And a new chapter begins! We are all done now with our 2015 Renaissance Faire season, and are now on vacation until the end of January.
As I write this, we have already begun our journey, having left Huntersville, NC yesterday afternoon, and working our way down to my sister's house in St Marys, GA to spend a week visiting, and doing some maintenance on the RV and whatnot. We'll be there for about a week. Right now, we are at a Flying J in St George, SC, where we staying the evening.
After the visit with my sis, we'll be heading west on I-10 to Arizona. Our itinerary is totally up in the air this year...so where we end up and what we see along the way will unfold as we go!
Kev
We drove a short hop, skip, and a jump to the Flying J in Brunswick, GA, exit 29 off of I-95. My sister's place is exit 4 or 6, so we are pretty close, and not all that far from Florida. Totally uneventful and everything is running great!
I'm loving the less than 2.00 a gallon gas prices right now! First fill up was 75.00, and the second was 78.00. Woohooooo!!!
We are going to stay the night here, so that we can roll into my sis's driveway early tomorrow. Back into drydock...lol! Time for some visiting, projects, repairs, and good old maintenance on a flat paved driveway!
Kev
Safe and sound, and all hooked up, in my sister's driveway! We'll be here for a week or so. We'll be visiting and working on projects of course. Lots to do, but lots of time to do it in.
Kev
You must not know how to act with no mud!
Right? A level flat dry concrete driveway to work in...I'm in heaven!!!
Kev
Pfft N:( spoiled man
So I got some projects done today!!! I put a new starter in the K5 Blazer, and then replaced the battery terminal ends and added a ground strap from the engine to the frame. I was cleaning and tightening all the grounds, and if there WAS a ground strap, I couldn't find it! So I added one...lol! And I made sure that the positive terminal connection on the battery was perfect. There is the main cable going to it, and the smaller cable from the alternator...so I soldered the two together for a perfect connection. I also bought a new speedometer cable and hood latch cable for it, which I'll install on Monday, since my mom is coming down to visit tomorrow. Unless I get up and motivated early enough tomorrow morning, in which case I'll do it then.
Kev
The speedometer cable is replaced on the K5 Blazer, as well as the hood release cable...and I fixed the radio for Patti while I was it (loose wire). More projects will be done tomorrow as well!
Kev
Well...crap. I pulled the generator today to repair what I thought was a loose exhaust pipe or exhaust manifold bolt/bolts.
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It was surprisingly easy to get out once I disconnect the wires and undid the bolts. It sits on a tray that comes out completely. Fortunately my sister was throwing out an old cabinet that was the EXACT right height to slide the generator and tray out on to to work on it.
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So I pulled the shroud cover off...
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And this is what I found:
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It looks like a clean break, not a rust through. Probably because 2 out of the 3 exhaust hangers were missing! I couldn't find the part anywhere...lots of exhaust manifolds for NHE series generators out there, just none that look like this one!
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The gaskets still look good all the way around, and no bolts are missing. The manifold bolts came right out, surprisingly!
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So I'm going to go down to a muffler shop and see if they can repair this one by welding it back together since its such a clean break. Its too bad that I couldn't find the right one anywhere, since they aren't ALL that expensive...from 70-170 bucks.
Off to the muffler shop! Wish me luck folks!
Kev
It will break again right on the welds unless they stress relieve it directly after welding and even then there is no guarantee. There needs to be no stress on that part at all. I have seen and I need to find again modern flex pipe like is used on front wheel drive cars. That should be used to tie in the muffler to the manifold to isolate the motor vibration from the muffler and tailpipe weight. Can you get me a outside pipe diameter where it attaches to the muffler?
And that really should be tack welded at least while bolted to the heads or you may have a tough time getting them to seal.
LOL Rick! I knew the doom and gloom was coming. ;)
I went all over town and stopped at a WHOLE bunch of places...and finally found a place that specializes in custom motorcycle exhausts. So they welded it up, and it looks like they did a pretty good and strong job.
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I tried flexing it hard, and it seems as strong as the rest of the pipe. So good job welding guys! After that, I bolted it back to the heads...everything lined up perfectly with nothing warped!
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Then I had to bolt the air cleaner preheater shroud back on...
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And then the shrouds...
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And then while I had it out, I cleaned out all the dirt and debris that had accumulated in the tray over the years...
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And then I slid the generator and tray back in, bolted everything down, and hooked everything back up...
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And that is as far as I got today. Here is the exhaust pipe and muffler ready to bolt back in. The strap around the muffler is the one that was missing its hanger. So I bought a hanger when I was out having the pipe repaired, but it was too long when I mock fitted the exhaust. I went back out and got one that will work, but for now this is as far as I got. Almost done!
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Here are couple of shots of the exhaust manifold flange that the exhaust system bolts up to. Easy to get to and plenty of room to get to the bolts.
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And this right here is the mounting hole for the exhaust hanger that was missing. It sits right over that big muffler strap. I found a bolt in my bins that fits, so all I have to do is modify the hanger I bought tonight, install the exhaust, and call that project done.
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So yeah! Looks like it will work just fine! Almost done! So I'll finish this up in the morning, and then move on to more projects!
Kev
Try to get me a size on the outer diameter of the pipes on the muffler if you could. And by the way, Mr. Doom and Gloom is a Certified welder with many years of arcing under his belt. I will say no more on that subject, as long as you are happy.
Its all good Rick! If it breaks, you can tell me you told me so, and I can try to find a new one...although the prices I found are stupid high...like around 270.00 bucks! It cost me 35 bucks for the motorcycle exhaust shop to weld it up.
When I'm installing it tomorrow, I'll take a measurement of the pipes and let you know what it is.
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Murphy's Law has NOTHING on Rick's Law...lol! :angel:
Kev
I worked with Murphy for the last 15 years. No joke! His name is Lionel Murphy and he is the other locksmith at the College where I just retired. We shared an office for the last 6 years. :D
I can see where your short side exhaust gasket was leaking at the head, did you use new gaskets?
Oh MY!!! I'll jus bet that was a bit noisy and such. It's amazing how quiet these things are with a solid intact exhaust system. I was able to further reduce noise by installing an insulated, noise reducing, baffle barrier on the inside of the air grill of the door. Of course I had the space to do such as my grill was locate horizontally above most of the genny rather than vertical as yours is.
Now maybe it's jus me and my personal experience,... but I couldn't help but to notice one of them damn plastic semi-clear fuel filters!!!! They jus scare the heck outa me, on anything but small exposed engines, where such fuel filters are always in plain view and any leaks or failure causes no hazard. Those things jus aren't intended for this kinda setup!!! And yet I find 'em to be common. I tend to replace them with solid metal can types and prefer threaded ones with solid metal fuel lines fitted properly. Ya might call it, "preventative medicine"!!! But WHY do I see so many PLASTIC ones like this, HOSE CLAMPED in such a manner???
I remember some vehicles with such a setup,... most notable was the early 70's Fiat X1/9,... yes, the little mid-engine 2-seater often seen in flames on the side of the highway. They chose to run a flexible fuel line from the tank (behind the passengers seat) to the carb directly over the distributor (behind the drivers seat)!!! Guess ya'll never looked in a rear view mirror while driving and seen roaring flames behind your head!!! Something you'll never forget!!! Had similar excitement on some motorcycles too, and those are small open setups! I've been very selective of fuel filters and lines, and still cringe when I see this.
But your exhaust repairs look satisfactory,.... for now,... or at least for a while,... errrr,... ya, you know,.... what Rick didn't say. LoL!!
It looked that way to me as well, Rick...until I looked at it closer. All that carbon buildup on that side was from the broken exhaust manifold pipe spewing carbon all over everything. I reused the gaskets as they seemed to be in fine shape, and I properly torqued them down, so I should have any leaks from there.
And Doc, I change that plastic filter out once a year, and the fuel line every couple of years. The one in use right now is exactly one year old.
Kev
In all my years of racing and wrenching I have never seen one of those filters fail under normal circumstances. I have seen them in some pretty extreme circumstances and not fail. It is the line that fails much more often than the filter and it is usually because the line was tightened too much that was the cause for failure. If you were to attach the fuel line with metal line to the generator which pocks and rolls in there it would break in minutes. You have to have the flexible line. I also want to comment on your choice of vehicles you use for examples for fires, all foreign vehicles. Any mechanic knows that the fuel lines used by the foreign cars were questionable back in those days. The clear stuff with the braids in it? Got hard as a rock in less than a year and started to leak. VW fuel line was famous for breaking down over time. It was supposed to be replaced after five years but never was and fires were the end result. None of this was caused by the filters though. Basic maintenance is all it takes to keep the filters and lines safe.
