I'm looking at purchasing a M101A1 trailer that’s wired for the mil standard 24v electrical system.

How difficult/expensive would it be for me to convert or adapt it to run off of my 12v truck?

Would I need to completely rewire the trailer & install 12v bulbs & fixtures or is their some kind of adapter/converter on the market?

echo6

Got a pic of the trailer?  I'm not familiar with them.  I would think that changing out the plug at the one end, and the fixtures/bulbs at the other would be fine.  I don't see any reason you'd have to rewire.  Juice is juice unless it's a major voltage difference (like if something was wired for 480 and you were trying to get 12 through it).  If nothing else, changing the fixtures and plugs will be required no matter what, so you could try replacing them first, and then do the wires if you needed to after that.

Also, doesn't it have the wrong hitch?  I thought the military hitch was different.  It's a problem you run into in construction from time to time when one guy has a truck with one hitch, and the other guy has a trailer with another.

[url]http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photos16.htm[/url]

Thes are pics of the same model trailer that I'm looking at. The .mil trailers do have a pintle hitch, but I can pick up a pintle mount that will slide into my class 3 reciever hitch.

edit to add the main reason for getting the trailer is so I can transport both quads(one in the pick up bed, one in the trailer) and I really like the idea of using the trailer as a big "Tent on Wheels" after I pull the quads out to set up camp.

echo6

Looks like you've got 4 lights, two on the tailgate and one on each side.  I don't know legally what you'd need to do with the lights, to get it registered.  Does the current owner have it registered?  I don't see a license plate or a place to mount it.  Looks pretty cool and all, and I know that you're looking for a place to pitch your tent, but I wonder if a dedicated trailer wouldn't be a better bet.  Dunno what on would cost, but lower to the ground will be easier to deal with for loading the quad on and off, and it would already be wired for the right voltage.

I'd ask the current owner if he's got it registered, and if not why not.  He may have run into problems he's not wanting to share.

disclaimer:  I am not an electrical engineer!!!

Get another battery and connect it to your vehicle electrical system in PARALLEL with the existing 12v battery.  This will allow the vehicle to be supplied with 12 volts of electricity, but with more Amp hours.

Then wire the two batteries together in SERIES and connect that to your Trailer.  That will give you the 24v that you need.  While still allowing you to run 12v to the trailer.

That's my theory.  Maybe it won't work.  Maybe you can't connect two batteries together in series that are already connected in parallel.  Maybe that short circuits the whole system.  I don't know.

disclaimer:  I am also not an electrical engineer, but dont think its possible to wire up 2 batteries so they are both parrellel AND in series. Pretty sure its either one way or the other.

I did a lot of electrical repairs in my day.  Change the bulbs and change the plug to whatever is on your truck.  THAT'S IT!  Nothing to it.  Ops

Just run 12 volts to the existing bulbs until you get a chance to swap them out - the lights won't be as bright as with 24V, but I'll bet the casual observer will think that they are bright enough.  The bulbs may have unique bases, in which case you may need to swap out the entire light assembly if you can't WECSOG** a solution - I'm thinking JB epoxy.

**WECSOG: Wiley E Coyote School of Gunsmithing; see the FAL Files for more info.  You must bleed on the project at point for full credit.

ops hit it on the head, just the plug and blubs

Pull the bulbs & take 'em to an auto parts place, get the 12v equivalents, and you should be good to go.

Adding a battery would work ok, but the wiring to get you 24V will be a major hassle...pretty sure you'd end up with grounding problems as the trailer's chassis will be connected to the truck's once you hitch her up.  

-hanko

<----Has dremmel,will gunsmith [;)]



Thanks for the heads up on how easy its done guys. Now I just need to see what kind of deal I can hammer out with the guy[:)]