I Want a Bantam Military Trailer (09/20/2013)

I want a Bantam T3 Jeep trailer. Even though I have a 1947 civilian model Jeep I think the military version of the trailer is cooler. The accompanying pictures show a M100 Korean era model that I found in West Richland, however the owner doesn't want to sell it. I'll explain each picture and what the differences are between the military and civilian versions of the Bantam trailer.

Bed Interior

This is what the bed looks like. It is completely solid, no leaks, so it can float across rivers if necessary.

Drain Hole

At the right, rear cornerof the bed is a drain hole (and plug which is operated from underneath) in case water does get in the bed. The civilian model does not have a drain hole, and the bed is not solid. There is a tailgate.

Left Side

The left side view shows four hooks that are used to secure a tarpaulin cover. The civilian model only has three hooks on each side.

Right Side

The right side view is similar but here one can see loops on the vertical corners. Helicopters used these to lift and lower the trailer as needed. The civilian model does not have these loops.

Rear

The rear view shows one hook that is used to secure the tarpaulin. One can also see the loops at the corners.

Front

The front shows the hand-brake which is applied when the trailer is disconnected from the Jeep and parked. One can also clearly see the loops. What is not so clear are the two hooks. The one in the center is used to secure the tarpaulin; the one near the hand brake is turned upside-down and is used to hold the electrical cabling when the trailer is unhooked.

The Foot

The foot can be seen holding up the trailer hitch. It is folded up and out of the way when the trailer is attached to the Jeep and moving. Also seen here is the lunette socket. The lunette is the military trailer hitch. This trailer has been modified with a modern trailer hitch.

Lunette

The lunette is like a large eye bolt and pivots in its socket as needed over rough terrain.

Pintle

The pintle is attached to the Jeep and this picture shows how the lunette is connected to the pintle. The pintle operates much like the clasp on a necklace or bracelet.