cordenj

Earlier in this thread I raised the question about fuel pump priming after the truck has stood for a couple of weeks.

Following on from comments received (thanks Pete and Terry), I decided to fit an electric fuel pump to be used to pump up fuel before starting.

The C60s is still running all original 6v systems, and the only suitable 6v pump I could find was more than £100.

But I've already fitted a 12v high capacity leisure battery in a wooden box behind the left-hand step to run the Xenon warning beacon and sat-nav. Just charging it up from mains when necessary.

So found a 12v FACET pump on Ebay for £20 and have fitted it behind chassis by the 12v battery using a mounting plate and original holes in chassis. A toggle switch mounted on cab floor allows me to manually pump up fuel to start and then the engine runs on the normal diaphragm pump. I think an added advantage of this set up could be that if it gets fuel evaporation in hot conditions, can use pump to overcome the block.

This might be a possible more cost effective solution for others looking to fit an electric pump to 6v vehicle.

As John Corden has used a photo of my airborne trailer hitch I had better reply.

As you can see, it has been cut and repaired at sometime but the diameters of the original part are 5cm internal and 10.8cm external.

I think you mean 2" and 4 1/4".

Tom,

This is what I mean about the single rear light:

Take it your hitch was originally like this with smaller towing eye :

But it has been fitted with the MkII hitch at some stage, is is like this but still retaining the extra handles welded to chassis spine:

Hi, a few questions to all you trailer buffs. I have recently acquired a WW2 10cwt lightweight trailer to tow behind my Airborne Jeep. It was originally fitted with the early type hitch with the arms attached to the chassis, but has been retrofitted with the later hitch (but with smaller towing eye). My first question; is this designated a No1 Mk1 or is it just an early Mk2?

 

The second question; what lighting would the trailer have originally been fitted with during wartime service? Did they just have have the convoy light underneath, or did they also have the MT tail lights? The brackets were evidently there at one time, but have been cut off. Just working out whether or not to weld brackets back on.

 

Third and final question; can anyone tell me what tools etc went in the brackets inside the tub? A tyre repair kit fits nicely in one of them, but not sure what the other brackets are for.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom.

Hi Tom,

Sounds like an interesting trailer. Re your questions:

1. It would have started as a "No1 Mk1" with the arms welded to the chassis spine and have a "barrel" style hitch and small towing eye.

It's a guess, but I would say that sometime later it has had the later hitch added, maybe after being cast? What is surprising is that it has a the rarer small eye.

2. Lights: another topic for different views! My view is that in WWII it would have had the standard axle light and probably would have had a right hand rear light with red lens on a bracket on the body side

3. Tools. Attached photo below is one interpretation, but I have never seen a period photo:

ARP trailer?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/Dixon-Bate-DB-Vintage-Classic-Car-Trailer-1940-ARP-AFS-NFS-Wartime-WD-WW2-WWII/281698152818?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&_trksid=p2050601.c100103.m2451&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150422114059%26meid%3D2be2b0986a044ba4b0ee89f2643f2ffe%26pid%3D100103%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D281698152818%26clkid%3D6398762026073267528&_qi=RTM1889351

Looks more like the one in their 1937 catalogue:

ARP Trailer ad here:

(photos from http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk)

Well done Ian,

There are many of us who have been looking for these for years without success!

We just need to progress the solution with Richard B.

By the way, if you are going to leave them on the trailer have you covered them in "Smartwater" for security??:cool2:

Excellent work Simon.

And another trailer is saved!

Hi John I've loads more photos to upload yet including lots of you strangely.

 

Yes we did get home ok thanks & hope to be at Overlord next weekend.

 

Got a nice award

Good to hear she got you home. I little wet though?

Hi Ian,

Good photos. Did you get home ok and without any issues?

Well I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and hope you all come back again with more friends.

 

The weather was perfect for the week and I saw a lot of you out and about, however I did not have time to stop and chat to you all so I will say sorry now and hopefully I shall in the future, the ones I did chat to seemed to of had a great time and they were more than happy to let me look over there vehicles..and some very nice ones they were.

 

Once I have some time I shall get all the pics I have uploaded.

 

To give you some sense of scale on the green fleet side this is a pic just before we set off.

The weather was indeed perfect....except the diabolical crossing on the Wednesday:-X

Great aerial photo.

Thanks

And a few more:

Very nice CMP Ford that was driven up from Switzerland!

Typical fuel station over the Liberation weekend:

Castle Cornet and St Peter Port:

Return on Condor Ferry to Poole (a couple of vehicles from this forum):

Selection of photos from another fantastic trip organised brilliantly by Stuart, Paul and the GMVG. Thanks guys.

Part of the tour group on the Fortification day:

School visit in St. Peter Port:

Forming up at campsite on the Saturday for the Cavalcade:

St. Peter Port:

Exploring the typical Guernsey lanes....not for the larger vehicles:

As this is a Guernsey thread I'll post up some photos in a while, but as a start here is a long Youtube clip of the Cavalcade there on Saturday:

Hi John that's been asked many times before mate, I even had it asked again at the Abingdon Air & country show today.

