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British WW2 10 cwt GS Trailer


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Yes- they were welded, and the trailer had signs of the original rear rave welded on, though it had been removed and a removable tailgate contraption fitted, so I re-welded the mudguard supports back onto the new raves in the same locations, and patched up the additional holes that had been flame cut in the frame!

 

My third spare wheel sadly has been shot blast and turned to lace! (water must have been sitting in it for years!)

 

The trailer was a tender to a council steamroller that has been converetd to a traction engine- its an Allchin based somewhere near Dorset i think- NV100 is its registration, this has meant it has survived relatively intact underneath and has obviously been maintained once or twice in its life- though it is caked in tar, dirt and ashes!

 

Have painted the wheels and will have tyres refitted tomorrow, hopefully, ....and my friends Austin 10 leaves my garage giving me the space to reassemble!

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Hi Mike,

 

This page from my trailer restoration thread: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?27455-British-WWII-REME-Lightweight-Electrical-Repair-Trailer-Restoration-Project/page5

 

Covers bearings for similar 10 cwt lightweight trailer. I included Timken numbers there, but you will be able to see the hub design in photos, and that may help you to decide if the same as yours.

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Gents am I loosing the plot ?? mention is made of welding the RAVES I have always understood the RAVES are the horizontal "rails" fitted to vehicle bosies to increas load space as per the No1 trailer - indeed in the data book leaf it says the Canvas cover is such that the trailer may be loaded to 6 inches above the top RAVE - ???

 

thoughts

TED

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Not much can be told about your trailer without seeing some photos of it! The number by itself is not much help and the only comment I can make is that you appear to have the rare type of hitch seen in the manual I posted in an earlier thread. Your plate number is indeed near that of Sean's (with the same rare hitch) but Sean's trailer is proving a bit of a mystery - we need to see photos.

 

Thanks for the reply, since when I've remembered that I had some photos from way back before the restoration, so here they are:

 

2 Apr 09 - (T2a).jpg

2 Apr 09 - (T6a).jpg

 

To my untrained eye my trailer and from the photos in Sean's post #77, they do look to be the same. Hope that this helps someone throw some more light on the subject.

 

Cheers

 

Adrian

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Why, oh why does something have to come along and b******* up all our nice pre-conceived notions! Like Sean's trailer this appears to be a mortar trailer (mudguards, etc.) but with a rear drop down board and not the front drop down board as on a text book mortar trailer. Also it does not appear to be a bodge up but a professionally produced piece of kit. Were these converted after the war on a mortar trailer chassis by one company, possibly the one who produced the square type trailer hitch? This should keep us anoraks happy for some time.

Regarding raves, somebody used the term in an earlier post and sheep-like, I followed. I mean the metal uprights welded to the chassis, whatever their name is.

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Hi Tony thanks for your reply on Raves, while trying to get rid of my full size vehicles I have been back into my modelling over the winter and I have been trying to sort the different Marks and types of trailer; From somewhere in the very distant past in the RAF I had heard the term rave when I was putting "rails" onto the top of my box trailer to increase capacity, when I started delving into the data book entries and I found both the MK1 10cwt and the similarly constructed 15 cwt were described as rave sided bodies whereas the MK2 trailer with the thruppenny bit wings is described as truck type box body.

The MK1 trailer entry also talks about the canvas cover could accomadated loading 6 inches higher than the top Rave -- hence my conclusion ?

As to the description of the verticals on your trailer -I have heard - the corners are normally referred to as corner posts and the other verticals on the side as side angles ?

Sorry I have taken this thread off course - fantastic to see the work.

regards TED

Edited by ted angus
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[quote name=ted angus;

As to the description of the verticals on your trailer -I have heard - the corners are normally referred to as corner posts and the other verticals on the side as side angles ?

Sorry I have taken this thread off course - fantastic to see the work.

regards TED

 

I found this on-line - although you sometimes have to take such things with a pinch of salt - so perhaps it's both vertical stanchion and the boards that attach to it...................

 

rave (reɪv) n1. a vertical sidepiece on a wagon

 

[C16: modification of dialect rathe' date=' of uncertain origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

 

That aside, is it the case that when built, these trailers had no electrics - and that "fag-end" tail light, convoy light and the associated switch and junction box were only fitted later? I can see no evidence of any electrics on the factory record shots that I have. If fitted with electrics, did the trailer have the same sort of connector as the towing vehicle attached somewhere on the neck near to the lunette.

 

Thanks

 

sk

Edited by simon king
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Dictionary never thought right here goes : mine is a concise Oxford; as a noun - rail of cart;

in plural- permanent or removeable framework added to the sides of cart to increase capacity . which is just how the guy used the word when I wanted to put rails above my box body trailer. so adding Collins to Oxford I am even more convinced its the rails above the vertical sidepieces of the cart/wagon/trailer.

 

Ted

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Hi Mike and everyone,

 

Having just looked at your trailer pics ,it looks identical to mine, including the welded on wheel arch supports.

Let me know if it has 'Reynolds' cast into the the Hubs.

 

The Timken bearings on mine are the smaller outer bearing 09074 and larger inner 14125.The last number of the larger number is a bit indistinct but I'm pretty certain it is a 5.

 

I am just having my springs re-furbished at Brost Forge in London, they are also going to try to straighten the small cast brake ratchet lever, but with no guarantees it will make it!!

 

I am also still trying to source a replacement for the hub grease seals, new wheel nuts and a single wheel stud so if anyone can help please let me know!!!!

 

Re the discussion about trailer legs, Mike yours also appears to have the chain arrangement with split pin like mine, the holes in my one original leg are only just big enough for the large split pin. Maybe that was all there was as a safety device. The hole in the foot though is puzzling,any pics of it being used would be great.