As an example of how durable those filters are I raced the Baja off road race in 75, 76, 78 and 80 in the unlimited buggy class and myself along with just about every other competitor ran those clear plastic filters and I never saw a failure. Clogged filters thanks to Pemex gas but no failures.
If I remember right...the air cooled vw's had a cloth/fiber covered rubber fuel lines? Is that right?
I've had a couple Type III's, and a couple bugs back in the day. Everyone of them I had to pull the motor out at one time or another! Fun to drive though.
Yes, it was a braided cloth over rubber and did NOT use clamps from the factory.
Whenever we rebuilt a Porsche we immediately replaced all of the fuel lines with stainless braided Aeroquip lines with threaded fittings. No need for that on your coach but new hoses are a good idea if they are more than 10-12 years old. Keep in mind that there are two types of rubber fuel line. There is standard line and there is fuel injection line. The standard line is just as durable, it just is not designed for the very high pressures of a modern injection system. The injection hose is very hard to get onto barbed fittings. So save yourself the money and buy the standard fuel line. Get USA made and branded line and you will have no worries. Oh, And there are two types of hose clamps also, there are the standard worm clamps that we all know and hate and there are clamps for the injection line. The injection clamps are much nicer and clamp more evenly but I am not sure they clamp tight enough due to the thinner walls of the standard line and the fact that the clamp is made to stop at a certain point. Use the correct size worm clamp but only tighten until the rubber is flush with the holes on the clamp, do not tighten until the rubber is squeezing through the clamp. This is what causes failures.
The muffler is installed, clamped up properly on hangers, and the generator is purring like a very loud kitten! Even with no leaks, these things aren't exactly silent...lol!
Here is a picture of the lower exhaust pipe bolted up to the manifold flange. I used a new bolt since one of them was pretty rust on the threads.
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I had to get creative with the muffler hanging clamp. The one that was on there was cracked. I looked all over for one that would fit, and then found one that was a part of some sort of truck exhaust rain cap. They sold me the whole thing for 10 bucks, and I used my cutting wheel to cut the clamp part off the rest of the unit. Perfect fit! The hanger is an inverted generic hanger...I flattened the end that would normally go under a U-bolt, drilled a hole in it, and then bolted it up to the mounting point with the rubber strap hanging down, most of it cut off. Then the bolt from the new clamp went through it, sandwiching it between the ends of the new clamp. Voila! Perfect fit, and nice and strong but with flex from the rubber strap!
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I reused the exhaust pipe strap, since it was still in good condition, even if it is ugly.
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And here it is all hung up in place! No more leaks and about as quiet as these generators get!
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Putting out a steady 125.2 volts. Seems a little high to me, but it works!
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And Rick! The pipes are 1.5 inches OD, manifold pipes and exhaust and all.
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The rest of the day was cleaning up and getting ready for tomorrow's projects. First I tried to locate just ONE Firestone 4100 airbag...and there was no way to get one here in time. But I was able to get the whole kit from Summit Racing, and it should be here tomorrow...so I can replace the bad airbag before the long trip out west. I also bought a Napa Gold oil filter and Mobile 1 full synthetic oil for the RV oil change, and a few things to make the oil change easier, like a catch pan that I can seal back up to recycle the oil. I decided to go with Mobile 1 from now on, and just change the oil and filter once a year on the RV...which comes out to about 6000 miles or so between changes.
So lots more to do tomorrow!!!
Kev
6,000 miles is a lot on a carburetted engine for oil changes. It is not bad on injected engines but they do not pass anywhere near as much combustion byproducts past the rings as a carb engine does. What I would do is go with the 6,000 miles but at 3,000 miles change the filter and just add the lost oil from the filter. Or if you are really cheap pour the oil from the old filter back into the engine, I would not do that myself though.
Ya might be right Rick,... cheap fuel lines were the biggest hazard!!! And I cant believe ya never had problems with them plastic ones, especially the early plastic ones. Fragile, they cracked, failed at the seams, and deformed at inlets and outlets (either due to hose clamping or poor mounting alignment),... and the "it looks clean, why change it" attitude of most jus increases the problem of aging plastic AND LINES! Made of much better material today,... maybe they're alot different. But "once burned, twice shy", and still I avoid them for critical applications, and change 'em as often as oil for non-critical applications. Where I use flexible lines of necessity,.. they'll be threaded fittings and the best I can find. Jus me I guess.
And I've also developed a critical eye in foreign products over recent years,... some are great! Some are jus JUNK!!! Even common sparkplugs, once made right here in Michigan with consistency, are now manufactured in foreign countries with deplorable quality. They look and are marked familiarly,... but they're not the same as they once were.
And have ya'll noticed the greatest noise of these things is rushing from that grate underneath??? LoL!!! Ya insulate the cabinet, enclose it all, get the exhaust taken care of,... but that fan noise, DAMN!!! Jus can't escape it!!! Still,... these things are so much quieter than most any in the neighborhood here for a half-mile away!!! And quieter than my AC unit!!! Cant hear nothin inside when that's runnin!!!
I was considering that, Rick...just replacing the filter about half way through the year and topping of the oil with fresh Mobile 1. I use the Napa Gold filters, and even those aren't all that expensive. Mobile 1 synthetic is supposed to be a darn good oil from what I've heard and read though, with no breakdown in viscosity or performance for up to 15,000 miles, so I think changing the filter at 3000 miles should do the trick.
Kev
What is the best oil is a subject that will be argued until the end of time. I personally do not believe synthetic oils are any better than standard oils in a non-high performance engine. My professional opinion. They all use petroleum base oil and add synthetic additives where the standard oils use petroleum additives. There are full 100% synthetic motor oils out there that have no petroleum base oils in them at all, they are about 100.00 a quart! Isn't marketing a wonderful thing? :)clap I don't push one oil over the other because it starts a flame war every time. They all do the job they are designed to do. Here is the kicker. All American V8's are full flow oiling systems. That means all of the oil flows through the filter on it's way to the engine. Inside the filter there is a bypass valve that will open if the pressure gets too high in the filter allowing unfiltered iol through and on to the bearings.that valve will typically open on very cold starts or when the filter gets clogged, the theory being that dirty oil is better than no oil. The higher end filters tend to have better filtration, I know for a fact that NAPA filters are made by WIX, one of the best. Some of the aftermarket high end filters tout finer filtration media, this is not always a good thing since it means the filter will clog faster and then the bypass opens and ALL the oil goes through the bearings. This is why I say to change the filter after so many miles because on a hard working carburetted engine there is a lot of combustion gas and crap going past the rings and into the oil, it is the nature of the beast.
And just so you do not think I am against synthetic oils, there is a place for them in high performance engines that turn high rpm with high bearing pressures and temps. High heat and pressure is what breaks the oil down and you are not running into that in a motorhome. Again, it is totally your choice and the amount of miles you have and will put on yours proves whatever you are doing it is right. :)ThmbUp
Alright! First I changed the oil and filter this morning...and while I was working on it, UPS arrived with my new Firestone 4100 airbags! And I'm glad I didn't order just a single one. You'll see in the pictures that Firestone changed the inlet design, so if I had bought just an airbag, I would have been SOL!
After changing the oil, I removed the Spectre air cleaner and washed it, and set it out in the sun to dry. Still waiting for it to be totally dry as I type this, so that I can oil it and reinstall it.
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Then I removed the faulty airbag. And it was WAY harder to do than removing an old crusty dryrotted airbag! In the following picture you can see the carnage...and some of the clamps I used to get all of the air out of the new airbag to install it. Don't mine the green slime! And that is exactly what it is...Slime! It helped the airbag to hold air for almost a year...but stopped working, and thus this project.
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I decided to only do one side, because the other side is good, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Besides, the good side is only 2-3 years old. So I have a spare airbag for future use, and a spare airline.
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It wasn't easy, but I got the new one in!!! WOW was it a tight fit! A few bloody knuckles and cuss words, but getting all the air out of it, and then using the clamps to hold it in a folded taco position while installing it with plenty of dish soap, and it is in and inflated!!!
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Here's a gratuitous picture of the older side, still holding air. I've never had a problem with this side.
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The next two pictures show the design change Firestone made. Maybe I wasn't the first one to have the old design leak around the ferrule! The new one has a built in Schrader valve, with a 90 degree elbow built onto the end of the air hose. The old one had a push in valve/ferrule on the bottom, and you had to piece the hose together with an elbow.
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Both sides are holding air, inflated to 70psi. SWEET! After I clean up after today's projects, hopefully the air filter will be dry and I can oil it and reinstall it. Then I have to run down to the autoparts store to get a double barbed fitting and some hose clamps to repair my portable air compressor hose...I borrowed my brother-in-law's for today's projects, but I don't like to be without a working one while traveling.
