Who made my 1947 utility trailer?
 

This might be a bit far from topic but still, it has wheels, goes on the
road behind a Jeep.

I recently acquired a 4'x6' utility trailer. The registration paperwork
(and the original owner) says that it was made in 1947. The ID plate
riveted to the frame says that it was sold by the Sears, Roebuck Company
and gives a model and serial number to be used "when ordering parts." The
trailer itself is of welded steel construction with a single inverted "U"
channel drawbar (no "A" frame), a sprung "U" channel axle, stake pockets
and a drop tailgate. The springs are leaf-type with spring eyes and
brackets on the leading edge, the springs slide in a bracket at the
trailing edge, no pivoting shackle. There are no fixtures for shock
absorbers or axle snubbers. The hubs are five-on-five, with left-handed
lugs on both sides and without brakes. The fenders look like miniature
post-war pickup truck fenders, not a simple stamped arch. The entire
thing weighs about #600.

Any ideas on who might have manufactured this for Sears? It looks as much
like a WWII "Ben Hur Mfg." one-ton cargo trailer as any other open cargo
trailer might, but I'm looking at a reprint TM right now and it is clearly
not a civilianized copy of that, none of the details match up.

Just curious.

Hi Lee,
Does it look like the trailer I used to use:
http://www.billhughes.com/trailer.jpg ?
If so, it's based on an W.W. I caisson, and the after market made
them to dump, but usually that part gave up and everyone just bolted in
one four inch channel iron to replace it. The hubs should be five on
five and half inch and use the left hand lugs only on the left side,
like the Real Jeeps. No reason for shock absorbers on leaf springs they
automatically dampen, just try to make it bounce more than once.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O


Lee Ayrton wrote:
>
> This might be a bit far from topic but still, it has wheels, goes on the
> road behind a Jeep.
>
> I recently acquired a 4'x6' utility trailer. The registration paperwork
> (and the original owner) says that it was made in 1947. The ID plate
> riveted to the frame says that it was sold by the Sears, Roebuck Company
> and gives a model and serial number to be used "when ordering parts." The
> trailer itself is of welded steel construction with a single inverted "U"
> channel drawbar (no "A" frame), a sprung "U" channel axle, stake pockets
> and a drop tailgate. The springs are leaf-type with spring eyes and
> brackets on the leading edge, the springs slide in a bracket at the
> trailing edge, no pivoting shackle. There are no fixtures for shock
> absorbers or axle snubbers. The hubs are five-on-five, with left-handed
> lugs on both sides and without brakes. The fenders look like miniature
> post-war pickup truck fenders, not a simple stamped arch. The entire
> thing weighs about #600.
>
> Any ideas on who might have manufactured this for Sears? It looks as much
> like a WWII "Ben Hur Mfg." one-ton cargo trailer as any other open cargo
> trailer might, but I'm looking at a reprint TM right now and it is clearly
> not a civilianized copy of that, none of the details match up.
>
> Just curious.