 

Looking forward to the new cleats!

Cheers,

Sean

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The hole in the foot i think is no more than to stop water standing on it.

 

Could be, but I always use those holes on mine for a secondary safety chain and hook, to prevent the legs slipping down and striking the road in-transit.

 

I've had to fabricate most of the legs for my trailers, either because they were missing or those that were there were bent, so clearly they are vulnerable....

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I know its not a GS trailer, but hopefully this photo shows what I mean about "safety chains" for each leg. The hooks on end of each light chain locate into a hole drilled through the circular foot:

 

IMG_5765 (1024x768).jpg

 

The original 1949 WO code lists do show these extra safety chains (WO 6160 Plate L).

I always use them for legs that are not positively cross pinned with large split pin and chain in transit. i.e. where leg is held in upper position only by the standard cast clamp.

 

So why has the "FV" stamped leg referred to earlier have a horizontal hole for a cross pin (i.e. capable of being positively locked in raised position) AND a hole drilled into foot?

 

One explanation could be that the leg has both means of fixing in the upper position so as to be interchangeable between different trailers. I've never before seen a 10 cwt trailer leg stamped with an FV number, which makes me wonder if it was supplied as a spare part post-war......because the original was bent in use!

 

 

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External lip oil seals are available here - but you'll need to sell a kidney to pay for them......

 

http://www.vintagebearings.co.uk/

 

Even the cross-pinned tubes seem to have safety chains according to the diagram on this webpage

 

http://www.goatpark.force9.co.uk/tempsite/gstrailer.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by simon king
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Thanks for all the info, I concur with the bearing numbers- i managed to tease one off without damaging the oil seal, but i am now thinking with my perfectionist head on, should i sell a kidney to get the aforementioned seal?

 

So how big was the convoy plate on the axle, I presume it was painted white and not some other exotic colour, and .....would a trailer used in september 1944 have one or is it a post war luxury?

 

 

ps Ive found another definition for rave.....

 

Cambridge Online Dictionary/

 

rave:to speak in an uncontrolled way, usually because you are upset or angry, or because you are ill, e.g.

 

He's always raving (on) about the price of parts.

She was ranting and raving about him spending too much time in the garage.

 

 

I think this is the best description, and so I am now going to call the sticky up bits of metal on the trailer, "sticky up bits of metal on the trailer" to avoid doubt!

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Excellent!

 

More tin bashing for me! - But at least I know they were fitted- Thanks Simon!

 

I guess that means there had to be a lamp too......so yet more to do!

 

I recognise the brake drums and hubs too!

 

Mike

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Excellent!

 

More tin bashing for me! - But at least I know they were fitted- Thanks Simon!

 

I guess that means there had to be a lamp too......so yet more to do!

 

I recognise the brake drums and hubs too!

 

Mike

 

I fitted a convoy plate on my mortar trailer but only because I had a spare one. As there were apparently no electrics fitted I don't know if this would be correct.

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I fitted a convoy plate on my mortar trailer but only because I had a spare one. As there were apparently no electrics fitted I don't know if this would be correct.

 

It is odd that wartime photos seem to show a convoy light and a rear light fitted on the lightweight trailers but the GS/mortar trailer series appear to be devoid of any lights in the factory shots I have seen. Perhaps it was felt that the reflective T plate was sufficient.

 

Certainly lights had been fitted to mine at some time subsequently as the central of the three tabs on the cross-frame - for which nobody seems to know the purpose - had been removed to allow fitment of a plate carrying standard switch and junction box. Additionally some sort of receiving socket for the power lead from the towing vehicle had been bolted to the right side of the neck.

 

As the axles of the lightweight and GS/Mortar trailers shared the same cross-section it is perfectly possible that my example originated from a 10cwt lightweight or was postwar. I guess we'll never know.

 

Edit - looking again at the picture of the Royal Signals jeep towing a 10cwt GS trailer parked up at Pegasus Bridge as a Leyland Retriever crosses, it seems as if there might be an axle plate fitted to the trailer.

 

sk

Edited by simon king
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just measuring up for the timber and noticed the 1" thick floor planking was not tight between the 7/8 "side planking, but is an inch narrower overall. Is this normal to allow for swelling or just shrinkage from age? I am planning to use oak. Any advice appreciated.

Sean.

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Just measuring up for the timber and noticed the 1" thick floor planking was not tight between the 7/8 "side planking, but is an inch narrower overall. Is this normal to allow for swelling or just shrinkage from age? I am planning to use oak. Any advice appreciated.

Sean.

Probably shrinkage - I gave my timber dimensions many posts ago and the consensus was that ash was used, not oak but who would be able to tell after it is painted!!

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Just measuring up for the timber and noticed the 1" thick floor planking was not tight between the 7/8 "side planking, but is an inch narrower overall. Is this normal to allow for swelling or just shrinkage from age? I am planning to use oak. Any advice appreciated.

Sean.

Oak is acidic so use stainless or brass fixings

see here

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=fOwCGQnObxgC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=is+oak+timber+acidic&source=bl&ots=FDXDB4FN4C&sig=FNF2IyXHNfATpUL5q7207YGwdg8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=44ckU7LVDuPF0QXE3IHgDg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=is%20oak%20timber%20acidic&f=false

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From piecing together many threads I understand that the trailer was covered with a simple rectangular canvas tilt that allowed a 6" "overload" to be carried, ie the load could extend 6" above the sides of the trailer. This would make it around 7' by 5' assuming 6" either side, does anyone have actual dimensions of the tilt and spacing and size of the rope eyes? .....and any experience of anyone making one eg grade of canvas, colour etc?

 

Progress is good, latest photos of assembled frame, timber now well under way!

IMG_1785.jpg

IMG_1776.jpg

IMG_1787.jpg

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