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Pintle hitch stepdown\dogleg lunette?

Discussion in 'Towing & Hauling' started by pamtnman, May 10, 2018.

  1. May 10, 2018 at 5:42 PM
    #1
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    Took the Tundra to Norfolk VA yesterday to pick up a milsurp trailer, a M1102. Fantastic trailer, excellent shape, great addition to the business. Might try to make an adventure trailer out of it. Hitched its lunette ring to the pintle receiver and off we went. About half an hour later on the highway north I am really studying this thing in the mirrors. Its butt end is angled high up, and the tongue is depressed. We arrive home, and I realize that the pintle hitch worked great for the other military surplus trailer (generator), but is too low for this one, by about ten inches.
    The more research, the more confusing. Raising the pintle hitch up that eight to ten inches will result in the open tailgate hitting it. That won't work.
    The M1102 lunette hitch is an impressive hunk of steel. It is already stepped down a couple inches, and now I am wondering if anyone has seen a dogleg lunette. You know, a big lunette ring and draw bar that has a big dogleg step down from the draw bar to the lunette.
    That would solve half the distance problem, allowing us to raise the pintle hitch halfway without threatening the tail gate.
    Any and all leads are welcomed.
    Thank you
     
  2. May 10, 2018 at 6:25 PM
    #2
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

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    Might not be much help but a lift could get you where you want to be. Or make up for some the distance.
     
    pamtnman[OP] likes this.
  3. May 10, 2018 at 6:26 PM
    #3
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

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    Oh and :worthless:
     
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  4. May 10, 2018 at 6:29 PM
    #4
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    You are right, but then the truck would be too high for the other trailers it pulls perfectly. I might have to get a custom draw bar made (basically bending a 2.5"x3" rectangular bar of steel into the dogleg), and the lunette ring aggressively MIG welded on. This is a job for a serious fabricator. I am hoping that somewhere someone did a run of these dogleg draw bars and lunettes, because surely I am not the first user to need one.
     
    15whtrd[QUOTED] likes this.
  5. May 10, 2018 at 6:33 PM
    #5
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    Yessir! You are right, again. Will do.
     
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  6. May 10, 2018 at 7:23 PM
    #6
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

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    I saw someone towing a military style trailer the other day with a standard pick up truck. Didn’t look too close at the truck or the hitch set up. But I remember the trailer was sitting level. I had a coworker who bought one and his sat about 10 inches too low as I recall. He sold it quickly because of that LOL

    I’m definitely interested in seeing what you do with this. Keep us posted.
     
    pamtnman[OP] likes this.
  7. May 10, 2018 at 8:07 PM
    #7
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    These trailers are better than anything we can get in the civilian market. I'm not giving it up, I'm going to solve this. It's got to be that others, like what you saw, have solved this challenge
     
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  8. May 13, 2018 at 10:20 AM
    #8
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    image.jpg Here's the ten-inch gap. Both vehicle and trailer are each level. Any suggestions welcome
     
  9. May 13, 2018 at 10:37 AM
    #9
    AndyCBR

    AndyCBR New Member

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    Buy an M35.

    Seriously though gonna need an adapter that is close to the bumper but higher. No way to alleviate the tailgate issue without raising the tow vehicle substantially.
     
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  10. May 13, 2018 at 1:19 PM
    #10
    pamtnman

    pamtnman [OP] New Member

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    What is strange is that the M1102 is designed to be towed by a humvee. The humvees are very low. Low as my truck. Also towed with this truck on this pintle hitch was a similar military trailer with an integral generator. Fit perfectly. Perfectly level. Maybe have a serious dogleg drawbar fabricated. It'll require real MIG skills, way beyond my basic stick ability. The stock drawbar is a huge hunk o' steel. I'd think just dropping it another six inches and bringing the truck pintle up four inches would leave sufficient room to lower the tailgate. Any worries about torque?
     

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