That is correct Tom the handle is spring loaded in the in position. Pulling out releases it, and it can be a pain to sometimes pull out due to the pressure of the trailer sitting on it. The casting is ramp shaped so that when dropping it to the down position, it automaticly pushes the pins in so that it can full drop in place without having to pull the handle back.

Dave....as I remember, many times pulling that handle was more than a pain

Nice detail shots....ah the memories come streaming back!!

Rounds Complete!!

Not to mention when the trailer has been sitting out in the weather for some time and you've got some RUST going on as well, as you can see from the picture!!!

Off topic a bit, but mine is a unique trailer in that it is not your standard M105, but rather a M51 Shelter Trailer. The base for it is basically a M105 with all the stuff added. Here's my sight about mine. http://www.davidallenracing.com/M51.htm

Hi fellas,
This is what I've done so far. An M105 Cargo trailer & an M149 Water trailer both from Perfectscalemodellbau in Germany. Hope you like:











I added 0.5mm brass wire in place of the resin kit parts as the kit parts would have broken very easily. Especially with my clumsy fingers!
Anyway, the trailers are now ready for painting & cargo. I will add the chains & air brake cables when I fix them to their prime movers.
Feed-back would be welcome, as always.
Joe.

Looks really good except one thing, the lunettes are facing the wrong direction. They should have the bend on the top so that they are higher otherwise you will have difficulties when trying to match the hieghts with the pintles on the trucks.

Hi Dave,
Yeah, I know, I messed up, didn't I?. I was following the pictures in the instruction manual & it wasn't until I'd finished & saw the photos on this thread that I'd realised I was wrong! I meant to mention this earlier but forgot!
I'll fix it by drilling & a piece of wire when I come to mount them on the M35A1's I've built. I'm glad you like them mate.
Joe.

And another thing. I've got this fuel trailer here by CMK. Can I use it for a Vietnam dio? Were these fuel trailers used during the Vietnam conflict? If so, is there anything I'll need to change or update? Like the wheels & tyres, for instance.





Cheers fellas. Your help is always appreciated.
Joe.

I found a response to a question about this exact trailer on another website. According to the posting, the reference manual TM 9-2800 dated 1 September 1943, indicates that the purpose of this trailer was for use by the Army Air Forces to transport fuel for aircraft refueling.

So, that leads to several questions:

Did these trailers stay in service after WW II or were they replaced by something else? I don't know, but they certainly could have still been in use somewhere during the Vietnam war.

Since this was an AAF trailer, does that mean ONLY the AAF had them during WWII? It SHOULD but anything is possible.

So does that mean all of these became USAF trailers? You would think so, but again anything is possible.

Were there any of these being used by the US Army in Vietnam? That's the interesting question. If there were, I would expect that perhaps they would have been in an Aviation unit, and not a ground unit. Our fuel trailers in Germany in the early 70's were not like this.


So absent any specific evidence such as a photo or a Table of Organization and Equipment which shows this trailer in a specific unit, I wouldn't expect to see a ground unit with this. But NEVER underestimate the "GI factor".

Hi Tom,
I'll keep that in mind. Although, the GI Factor sounds good right now! Do you think I should change the tyres?
Joe.

I'm thinking not. As I said, I don't know whether these were replaced in aviation units with something else or were still around, but if there were any in Vietnam, I figure they'd probably be just how they were in WW II.

The weight of 600 gal of gasoline is about 3750 lb, which is greater than 1 1/2 tons. They probably had dual wheels to accommodate for the added weight.

That said, my unit used 600 gal Tank and Pump units with two strapped into the back of a 5 ton truck and a third in the back of a standard M105 1 1/2 ton trailer, with single wheels, not dual.

I'd just leave it the way it is.

Hi Tom,
Okay, thanks for the advice. I'll post some pictures on here when its done.
I'm just finishing up my M49A2C & then I'll start on the trailer.
I was thinking of having the M49 pulling the trailer. What do you think? Would this vehicle combination be feasible?
Joe.

Another great question! Feasible, certainly, but I have no idea whether these two would have been allocated to the same unit at the same time. From a pure "accuracy" view point, the truck would have bumper numbers indicating which unit it belonged to. The actual configuration of the truck (A2 vs. A1 etc.) along with how it's painted would indicate time and place.

So did ANY unit with the M49A2C ever ALSO have this style of trailer? One thing for sure about the US Army. As sure as you say, "No, one was out of service before the other one showed up and they were never allocated to the same unit.", SOMEBODY is going to have been in a unit where they did!!!

I'd say if you like the way they look together, go for it. That's certainly ONE way to have people come out of the woodwork with more info

Tom

Tom,
I was thinking exactly the same way as you, brother! Hell, if I like the way they look together then that's what I'll do! I'll build them & then post some photos so somebody can say "Hey! That's wrong!"
I'm backdating the M49A2C with some earlier light fixtures & horizontal exhaust so it should fit into a Vietnam dio quite nicely. It's all part of my Convoy build.
I realised I did something stupid today! I built the entire chassis of the M49A2C only to discover that I'd used the wrong chassis members. You see, the kit comes with the standard M35A2 chassis & also vehicle specific ones for the M49A2C aswell. Well, I used the wrong ones! Not to worry, I have a spare M35 kit so I'll use the parts from there to build the correct chassis!
I'll keep you posted with how I get on.
Thanks anyway, for your help.
Joe.

Hummm...I can remember we had an M49A??? in service battery. At times they would draw a fuel tank trailer. Diesel in the M49 and Mogas in the trailer. Now...do I remember the trailer type...no, just remember both being used for Rearm and Refuel on tactical convoys.

So....as Tom said, give it a go!

Rounds Complete!!

Yeah, everything would depend on the type of unit, the specific MTO&E and the time period. I seem to recall the same set up with our tankers in SVC Battery. The two 600 Gal TPUs in the back of the 5 Ton were filled with Diesel, and the 600 Gal TPU in the M105 Trailer had MOGAS.


I figure that backdating the M49 with earlier lights and exhaust make it much more likely that the two would be together.

Looking forward to seeing the build. I've completed my M101 3/4 ton trailer and I'm closing in on the M561 Gama Goat and I'll be posting photos of those when I'm done.