Lesson of the day...... learned

 

TJ,

I ALWAYS drain the HW tank. Even between trips if it's going to sit for more then a couple of weeks.... I'll pay a bit more attention to the pump from now on however...

Still ain't gonna use the pink stuff in the lines!

Mitch

 

Mitch,

About the cover - I've seen mixed reviews of them in our climate (I'm in Olympia). No mildew underneath it? I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it to buy one for my new trailer.

-Randy

 

Randy,

No mildew ever. It's actually a breathable fabric and the trailer does get wet underneath, but it also dries very fast once it stops raining. I think those that have mildew and other problems use the ol' Blue Tarp to cover with... That traps the moisture underneath for weeks at a time... Mine is dry after a couple of hours after it rains...

When I didn't have the cover, the trees would drop all it's stuff on it and I would end up having to wash it a couple of times during the winter.. That got old real fast! It's as clean in May as it was when I cover it in Oct.

The cover is getting a bit groody now, but that just means it's not on the trailer!

The wind has never been a problem either.. It has straps that go under the trailer to keep it from flapping and the ends have eyelets to synch up any slack. It has zippers on the door side so that you can get in the door while it's covered. Overall, the best $189 I spent on the trailer! (well, the electric tongue jack and crank down stabilizer jacks come real close too!)

So I've had a good experience with them.. Spend the extra money on a fitted, breathable cover and you won't be sorry..




Mitch

 

Just an update that my first camping trip of the year went very well.. Only one minor incident with my new trans drain plug.. It started to leak on the way home!

I updated my post in the Transmissions section on it, but it was the rubber O ring that failed.. It didn't leak a drop for the 4 months it's been in place... The only thing I can figure is that I did get the trans temp up to 180* on the way home (it was in the 80's that day).

We made a stop and when we came back out, I noticed the small puddle under the truck.... I tried to tighten up the bolt, but that just made it worse, as that twisted what was left of the 'O' ring out and it dripped even faster!

Well, I still had about 75 miles to get home, so I just topped off the fluid and headed home.... I've since repaired it and it's not leaking, but I didn't use any "O" rings this time!

Other then that, all went very well and no other mechanical issues at all.. The old truck still has it with now 197,000 miles on it!

Mitch

 

Last year, I did the usual bearing pack and brake adjust on my 25 ft travel trailer. I found a broken brake shoe return spring and replaced it. What I did not notice on one of the other brakes that I did not remove the shoes on was a return spring on the leading shoe that had lost all it's tension. That brake ran hot for the entire 800 mile trip. It was acceptable after I backed off the adjustment on the side of the road. (I assumed I had adjusted it too tight.) If you have an older trailer (mine is a '95) and it has Dexter #3500axles, pay close attention to the the return springs. My brother-in-law also had a broken brake spring on his 5th wheel trailer. I bet Colorado Osprey has also seen this happen. My trailer now has all new brake parts except for the drums.
Model A

 

Almost daily.
It is not limited to any brand, Hayes, Dexter or Alco axles or weight from 2k through 25k axles

It is just a product of heat.

When replacing brake shoes on a trailer or truck/car replace the spring/hardware every time and you won't have any issues.

Also, electric brake magnets wear at almost the same rate as the shoes. SO, replace the shoes & magnets at the same time. In most cases if available it is cheaper and faster to replace the whole backing plate assembly rather than the parts themselves.