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RE: Hitch weld or not
Some of these suggestions about welding a vehicle frame scare me!!! Take a look on the frame of a new Kenworth or Freightliner - and you might just see a sticker that says do not weld to frame.
I've welded on big rigs too. Again, You gotta know what your doing
If you are NOT a qualified welder - don't!!!!!!!!!!! If you are, make sure you know what the implications can be if the frame fails with your weld
Thats good basic advise for anything. If you don't know what your doing, why are you doing it?
Tenet # 10 where I work. "Always involve people with expertise and first hand knowledge..."
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/26/09 05:24pm |
Towing
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RE: Trailer Brake Evaluation
Can I reuse the old seals or do I need new ones?
Unless I tear one up pulling the bearings, or the seal is dry, crusty and cracked,,, I don't bother replacing them. Its a grease bearing, so there's no oil in there. Just smear it with a little grease and slap that dude back on.
Of course, they are fairly cheap. Some people feel better replacing them every time they pull a wheel off. If it gives you better peace of mind, -- by all means, yank em out and tap new ones in.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/26/09 05:04pm |
Towing
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RE: Trailer Brake Evaluation
I thought I would edit a couple of your pics and give a basic electric brake lesson for folks who don't understand how most electric brakes work.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n228/TEAM2CAP/trailerbrakes001.jpg
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n228/TEAM2CAP/trailerbrakes2.jpg
When you apply braking, it sends an electic pulse to the magnet which brings it from a lazy dormant position to an active magnet. It grabs the inside wall of the drum creating drag. This drag causes it to pull the rib bone in the direction of the rotating wheel, which twists a flat wedge between the top of both shoes, pushing them outward and in contact with the inside drum surface. slowing the vehicle.
The adjustment wheel is on the bottom. Spreading it closes the available gap on the top the rib bone is responsible for.
After a while the magnet wears the edges off and becomes rounded on the ends, taking away surface contact area, which reduces the down stream braking power at the pads.
Hope some of you find this helpful. Its as basic as I can describe it.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/26/09 04:57pm |
Towing
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RE: Trailer Brake Evaluation
Looks like a little scratching and cleaning is in order.
That is,, take some emory cloth or sand paper and clean the glaze off of the pads, the magnet and both points of contact on the drums. (Where the pads drag AND where the magnets drag)
When you get done sanding the grime and glaze off, be sure and wash the assembly with soap and water and dry with pressured air.-- If you don't wash the metal dust away and dry everything before it rusts,,, your brakes will squeak later.
Also: I couldn't tell by your pics how much your magnets have beveled. The flatter they are accross the contact surface,, the better they drag and perform. When they round over too much, they just don't grab the drum very well. If they don't grab and pull the rib bone,,, you don't get much drag from the pads to the drums either.
I've performed this little ritual so many times, I can do it in my sleep....:Z Good luck
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/26/09 04:31pm |
Towing
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RE: Ford 6.0 vs 7.3
As some of you know, I traded my 06 for an 09 a couple months ago. (after a fued)
I recently recieved a letter from "Patrick Law Firm" I was ID'd as a 6.0 owner and they are fixing to file a lawsuit on behalf of 6.0 owners and wanted me to call for details.
Of course I'm no longer a 6.0 owner, so it won't concern me, but those of you who ARE 6.0 owners may end up partners in a lawsuit against Ford. If you want to..
I'm sure it'll be just like the Chevy side saddle tank lawsuits in the 90s. $1000.00 off a new truck and the lawyer gets a wad of $$$ for getting you a deal you could have easily gotten on your own. Good luck.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/25/09 09:05pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Hitch weld or not
I've been a homeshop welder all my life. I've welded on too many frames to count. RVs, Trailers, Race cars, Rock crawlers, 4X4 buildups and yes, my own personal ride.
See the Burgandy truck in my sig? It has a combination of bolts and welded gussetts incorporated into the L-Frame brackets. Every TV I've ever owned had the hitch installed the same way.
Our old 5er had a GVW of 18,000 I pulled it without mercy and without fear of losing it. Never had a problem.
Its not just WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it.
I've even welded the plastic body parts of ATVs back together, using a wood burner and weed eater cord.
You can weld up the crack of dawn if you know how.
Oh and I've never pulled a battery before ARC welding on a vehicle. Just get a good ground close to where your working.
Are those double insulated rods, Lo-Hy flux core on the inside with 5-P Plus outside? Or Visa Versa??? :B:p
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/25/09 05:08pm |
Towing
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
We are going on a 3 month trip starting mid April and I figure the prices will up for us. Never fails.
Hear ya. Thats about the time our season starts as well. We'll probably summer commission the 5er early April and set out for Possum Kingdom the 3rd week of April.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/25/09 12:26am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Calling all firefighters.............
22 years petro/chemical/haz-mat. 6 years as an instructor. Retired as Captain.
You and me are almost the same guy.:B
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/24/09 10:38pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
Valero shutting down Del City.The demand for fuel is flat. Refineries shutting down is never a good thing. Folks not only lose jobs, but the loss of capacity will spike prices down the road when demand picks back up.
Imported gasoline will increase giving those jobs to a country not our own.
Most folks will blame it on greed, but that won't make our pockets any deeper.
I'm still predicting a slide in fuel prices over the next few months, but once they start back up??? Look out, its gonna get ugly.
*praying for those who will lose their jobs.....*
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/22/09 05:32am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
Where is that taken?
