The Sonderanhänger 1 (Sd.Ah.1) = Special trailer no. 1
Even more rare than the Kettenkrad itself is its special trailer Sd.Ah.1
Disclaimer: There are different ways to spell "Sd.Ah.1", even in official
historic documents. I have decided to use the spelling "Sd.Ah.1" as shown here.
Download the
big pics by clicking on the small pics!
This is my own trailer, which is fully operational and registered for use on
public roads. In Germany trailers behind Kettenkrads (= tractors) must be
registered and you have to pay road tax and 3rd party insurance for them. They
bear their own license plate.
It is an early model, built 1943. You can recognize that - among
other details - from the
location of the grease nipples for the swing arms.
Together with a Kettenkrad, this trailer was for rough
20 years on display at the Volkswagen AutoMuseum at Wolfsburg.
Then the museum sold Kettenkrad and trailer, because they
thought these vehicles were no longer political correct in the AutoMuseum.
For rough 20 years the trailer stood dry and safe in the museum's exhibition
hall and was virtually not moved during this time. Surprisingly there was some
damage because of being not in use for such a long time after restoration: The
swing arms of the suspension were seized. The NOVOTEX bushings were seized and
even brute mechanical force didn't move the swing arms a bit. Finally I had to destroy the bushings
with the heat of an oxyacetylene welding torch before I could remove the swing arms.
Here a picture from the original Wehrmacht manual D 618/3 for the trailer:
Technical data:
Manufacturer: NSU
Type: Sd.Anh. 1
Length (including drawbar): 1.860 mm
Width: 1.000 mm
Height: 848 mm
Unladen weigth: 110 kg
Gross weight rating: 460 kg
Payload: 350 kg
Ground clearance: 250 mm
This is the trailer today. Picture taken in 2009 but it looks the same today:
Download the big pics by clicking on the small pics!
Registered, with working suspension and a canvas cover.
I showed
the trailer for the first time to the public at "Tanks in Town" 2008 at Mons,
Belgium.
At that time, still without the canvas cover: An ugly blue plastic cover had to do the job.
I had to solve another problem before: How to put
the Kettenkrad AND the trailer on my transport trailer?