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Still in service with a California County Fire Dept. The Red/Grey paint may indicate that someone is fixing it up. All metal, so might be an early one. Gotta love the 4 Marble Reflectors.

That's how I found mine 20 years ago, it spent 40 unused years in a municipal airport hanger.

Hi Ranger...I was hoping to see a Data Plate but I'm not sure where it would of been. Nothing obvious. This one was very solid.

Mine has no sign of having had a data plate, no evidence of repairs or filler on the lower LH corner.

Wouldn't it have to have a data plate if it was a government purchase ?

Could the lack of same be explained by the maker selling surplus trailers that had been left over at the cancellation of gov contracts in 1945.

The war finished relatively suddenly after Hiroshima etc so there most likely were components left over that could be put together and sold off.

Is there any other plausible explanation???

Mine had AAF military markings from Dow Field under the top coat of Civil Defense Orange. It was equipped as a K-52 (PE-95) Trailer. The Spare Tire Bracket was removed and sold for $200.00 20 years ago
There has to be an explanation, but I will not dwell on it as I am content have one damn nice example of a clean Ben Hur. It was also undercoated at manufacture as were many units.
As far as Gov't Contract leftovers, am not sure if there would be leftovers to sell as the Gov't may have paid for all that were produced at the time they may have cancelled.

Hi All:

The all-steel ones were the early ones- wood came later as the US began to suffer steel shortages.

Vista52:

The data plate should have been in the lower right-hand corner (I am sure) as you face the front of the trailer looking to the rear; also there should be a publications plate next to it.

I found it very interesting that someone flipped the lunette/tongue casting upside-down. This makes it impossible to use the original landing wheel, but it lowers the hitch to a more manageable height for the ordinary modern vehicle.

To use this trailer with my stock-height Dodge Dakota, I need to raise the hitch point approximately 9" to achieve an approximately-level trailer, empty. I use an adapter I made for the 2" standard Class III hitch on my truck.

Additionally I have found that there was a serial number of some kind stamped into the right-hand tongue channel.

Nice find! Hope to see it saved and not sold to someone who will mess it up.

Please keep an eye on it- I would offer a trade of a good rim for a spare (if they don't have one) or $$$ for unbroken reflectors if the owner decides to upgrade to modern ones.

-Ken J

Just for you Ken!!

Thank you sir, may I have two more??!

I notice that these two have about half as many knobs as the ones on mine; and mine are called "NOBBY", as opposed to "KING BEE" or "FOTO-RAY"; so I have been screwing-up in looking only for FOTO-RAYs and not NOBBYs!!

Hmmmm... I wonder if both can be correct? The picture on page 6 of TM-883, "1-Ton, 2-Wheel Cargo and Water Trailers" shows a Foto-Ray, like the one above on Vista52's-pictured trailer, but mine has paint which is reminiscent of OD....

Do Ray Lamp Co. of Chicago made the Do Ray Nobby as well as the Tiger-Ey reflectors. There's some on Ebay now. They aren't as sought after or valuable as the King Bee FotoRays.

I seem to recall another 1-ton trailer on this forum had the Nobby reflectors - maybe one of the many makers used them as original fitment or maybe service replacements fitted by the Army.

Read about working at DoRay:

http://www.stephendavis.org/Temmie_Arnie.shtml

And I just gave away two boxed sets of Red Do-Rays as I did not like the looks.

Thanks, RANGER, give me the ol' "Ya shoulda said sumthin'!" treatment!!

Thanks, Robbo, for the heads-up; I'm watching that pair now, hope I'm not at work when it's time!

-Ken

I give away more good MV parts than most collectors are willing to invest in their restorations.

Yep, I've heard you're pretty generous. I still appreciate the correct oil filler cap for my 1/2 tonner!