And that will conclude today's projects! Tomorrow we have to run down to the Florida DMV (we are right over the line, so the DMV is about 12 miles from here) to renew the registrations on the RV and the Blazer before they expire on 1/11. And then back to my sister's place to work on the electrical. I have to fix my windshield wipers and figure out why they stall out...which sucks when driving in the rain...and figure out why my low beams suddenly stopped working. I'm hoping those are just burnt out bulbs, since I did go with the super bright performance ones, and they don't last all that long.
Busy busy!
Kev
If your wipers are really tight against the windshield then the internal circuit breaker is tripping in the wiper motor. I have that problem with mine if I turn the wipers on and the windshield is not wet enough. Coat the windshield with Rain-X. That makes for not needing the wipers as much and also lubricates the windshield so it is easier for the wipers to move. Also check the ground connection between the wiper motor and the chassis.
Thanks Rick! It is way past time for another coat of Rain-X...I think I may even have some kicking around. I'm thinking its a ground problem. I'll be checking all that out tomorrow when we get back from the DMV.
The air cleaner is oiled and reinstalled, and everything is cleaned up and put away from today's projects. While its not an almost impossible job like changing out Mor-Ryde shear springs with just bottle jacks and C-clamps, changing out even just one air bag is NOT fun, and is a lot of work.
More tomorrow!
Kev
Hey Kev personal opinion, Don't oil the air filter it just causes the heavier dirt to stick in place instead of falling off . Also adds restriction . Should increase MPG measurably Frank
Frank, these cotton media filters require it..
Yep...you have to oil this type of filter. The Spectre recharge kit, which I bought and used, comes with the cleaner that you spray on and wait for 20 minutes, and then rinse off from the inside out with a garden hose (low pressure water). And then you let it dry completely in the sun. It also comes with the oil in a clear spray bottle, with measurements on the side in milliliters. If you go to their website, it tells you exactly how much oil to use based on which filter you have. Mine required 50mls...which considering how large the filter is, isn't all that much. You just keep spraying it evenly until the level on the bottle indicates you've gone through 50mls.
Off to the DMV! Depending how long that takes, we'll get back and work on some more projects.
Kev
Frank, I used to say that about the K&N filters when they hit the racing circuit but they did a whole bunch of independent tests and they did actually flow better up to the point of when they got totally clogged with dirt. The good part is the oil attracts the dirt which get oily and attracts more dirt ect. Sounds like it would be restrictive but I have sen the dyno tests myself. Now on a diesel.................... they are not so good since diesels move a LOT more air and tend to pull the filters apart sometimes.
Hey Kevin, I think you have the same tires as I do and I was wondering how they do traction wise in the mud and wet grass. You of any of us would be the expert on that subject after this year. Do you have the hi-way tread tires in back?
Hey Rick. I've got the Sampson 8r19.5s GL283A models. Front and back. They are directional, so I kept the best Michelin as a spare, since its not directional.
I have had no problem whatsoever with traction...not in wet grass, not in sand, and not even in the mud this year in Carolina...lol!
Kev
DMV went off without a hitch! Say what you want about Florida, but they have the fastest and most efficient DMV system that we have ever seen...probably because tax collectors offices like the one we went to in Fernandino Beach, FL take up a LOT of their traffic, and said tax collector offices are everywhere in Florida.
We ran some errands afterwards and got things we needed for the next 2 days of projects. I then repaired the compressor hose end on my awesome portable USA made air compressor.
So here is what we are doing over the next 2 days before hitting the road:
Tomorrow, Saturday, is washing day! The dogs are getting a bath, the roof and solar panels are getting washed, the Max Air vent covers are getting removed and thoroughly cleaned, the bathroom vent fan is going to get cleaned...and the REALLY NASTY Fan-Tastic fan is going to get a super cleaning!!! I found a You-Tube video that shows the best way to clean it, and ours is NASTY. Here's the link to the You-Tube video...it is very well done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4JWUJvy_0s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4JWUJvy_0s) . And then I'm going to use Scrub Free to clean the mildew off the exterior fiberglass of the RV, and then wash the RV with Turtlewax Wash and Wax.
Sunday I'm going to troubleshoot and repair the windshield wiper problem and the low beam issue...and then treat the windshield with Rain-X. After that, I'll be greasing all the fittings on the RV and the Blazer, and checking and topping off all air pressures. I'm also going to troubleshoot and repair the Brake Buddy and get it ready to install in the Blazer, and install its break away switch and whatnot so we'll be legal. And finally, I'm going to remove the loose steering box bolts in the Blazer one at a time, coat the heck out of them in RED Lock-Tite, and reinstall them tightly, for like the 10th time. They keep loosening up, probably because of the frame reenforcement that was welded on...so Lock-Tite Red should do it!
And that's it! There might be some crossover, depending how much I get done on Saturday...but we should be out of here and on the road west on Monday.
Kev
Oh yeah! I'm also going to top off the batteries with distilled water, and if I have time, I'll install the Dimensions true sine inverter...but if not, that can wait until we get to Safford, AZ, and can be done in the campground.
Kev
Yea, I went to MV today also. NJ is NOT like Fla! I went there to get my handicap placard and ended up sitting on the floor waiting because I just could not stand any longer and I sure as hell was NOT getting out of line!!! 2.5 hours! I am guessing that the dog wash and the roof and solar panel wash are pretty much one operation. :)rotflmao You are definitely thorough I will give you that. I would use blue lock-tite this time on the steering bolts and when you get to your next destination pull them all out and see if the holes behind the box are hogged out. If those holes are bigger than the bolts then the box is sliding around on the frame and nothing you do will keep it tight. You will need to get a welder to weld them partially closed and redrill them to the correct size and use new grade eight bolts and torque them to spec. You can use the red lock-tite at that time but just be aware that if you need to remove the nuts you will need to heat them to around 700 degrees. I almost never use red.
Its actually a pretty common malady on K5 Blazers once you weld on the aftermarket steering box support on the frame.
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The brace doesn't sit as flush as the original frame, so the steering box isn't sitting as flush against the frame. The bolts tend to loosen up over time if you don't use locktite. From everything I've read on the K5 Blazer forums, red locktite is the preferred method for stopping it from happening again.
I'm having my coffee now and letting it get a little warmer outside...and then its wash day! Its supposed to be a balmy 78 degrees today in St Marys, GA. We are really lucking out on the weather here for the projects.
Kev
That's interesting, The braces I put on many years ago were a good snug fit. I don't even remember now who made them. I would be looking into having some shims made and welded in to have the box sit nice and flush and snug. You could also go with supplemental hydraulics but your rig is not really big enough to need that unless you are really into rock climbing.
So lots of washing got done today!!!
First, a couple of pictures of the dirty vents and fans, so you can see what I was dealing with from not keeping up with them.
This is the bathroom vent and fan. Not TOO bad, because it usually only gets used when showering. Still pretty dirty, as was the screen.
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It was a chore cleaning it from above and below, but it got done. Pretty nice now!
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And then there was the Fan-Tastic fan. EXTRA dirty and nasty!
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Here is the new screen on deck since the tabs on the old one were broken...
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First you need to remove the fan and the bowtie/fan/blade assembly from the top. Here is the vent with the assembly removed, totally cleaned up including the dome cover...all ready to reinstall the bowtie/fan/blade assembly.
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And here is where the You Tube video was wrong, and I buggered the whole project. My fan blade was STUCK, even after removing the allen screw. So I put a punch on the shaft and tapped it a couple of times with a hammer...and not only did it NOT drop off the shaft, I messed up the bearings in the motor! I had to hit is several times from the other direction just to get it to move, and its about 5 times slower than it was. Dang it!!! Also contrary to the video, mine didn't have spade connections to disconnect the motor wiring...so I had to cut the wires, and added spade connections, protected with electrical tape.
I cleaned it up anyway, so you can get it pretty clean without trying to remove the fan from the shaft. Here is what it looks like all cleaned up the best I could since the fan blade wouldn't come off.
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So the moral of the story is that you can get it pretty darn clean without removing the fan from the motor shaft. Just leave the bowtie attached to the motor, and carefully wash the whole thing in your sink, trying not to get any water in the motor.
I will now have to replace this motor/bowtie/fan assembly once I get to Safford, AZ, since there isn't any time to have one shipped here. I found the whole assembly for 55 bucks plus 12.00 shipping, so it was a 67.00 mistake!!! DO NOT HIT THE SHAFT AT ALL IF THE FAN WON'T COME OFF!!! If the fan won't come off the shaft, just leave it and clean it with the shaft in place. I am running the fan to see if the bearings or whatever I did frees up or corrects itself...but there doesn't seem to be any improvement. Dang it!!!
