Bantam Trailer

connor9988

Well-known Member
Location
Central Iowa
Hi all,

It has been a hot minute since I posted up here from the Case forum. Anyways, last year I lost the bid on what I believe was the civilian version of an army Bantam trailer. Regardless of letting that one go the bug has bitten me and I have been pondering a trailer similar to it that I could restore to match my tractors. Would be nice for yard/farm work and to take to shows with the tractors. Since the Bantam trailers are made of expensive unubtanium I was considering finding an old stepside pickup trailer that you see occasionally. I could either leave the fenders on or remove them (which I think would look more appropriate of a look behind a tractor and closer to looking like a Bantam). I am steering away from the fleetsides because they have a tackier look to them and would not match my 50s tractors very well (no offense to you fleetside guys out there). I have attached 2 pictures with this: The first being the Bantam that escaped me. and 2nd is a trailer that I saw at a farm show that is a similar concept to mine.

Chime in with your thought and thank you.
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Back when I was a child there were lots of cut-down pickup trailers. And like in your picture, you can make them look pretty decent.

That said, If I wanted what you want, I would probably build something close to your first picture-parts for those old pickups are getting pretty pricey. I bet if you could find a good pickup bed, you would probably pay several hundred for it and still need a frame to mount it on.

So you might as well just build a trailer, go to your local farm store and get some trailer fenders for it.
 
That is a good point. I see they make both the Bantam trailer and reproduction stepside beds. Unfortunately it will be pricey to make from new. Would be nice to work in a dumping feature to run off the hydraulics too.
 
The guy down the street had one of the newer army trailers for the really big army trucks for sale. Have no idea what he wanted for it but it was all gussied up. Forest camo. Is a real story about those trailers. Bantam made the jeep, just couldn't make enough of them fast enough, so they get to build the little trailer and look at the south end of a jeep for their war effort. Stinks. 5hey do show up but most are rotted and beat to death. Don't know why someone doesn't make a repro. China makes everything else. Go look on Ebay. There are several and maybe one will sute you.
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Actually Bantam won the design competition for the army's small truck but didn't have the capacity to deliver the amount government wanted so they never built any at all. Willys was awarded the contract and even they couldn't supply enough so Ford was granted a license by them and almost built as many as Willys. Bantam was given the trailer contract which they could supply.
 
If this is strictly for show,I'd sketch up plans and have trailer mfgrs give a price on building one from light weight material. I would want it easy for two people to move around by hand.
 
Another thought is that Ford and Chevy made step sides well into the 80s. As said above it myst be easier to just draw up plans and scratch build what you want. Whether yourself or a trailer mfg.
 

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