Today started early, up a little after 4AM then off to Fort Hood in the rain and a 30-40MPH headwind. Left around 5:30, tanked up and grabbed some coffee at the 7-11.
Got there a little before 8:30. For those that need to pickup at Fort Hood you will enter on the north side off of Hwy 36. Coming south from Gatesville you will look for the MATES entrance on the west side, go west less than a mile and turn left on Park, go south 1/3 mile or so and a National Guard soldier will meet you at the yellow pipe gate and direct you from there. No security checks, no one ever asked for insurance, ID or registration. GL didn't need my paperwork until after I was hooked up and ready to go....just simply told them my lot number.
Mud. It was a sloppy mess.
Impossible to get to the trailer, or anything else for that matter. A NG soldier was basically delivering the trailer to you, on a cement pad, using a ginormous all terrain forklift.
Here's another guy's trailer being delivered:
And mine arriving.
The M101 is light enough to handle by hand if it's on jack, so I wheeled it around and dropped in to the pintle and raised the jack... boom, it's hooked up...kinda.
The 8" lift receiver and pintle hit it pretty close with a stock FJ. So after waiting for the GL guy to come over and me sign my paperwork I exited the gate where I was parked and pulled in to an unused entrance for another lot and proceeded to wire up my tow lights, fix my safety chains and give it all a once over.
Ok... here's some notes for future reference.
1. The magnetic 11.99 tow lights form Harbor Freight worked just fine. I had some 12" zip ties and small bungie cords that I used to route my wires and add some backup security to the lights just in case one wanted to eject itself from the trailer.
2. Zip ties, take a bag of 12" zip ties. I ran the wires in the bed and tied to the panels, posts and frame, leaving enough slack to turn of course. Used a couple of very small bungies to safe the lights.
If you position the lights as I did you can see them in the rear view mirror.
3. I bought 12" of 3/8" chain, some hooks and removable chain link. I ended up simply looping the chain through the loops on the hitch instead of using the hooks as it made things too long. I'll get a photo tomorrow so you can see what I'm saying.
4. Tires are like new but were at 15lbs. Since I was headed back north I stopped in Gatesville just a few miles down the road and bumped them up to 32lbs, they'll hold more. Checked the bearing temps on the grease caps using my laser thermometer, never over 73 degrees, it was in the mid 60's most of the day. I had a small compressor with me just in case.
5. Tools. All I ended up needing was my needle nose pliers to pull cotter keys from the hooks I had added to the chain and did't need and to clip a few zip ties. I took a little bit of everything including a 4 way to check my 7/8" lugs, which were very tight.... but you just never know.
Trailer had bows and tarp in the bed plus the side panels/gates, all in very good shape. Some surface rust not worth mentioning here and there but overall the trailer is in great shape.
I'm going to get started this weekend by pulling the side panels and storing the bows/tarp then measure the axle so I can order the 3500lb Dexter with electric brakes. I have wheels and tires that match what I have on my FJ. I'll be selling the stock axle, wheels/tires and surge brakes. I'll start tearing it down from there. Black frame, black along the bottom, white sides and black in the bed. Should match my FJ nicely.
And so it begins...