I also got the RV roof cleaned and rinsed, the solar panels cleaned, and the whole RV washed with a wash and wax. It looks a LOT better when it isn't nasty!
By the time the RV was done, it was almost 5pm and I was exhausted. So the pups will get washed tomorrow, along with a host of other projects!
Kev
The Maxx Air II covers also got thoroughly cleaned and replaced. No pictures of that, but they are clean...lol. Did I mention DO NOT TRY TO FORCE THE FAN OFF THE SHAFT on Fan-Tastic fans? ;)
Also...note to self: Clean these things at least once a year! They get NASTY after 3+ years!
Kev
Dang Dude! You running your woodshop in there?! W% ??? If that is what is coming from your Vape machines you may want to rethink that stuff!!!! :D :D
Woodshop is outside in a tent workshop. Vaping anniversary was June 2nd, 2015 (my very last cigarette was June 2nd, 2014). A lot of the nastiness, pretty much all of it, was either nicotine cigarette smoke, or just plain old dust and dirt. No more tobacco in our house!
Kev
Agree with the "nastiness", Kevin. It is amazing how fast nicotine will stain and how it continues to accumulate.
My RV is my home and has two rules that apply to me and any who wish to come in:
#1 No smoking inside.
#2 Also applies to nastiness, stains, and cleaning up after:
My home is "gender equal". This means that whoever you are or what gender you are, when you use my head you pee sitting down.
Should you disagree with either rule there is lots of room outside.
Works so far. :)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp :)clap :)clap
You are wise beyond your years Terry.
Wish I could enforce that sitting down rule ! But there is only me and I refuse , Even though I have to constantly clean the mess ! Does that make any sense ? i?? Frank
Quote from: ClydesdaleKevin on December 12, 2015, 08:57 PM
Woodshop is outside in a tent workshop. Vaping anniversary was June 2nd, 2015 (my very last cigarette was June 2nd, 2014). A lot of the nastiness, pretty much all of it, was either nicotine cigarette smoke, or just plain old dust and dirt. No more tobacco in our house!
Kev
I knew you quit smoking a while ago, congrats on that. Been 29 years for me. I though the vent cleaning was a yearly thing and this was a years worth of accumulation. I'll bet those fans move a lot more air now!
Well...I sort of slacked on these...I haven't cleaned them since I installed them, except for cleaning the screens. So this was more like over 3 years worth of dirt. And the Fan-Tastic fan WOULD be moving a lot more air if I hadn't broken it...lol!
I got the dogs washed yesterday and some grocery shopping, but that was pretty much it. Patti is pretty sick and I have to bring her to the Walk-in medical center this morning...she has a really bad cold and it hurts when she coughs, so we don't want it to turn into pneumonia. When we get back I'll knock out a few more projects, and hopefully get out of here tomorrow!
Kev
Sorry to hear that, hopefully she will be feeling better soon. :(
Turns out that the doctor says Patti has pneumonia, so she's on some heavy duty medicine. The doctor visit and waiting for the pharmacy took up a huge part of my day, so aside from buying some spray lithium grease for the wiper linkage assembly, not much else got done today.
So tomorrow, everything else will get done, and then Wednesday we hit the road, first thing in the morning. That is one of the benefits of owning a motorhome...Patti can still rest and watch TV while I drive us out west along I-10.
Kev
Take it easy, Patti. Pneumonia is nothing to fool around with. Hope your trip goes well. We will be following along with Google Maps.
Sorry to hear about Patti. I've had pneumonia several times, and it's not fun. Hope you guys have a safe trip West, and enjoy your vacation.
Thanks guys! The doctor is erring on the side of caution, and treating her pneumonia aggressively with very strong medications. She'll be resting while I drive us West, so she should be fine. We won't be boondocking though, at least not at first. We don't want to be too far from a doctor in case things get worse, so we'll be staying at the campground in Safford, AZ instead of going out to Hot Wells Dunes. They aren't far from medical clinics, and at least that campground still has a hot tub...lol!
I'll be finishing up all the little things that I saved for last today...and we'll be hitting the road early tomorrow morning.
Kev
When we were young we would go to work with pneumonia, didn't get paid if you didn't work. Nowadays as we get older it is harder for our bodies to fight off these infections and we need to admit we are not as young as we used to be. My last bout with pneumonia put me in the hospital, both myself and the missus, a week apart luckily for the dogs. I know you are anxious to get on the road but maybe staying put a couple days would be prudent.
Drive safe Kevin. Tell Patti to grab a dog or two and stay in bed. You can wait on her hand and foot and make sure she gets better.
QuoteYou can wait on her hand and foot and make sure she gets better.
No, you may not put it on Cruise Control while you do that. :P
LOL!!! Thanks guys! She's going to be just fine. We just won't be boondocking out in the middle of nowhere.
We are pretty much ready to go. Here is the HUGE list of things I got done today:
1. I checked the air pressures on the Blazer tires, the RV tires, and RV airbags. The airbags are holding air, so I didn't have to air them up. SWEET! The Blazer tires were dead on at 35psi, but I did have to top off some of the RV tires. None of them were really low, a few around 85 psi at the lowest...but I aired them all back up to 90 psi.
2. I repaired both of the rear tire skirts on the RV. They have these steel braces that come out, and little bolts and nuts keep them attached to the braces...but they had rattled loose over time. Since this is the 3rd time I replaced those missing nuts and bolts, I used RED Lock Tite (Rick).
3. I then repaired 2 of the rubber trim moldings that were coming out of their tracks, around radius corners. I just added a few screws to keep them in their tracks.
4. I washed the RV windshield with this new Rain-X window cleaner that is supposed to treat the windshield and clean it at the same time, and did the same to the Blazer. But since I had real Rain-X, I went ahead and treated the windshield on the RV with it, but not the Blazer...I want to see what the difference is. I also coated the wiper blades with a thin coating of Rain-X.
5. I used spray white lithium grease, and generously coated all of the pivot points on the RV windshield wiper linkage.
6. I thoroughly cleaned the interior windshield of the RV with Windex. LOTS of doggy nose prints and doggy slime!
7. I repaired once again the sun visors in the RV, which the dogs keep knocking down. I'm going to have to figure out a better and more permanent solution, but this repair will get us to Arizona.
8. I repaired the handle on the RV dash glove box...the little screws were stripped out of the wood, so thicker screws did the trick.
9. I took apart the Brake Buddy to see what was wrong with it. The motor mounts on the compressor had broken off of the plastic base, and the foot mount on the accumulator tank was broken off on one side. A quick trip to the local Ace Hardware yielding me 4 little bolts, washers, and lock nuts to hold down the compressor, and 2 big hose clamps to hold down the accumulator tank. A little bit of drilling and filing later, and that was repaired. I put it all back together, and its working like a champ!
10. I then installed the Break Away switch on the front bumper of the Blazer, which required drilling a hole in the thick steel. Tap Magic is my friend! I highly recommend it whenever drilling through steel. It REALLY makes a difference! I then bolted it on with a bolt and lock nut, and ran the wires into the cabin of the Blazer.
11. I put Patti's power chair carrier into the receiver on the back of the Blazer, and pushed it ALL The way in. There was only one hole in the bar stock coming off the carrier, and it was near the end of the bar stock! Which means it stuck out almost a foot farther than it should. So I pushed it all the way in, and drilled another hole through the bar stock for the hitch pin. It will make it a LOT more stable on the trip out West. Again, Tap Magic is my friend!
12. I drove the Blazer down the road and back again to make sure the steering wheel was centered, and then parked it. I then unbolted one steering box bolt at a time, coated the threads with RED LockTite (Rick ;) ), and reinstalled them one at a time, making sure they were super tight.
13. I checked the differential fluids on the Blazer and the RV. Levels on both were perfect.
14. I greased every single grease fitting on the RV and the Blazer.
15. I checked and topped off the brake fluid on the RV. And it turned into a nightmare project! Its hard enough to do it on an RV, but one of the bale wires that holds the lid on came off, and it took a LONG time and a LOT of swear words to get it back into place. They sure don't give you a lot of room to work under there around the master cylinder!!! GEESH!!!
16. I cleaned and organized all my tools and stowed them away.
17. I reloaded everything on the porch back into the RV compartments and the back of the Blazer.
18. I added a few cups of peat moss to the composting toilet so that changing it out tomorrow morning will be a lot easier.
19. I made Patti juice and made sure she took her medicine and ate some food.
20. I took the pups out a few times, and fed and watered them AND the silly cat.
21. I scrubbed down with Go-Jo, and took a long hot shower...I was filthy!!!
22. I drove down to the store for some road food and coffee, and BEER!!!
And that is enough for one day...lol!!!