At the Chevron Phillips Beach house in Al-Jabail Saudi Arabia. He and I worked in the same plant in Industrial city SA
This guy turned out to be a great friend. He owns a camel farm. He was born in Mecca. (You don't get no more Arab than this guy) He hates terrorists as much as I do, and had the best sense of humor I ever saw.
He loved his family and worked very hard to give them a better life.
It was a pleasure to work with this man.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/16/09 07:39pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
Here's a pic of me and a one of my big oil buddys. He's the one on the right. That is me on the left in the white dress. Purty, ain't it? http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n228/TEAM2CAP/BandarPaw.jpg JUST KIDDIN! I'm the guy with the grey beard
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/14/09 05:28pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
Anyone else have a 6.4 with 4:10 gears? My milage stinks! I hear it will get better at 30,000 can anyone back that up?
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/14/09 04:43pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
The Wall street melt down is a classic example of the fox guarding the hen house.
So heres what we did about it.
We put the foxes on steroids, multiplied their numbers, increased their appetite, rolled the big roosters (bankers) up in a TARP and taxed the chickens (US) to pay for it.
I wonder how this gonna play out???
Diesel in Amarillo = 2.69 the other day. (trying to stay on topic)
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/13/09 10:53pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Brand new Sandpiper dead in the water
Your adapter should split the 120v wall supply. Normally your 5er plug would plug into a four hole receptacle that is supplied by 240v. One prong would have 120v another prong would have 120v, one prong would be ground, and one would be neutral. Each hot leg could carry 50 amps to give you a total of 100. Your wall supply might be a 15amp circuit or even a 20 amp. My coach converter trips a 15amp circuit fairly quickly. It will run fine on a 20amp circuit and even run the air as long as I don't try to make toast or use microwave or electric drip coffee. If you are only reading one leg of 120v into your rig, the converter that charges your batteries may on the leg not getting 120 to operate.
You win! You are RIGHT! I'm a little dense, and didn't get what you were saying at first, but my brother in law the electrician SHOWED me what you TOLD me. He drew me a picture. The adapter was the problem all along.
Thanks Tommy. You da man!
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/13/09 01:52pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ford F-350 diesel smell in cab
How old is your truck?
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/03/09 11:08am |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Fuel Issues & Prices - Post 'Em Here!
I get mine form Chevron.:) Got one yesterday. Or should I say NANA got one yesterday.
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Paw Paw Festus
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11/02/09 05:03am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Brand new Sandpiper dead in the water
Did it show 120 voltage on both hot legs to the neutral and the ground?
Sam
Ok, you lost me. I'm not an electrician. But why would it show 110 on each positive? Its not hooked up to a 220 dryer plug. Its only hooked up to a 110 household.
With the black probe stuck in the neutral, the red one showed hot in one side, but not the other.
Thats the way its supposed to be isn't it?
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Paw Paw Festus
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10/30/09 12:09am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Texas/Oklahoma Tornado Alley.
I've seen a map of the US and its tornado alleys. I believe it showed 9 alleys.
Theres one as far north as Chicago. Theres one that crosses Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Theres one north to south in Florida
The Red river alley is one that runs east and west from Ark through Oklahoma into Texas. The west end of that one covers Amarillo. Theres another one that runs diagnal across Nebraska and Kansas down through the OK panhandle and into the Texas Panhandle. The SouthWest end of that one also covers Amarillo. I can't remeber where the others are, but I seem to remember one more in the Dakotas.
I've not seen a map like that one before or since. And its been a while. But like what was stated above, tornados don't know they're supposed to stay in their alleys. I witnessed one in Delaware City Delaware about 20 years ago. Locals said that was the only one they'd ever had.
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Paw Paw Festus
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10/29/09 05:25pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Texas/Oklahoma Tornado Alley.
There are no guarantees about tonados. The can occur in any state any thime of the year.
BUT, from my experience living in a Tornado alley intersection, I can give you some "Rules of thumb"
Tornados along the corridor you speak of are a lot more frequent in the spring and summer. As a rule, They are fewer and farther between this time of year - UNLESS a huricane strikes and spins the storm north to northeast giving birth to tornados along the route.
We haven't experienced any huricanes along the gulf coast this season yet, so that knocks that fear out.
I would advise keeping it simple, check the forcast infront of your trip, and plan accordingly.
Its been a wet fall here in the Tx panhandle lately. Its raining and thundering RIGHT Now! I washed the truck yesterday...
It's all your fault! You told me how you waxed your RV and I followed your advice yesterday (worked great, incidentally - I answered your PM). Now we will get what you're having in a couple of Austin. It's all your fault!!! But, we love the rain so keep it coming.
I'm thinking about offering RAIN SERVICE! Every time I've washed the truck this year, its rained! Every flippin time. I swung into the car wash at 5:30 this morning after a graveyard shift to knock the dirt back off my new wash job. Went home and sacked out.. Guess what it was doing when I got up? RAINING!
You need rain? Call me. Call me Rain man...;)
Thanks for the pm reply.
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Paw Paw Festus
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10/29/09 05:12pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Brand new Sandpiper dead in the water
How did you check the adapter?
Sam
I pulled the 20-->50 adapter and trailer cord apart far enough to touch the contacts with the meter probes. Meter showed voltage.
I then pulled the twist lock commection out of the side of the trailer and tested it with meter probes. It showed good voltage.
Open the box that the power cable is coming from in the trailer and check to see if one of the wires has not come loose. It happens.
I've come to the conclusion this has to be the problem. Rather than taking a chance on voiding the warranty, I'll take it to the shop tomorrow.
Thanks all. Still bummed...
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Paw Paw Festus
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10/29/09 04:43pm |
Tech Issues
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