Trailmobile

lec · Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:51 pm

Lucin Truscott in his book "Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry" mentions the use of a horsedrawn vehicle which was called a "trailmobile". Apparently it was a rubber tired vehicle which was designed to be pulled behind a Liberty Truck in WWI but was also capable of being drawn by horses. Anyone have any knowledge of this vehicle? Photos? TM's or other references?

Philip S · Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:27 pm

Check out:

http://www.trailmobile.com/About_Trailm ... obile.html

Couvi · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:06 pm

Larry,

Portee Field Artillery involved a 75mm Field Gun, usually a Model of 1897 (French) or its US equivalent, and a caisson, carried on a hard rubber-tired trailer, a Trailmobile Model 1916, I believe. The 5-ton Holt Tractor was carried in the FWD or Jeffrey Quad truck which also pulled the trailer. This lash-up was a stopgap measure due to the low road speed and debilitating effects of long road trips on the primitive Holt tractors of the time. As transportation got better, the system was abandoned. It also allowed the use of horse-drawn artillery materiel with mechanized equipment with little or no modification.

Couvi

"Cavalier sans Cheval"

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:55 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Philip S
 Check out:

http://www.trailmobile.com/About_Trailm ... obile.html
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Interesting link!

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:55 pm

This thread depicts a lot of varied trucks and trailers used by the Army between WWI and WWII:

topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3431

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:06 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tom Muller

Pat
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This trailer reminds me of the Trailmoblile ones depicted in the link Philip posted. This scene depicts a trailer in use in Namibia, in Tom's earlier thread.

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:14 pm

I took a look in Ian Hogg's compilation of WWII U.S. Army manuals, "Arsenal of Democracy" in regards to horse trailer manufacturers. For the various types he shows, which do not include all the early types shown in the thread I linked in above, he shows:

Bartlett Trailer Co. (two horse)
Schult Co. (two horse)
A. J. Miller Auto Cruiser Col (two horse)
Porto Products Co. (two horse)
Black Diamond Trailer Col (3.5 ton stake)
Dorsey Brothers (3.5 ton)
Highway Trailer Col (3.5 ton)
Hobbs Mfg Col (3.5 ton)
Kingham Trailer Col (3.5 ton)
Strick Co. (3.5 ton)
Utility Tralier Mfg Co. (3.5 ton)
Truck Engineering Corp (3.5 ton)
Winter Weiss Co. (3.5 ton)
Highway Trailer Col. (6 ton)
Gramm Motor Truck and Trailer Corp (6 ton)

Trailmobile isn't mentioned, but it may have been missed. Or it may refer to earlier trailers. From their appearances, the 6 ton and 3.5 ton trailers seem to have been the ones in widespread use in the late 30s and 40s.

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:29 pm

A selection of typical Army trailers from between the wars is depicted here, in these photos sent to us by Jim Ott. The bigger trailers, dating from just before or very early in World War Two are, I think, 6 ton trailers.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Pat Holscher
 Jim Ott sent these really great photos. Some you might recognize, and some not. Absolutely fantastic stuff, thanks Jim!

Pat
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Pat

Pat Holscher · Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:04 pm

Korean War vintage Trailmobile advertisement:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1951-Trailmobile-Ad ... otohosting

Pat

Tom Muller · Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:04 am

Pat,

the trailers we used in SWA were loaded from the back, unloaded by the front door as seen in the photo where I'm digging like a maniac. The advantage was that we could unload the horses much faster this way.

Tom

Kelton Oliver · Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:51 pm

Now, that's a manly horse being loaded in that ambulance! I want one like that!

Pat Holscher · Thu Mar 08, 2007 9:50 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Kelton Oliver
 Now, that's a manly horse being loaded in that ambulance! I want one like that!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Interesting to note how the men are dressed in that one. Most of the troops are wearing their wool uniforms, sans jacket. They have leggings, but spurs. The soldier on the far right (veterinarian?) looking in the cab of the truck is wearing, I think, the blue denim jacket, and leather boots. The guy loading the sick horse, however, is wearing a rain coat.

Pat

trailmobile · Wed Jul 03, 2019 1:45 pm

I have a 1917 Trailmobile Ambulance Version, looking for any other owners out there, need to fab the drawbar

Pat Holscher · Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:58 am

trailmobile wrote: ↑Wed Jul 03, 2019 1:45 pm I have a 1917 Trailmobile Ambulance Version, looking for any other owners out there, need to fab the drawbar

I'm afraid I can't help, but that's pretty neat!

Pat Holscher · Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:11 am

On this old thread, fwiw, Trailmobile is still in business. They started off as a trailer manufacturer just prior to World War One and then changed their name to that right about WWI. Today they make semi trailers, which is basically something that the started to make during World War One, making a wide assortment of trailers built on some basic platforms. There seem to have been several sizes, and four wheel and two wheel wagons, all of which bear a strong resemblance to horse drawn wagons but all of which were capable of being towed by vehicles.