Trailer

BANTAM T3 TRAILER

Click on any image below to see a full size pic.

This is a modified Hasbro vintage trailer. Their version is based loosely off of the T-100 model (the post war jeep trailer). The only main difference between the two models is the addition of 4 handles on the corners of the T-100. I started this project by cutting off those handles and by sanding and reshaping all the body parts that weren�t originally sculpted correctly. There were also a ton of dings and melt marks all over the body that had to be sanded (after all it is over 30 years old!). Next I added details that were originally missing. Most all features of the real T3 are now incorporated in working fashion into this model. Here�s a list of what�s been done:

1. Sanded reshaped body, fenders, etc.
2. Reshaped brake light housings, added new bracket and black out lenses.
3. Removed and corrected reflector lenses.
4. Removed old wheels and phony leaf �springs�
5. Added piece of tubing to missing area on body rail
6. Reworked hitch area, added tub brace, parking brake mounts
7. Sculpted an entire new (working) hitch tongue/landing leg mount (the actual tongue is a reworked part from the Hasbro 155mm cannon hitch).
8. Fabricated landing leg and hardware.
9. Added safety chains with hooks.
10. Made a working parking brake lever with linkage/cable (Mechanism works but doesn�t actually operate a brake)
11. Fabricated new suspension system, steel axle w/brass bearings, U-bolts, shackles, clamping plate, body mounts (the leaf springs are from a Tamiya Mountaineer, and yup the suspension works)
12. Made a pair of dummy shocks (look like the real thing, but have no dampening force)
13. Installed functioning brake lights and wiring
14. Fabricated a working (and realistic looking) inter vehicle connector (gets power for brake lights from a conection on the back of the Jeep)
15. Added tie down hooks to tub body
16. installed reworked SOTW wheels.
17. Sewed up a canvas tarp cover (has the correct stitching and number of eyelets)
18. Primed and painted it.
19. Finally, made stencils and painted the markings

These last two photos are actually of my Jeep but I built this part for the trailer so I've put them here. The left photo shows the trailer conector socket (mounted on the left rear body quarter) with the door closed. The right photo shows the door open with the trailer's inter-vehicle conector about to be inserted. This cable gives power to the trailer brake lights just like the real thing. Making the plug and socket was a very delicate procedure. I scuplted the plug out of the female end of a submini stero conector, while at the same time finding a way to reconnect the proper scale cable to the tiny leads on the end of the conector. The male end is then installed inside the body wall of the jeep, making a pretty accurate representation of the original parts. If I was to really go into explaining what I did it would take a couple of pages. I'll save you the agony and just say that there were some darn microscopic pieces to that project.