All I have to do tomorrow is check and top off the batteries with distilled water, get the inside battened down, change the peat moss out in the composting toilet, take out the garbage, take another long hot shower, fill the freshwater holding tank, and make one last trip to the post office to mail out a couple of catapults. I HAVE to quickly clean and oil a couple of our guns that are stored in cases, because I noticed a tiny amount of surface rust starting to take hold. And then wrap a few presents, and set up the little Christmas tree on the kitchen table (Patti is going to decorate it, since she can do that sitting down at the table). And then pull the RV out of my sister's driveway, hook up the power chair carrier to the back of the Blazer, put the power chair on the carrier, and cover it and strap it down. And then hook up the Blazer to the tow bar, disconnect its driveshaft, hook up the lights, and away we go!!!
I'll check the transmission fluid at our first gas stop, since it has to be warmed up to do it right. But I check it every trip, so I'm not concerned about not checking it right now.
WOW what an exhausting day! The beer tonight tastes extra good!
Kev
Made sure the bolts were REALLY tight huh? Ever heard of a torque wrench? i?? :)rotflmao Get them too tight and they stretch and then they will never stay tight up till they break.
I have used the rain-X washer stuff and it work OK but not as good as the coating. Using the rain-x washer fluid over the coating should work good. I put the Rain-X blades on my Honda last year and I am real happy with them, They have a long guarantee also. Haven't put them on the RV because I just don't drive it that much but for you it might be worth it.
Torque wrench, shmork wrench...lol! I used a standard length 3/8 ratchet with a short extension and deepwell 5/8" socket, and with the short throw I had and the angle I was working with, there is pretty much no way I could overtorque those bolts...even though I am a bit of a He-Man Adonis...lmfao!!! :P
I got everything done today that needed to be done, but it was too late by the time I was finished to leave tonight...when everyone gets home from work in my sister's neighborhood, cars are parked all of the sides of the streets, so there isn't any room to pull out the RV and hook up the truck.
First thing I did this morning was change out the peat moss in the composting toilet, and changed the gasket on it while I was at it. Then I gathered up the trash and took it and the compost bag out. Then I did the dishes (since Patti is on bed rest). Next I cleaned the two of our guns that get stored in cases, and oiled them up quite liberally, and stowed them away...then wiped down all the rest of our guns with gun oil wipes. After that, I went to the post office and mailed out my last 2 catapult orders of the season, stopped and picked up some distilled water for the batteries, and then came back to the rig and topped off the batteries. I then installed Patti's power chair carrier on the back of the Blazer, put her power chair on it, strapped it to the carrier, strapped the carrier to the bumper for more stability, covered her chair with its cover, and bungied the heck out of it to keep it in place. Then I battened down as much of the inside of the rig as I could, showered up, shaved my dome, and called it a night.
All we have to do, first thing tomorrow morning, is batten down the rest of stuff in the rig for travel, fill the primary freshwater tank, take the Tailgaiter satellite dish off the roof and stow it away, unhook the RV, pull it out into the street, hook up the Blazer to the tow bar, disconnect and hang the Blazer driveshaft, hook up the tow lights on the Blazer, put the Brake Buddy in place and hook up its connections...and then hit the road!
Only about an hours worth of work before we point this rig West on I-10!
Kev
You've got er' figured out Kev....Have a safe drive, doesn't sound like anything should fall off!!
Have a safe trip there He Man. W% Yea, you will not break anything with that combo, you are not getting anywhere near enough torque. A 5/8 socket would equate to a 7/16 bolt and the torque on that is around 45-50 ft/lbs. if I remember correctly.
LOL Rick! You'd be surprised how much torque I accidentally put on bolts, which is why I always use short ratchets unless I NEED a lot of torque.
We got everything done at my sister's house today, and were on the road just after noon. I made my sis take a hundred dollar bill to cover the electric and water we used...she'll be glad she finally excepted it when their electric and water bills come in...lol! Patti was feeling well enough to set up our little Christmas Tree on the table while I was doing the final travel preps...and as always, it looks amazing, and I'll post up a picture or three tomorrow morning!
We hit the road, and it was a totally uneventful trip so far. We made it all the way to the Flying J on the west side of Tallahassee, Florida, on I-10. When we got here, I left the RV running and checked the transmission fluid: Perfect level, perfect color, and no smell...SWEET!!!
So that is as far as we got today. We'll get an early start tomorrow morning, after our coffee and whatnot. I also have to crawl under the rig and grease one more fitting on the driveshaft, since in was at an inaccessible angle in my sis's driveway, but that will only take a minute or two.
We might even make it as far as Louisiana tomorrow, but I doubt it. We'll be meandering our way out to Safford, AZ.
0nly around 1690 miles to go!
Kev
It's nice to be able to meander.
Yes it is! Vacation has finally and officially begun! No more major projects, no more major maintenance endeavors, just blissful vacation! Of course, we WILL be doing more cleaning and whatnot, and replacing a couple of screens...but at our leisure.
Kev
Did you eat at Denny's?
Wish I could join you... a few weeks off then again.. I would spend them working on the farm... Gone is up with Brad getting her gas tank dropped and lines replaced.... :-)
Nope...we didn't eat at Denny's...but I did have a couple Flying J bacon double cheeseburgers! They are so good!
Glad Brad could help you out, Tina! I'm so glad I didn't have to drop our tank to replace the lines.
About to have some coffee, grease that last fitting, gas up, propane up, and get back on the road!
Kev
Tell us AGAIN how you don't have to drop your tank to get to your lines Kev. W% W%
LOL Rick!!! :P
The morning prep when without a hitch, except that last grease fitting was laughing at me. It ended up being in the EXACT same position that it was in in my sister's driveway, so that the grease gun end wouldn't fit on the Zerk fitting. So I moved the rig just a couple of inches, and crawled back under the rig again...only to discover that my grease gun was totally empty...geesh! So I bought an overpriced tube of grease in the Flying J (7 bucks!!!), reloaded the gun, crawled back under the rig AGAIN...greased it up, and called it done.
We hit the road pretty early, and MAN was it windy all day! The temperature continued to drop as we headed west. We decided to call it a day at the Flying J in Gulfport, MS. Only 1383 miles to go!
We'll be taking a slight detour tomorrow to the Louisiana Renaissance Faire fairgrounds in Hammond, LA for a short visit with our dear friends Ande and Brian Wolf that franchised from up, and stay the night in their parking lot. That's only 92 miles from here, so we'll be there bright and early since we already gassed up, which will leave us just 1291 miles to go.
We definitely want to leave Hammond first thing Sunday morning, since Sunday is the best time to drive through Houston, TX on I-10 without hitting nightmarish traffic.
We are getting there!
Kev
Good to hear all is going well. The weather forecasts for out west are showing some record breaking cold for the southwest, stock up on propane! How is Patti doing? Hanging in there I hope.
A short trip and safe touchdown at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival grounds, in Hammond, LA. We were able to pull right in and park on high dry ground facing out, so we can boogie first thing in the morning. Our friend Brian met us at the gate, and later this evening we'll be able to hang with them for an hour or so. They are in the throws of packing down to get out before massive rains come in on Tuesday, and Patti can't be gallivanting too much with her pneumonia, so it all works out well.
We'll hit the road bright and early tomorrow morning, which will allow us to get through Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and Houston on a Sunday to avoid bad traffic conditions.
SWEET!
Kev
Our visit with our friends was delightful, and dinner was pretty good at the Longhorn steak house.
Just finishing up our morning coffee, and we'll be back on the road West! The goal today is to get past Houston, and then as far past that as we feel like driving for the day.
Kev
We made it uneventfully all the way past Houston to the Flying J, in Brookshire, TX. Even on a Sunday evening, traffic going through Houston is crazy!
Only 945 miles to go. 732 of those miles is still in Texas. Texas is one big State!
My goal tomorrow is to make it to the Flying J in Fort Stockton, TX, stopping at the Flying J in San Antonio to gas up along the way. It is a 460 mile trip though, from here to Fort Stockton, so I don't know If I want to drive for 9+ hours. We'll see!
Kev
How is Patti feeling ? Any better?
Patti is feeling a lot better...but I keep making her take it easy. She wants to bounce around and clean everything, but she still needs to rest.
Kev
After my morning pre-travel checks, we got on the road, and it was smooth sailing all the way to San Antonio, TX to the Flying J, where we gassed up and hit the road again. It was mostly smooth sailing after that, but while I LOVE Texas and most Texans I have ever met, they are the rudest drivers on the planet! I had to get really aggressive with people just to not get forced off the wrong exits. Patti did her share of pointing and flipping the bird...lol!
So we got out of San Antonio, and rode for a while...and decided to stop at this really pretty rest stop in Kerrville, TX for the night.
