I shouldn't suggest that you just have the guys here to offer help. There are others I have archived who I know would help. Even one F-3 M-H guy is near you in Mt. Vernon. Another guy I've visited and know would help doesn't have a M-H but is one of the most resourceful guys here. That's Gary Sisson who lives up on Orcas Island. Stu

 

A question about trailors. Since I don't own a car trailor I'm going to need to rent or borrow one and am not sure what size will be adequate. I'm not sure what the length, width or weight of an F3 MH pickup. Also, will a come-along set up be strong enough to load it or is a winch required?

 

My trailer is double axle 20' which allows the weight to be balanced avoiding too much tongue weight. It has trailer brakes. I have a cheap boat winch on it, but a come along would work too. Josh's trailer is triple axle and might be longer, and I'm sure he has an electric winch and brakes. Mark's is 18' I think and he uses a come along. Don't know about brakes. Seems to work well for him, but I don't recall that he's done any long hauls through the mountains with it like Josh and I have, and you will. The guys can add or subtract from what I said.

Below is the chart for a 2wd F-3 V8 showing curb weight of 3960 lbs. I'd add 1000 for transfer case, axle, adapters, and heavier wheels. Stu

 

Thanks Stu, My buddy is offering up his 16 ft tilt bed rated at 8000lbs but I,m not sure if it will be long enough for a long haul

 

This is where other opinions must be heard. I've retrieved all my own, and questioned the wisdom a few times. You will have elevation changes, requiring brakes, but I don't recall there being stark mountain passes like exist south of there.

Have you looked at having it shipped? Stu

 

I have a 16 ft with brakes but they are not wired so no brakes. The F2 MH came home in a rush due to getting a call that our daughter had been taken to the hospital. Let the air out of the tires and chained it down really tight and drove like we didn't have a trailer behind. The F4 Coleman barely fit and was all the tires could handle. That was a slow trip but uneventful. Not much for mountains in SD. Anything is possible with common sense and the right pace. I would be less worried about pulling hills....more worried about no brakes on the back side. A 16 foot trailer will be enough for a F3 MH. Keep in mind a MH is still a Ford, there are alot of guys here that can help with 90% or better. Good Luck and keep us posted.

Almost forgot, make sure the trailer has good tires.

 

in the one picture i posted above. I had the f2 MH chassis and cab plus the extra cab and front clip on the Uhaul trailer. the f2 (regular truck) parts truck was on my triple axle 20' trailer plus all the extra parts in the bed of that truck. the uhaul trailer didn't really have all that much weight on it since the engine and transfer case etc etc was not in the truck at the time. but it did fit, I would think your friends 16' might be better than a uhaul trailer?

and since on the way to Colorado we went across Wyoming on I-80 in a blizzard with a 2006 chevy 3/4 ton truck on my trailer (chevy was the second tow vehicle for the return trip) we decided to take I-70 from Denver over the rockies) that was alot of fun too. Chevy wouldn't shift into 4x4 after encountering an accident just out of Denver. I thought I wasn't going to see my friend tell the next day. I waited for him near the crest of the hill, luckily he finally made it, got it shifted into 4x4 and made it over the pass that night.

Don't wait too long to go!



All loaded up and ready to go.




A few miles up I-70 out of Denver, waiting for the Chevy and my prized possession to show up (catch up!)

 

Thanks guys, I'll keep you posted

 

UPDATE !!! I sealed the deal on the F3, $1800 and both parties are very happy. I'm headed over this weekend to take a million photos so if you guys could tell me what areas to zero in on that would be great. I don't plan on bringing it home until next summer because I'm ill prepared to retrieve or recieve this big boy at this time. Best to leave it right where it's at for now 'till I can get all my ducks in a row, one more season in the

field isn't going to make a difference one way or the other. Here is a more recent photo (2013 ) that the owner told me about...enjoy!

 

Congratulations. Be sure to get a lot of pics. Get serial number and as Stu mentioned get a picture of axle number. Be curious as to where it was built. Mine has a W behind number, which according to Stu, means a Wisconsin transfer case as opposed to a Fuller.

 

Thanks, Would that be the front axle or rear or both?

 

It would be the front. I think Stu posted a picture. The number would be on the tube.

I know I had wanted a MH since I was a little kid and was quite tickled to get one. Was a plus being a three quarter ton since I've always had an attraction to such beasts.

 

Awesome,
Congratulations! I think you got a good deal, hopefully there is no major problems or surprises It does look like you might have to shew some local inhabitants off the truck though, no, maybe not. on second look it doesn't appear like they even noticed that the truck is there!

cant wait to see more pictures of it.

 

Thanks, Yes I am VERY excited...hard to describe...anyway, that's the PO's daughter's wedding photos. Kinda cool that they chose it as a backdrop

 

Outstanding!! Congrat's. Fairly bought, and looks to be honest and complete. Except for the wheel, of course. Even still has its tailgate.

Numbers, numbers, numbers, please. The VIN plate should be inside the glove box door, the M-H plate will be over the windshield on the right side and, as shown in the picture I posted, there should be an R32-xxx number on the long front axle tube. Nothing special on the rear. That assumes we've correctly seen that its front differential is on the left side. That's the two speed transfer case model R32-4. If we've seen wrong, and the differential is on the right side, it's a single speed transfer case model R3-4. The R3-4 was made from 1948 to at least 1951 (although I have one reference for it in 1952), and the R32-4 was from 1951-1952. The early 1953 M254s carried over the left over 1952 equipment before switching to 6 lug x 7.25" wheel end components mid year. I have a theory that the R3-4 was carried over into 1951 to use up older component parts just as we know occurred in 1953. Your mention of the parking brake to the right of the gear shift fits my theory since that was a mid year 1951 change. If the truck is an R3-4 finding the axle number might be more difficult. The number should just be stamped into the long tube with no prefix. My 1950 has axle 782 and my 1951 has axle 1023.

If it is an R32-4 it has either a Fuller or Wisconsin transfer case. According to Chuck (everything I know on this is parroted from Chuck) the Fuller was the standard supplier, but some Wisconsins were fitted when Fuller couldn't meet production needs. Perhaps iirc it was due to a strike at Fuller. The Wisconsin trucks got a W at the end of the M-H number on the data plate. There is likely no similar designation on most Fuller equipped trucks since they were the standard supplier. I have, however, seen a 1952 F-2 (DJ's truck) that has an F at the end of its number.

What else? Probably when you go pick it up you'll want to jack up the front to make sure there's no free rotation of a wheel. One of my axles has a broken stub axle which the p.o. worked around by removing the internals. Made it a 2wd.

Also look for frame fractures. As mentioned above these trucks lived hard lives, and were expensive to replace. So they got patched back together, sometimes professionally, sometimes ranch welded. Three of mine had either small or major fractures. Guess that covers it. Again, congrat's. Stu