Army Semi Trailer Wanted

Just spent 5 days wandering around northern NSW looking for both a prime mover and a round-front trailer.

50% Success! I found a round front army trailer on a dolly. No deck but pretty straight in Tamworth. Bought it on the spot.

Revised thinking on the prime mover. I found 9 International KS5/KBS5 but all require a huge amount of work.

I am now thinking of going into an area that has never done anything for me. The sheer effort of dragging a trailer from Brisbane to Alice Springs then on to Darwin, then all the way back to Brisbane again all on 90hp getting about 5mpg of petrol has me looking at a hotrod .

I know there are a lot of blokes on here quite at ease with this but many others think it is a hanging offence. I tend towards the latter but are relaxed about "reasonable" safety, usability and performance" modifications - if pressed you can justify anything.

What are the thoughts of original metalwork on a modern chassis/engine. No chopping/ lowering or mag wheels. Hopefully unrecognizable from 10 metres away (if the engine, probably Perkins or little Cummins, is not running). I certainly would not be chopping a complete running original truck.

Lang

Here is a picture of my new trailer plus some more finds on the trip.

Some of the finds.


This is a very rare International K11 with Herringbone diff. Believed to have had a crane on it. Quite complete and I believe for sale.


An Army KS5. Would have had half doors with canvas side windows, open roof with canvas tarp and canvas drop down back window


This and next one may/may not be Army

And some more


A nice Richards cab KS5


Probably the most common army modification (Half doors, canvas cab roof etc)


Ex-bee-keeper's truck. Early American cab.


Still has army markings


Interesting army workshop trailer

A couple more

The original? turntable on my trailer. Any comments?



A very complete 1939 Federal

Lang . Being a fully paid up member of the”thou shall adapt” club, ANYTHING is fair game! The more exotic and unusual, the better! Of course, we all have to work within safety and roadworthy parameters these days, mores the pity I feel sometimes. It will only be those pedantic river counters ( bless their little hearts!) who will look upon such projects with disdain! So, go for it, whatever you want it to be, but as usual, we will want progressive proof as in plenty of pics! Cheers, Dave

G'day Lang,
How about a Hino/Mitsubishi/Isuzu with the right size wheels and diesel engine? Cheap enough and available. You will have good road speed, brakes, economy and reasonable spares availability. Still, a bit of work to restore a cabin, adapt it to the donor vehicle and get it Engineered. Also any faults in the truck will need to be rectified for RWC and reliability.
Or... buy a restored Inter? If one is available? They sell for less than it costs to restore them, unfortunately. :blink: A respray and a RWC would be a lot less work.
HTH Southbound

Thanks fellers

My thinking is to get something akin to the original in mechanical appearance eg spider axles and long-nose bonnet.

Thinking is a 600/700 series Dodge or Inter 160/180. There appear to be regular offerings of running trucks with bad cabs which is just what I need. Short wheelbase of course is required.

If I got one with air it would be sensible to change the trailer to maxi brakes while on the job. Big Cam has already given some good advice in this area. I measured the engine bay (firewall to radiator) on the old trucks and on an Inter AB180 - I presume all the Inters are the same. The Dodge V8 I measured has more space on the firewall because the engine is set further back in a cut-out than the Inters.

I think the Inter K5 with its pointy nose might be a very tight stretch to drop on an Inter/Dodge Perkins frame. The cab would be OK.

If I go that road I will be looking for the bigger bonnet (same cab) K, KS, KB, KBS 6/7/8/9. Nearly all will be "S" models which indicates two speed axle but I don't need the mechanicals. Naturally if a really good easily restorable K6 etc appeared I would restore that and put up with the fuel bill.

The big K6-11 etc Inters and the smaller K1-5 share the same cabs. Although a complete set-up would be highly desirable just the big guards, bonnet and nose cone would be required in a pinch

Below are pictures of the K6 for identification (an American one with disc wheels) and a period one of a KS6 with a round front trailer on the Darwin road during the war.






Alice Springs 1944

You might have seen these Lang, if not could offer some ideas.

Try Google - '47 International KB12

Paul.

Lang wrote: A couple more

The original? turntable

I would think that turn table isnt original as the quick release turn table hardly existed in Australia back then
I reckon it wasnt until the mid 60's that they started to become common


Paul