Only 727 miles to go! And yes, most of it is still in Texas...lol! From the border in Anthony, TX, it is only another 218 miles to get all the way through New Mexico, and all the way to Safford, AZ. 509 more miles of Texas.
Kev
Just a little advice about traveling with vape gear. If you are driving with vape tanks that are full of e-liquid and you aren't vaping them, STORE THEM UPSIDE DOWN!!! My tank that I was vaping was fine, and Patti's was fine...but the ones I had in the cabinet that were full started to leak as we gained elevation and then went back down. And my tanks are very high end gear. ALL vape tanks can leak when you go up and down in elevation, especially when the elevation changes are big ones. It causes and change in atmospheric pressure, which is what keeps the liquid in the tank. So store them upside down. I knew this already, but didn't think about it because of all the other important things I am always thinking about and checking while traveling. :)rotflmao
Kev
So today we had a couple of adventures, but nothing we couldn't handle in short order, both by skill for the first one, and by luck for the second one.
We left the rest area in Kerrville, TX around 10am...after I told a lady she couldn't park in front of me because it was a no parking zone AND it was blocking us in. Snooty lady in a Lexus with Texas plates that gave us a dirty look, but did move her car. But that wasn't the first adventure.
We were driving along and all of a sudden we had a single soft backfire...and lost all engine power. I coasted to the side of the road, and Patti held the pups in the back while I troubleshot the problem. Gotta love carbureted engines with no computers!!!
Was there power to the fuel pump relay? Check. Was the fuel pump fuse good? Check. Was the fuel pump running? Check. Was gas getting to the carburetor? Check. So it wasn't a fuel problem.
Was there any spark? Nope. Was any voltage getting to the spark plug wires? Nope. Was 12 volts getting to the coil? Yep. Did the coil look okay? Yep. Did the cap and rotor look okay? NOPE! There was so much arching damage it was ridiculous, both on the cap contacts AND the rotor contacts. There was even a hole burned right through the rotor!
Solution? A couple of years ago, our friend and fellow member here, Froggy1936 (Frank) gave us a whole good set of spark plug wires, cap and rotor and coil, and ignition control module left over from his engine swap on his RV. So they were in my spare parts bin. I went ahead and replaced them all, ignition control module included. I had used enough heat sink grease when I put in a new ignition control module when we bought this rig 4 years ago that there was more than enough to coat the used module. I put it all in, and VROOM!!! Back on the road!
Even if I hadn't have had those parts on hand (which I'll be replacing when we get to AZ), we wouldn't have been stranded...the K5 Blazer's 350 engine uses the exact same HEI ignition system, so I COULD have cannibalized the parts to get us back on the road...but having the parts on hand saved us a WHOLE lot of hassles! Adventure number one literally lasted less than 20 minutes from the time we lost power and pulled over, to the time we were all repaired and back on the road.
Thanks Frank!!! We love you Frank!!! Next time we see you, we are buying you a six pack of your favorite beer, or a bottle of your favorite adult beverage! You rock sir!!!
Incidentally, I did notice some backfiring lately, some flat spots where we lost power, and not as much power as usual...which leads us to the second adventure.
I have never let the RV get below 1/4 tank on the gas gauge, and I usually calculate our MPG as we are traveling. But I didn't bother on this trip since gas is so cheap this year. I typically get 7 mpg.
So we are driving along, and like I said, there was some power loss and backfiring, but it was gradual, and I didn't really notice how bad it was until we broke down and I replaced the ignition components. INSTANT substantial increase in power! That said, it is 311 miles from the Flying J where we gassed up in San Antonio, to the Flying J in Ft Stockton, TX. We have a 60 gallon tank (totally confirmed now Rick...lol!). At 7mpg, we can expect 420 miles on a tank full, right?
Apparently the ignition problems that were gradually getting worse brought our MPG down to around 5mpg (range of 300 miles). And the gauge on the dash ceases to function about a millimeter above the Empty mark, which we didn't know because I have never let it drop below a quarter before gassing up. So yeah...you can mostly guess the rest of the story...lol!
We were just in sight of the town of Fort Stockton...we could even see the gas station signs...and the RV started to sputter and huff. I've been doing this long enough now that I KNEW what it was. We were on fumes! She kept running though, slowly, barely, up the last hill in the breakdown lane...and this is where the luck came in! We actually made it to the exit! Which was downhill...and there was an Exxon station at the base of the exit. And we coasted in still running, but sputtering. Right to the only open gas pump. Of course the only open gas pump was on the wrong side of the RV...but I grabbed my gas can out of the Blazer, filled it up, and dumped 5 gallons into the RV. Full power restored!
We drove the ONE LAST exit to the Flying J, and finished filling it up. It took 56 gallons at the Flying J, plus the 5 gallons from the Exxon. So yes...it is confirmed...we have exactly a 60 gallon fuel tank, plus the extra gallon from overfilling her...lol!
Luck was totally with us though! We actually made it to the gas station on fumes!!! Woohoo!!!
After filling her up, we drove one MORE exit to the Fort Stockton Walmart, where we are now staying the night in their parking lot. Patti went in and bought a few days worth of groceries and whatnot, and we called it a day.
Tomorrow I have to run back into Walmart to get some Christmas presents for the pups and kitty...and then we are driving to the nearest decent RV park, where we will be staying tomorrow night, and through Christmas, departing on the 26th to finish our trip to Safford, AZ. We won't make it to Safford, in time, so we'll celebrate Christmas together in an RV park, rather than on the road.
Fun and adventures were had by all!
Kev
Talk about luck! Sometimes a fella has that proverbial horseshoe firmly implanted the posterior ! :)rotflmao better to be lucky than good I always say, sounds like today was a good day to pick up a lottery ticket !
Don't you love it when the engine quits and you lose all power to the steering and brakes!
Dan
We had the exact issue with Gone coming back from Ohio... severe loss of power, sputtering... AFter putting in a new cap and rotor in Ohio and then the iginition control module... turns out damage was done by bad rotor and cap on way out.. we were running on 4 cylinders! New plugs, new wires, a higher end iginition control module. made sure the cap and rotor were still clean etc. Of course then she developed a leak in the gas line directly on top of the tank and no we don't ahve a trap door there... Thus she is up at Brad's garage for a tank drop. may as well do the sending unit etc.... good for another 30 years! LOLOL.. Be well my friends.. and yes extra cap/rotor, wires plugs all in "the bin" too now..
Kev, think about it, no overfill. You used that extra gallon going to the next station. I don't know if I would have chanced that on only five gallons in a sixty gallon tank! Think of how thin of a layer of liquid that is on the bottom of the tank! W% :D
Your dogbox must be really easy to get off, it takes me almost that long to get my dogbox on and off! I am looking at the box from the Pace Arrow and thinking I may be able to bolt that one in my Winnebago with just a few mods. It is two piece, the flat part of the box on top comes off without having to remove the entire box.
Great description Kev, reminds me of great memories. The ones you never forget!!
Thanks Lego! I try! I have lots of funny stories, but these ones at least were funny and painless.
I wasn't worried, Rick. In Fort Stockton, the exits are literally one right after another. It was less than a mile away, if that. I can get our dogbox off in 1 minute flat...a very good design.
I hear you, Tina! SO glad I can get to the top of my gas tank without dropping it! :P
Yep Dan. We lost all power to the steering and brakes, but fortunately we were on a slight downhill on a straight road, with a good sized breakdown lane.
Beaverman...I think I really DO have more than my own share of luck! If I ever get another tattoo, it will be a horseshoe on my left buttock...lmao!!!
Kev
We got a lazy start this morning, and then I went into the Walmart and bought a few supplies that Patti forgot, and of course Christmas presents for the dogs and the kitty! And a couple of little presents for Patti to make her smile, and give her a few more to open. All sold in paper bags, which is all the Fort Stockton Walmart is allowed to use.
Fort Stockton has certainly cleaned itself up! There is a citywide ban on selling anything in plastic bags. Fort Stockton used to be littered with them, everywhere...stuck to the brush, stuck to chainlink fences, stuck everywhere and fluttering in the wind. Now everyone has paper bags, and the town that was dying is now a prosperous little town again, and very clean! They did an amazing turn around in a very short time.
I then wrapped all the presents, got the rig ready to travel, and took the pups out for the second time this morning.
We left Walmart, and pulled into an RV park on the west side of town...and there was no one in the office. So we got back on I-10.
And drove all the way to Van Horn, Texas, where we are staying through Christmas at a nice little RV park. WOW was the trip here windy! Crosswinds in strong inconsistent gusts. I think we averaged about 40mph if that. But we made it no problem!
We are all paid up, hooked up, and set up. Its Christmas is Van Horn, Texas!!!
