Do a walk around at every stop!

[tinner12002]

Went to Talladega for the race and on the return trip my buddy was traveling in front with his newer TT when I had lost site of him in traffic north of Louisville. Suddenly in all the heavy northbound traffic I seen them on the side of the road. Not being able to get pulled over until some time down the road I find out he had lost his trailer lights. So off I go to the next exit, turn and head back south to the next exit and then back north to where they were stopped, keep in mind I'm towing a 5th wheel, we find that his trailer wiring had drug the road to the point it had wore into. After getting to the next exit and wiring the two ends back together he had lights and off we go with a 2 hr delay. Every time I stop for fuel, to eat or for potty break I do a walk around to check and see if things look to be in order with nothing dripping or hanging and everything still connected...I think from now on he will be doing the same thing.

[rsaylor3]

Had that happen earlier this year. Fist noticed when doing my walk around and felt the tire with the back of my hand. Noticed the heat then when I squated down to inspect further noticed the it was round...

Changed them all out to new Carlisle HD and went up a load range. Tire shops said it was separating inside the tire. Dodged a bullet for sure!

I walk Everytime and it takes just. Few seconds.

[trail-explorer]

mrekim wrote:
Here's another thing to look for that's a little harder to spot. A tire that's no longer flat across the tread.

That scenario is pretty common on really cheap/low end new tires.
I've seen many tires like that on "new at the dealer" utility and cargo trailers, who often uses even worse tires than RV manufacturers.

The opposite end of the spectrum is new tires that look like they've been run over-inflated and have a caved in looking tread pattern. I'm looking for the photos I have.

[mrekim]

Here's what we found on a recent walk around:




Here's another thing to look for that's a little harder to spot. A tire that's no longer flat across the tread.

[JBarca]

bikendan wrote:

ford truck guy wrote:
Since I am an EX truck driver ,I have my old routine stamped in my head. I do the same things after every hook up.. at every fuel stop.. and every overnight stop.. The time spent is well worth it.

i'm a retired Firefighter/engineer and have the same thing drilled into my brain, with our fire engines.
always do a walkaround for any stop, while traveling.
bathroom breaks, fuel stops, overnights, shopping.
basically before any departure.

Yes, for sure. I'm a retired machine designer with an agricultural background and I have seen enough machinery fail that "looking, smelling and listening" is ingrained in my way of life. And now that we RV, it is even all that much more important to look, listen and smell at every stop during travel and just about any time I'm walking around the camper at the campground.

To date, (Rv'ng since 2003) just by looking at rest/fuel stops I have found, the front right TT brake jammed on, the break away pin starting to come out, 2 ST tires with cord damage and changed them before they blew, left rear truck caliper stuck on. All of these where mitigated at the rest stop to a lower level after I found them. If not, they for sure would of failed in service out on the highway.

I have enough tools in the truck and camper to fix most things that breakdown away from home. But they only come out after the "look, listen and smell" spots something. Knowing what "normal" is suppose to look, sound and smell like and why, goes a long way to finding something that is starting to go wrong.

Granted we all come from different backgrounds and skill levels, what is obvious to some, is not to all. If your not the most mechanically inclined, ask a buddy or a fellow RV'er in the campground to help educate/explain to you on hitches, tires, all things RV/Tow vehicle etc. A quick look goes a long way to ward off a disaster before it happens.

Safe Travels

John

[Dave_H_M]

I kinda went thru the post fast, but did not catch on as to how the cord would touch the ground. It is impossible where I have the plug in the bed in front of the rear fender. :h

[dwayneb236]

Always walk around on every stop. Just makes sense.

[ramyankee]

Always do a walk around and do the rubber mallet test on all the tires.

[jake2250]

travlnman: As i said in my earlier post, I used some florescent nail polish I stole from my wife and marked a line on the lug nut and wheel, I also put a small stripe on the nuts and bolts on the hitch. That way when I do my walk around its mostly visual. Before we leave from home though I do a more thorough check and actually check lug torque,go hands on the hitch bolts etc.
The bright stripes make it easy to see and gives piece of mind that everything is tight!

[hotpepperkid]

I always do a walk around at every stop. I touch all the tires, check to see if the cooler and gen on the back rack is still secure

[manualman]

I-90/94 near Madison has had badly curled concrete joints for some years now. Much bouncing ensues when towing. Haven't been on it since spring though. Still bad, huh?

[travelnman]

I lost the nut off the ball including the lock washer. I was close to home so ignored the slight clinking noise which could have been anything but it was the ball and bolt tossing back in forth in the hole in the tongue. After cranking the TT up and watching the ball rise out of the tongue I had to sit down and count my blessings. I
had traveled several miles missing the nut and lock washer holding the ball to the tongue. It was a moment that to this day seems impossible to have happened but it did. Wisconsin interstates jar
tow vehicles and trailers like they are on trampolines, we have never experienced this in any other state. Something about how the sections of pavement are seamed together that causes this. The area
I have noticed the most is around Madison but their are other stretches. I also lost a UHaul trailer after it bounced up and down on Wisconsin interstates, yes it came off and flew into a dirt embankment. Could this pavement caused both situations, impossible to say but it must have contributed to it. The only remedy is to pull over when you suspect anything out of the ordinary and check your hitch, ball, safety chains and break away. I do at every gas station and rest stop. A few years ago there was also someone pulling hitch
pins on fifth wheel and semi trailers at rest stops.

[dockmasterdave]

The display in the newer Fords tell you if trailer connected or not.

It does tell you if the umbilical is disconnected.
The rest is up to humans to check.

[Slownsy]

The display in the newer Fords tell you if trailer connected or not.
Frank.

[NJRVer]

tinner12002 wrote:

Walaby wrote:
1) How did he know his lights weren't working while driving at freeway speeds?
2) If told by passing motorist, why not take the next exit, and repair it in a parking lot where it's safe vice on side of the road?

I agree on walk arounds. I do one every time I stop. But, if my lights went out I wouldn't try to repair on site of freeway in the middle of heavy traffic.

Guess there's two examples of lack of common sense.

Mike

It was dark and people were flagging them down that they had an issue, didn't know what it was until they pulled over...too dangerous to pull back out into traffic with no lights, too dangerous to drive with no lights even if they had not pulled over...I65 northbound was extremely busy Monday nite. Safest thing he could do in my opinion was to pull over as far off lane as possible which he did. Cord didn't pull out as some asked, it wore into about 3ft from the plug where it had been dragging on the pavement.

I had a similar thing happen with my car hauler during daylight.
The DIC in my Silverado told me.