all from a series of photos I acquired a few years ago (and scanned) showing the Series 2 Land Rover RAEME variants.

I can confirm that there was more than one US trailer modified as a mobile workshop as there are some other photos in the series that I have not yet scanned showing them in this configuration.

These trailers are; ARN 145 108, 150 238 & 152 880.

There is also an Aust No. 4 trailer in these photos converted to a workshop/stores trailer, ARN 143 542.

A friend of mine owns an FMH No. 4 trailer (I can't recall the serial number but will track it down to add to your register) that is fitted with Land Rover wheel adpater plates on the jeep wheel hubs.

I have a GMH No. 4 trailer, ARN 167 367 (same as the serial number), in restored condition so I'll add that to the register as well.

Cheers,
Ian

[phoenix]

Welcome to MLU Ian. I wasn't sure if you had more photos in that series or not, but it seems that there is!

[phoenix]

I knew that I had seen another photo. There is one on ANZAC Steel



with this caption

A number of Series 2 vehicles were converted to workshop vehicles, and these towed modified Jeep trailers which were fitted with a canopy and some workshops tools. This is a preserved vehicle, pictured at the RAEME Training Centre, Bandiana in 1986. At least one Series 2 short wheelbase workshop vehicle served in South Vietnam.

I don't know about the last line, but the rest seems legit. Also makes a further modified trailer to the list ian put up.

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Ian and Richard,

Welcome aboard too Ian! There can never be to many of us!

Thanks for clarrifying and expanding on the information about the modified trailers! Was the work done in terms of modifications, extended in to the fleet of trailers at the time or was it just limited to those 3/4? I`m guessing by your friends trailer in conjunction with what Richard said earlier, that modification was carried out to many more.

Also thanks for adding to the register/database!

Cheers,
Ian.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all

Last Sunday Ada and I did a 360km round trip resulting in obtaining this one. No idea of manufacture and date thereof. Original bucket less original floor, original wheels, axle, springs and hangers. Box section chassis rails gone with bucket sitting in farmers angle iron frame. Unsure at this stage whether original tow bar.

Bonus was we picked up 6kgs of freshly caught butterflied Coorong Mullet at $17/kg.

Ian, it is registered on the Register.

Bob

[phoenix]

mmm, I get a database error when I try and access those photos.

[firey]

For those who are interested here is a picture of the Series 2 workshop Land Rover that was mentioned in this thread. I picked it up a couple of months ago and it is unrestored original.......

Peter

[James Baxter]

Hi Ian,

Just to let you know that I have added details of my Australian Jeep trailer to your register. I bought it back in 1997 when i was living and working in Sydney, and shipped it back to the UK. I also bought a Ford GPW which was restored by Darcy Miller and which I also shipped to the UK. The trailer is undergoing restoration. The NSW WW2 Jeep club provided some very useful scale drawings of the front stand, which was missing from my trailer, and which allowed me to have a stand made up.

James

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi Bob and James.

Thanks for putting up the trailers you have gotten.

Jeff Gordon is currently working on an article which we can put up on the website to aid people in ID'ing their trailers. My guess Bob is that yours is a #4. I`m not sure if GMH or Ford as I cant see the tie down catches closely enough. From what i`ve seen, Ford are flat on the hook part and GMH is rounded type hook like you find on the hand hook used for lifting chaff bags. Jeff also says that there is a way of telling by the floor, but i havent seen a #4 GMH floor so i cant say!

The draw bar does not look original either- too long.


James- i have often wondered if any Australian trailers are overseas- guess that puts that one to bed! Thanks for adding you details.

Cheers,
Ian.

[James Baxter]

Hi Ian,

I've managed to work out what is the serial number on my trailer. being stamped on the data plate it is rather worn, I am now sure it is 1125. The data plate has Ford 1945. Does this serial number signify anything in particular?

James

[Ian Fawbert]

Hi James.

The number you found is the serial number of the trailer. I presume it is on a small rectangular plate on the rear panel.

Out of curiosity, FMC 1177 was on ebay here a while ago!

The number itself doesnt seem to signiy anything as far as i know. There might be records somewhere to do wit ford or trailer serial numbers, but if there are i dont know of them. The only thing you could provide would be an ARN- army rego number which, if the trailer hasnt been sandblasted, will still be somewhere. Mine is on the rear panel, bottom left hand side (when looking at it from the rear). If you give me this, next time i am at the war memorial in Canberra, i will look it up and send you the small bit of info on it- when sold, to who, (maybe even work orders carried out) etc.

Cheers,
Ian.

[James Baxter]

Ian,

Many thanks. I will carefuklly rub down the paint and see if I can find any trace of a number. I suspect, however that sometime in its past the trailer may have been shot blasted, so obliterating any trace of numbers. I will let you know what I find in due coure.

James

[James Baxter]

Hi Ian,

Can you advise me please? I would like to fit lights to my Aussie trailer. Up to now I have been using a trailer board, but it is a pain to keep attaching, and the thing never works properly. Hence my intention of installing fixed lights to the trailer. My question is: did Australian trailers have lights fitted? If so, were they the same as the US Bantam type lights or were they locally produced? If locally produced, is it possible to obtain any? Do you have any photos of Aussie trailers in service showing their lights.

Also, did they have reflectors? Again, if so were they the US type, or other. Where on the body were they fitted?

Sorry, that's rather more than one question!
Any advice gretefully received.
Many thanks
Cheers

James

[Jeff Gordon]

James, Aussie jeep trailers during WW2 were not fitted with lights, I fitted jeep lights to my type 4 the same way they are fitted to the American trailers. You could make the bracket or you may be able to buy them from Marathon, not sure.

The type 3 was the only ww2 Aussie jeep trailer to have reflectors and those varied from manufacture to manufacture but generally a lot smaller than jeep ones.

I hope this helps.
Cheers
Jeff

The front view! GMH type 4 serial No 214560

[James Baxter]

Jeff, many thanks for your response and advice, also the photos (my trailer is not is such good nick as yours!). Most helpful. I have been able to get the jeep trailer brackets so will mount the lights as you have done. I will not bother with reflectors. Thanks again for your advice.
Cheers
James

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Ian - these two very close to home. This first one has an owner.

Bob

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

This one I have had a frustrating 12 months trying to track down the owner.

Bob

[Jeff Gordon]

Hi Bob,
On first glance I thought the second one was a #3 or #3A
But it is actually a Willies trailer that someone has fitted square guards.
The number on the Nomenclature plate is it's ARN number.
Any chance of a photo underneath it?
It would be worth buying if the Axle and brakes are complete.
Cheers
Jeff

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Jeff - interesting information. So probably there were three Australian Jeep Trailer manufacturers, namely, GM, Ford and Willies. Attached is a side image which depicts, I think, the tow bar stand.

Bob