M-5 Bomb Trailer Restoration

[Second Air Force]

Mark,

I started surfing G503 as soon as I knew the trailer was going to be assigned to us to restore. The Yankee trailer thread has already helped me a lot along with Taigh Ramey and his group. Thanks for the heads-up nevertheless! Here are a couple of links: http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.ph ... sc&start=0
http://www.twinbeech.com/
There are some photos of the trailer in the Stockton Field Aviation Museum section and the rest of the site is worth hours of reading and viewing.

Oh, it's best if one doesn't try to air up a tire that has been sitting flat for twenty years, not to mention that the tire is over sixty years old:



Scott

[b29flteng]

You mean some fix-a-flat didn't work?

[Holedigger]

Hopefully no-one was hurt when it blew! Those heavy duty take a lot of pressure and when they go, you don't want to be there!

[muddyboots]

i doubt that one took anywhere near the pressure it was designed for before it blew...

[Second Air Force]

I had maybe 10 pounds in the thing when the sidewall gave way and the tube popped out. My original plan had been to inflate it just enough to expel any water that was still in the casing. It worked---all the rancid water ended up on me. The other tire is holding air just fine, so I'm batting .500. Holedigger is right about truck tires making a mess when they cut loose. We used to do lots of truck tire repairs/changes at a shop I worked at (1970s), and we didn't use a safety cage until a ring popped off and hit the ceiling fifteen feet above us. We built a cage and bolted it to the floor that afternoon.

[N3Njeff]

Glad to see some military vehicle stuff come on here. I too mess with the stuff.



"there like lays potato chips, you cant have just one!!!"

[Second Air Force]

Gee, Jeff--

I guess I should have "vehicle envy"! My little trailer looks pretty puny next to your big tractor. I have a technical question: what are you using for paint? I have done some researching and will probably have to use a semi-gloss OD as our trailer will be sitting outside quite a bit of the time. I read somewhere that dead-flat OD is somewhat porous and allows moisture to wick underneath.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

[mustangdriver]

This is cool. These are very important piece of history as well.

[N3Njeff]

Gee, Jeff--

I guess I should have "vehicle envy"! My little trailer looks pretty puny next to your big tractor. I have a technical question: what are you using for paint? I have done some researching and will probably have to use a semi-gloss OD as our trailer will be sitting outside quite a bit of the time. I read somewhere that dead-flat OD is somewhat porous and allows moisture to wick underneath.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

The paint MFG is Gillespie Coatings, Paint it the WW2 color, there are many dealers and is usually about 25.00 for a gal. I can send you the info on where to get it and when you get ready for your markings, let me know. I think dad still has the tech manuals for the markings and that trailer is listed. I can also refer you to a guy who makes stencils, I get all of mine through him.
We also helped eric with the markings on his rockets on the Skyraider.

Think about this. If you make your trailer to move people, why not make the seats removeable so later on you can put bombs on it sometime in the future. Would be sad to have that converted perminantly.

[N3Njeff]

This is cool. These are very important piece of history as well.

Yes they are!!!! I am a associate member of the Vietnam Veterans Assn and the Army Transportation Association Vietnam. (I am only 37 yrs old).

I have been to 5 reunions sofar and chat very often to all vietnam vets! Eventually some day I will have a museum building built where I will display all of my stuff, until then I am just online.

http://linehaulrvn.tripod.com

[N3Njeff]

This is cool. These are very important piece of history as well.

Yes they are!!!! I am a associate member of the Vietnam Veterans Assn and the Army Transportation Association Vietnam. (I am only 37 yrs old).

I have been to 5 reunions sofar and chat very often to all vietnam vets! Eventually some day I will have a museum building built where I will display all of my stuff, until then I am just online.

http://linehaulrvn.tripod.com

One of the things I cant stand to hear someone say. "Nobody wants to hear what I did, I did not fly airplanes or be a hero, I just drove a truck."

[Second Air Force]

I appreciate the info Jeff. Gillespie was the paint company I was leaning toward from the earlier research I did. I'll PM you soon about the stencil information. We're fortunate to have the equipment number to make a direct copy of but the rest of the stenciling has deteriorated completely.

As to your idea about the seats, I'm planning to make runners that fasten to the deck planking in the same position that the bomb rails/holders normally go. That way we can pull up the seats and put the bomb rails on to have a complete trailer without any extraneous brackets or mountings. The scheme is to be able to convert to/from one configuration to the other in just a matter of minutes.

Thanks for preserving the military vehicles--my dad was in a maintenance battalion with the 1st Armored Division from North Africa to the end of the war in the Po Valley. I don't know why I never got as interested in the fighting vehicles as I did aircraft, but I imagine dad would smile looking at all the equipment being restored and preserved.

Scott

[N3Njeff]

I appreciate the info Jeff. Gillespie was the paint company I was leaning toward from the earlier research I did. I'll PM you soon about the stencil information. We're fortunate to have the equipment number to make a direct copy of but the rest of the stenciling has deteriorated completely.

As to your idea about the seats, I'm planning to make runners that fasten to the deck planking in the same position that the bomb rails/holders normally go. That way we can pull up the seats and put the bomb rails on to have a complete trailer without any extraneous brackets or mountings. The scheme is to be able to convert to/from one configuration to the other in just a matter of minutes.

Thanks for preserving the military vehicles--my dad was in a maintenance battalion with the 1st Armored Division from North Africa to the end of the war in the Po Valley. I don't know why I never got as interested in the fighting vehicles as I did aircraft, but I imagine dad would smile looking at all the equipment being restored and preserved.

Scott

With gillespie paint, you will be allright. I dont know about that porus paint in OD. Off hand, I dont know the WW2 paint chip. I do know you dont want the late WW2 semigloss. My M37 is painted with that.
When your ready for primer, dont cheap out there. PPG made a really good 2 part epoxy primer back in the 90's but I have not worked with that since then. I will say this tho. On my trucks, I use Rustolium Rusty Metal Primer. Get a bunch of that and put on a REALLY GOOD COAT and you will be fine. All my trucks stay outdoors 5 months of that covered with snow. I think you will be ok, the worst you might get out of Texas is a fade in the paint a bit sooner. That I am told will cure a touch of hardner but I have never done it myself.

WHAT EVER YOU DO....................DONT USE AVEROE PAINT!!!!! It will turn a chalky white within 2 yrs and it will look like HELL.

[Second Air Force]

Well, I got one of the stinking brakes disassembled. I started by loosening up the drum from the shoes by using a rivet gun, brass drift, and finally a BFH. Then I pulled the outer wheel bearing out so the assembly could be tipped from side to side. Finally I was able to get a prybar between the backing plate and drum and work it off the shoes. Mud-daubers had made nests at each of the four vent/inspection holes in the drum and it was full of rust, dirt, and spiderwebs.




One down, one to go--then on to breaking down those truck wheels.

Scott

[mustangdriver]

It is amazing to hear veterans say that what they did is no big deal. Many of them really think that.