One thing that we are very conscious about maintaining is our trailer tires and wheels. Explanations can be found here and here. Recently I realized that I had not checked the condition of our trailer wheel grease and brakes. I did a quick check to see the condition of these items, and was happy to find out that the brakes are still in great condition, but the wheel hubs did need new grease applied to them. I did some quick research on how to DIY, and did not find much help. I quickly learned and figured out what I needed to do, and documented the process to hopefully be an aid to others (videos at end of post).
Starting off, I gathered the appropriate tools and material. I needed to purchase a grease gun and the grease itself. I didn't go with the cheapest grease gun, but still had some issues with it maintaining its prime, so I wonder if I should have gone with a more expensive model. The store did not have enough grease in the 14oz tubes that would fit straight into the grease gun, so I had to purchase bulk cans instead. I feel that the tubes would have been an easier way to go. Everything else I had on hand.
As you can see in the photo, I have gathered:
Grease gun
Grease (1 can or tube per wheel, plus extra)
Nitrile gloves
Rubber mallet
Flathead screwdriver
Pliers
Paper towels
Putty knife
Trash bucket
Bottle jack
Impact to remove tires
Begin by securing the area. Chock opposite tires to prevent the trailer from moving while working on it. Jack up the wheel to be worked on and remove the tire.
The little rubber cap in the middle has been worn out on my tires, so I went to a local trailer supply store and purchased some replacements. I removed that part and discarded, then used the mallet and screwdriver to remove the metal dust cap. It may take a few hits to get it loose. It comes right off once it is loosened.
At this point, clean off the old grease from the quick lube port on the end of the hub, attach the filled and primed grease gun, and start pumping the new grease into the hub. It may take a few minutes to really get the grease moving, but once the new grease starts to push out the old grease, things move along quickly. You will need to stop every now and then to scrape off the old grease into a container. Slowly, the grease will change color from a dull gray to a purplish red. At this point, most of the old grease has been pushed out, and it is up to you how much more you want to pump through the hub.
Once any excess grease has been scraped/wiped away, replace the metal and rubber dust caps and reattach the tire. Move on to the next wheel.
Over the past few months (6 or so), we have had some on again/off again issues with our front landing jacks. Some sticking, some not wanting to move, and most recently, total failure. Thankfully, not catastrophic, but that is mostly because the fifth wheel was still hooked up to the truck. With each incident, we have tried different remedies, trying to systematically work through the whole system to isolate the issue. There may have been several, but I am now confident that they will work normally from now on, since I have taken off and tested the motor, inspected and greased the reduction gear box, installed a new wireless controller and overloads, and now a brand new leg.
As I mentioned, the most recent failure was several threads inside the opposite door jack just shearing off, causing the leg to not support any weight. It happened when I was getting ready to unhook from the truck and had just started to take the weight off of the truck, so it just returned the load to the truck.
For anyone wondering what it takes to replace one of these legs, it is really, really easy. It took me 20 minutes to pull off the bum leg and about 45 to put the new one on, but I did take some extra time to clean some items up while I had the system disassembled and to document the process. The photos are of a Keystone Mountaineer 345DBQ, and the parts are from Lippert. Parts and shipping for the leg were about $320.
The old leg in back and new in the front. I had to take the foot and locking pin off of the old leg and put it on the new one. A little WD-40 to clean them up and they almost look new.
The two brackets that the leg mounts into.
The leg bolted into the brackets.
The bracket where it is welded to the frame. Take note of the protrusions on the leg and how they sit on the bracket. This is how the load is primarily transferred from the frame to the leg. The bolts are there to hold these in place. Be sure that both protrusions are properly seated before placing weight onto the leg.
The view looking up.
Inside the front compartment, this rod is how the motor attaches to the leg and actuates it. For our rig, one motor controls both legs.
Attach the motor. I left the other leg off of the motor and adjusted the new one to match the existing leg first...
...then I hooked up the tie rod so that they would operate in sync. I set the RV onto some temporary stands so that I could then let the legs take the weight.
And viola! We have a new leg installed. I marked the factory 'all the way in' point with a sharpie so that I knew how far I could run it in with out damage.
Because of the legs mounting to the outside of the frame, it was easy to slide it in and out, and I didn't have to worry about being over a pit to have to slide it straight down. I know that other rigs don't have this much access and clearance and may require extra steps/effort to accomplish this process. I hope that this is informative and a useful aide for anyone wanting to work on their legs.
So I'm sure that some how you have learned that our clothes dryer went out for a few days recently. I was able to fix it by replacing the heating coil. Not a super difficult fix, it just took some time to learn how to completely disassemble the thing. This of course falling in line with my philosophy of take care of what you have so it will last. Don't throw it out until you know it is a lost cause. So it works and the heat goes on.
Well, we bought the washer and dryer at the same time, you know, the whole 'matched pair' thing. So the washer decides that it wanted to join in the fun and conk out as well. Now I have a washer that refuses to do a final spin and drain. So, thanks to some ingenuity on my part (and quite a bit of forearm strength), I wrung the towels out myself and put them through the drying paces. [editors note: I was shown how some of the cycles function in different manners on the dryer so that drying time would be expedited. Thanks wife.]
Then the fun part began: Troubleshooting. Going off of some past experience, I started with the drain pump, figuring that if it could not empty the chute, that it would not activate the spin cycle. Wrong. The hose was free and clear and the pump spins great.
Being elevated makes them easier to work on, just spin it around and have at it.
So, moving on, I locate the technical data sheets with diagnostic information that is taped to the inside of the machine. Conveniently, I discovered this existed when ripping apart the dryer. See, matched pair has similarities. It's a good thing when you have to maintenance both of the them. Running the machine through the paces, I get an error code of not receiving the signal from the motor or controls to spin. Off we go to the back of the unit to check wires and voltage and resistance (o my!) According to my findings and the tech sheet, the motor controller needs replaced. Ok, makes sense.
Fast forward to me at the appliance parts store buying said part. $170 and a warning that electronics are non refundable, and I am back home ripping apart more of the machine so that I can access the controller to remove it. This involves pulling off the belt, motor, and wiring harnesses so that I can undo the screws holding this circuitry down.
And then I saw it. 1 itty bitty 18 gauge wire severed in two.
Thanks Chuck.
Off I dashed to the store to buy some butt splices. $.99 for 20 of them. "Are you kidding me", I mutter to myself as I head home. This would be great if this fixes it, but did I really have to buy that part? Sure enough, after some splicing and putting everything back together, she works like a charm.
Today we learned that just because some diagnostic said a part was bad, make sure it is fully connected first. The bigger picture, make sure that you look at all sides before rushing off for a fix. Something easier and less taxing may be waiting around the corner.
Well, we are on Christmas break (YAY!). So, I have the opportunity to take some time to work on the blog, mostly with site maintenance and such. The biggest thing is that we are migrating to our own domain. I'll be spending the time to get everything moved and working, and will update on that progress. The content at simpsonsix.blogspot.com will continue to be updated, so this address/links will remain functional. There are also plans to create some more pages and content. Don't worry, we won't be changing too much, just looking at adding more items and some small tweaks. We appreciate your readership and look forward to what is to come.
I also welcome any suggestions you might have from a reader stand point. Your feedback is valued and appreciated.
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