Patti is still feeling under the weather, and is already sleeping. Poor little baby girl.
We'll be leaving here the morning of the 26th after a bit of relaxation. Only 357 miles to go! Only 140 miles until we are out of Texas, and in New Mexico.
Kev
Do you have earplugs so you can sleep? The trains are quite active at night, or so I hear.
Dan
Several trains have gone by, and they are pretty loud...but we can sleep through anything.
Kev
It was a relaxing Christmas Eve so far, and Patti and the pups and cat are excited about Santa's arrival! The pups like this RV park...there is a large fenced in area where I took them to run and play for an hour or so chasing tennis balls.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Kev et al
Christmas was a beautiful and relaxing day! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Here's another picture of the adorable Christmas Tree Patti decorates so lovingly every year.
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Kev
So we left Van Horn, TX this morning, with the intention of driving all the way to Lordsburg, NM. We only had 140 miles left of Texas to go. We made it all the way to the Flying J in El Paso, TX and decided to gas up...and as I was gassing up, I noticed...snow flakes! Like...real snow! And it wasn't all that cold out, but a lot colder than Van Horn.
It was only another 35 miles to the border and the skies didn't look THAT bad...so we decided to make it to at least the Flying J in Anthony, TX.
We made it most of the way, when it really started to snow! This is the first time we ever hit snow while traveling in the RV. Not a bid deal...we have windshield wipers that I just "fixed", right?
Well...we made it most of the way through El Paso and the windshield wipers died altogether in the halfway down position, at about a 45 degree angle. It wouldn't have been TOO big a deal with rain, since we just treated the windshield with Rain-X. But the heavy slushy snow was just sticking to the windshield, and not sliding off! I turned on the defrost, and it helped...but the slushy icebergs that started to slide off the windshield were getting caught up on the stuck windshield wipers! Visibility was getting next to zero!
And then we saw our exit, exit 0, where the Flying J is. We could see JUST well enough to get into the parking lot and into the RV parking slip. Where we will be staying tonight, and as long as it takes for this snow storm to pass.
And its coming down outside, like a blizzard!!!
This is the dog's first time ever seeing snow, and they thought it was interesting, but it isn't deep yet. I'm almost hoping it does get deep by morning so they can play in it...lol!
So here are some gratuitous pictures of our glacier covered windows, and the snow! Its sticking! The trees look lovely! Did I mention that we are on the border with New Mexico, pretty darn close to Mexico itself?
Its a day late, but we have a White Day After Christmas!!!
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Kev
I thought you were going to hit that stuff. sucks about the wipers. At least you got out of the south before all hell broke loose there.
So it snowed like heck all night long, and got really cold! Icicles all over the rig. We'll be staying another night at this Flying J before heading West to Lordsburg, NM, which will be our next overnight stop.
Batteries were down to 12.2 this morning, and since we can't really run the solar array with 8 inches of snow on them and more coming down, I fired up the generator and plugged the converter back in to charge the battery banks. The genny did not want to start right up, so I had to go out and coax her into running...but now she's running away like a champ! It takes about 2 hours to bring the batteries up to a full charge once they get down to 12.2.
And the pups LOVED the snow! They thought it was the neatest thing they have ever seen! Happy pups!
The Wave 8 heater kept the rig toasty all night long, even set on low. Gotta love how little propane these things use.
And now, some gratuitous pictures of the snow storm that has us snowbound, and happy puppies frolicking!!!
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Kev
Hope all is well, looking at the weather and it looks pretty nasty there.
We both hit send at the same time. :D :D
LOL! We are going to hole up here until tomorrow, late morning. Roads should be clear by then, and no ice.
Kev
The sun came out early this afternoon, and melted off most of it. I cleared off the solar panels with our broom, so we had solar charging the rest of the day and didn't have to run the genny any longer. Although I did just fire it up to top off the battery charge for the evening.
The mountains here sure are pretty covered in snow!!!
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This Flying J actually has Sam Adams!!! So I'm enjoying a few tonight, and a very pleasant vape!
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We'll be hitting the road around noon tomorrow after the temp raises enough to get the ice off the roads. Smooth and clear sailing to the Flying J in Lordsburg, NM, 142 miles, where we will stay the evening tomorrow.
Kev
It was a short and uneventful 142 mile trip today to the Flying J, in Lordsburg, NM. Roads were wet with lots of snow on the sides of the road from Anthony, TX to the other side of Las Cruces, NM...but after that the snow disappeared, the roads were dry, and only mountains were covered in snow.
So we arrived here safely, gassed up, dumped the grey water, filled the freshwater, and parked it for the night. Lots of bright sunshine, so the solar panels are on keeping the batteries charged. And its a good 20 degrees warmer here than in Anthony, TX.
Just 75 miles to go to Safford, AZ...our destination for the next 3 weeks. And then we head the last 120 miles or so to the Arizona Renaissance Festival to begin our work season.
I'm going to enjoy the next 3 weeks off!
Kev
Hey Kevin, Enjoy the next three weeks off! I have not had a chance to get back to that fridge, been running the wife to doctors appointments and it looks like lousy weather tomorrow but I will try again.
Gotta luv havin' the skills, tools, knowledge AND PARTS to get ya outa trouble!!! Glad y'all missed the tragic portions of the weather,... and luv that your enjoying the venture in every way ya can.
The northern reaches of the storm are jus skimmin' us now here in N Michigan,... from the 50's of Christmas Day to the below 20 out now!!! Snow and sleet coverin' my tracks from jus an hour ago, and crusting EVERYTHING! And the wind gust are shakin' my home a bit too. But I'm comfy, having jus filled the propane day before Christmas Eve.
I got a bout 12 days yet, till I hit the road for the 1200mi trip southward,... with hopes that any other storm comin' holds off a bit longer.
Drivin' in snow is ALWAYS exciting,.... and having done so for years, it's still jus not my favorite activity. Stay safe out there!!!
A short and uneventful 75 mile trip, and we are safe and sound at the Safford RV Resort, in Safford, AZ. We even have the same campsite number as last year, with a beautiful view of snow covered Mount Graham. Camp is all set up, and we are resting comfortably, about to start the 3 week "vacation" part of our winter vacation...lol!
There was one squirrely patch we hit on Route 70 once we were in Arizona. A shaded patch of road still had some black ice on it, and I could feel the rig slip just the slightest bit...but that was it!
After our 3 weeks here in Safford, we've only got a 120 miles left to the Arizona Renaissance Faire, in Gold Canyon, AZ.
Did I mention they have a hot tub here? A nice one? ;)
Kev
Quote from: ClydesdaleKevin on December 29, 2015, 08:19 PM
A short and uneventful 75 mile trip, and we are safe and sound at the Safford RV Resort, in Safford, AZ. We even have the same campsite number as last year, with a beautiful view of snow covered Mount Graham. Camp is all set up, and we are resting comfortably, about to start the 3 week "vacation" part of our winter vacation...lol!
There was one squirrely patch we hit on Route 70 once we were in Arizona. A shaded patch of road still had some black ice on it, and I could feel the rig slip just the slightest bit...but that was it!
After our 3 weeks here in Safford, we've only got a 120 miles left to the Arizona Renaissance Faire, in Gold Canyon, AZ.
Did I mention they have a hot tub here? A nice one? ;)
Kev
No, you didn't and you really shouldn't have. N:( (NOT what I wanted to say! Have to remain PC) $@!#@! $@!#@! :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao
We have a hot tub. We wanted to invite friends over for some adult beverages and relaxation in it. The store said choose carefully. Just think about who you'd want to take a bath with... Wasn't as appealing as we thought. Public pool is one thing, public hot tub? No amount of bromine would make me feel safe.
Hot tub herpies.... :'(
Doesn't bother me at all. My immune system...strong like bull!!! Besides, I've never seen anyone else here use it. Campground is way emptier than last year since the copper mine shut down and laid everybody off. They are opening a new mine, but not until 2018.
It amazes me how smart German Shepherds are. Not only did the dogs remember this campground and EXACTLY where the dog play area is, they remember which campsite had a dog last year. 3 of which are still here...lol!
Kev
Looking at your shepherds and they look exactly like mine. Shorter stocky legs. My previous shepherd had real long legs and a sloping back.
And you even get a bonus, me with short hair! That was three years ago. Doesn't happen too often. N:(
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Nice looking dogs! The light colored one reminds me of a Malinois. Beautiful!!!
I ordered the new Fantastic Fan fan assembly...so when it gets here, I can get the kitchen vent fan sorted out.
A trip to the post office to mail out 3 catapults is on the agenda today...but other than that, its a doggy day! Playtime and walks...their favorite things!
Kev
You get a hair cut Rick?