This trailer is an easy/quick resto I think ? and I intend to fill it will Jerry cans & ammo box's for display.

Trailers: You know I like them. So many have been lost and scrapped, and it seems it is the great British farmer who has inadvertently saved them for the nation!

They are an interesting piece of military history (useful too).

See you in Guernsey

Hi Ian,

I was going to ask "how many trailers do you really need"......but stopped myself in time :blush::blush:

Think Andy Robertshaw (of WW1 trench fame) was one of those on the top deck!

Yes we do Tony, however I do believe we are not allowed.(that will be 2 large bags ready to go!)

 

cordenj thats a real shame, e-metal , black nasty and zip ties will fix it. Yes a jeep will squeeze through the lanes better.

Yes real shame but Paul is very understanding. You'd need some big zip ties for this though!:

Still I doubt there ever been one of these on Guernsey before. Rare, but not the impact of the Wrecker for the public:

Yes taking the Chevrolet C60 s Wrecker.

 

We went 5 years ago and we had a great time

 

Unfortunately the Chev has developed a steering problem that I'm not going to be able to fix for Wednesday. Disappointing :-(.

So plan to bring Jeep and one of the trailers....probably easier to drive around the narrow island roads

John,

The socket is not listed in the 1943 Vocab and I am wondering if they are in fact postwar and to feed brake lights, if fitted to the trailer (the term "Trailer Connector" would indicate it was on the vehicle). I recollect someone telling me they were fitted to the early Series 1 Land Rovers in army service.

 

regards, Richard

Hi Richard,

Providing power to brake lights would make sense. The WO ID List with the drawing of one is dated 1949. Did trailer brake lights starting to be fitted immediately post-war?

I've managed to find all N.O.S electrical fittings the same as the one's that I removed but I have no idea what the twin wiring connector does on the 'A' frame ? :confused: what's its purpose ?

Hi Ian,

I've never found one of the twin connectors on a trailer but have bought them NOS when I've seen them in the past.....as they looked to be similar design the the usual lightweight trailer single connectors.

One is pictured as "Trailer Connector Lucas Type WD/TCI" in the ID List W.O. Code No 5461, but I'm not sure why you'd want a twin socket connector that takes two sockets.

Perhaps Richard F will come along and explain.

Look forward to having a closer look at the trailer in Guernsey

Having discovered these bowsers tanks, in then took several months to find the farmer who owned them as he did not live near the site.

There then was a protracted period of several years trying to persuade him to part with them, even though they clearly had not been used for decades.

This was finally achieved last month and a friend and I drove to collect them with an enjoyable 80 mile round trip in our Jeeps and Airborne trailers.

As the bowser tanks were galvanised, they have survived remarkably well, but the pre-war truck chassis that they had been mounted on had rotted into the ground. I assume they were purchased at a surplus sale after the war and just used to take water for livestock.

Their location was so remote and overgrown, that anything larger than a Jeep would not have gained access without some significant arboricultural work.

Really just a story of patience and persistence paying off, and now both bowser tanks have been saved.

I'm pleased to say one is already with its new owner in the North of England who plans to mount it on an original Lightweight Water trailer chassis that he has but was missing its bowser tank.

So I hope we'll see another one of these unusual trailers at shows in the future.

P.s.: If anyone knows where there is a Metafilter looking a for a home.....please let me know

I restored one of these seldom seen small water treatment bowsers a few years ago. They were developed, along with a wide range of other specialist trailers, based on 10 cwt components for the Airborne divisions.

At least one was said to have been landed by glider on D-day and used to set up a water point on the River Orme at Benouville.

They consist of a 100 galvanised tank on a special mild steel chassis that utilises standard 10 cwt wheel. axle, hitch and brakes. Water filtration is by a Metafilter.

They are rare and only a handful are still known to exist. One other has been fully restored and a couple of others are in the process of rebuilds in Uk and the Netherlands.

So imagine my surprise five years ago, when walking in a remote part of West Sussex near Midhurst to find these in an overgrown corner of a field:

Hi John thanks, is the green correct ? it looks a bit darker than the photos show.

 

Are you camping with the organised group in Guernsey or doing your own thing ? I've only got 3 working days left to finish the trailer, dig the Morris C8 out of storage/test drive it and get the 16H back on the road all before the 3rd May.:sweat: [/quote

 

Who really knows what the "correct green is? I always feel that the R&R NW Europe green I use looks quite "green" (if that makes sense) and dark, but they are adamant its correct.

 

Do you paint in the early hours because:

1. The owners of the spray booth don't know.......; or

2. Its booked during the day and they let you have a special night rate?

 

Guernsey: yes camping and on the organised group. Went five years ago and very well organised and arranged by Paul Bourgaize.

 

Superb job Ian!

Like the colour, agree it is lighter than the green I use from R&R for NW Europe British.

See you in Guernsey?

Hi Ian,

Which period "Olive" drab are you going to use?