Shakey Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Hi to all on board here! I am based down in Devon and have recently acquired an old 'farm trailer' that I converting into a living cabin. I knew nothing of the background on the unit but in doing some cleaning and priming have found the I.D. plate. From what I can make out he ID plate reads: "TRAILER CHASSIS, 5 TON, 4WHLD NO. 1 MK ? E.E. Cont. No. 23/5884 CHASSIS NO. 20088, W.D.No. Xo6867297" If anyone has any thoughts on what type of trailer this is I would be very interested. Another issue (and one I am sure many of you are familiar with...) it currently has four 10.50 x 13 tubed tyres, all of which are still holding air, but some are very perished. I cannot find a modern replacement for this size tyre so again, if anyone has info on this that would be great. I then just need to get the wheels/tyres off...?! Anyway I am very pleased to have found such a good forum. Festive wishes to all! Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Welcome Simon. Now what will you get to pull it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
private mw Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 hi welcome to the forum , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangie Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 You lucky sod, I've been looking for one of these trailers for years!! :argh: :-D Alec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 From what I can make out he ID plate reads: "TRAILER CHASSIS, 5 TON, 4WHLD NO. 1 MK ? E.E. Cont. No. 23/5884 CHASSIS NO. 20088, W.D.No. Xo6867297" Hi Simon, That was a GS (General Service) trailer, made by Eagle Engineering. A contract of 2,300 trailers yours is the 4th from last in the batch. The Census number, first figure should be a 5, making it X5867297. Hope that helps a little! regards, Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Hi Simon,That was a GS (General Service) trailer, made by Eagle Engineering. A contract of 2,300 trailers yours is the 4th from last in the batch. The Census number, first figure should be a 5, making it X5867297. What sort of age is it? Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Hi Simon,That was a GS (General Service) trailer, made by Eagle Engineering. A contract of 2,300 trailers yours is the 4th from last in the batch. The Census number, first figure should be a 5, making it X5867297. What sort of age is it? Tony Tony, At a guess from the number, 1944. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Tony, At a guess from the number, 1944. Thanks Richard! Interesting find. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakey Posted December 19, 2012 Author Share Posted December 19, 2012 Wow guys, that's fantastic! Was Eagle Engineering a UK manufacturer? That's amazing to think that since 1944 it has probably been knocking around the farm in Chesterfield where I stumbled across it. I had wondered if the leaf spring suspension suggested a later design than the wartime units (I saw some reference to 'torsion spring' suspension for wartime trailers...). Richard, I can see that the second digit of the Census number is in fact a '5' not an 'o'. Any thoughts on finding either replacement tyres or close modern equivalents? They are on 8-stud split rims. And as for pulling it Tony, I think the collected wisdom with these trailers is to push them from the front is it not (or better still not move them at all for fear of getting into a terrible mess!). Thanks everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Hi Simon, A British make, check this link; http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Eagle_Engineering_Co The torsion bar suspension types seem to be mainly RAF types from what I know of. My guess your trailer would have had drop sides, although could have been a flat platform. You might find an agricultural trailed implement tyre to fit, depends on load and speed rating, and how fast your towing vehicle is. I did have a new 10.50-13 once, they were fitted to Scammell Mechanical Horse amongst other uses. Hard to find now, I think you will find 900-13, but that may be too small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane.c Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 Welcome to HMVF, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakey Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 Thanks for all the replies! S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Bill Posted December 21, 2012 Share Posted December 21, 2012 Was Eagle Engineering a UK manufacturer? From that link to Graces Guide, you can see that Eagle Engineering was part of the Hestair group. Hestair also owned Dennis of Guildford and there was good business for Eagle fitting bodies, mainly refuse collection, onto Dennis chassis. When Trinity Holdings bought Dennis from Hestair they also bought Eagle and later, moved the lorry chassis business up to the Eagle site in Warwick where complete vehicles were then built. The business in Warwick, now trading as Dennis Eagle, was sold off immediately after the disasterous takeover of Trinity by Mayflower in around 2000. The dustcart business was eventually bought by a Spanish Company, Ros Roca, who continue to run it today, supplying more than half of the UK's refuse collection vehicles. You can still see a stylised eagle badge on the front of Dennis dust carts. Sadly, there was a big clear out a few years ago and a mountain of old records were disposed of but I will go and have a rummage after Christmas and see if anything has survived. Good luck with the trailer! Steve :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rangie Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 And as for pulling it Tony, I think the collected wisdom with these trailers is to push them from the front is it not? You are referring to reversing the buggers I think..... Many a time I have been rendered speechless after turning purple and roaring blue murder at whatever turntable/rose-jointed trailer/generator/compressor I had been trying to fit in/through a tight space/doorway!! :argh: Turn the tractor or landie around and shunt the bugger from the front pin, no bother!! Just a scutter turning around sometimes. Oh, and make sure all the wheelbearings are good and there is minimal slack in the pivot/turntable. They can get scary when they wear and start wildly zig-zagging behind at even relatively low speeds. No probs behind my tractor or '49 Bedford but definately behind the Rangie..... A painful journey I made a few years ago was to collect a steered 3-tonne compressor from a local village. It was 16 miles away, we decided to tow it under cover of darkness and also to avoid the major town. 3 hours, 28miles, 9-13mph, 2 toilet breaks and a cheese sandwich later we got the blasted thing back :angry It's going on a trailer the next time it needs shifted!!!!!! Alec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted December 22, 2012 Share Posted December 22, 2012 I've got a Brockhouse trailer which is nearly the same. Mines a Mk2 with leaf springs, the Mk1 had torsion bars both are wartime made. I have to sort tyres for mine as well, the wheels are the same on both yours and mine, 8 stud with 13 inch rims. The tyres will be a problem as 13 inch ones are not available now. Somebody mentioned agricultural wheels/tyres. 15.3 inch farm trailer wheels are widely available but they are only any good up to 25 mph max and the wheels are 6 stud. I'm going to use old 16 inch lorry wheels (Bedford, Ford D series, etc) from the 1980's. Most of these have 7.50-16 truck tyres which will take the weight and give you the speed (Land Rover type 7.50-16 tyres only take about 1,200 kg each). The stud pattern will be an issue but I've seen people who have had the centres of the wheels cut out and a new centre welded in with a 8 stud pattern made to suit, I've spoken to a local fabricator who is also into old trucks and he has done this a number of times. This will give you the option of 7.50, 8.25 or 9.00 16 tyres or modern radial sizes all of which are around the same rolling diameter as yours, will give you the weight (mine has a plate on it stating 6 tons) and give you more than 25 mph without getting very hot and blowing. Regarding reversing the trailer, totally agree with everything said, total nightmare !!! Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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