Posted by Paul Cook in Kempner, Texas on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 12:05PM :
In Reply to: Trailer posted by apb in NY on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at 8:52PM :
The trailer pictured in TM 9-2800 was built by the Ben Hur Manufacturing Company. As is often the case, a brand name becomes the generic term for the item. Generally all one-ton trailers were called "Ben Hur" although they were made by many different manufacturers.
I have seen original photos of these one ton trailers being towed by half-tracks and armor in addition to 2 1/2 ton trucks.
The Kempner POWER WAGON Museum has a one-ton trailer manufactured by the Ben Hur Manufacturing Company - a true "Ben Hur" - and it is displayed in parades and static exhibits hitched to the back of the Museum's WC-52 3/4 ton weapons carrier.
This trailer was returned to the United States from Austria and still has the European style military NDT tires.
It underwent a depot type rebuild over there and was fitted with a spare tire carrier on the front of the bed so it could be used with other vehicles that did not have matching wheels & tires.
The museum has a parts trailer and will use a wheel from it to serve as a spare when towing it behind the WC-52 or the WC-63. The parts trailer included a pair of NOS fenders that fit the trailer and nothing else.
By the way, the 20 inch wheels use a solid bead ring - not a split ring - and are quite a challenge when replacing a tire.
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