Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

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D.R.H.
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Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by D.R.H. » Sat Jan 13, 2018 3:07 pm

So I am now the recipient of my 3rd. Ben Hur Trailer. This one is of early war issue, having a Dec. 1942 delivery date. I suspect that it is one of these three variants; K-52 equipped with a PE-95 generator, K-63 equipped with a PE-99 generator, K-63A equipped with a PE-197 generator. Research on these trailers concludes that the general purpose cargo trailers did not have a spare tire carrier. This one does and there are evenly spaced holes in floor where a generator unit should be. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. I welcome any input that will provide further identification. Thanks for looking.

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I am thinking that there may have been the P.E. 95 Gen. here judging by the paint outline.
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Last edited by D.R.H. on Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:48 pm, edited 7 times in total.
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.


Hammerhead
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by Hammerhead » Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:24 pm

Nice find. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
1943 White M-3 Halftrack, 1944 CCKW 353, 1945 MB, 1944 Bantam T3,
1945 Ben-Hur 1-ton trailer, MVPA 12610, NRA Life Member

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:49 pm

Thanks Hammerhead and Your welcome for the pics. I FINALLY stumbled upon an implement I have been looking for, for about ten years that will go into the trailer. It is not a P.E. 95 though. It'll be here in about ten days. :D
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by TopKick » Sun Jan 21, 2018 5:13 pm

Outstanding original Ben Hur, Have fun with the restoration. 8)
"Keep 'Em Rolling"
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"Until it's melted down and turned into something else, or blown to Smitherines, it's restorable"!

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Wed Jan 24, 2018 3:34 pm

Thanks Topkick. This one will be a snap.
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:45 pm

I received a package from a very reliable source in College Station, Texas last night. Thank You Brent Mullins, the bows are in very good condition for their age. And reasonably priced too I might add.

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I am not one bit dis-appointed with the date, I like the fact that they are still available.
Last edited by D.R.H. on Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Thu Feb 15, 2018 4:45 pm

Hey Gents, I've been messing around with the bows I bought from Mullins Jeep Pts. and found one of them to a little twisted due to its' age. First thing I did was to sand all the old paint and dirt off the wood, then the brackets. I primed and painted the brackets and treated the wood with boiled Linseed oil, except for this one. I wasn't sure how I would remove the twist from the one bow, but after watching a video on line in which a wagon builder removed the twist from the entire floor of a wood wagon using two clothes irons, I figured I could give it a try too.
I followed his example with a clothes iron and towel. Here are some photos of today's attempt. Enjoy.

First I cut two 2 2 X 4 blocks and screwed them to my bench. I made sure that they were about 2 inches closer together than the width of the brackets. My thinking was that if this works, it will also put a lttle more arch back into the bow.
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After securing the clamp closest in the photo, I then pushed the far end toward the back of the bench to off-set the twist. I gave it a little extra opposite twist just in case it wants to come back after I release it from the clamps.
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Then I went to work with the iron applying plenty of heat and steam.
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I'll know more tomorrow whether or not this works. The guy who made the video didn't leave enough cool-down time with the wagon bed, and the twist was only partially removed. So, I'll wait for the bow to cool thoroughly before I remove the clamps. :)
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:27 pm

Well boys the end result of the steam trick was met with great success. Sorry the photo is a little on the dark side, my camera is old and starting to die. When I released the clamps holding the bow in place, it came back to a neutral position. The twist is gone and I even managed to get a little more arch back into it. I set the assembly on the side board of my bed because it is the closest thing I have to a flat surface.
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In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518.

Post by D.R.H. » Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:43 pm

Well Gents, today was a successful day. I made good strides with the front gate for my Ben Hur trailer. I was thinking about replacing the wood, but I soon realized that that would have been just like throwing money into a fire. I bought this trailer from a good friend who had acquired a treasure trove of W.W. 2 equipment located in Tehachapi Cal. Thanks to the high desert elevation and really clean air, decay and rust was at its' minimum. I went to work with a 4" sq. vibro-sander and 80 grit paper, after which I used 150 grit for a smoother finish. The old paint and surface dry rot fell away fast revealing some really nice Red Oak underneath. I then used some high quality boiled linseed oil on the wood.
Now, I can't say for sure that the wood is original from the W.W 2 era, but I did see photos of the trailer buried in a Con-Ex before I bought it and rumor has it that the trailer had been in there for 45+ years, pulled out to have the Denman tires installed, then shoved right back in. Here are some photos of my efforts over that past few days. Enjoy.

This is the second vert. post before I put sandpaper to it. I figured I should snap a photo, for the archives. :)
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Half of the hardware cleaned and the vert. posts sanded and oiled. Boy I'll tell you what, that wood was really thirsty. I oiled everything generously 3 times and it still feels a little dry.
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More hardware that I cleaned, primed and painted.
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Here we see the latch before installation. The carriage bolts and square nuts were difficult to remove which leads me to suspect that this assembly is at least Korean War vintage in age. Either way the wood is beautiful.
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After assembling the front rack again, I can really appreciate the patina that the rust gave the wood. I think it would be a shame to cover up this beauty that only time can infuse on something like this, so I am going to leave it unpainted. I'll continue this process with the side racks and rear gate, then keep everything well oiled.
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Thanks for looking, I had a lot fun doing this and can't wait to continue. :)
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by Joe Gopan » Sun Mar 04, 2018 2:57 am

The rare spare tire bracket is worth some bucks. They are all crudely made.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
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D.R.H.
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by D.R.H. » Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:11 pm

Oh, I didn't know that the carrier was so sought after Ben. I will be taking some photos of when I get to that point. :wink:
In Loving Memoriam: George R. Hancock. 20 Mar. 1938 - 11 Jan. 2017. U.S.A.F. 1956 - 1962. R.I.P. Dad.
In Loving Memoriam: Ann Hancock, 08 Mar. 1934 - 25 Sept. 2021. R.N. 1960 - 2005. R.I.P. Mom.
Thank You BOTH for always being there.

My YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMKEv ... M3g/videos.

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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by retro-roco » Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:36 am

Don't recall where I saw this, but was of the impression that the underslung spare tire holders were an indication that the trailer was assigned to a tow vehicle that used different size tires. The contents of the trailer didn't matter as much as whether it was towed by a Chevy/CCKW (same size tires) or a dodge (different size tires).
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1942 Chevy G506 1-1/2 ton 4x4 Cargo
1943 Ben Hur water trailer

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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:44 am

The K-52 Generator Trailers were equipped with the Spare Tire Bracket, many of them were towed by the 1 1/2 Ton Radio Van and other vehicles that had 7.50 X 20 Tires.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
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COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

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retro-roco
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by retro-roco » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:00 am

Undoubtable that the K52 had the spare tire carrier. Interesting discussion here: http://www.cckw.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3561 supports that, as the K51 radio van also had no provision for a spare tire = (even though as you indicated, it shared the same size tires/wheels).
Kirk Gustafson
359th Infantry Regt. 90th Div. WWII HRS

1942 Chevy G506 1-1/2 ton 4x4 Cargo
1943 Ben Hur water trailer

Joe Gopan
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Re: Q.M.C. G-518 Ben Hur Trailer.

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:03 am

I have a K-52 Trailer, Sold the Spare Tire Bracket and PE-95. It sat in a hangar at a municipal Airport from 1949 thru 1989.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


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