(DANG! Wish I could grow hair again! Can't even keep what I got anymore!)
Glad y'all made it safe and are enjoyin' everything. I've often thought of trailing a small, nice, permanently mounted hot tub behind the RV. You know, a li'l trailer of luxury,.... a 110V circulating system with enclosed propane heater, aux water pump (for various sources of water supply). Easily run from inverter or genny, and heating fuel from RVs bulk propane tank. Could probably rent it out to folks like you, and others here and there, with a portable 20lb LP tank. Still workin' on a design here,... jus a thought right now.
Looks like I'll have "rider's" for my 1200mi trip next week to Florida. A blue-collar couple and their pair of companions are relocating to a new contract job in FL. This will make my journey rather "unusual", as I typically make this trip alone. Looking forward to guests,... and dogs too.
Congrats Kevin, Right on the money with the Malinios, Most people do not have a clue what a Malinois is. No Mike, that was several years ago. And before that is the pic in my avatar. Hey Doc, I hope the riders are paying for the gas for the trip, that makes it real nice.
Happy New Year, everyone!!!
Kev
Rider's are being quite generous in their offer, Rick,.... as a contractor, they've haven't owned or needed a personal vehicle for many, many years. He wasn't looking forward to a $1000+ one-way vehicle rental AND the added expenses of fuel, lodging, and such. I was only looking to help another while hoping to defray my fuel costs even if jus a tiny bit,... SS alone is a bit limiting, and at an expected 5mpg, my 1200mi excursion could be quite taxing, even at $2 a gallon for fuel. This is a win-win benefit for all and I do have plenty of room and comforts.
BTW Kevin,.... how was YOUR mileage???
Right around 5mpg until I replaced the ignition components...then it seemed to be back to its normal 7mpg.
Kev
Thanks,... nice to know.
I'm expecting much the same from the 460 in the 34' Cruise Air II,... and hoping it's closer to that 7 rather than the 5!!!
Wish for 7 but budget for 5, 460's were never known as good mileage motors. They were torque monsters but not all that good for mileage. I had a pickup with a 460, got 10 MPG whether it was empty or pulling a 12,000 lb. trailer. 10 MPG, all the time.
Quotemy 1200mi excursion could be quite taxing, even at $2 a gallon for fuel
Gas price for regular is $1.75 locally here in northern VA. Gets little cheaper farther south
Oh I'm definitely budgeting for 5mpg!!! AND at the $2 a gallon here!! I got a 90gal tank, so only a partial fill to get me where is it's a bit less,... then a full fill that will get me to those southern states where I'll fill again. Then top it off jus before the N FL border, where prices again jump .30-.40 to nearly $2.
Jus 1mpg improvement can be a 40gal savings on fuel over this trip,... hoping for 6mpg overall!!! And 7 will be a delightful Blessing, with a 70gal savings!!! Of course I gotta keep my foot outa the throat of that big block Ford,... and that's always been a bit tough for me, hehehe. I do tend to be easier with passengers though.
Not much to report. Fantastic Fan assembly is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I found an AWESOME pizza joint here in Safford, AZ that was founded by the aunt and uncle of a High School friend of mine in Connecticut, and the pizza is AMAZING! Best pizza we've had in YEARS...Connecticut/New England Greek style. Yum! Playing with the dogs, lots of walks, Star Wars. Just having a relaxing vacation!
Kev
Good to hear things are going well. What was your opinion of Star Wars? I loved it but it was like watching the original all over again.
We really enjoyed it! The story line was similar to the first, but had the feel of the original three movies, unlike the last three. It was fun!
Kev
It was Patti's birthday today, and I bought her a new stereo/CD player for the RV that I am going to install for her in the oak door I made in the dash where the TV used to be. That will not only place it where she can reach it, but will free up the space that old stereo was taking up for 3 more gauges, which will include a vacuum gauge. It also...thankfully...has an earphone jack on the front of it, since we have extremely different tastes in music...lol!
And the new fan/bowtie assembly finally came in today for the Fantastic Fan vent, which is something I will also be installing this week.
Kev
So the stereo was more of a present for you with the earphone jack in the front where Patti can easily reach it Hm? How sweet N:( . Happy Birthday Patti :)ThmbUp
Nah. The existing stereo hasn't worked since we bought this rig. She's been saying she wanted one for a long while.
Kev
Because she can't stand your music!
Happy Birthday Patti. :)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp :)ThmbUp
It's freezing here in Missouri. I need to hear about Arizona and deserts and hot tubs.
His hot tub froze! :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao
LOL. If I had one it would have froze.
Ours is inside. Never freezes.
I have to laugh, I remember lounging in a hot tub at a friends shore house on the Outer Banks in January in a snowstorm and it was GREAT! Yes, it was outside on the deck. The problem is you have to get out sometime!!! ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? The door is around on the other side of the house, this is on the second floor. Running like a couple wet idiots barefoot across a snow covered, wind blown 19 degree deck yelling COLD, COLD, COLD. :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao Stimulating to say the least.
Keith uses ours year round. And yes the old boy can run in -40. :)rotflmao
LOL! I told ya I wasn't going to bore you with the details of the restful part of our vacation. Not a lot to tell. Hot tub of course. Hanging out with Patti. Playing with the pups and taking them on lots of long walks...and keeping Karli, now in heat again, from making more pups. I did install the new bowtie and fan assembly in the Fantastic vent...easy peasy and drops right in. Also had to replace the hose pressure regulator again...it seems that I only get about a year out one before I have to replace them. And probably going to take Patti to see 13 hours later today or tomorrow. I also have to run out to the post office and mail out one of my vape mods that I sold on eBay to finance a new vape atty that I wanted, an authentic Kayfun V4. And that's it.
We'll be leaving here on Saturday to get to the Arizona Renaissance Faire, a short 110 mile trip.
Kev
Quote from: joanfenn on January 19, 2016, 11:06 AM
Keith uses ours year round. And yes the old boy can run in -40. :)rotflmao
I don't know if I have ever been in -40?! I know I have been in -30 and I sure as hell cannot picture bare wet skin in that temp!!!! Instant ice and frostbite! I can't picture the electric bill to keep it heated in that temp!! D:oH! N:( W%
Kevin, How has the weather been out your way? I hope a little warmer than Joan. I at least made it up to a blazing 23 with a wind chill of 6 today. I KNEW we were going to pay for that warm December. Ten inches of snow coming and you know what? I DON'T HAVE TO PLOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEE- HAW! First time in 50 years I will not be looking at the back of a plow. :)clap :)clap :)clap
-40 Celsius Rick.
High 50s during the day, low 30s at night. But sunny and dry, so it feels more like the mid 60s during the day.
Kev
Hey Mike, -40° C IS -40° F !!
Hey! That's amazing! But it was still celcius.... lol :)
W%
Another lazy day project for today: At some point, I'm going to take all the keys in our key basket and organize them. Its pretty ridiculous.
Kev
No it isn't ridiculous. My motorhome came with a whole ring full of keys and I had no idea what half of them open. I was afraid to discard them for fear I would come across some lock that needed a key. However, by now I think I have opened everything I need. Time to organize the keys! (plus, it's too cold to do anything else!)
I have a large glass beer mug that I keep all the old keys I have acquired since I can last remember....I have no idea what these hundred or so keys go to...most of them are for the many old cars and trucks I've owned, but with no documentation...Why we hold on to keys?? Hm?
Sorry but -40o celcius is only -8o farenheite Frank
LOL! Keys are all organized...but I still didn't throw any away. I took all the extra keys, organized on their own keychains, that we rarely use, use at other shows, spare keys, or that I have no idea what they are for, and put them all on one big keychain, and in the bottom drawer in the kitchen. Just in case I need one someday? The basket is now organized with just keys we use and can identify, on just 4 keychains: Mine, Patti's, the RV's, and a key to the booth in Arizona where we store our stuff.
Kev
Being a locksmith I have hundreds of keys with no homes, but here is a little secret. There are a lot of keys out there that open multiple locks so if you have a lock with no key try some of those keys. If it goes in wiggle it around a bit while lightly turning and a lot of times it will open the lock. There are also only so many combinations of four pin tumblers so if you have a Master lock and 20 Master keys there is a fair chance that one of those keys will fit the lock correctly. Most utility locks and common padlocks are four pin.
Today is the last day of vacation. After my coffee kicks in, we'll be driving the last 110 miles and parking the rig in our spot at the Faire. After we batten down and hook up the truck of course.
Kev
Safe and uneventful trip to Gold Canyon, AZ, and we are in our camp spot, all hooked up. Thus endeth this chapter!
Kev
Hallelujah! Thanks for staying in touch this winter Kev. Look forward to you have a more profitable year this year and hopefully meeting you this year.