myredracer
Explorer II
Joined 13 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: How to avoid getting blown all over the road
Haven't been here ever since the border closure, but thought I would see what's up lately and saw this thread. Been meaning to post my thoughts on this subject for quite a while. Ignoring what would happen if the wind is strong enough to tip the trailer over, here's a sketch showing what happens when there is a sudden sideways/lateral gust of wind. It's basic physics. For simplicity, assume the TT "box" is 30' long and that the centerline of the axles is 2/3 back from the front of the TT. When you get struck by a sudden strong gust of wind, the force against 1/3 of the TT sidewall behind the axles and the force against 1/3 of the TT sidewall ahead of the axles cancel each other out. What's left is the wind pushing against the most forward 1/3 (10') of the TT sidewall. Doesn't matter what speed you are travelling, the lateral force will be the same. The sudden "punch" of wind then pushes the tongue laterally (sideways) against the hitch on the tow vehicle. That in turn wants to point the TV in a different direction. Result is, the driver then makes a steering correction to try going in a straight line down the road. Then the sudden gust of lateral wind stops (or reverses direction) and then the driver again makes a steering correction to maintain a straight line. So if you are trying to drive on a stretch of road that is experiencing high lateral gusting wind, you are going to find it very difficult to maintain a straight line and could be dangerous. Slowing down substantially would be the first course of action. To minimize the effect of gusting wind, you'd want to make the trailer and TV as least susceptible to lateral movement as possible by doing: 1 - have TT tires with higher load rating and inflate to max. side wall psi. 2 - install shocks on TT. 3 - use WDH with pro-active self-centering action like Reese DC and ensure it is properly adjusted. 4 - ensure TT is level to nose down and ensure WDH is properly adjusted to transfer sufficient weight back onto steer axle. 5 - have as much tongue weight as possible (up to 15% if TV can handle it.) 6 - install heavy duty shocks on TV. 7 - Use LT tires on TV with stiffer sidewalls (kevlar). 8 - inflate LT tires to max. psi on rear and say 70 psi on front. 9 - a 4x2 TV instead of 4x4 for lower center of gravity would help but just about all trucks now are 4x4. I experienced high gusting side winds once on a trip on I-90 from Spokane to Seattle. Pretty dicey and it felt like driving on marbles, even at slow speed. Pulled over a rest stop and a truck driver said semis get blown over sometimes. Got to the destination CG and someone said even FWs have been known to get blown over there. So we've done all of the above except we have the usual 4x4 truck. Have GY Endurance pumped up to 80 psi. Driving in strong side winds is WAY more stable now. At freeway speeds, tractor trailer units can pass all day long with no effect. It's as if I'm on rails now. If you get caught in severe winds, pull over somewhere and hope you don't get blown over. I don't know how well other WDHs like SwayPro and Equal-i-zer 4 point compare to a Reese DC but I would never give up ours for anything else. A longer wheelbase truck would help too like crew cab + long box. Just my thoughts... I hope the border re-opens some day so we can back to regular camping in the US.526Views0likes0CommentsRe: electrician question: voltage drop at outlet to TT
Another thing to be aware of is an AC unit typically draws about 60 amps during the momentary starup. When using small gauge wire like #12 and runs like 30', you can have significant voltage drop that is hard on the motor windings and eventually lead to premature AC unit failure. The 60 amps is also in addition to anything else operating like say the converter/charger at perhaps 4-5 amps. I would use a #10 shore power cord with 30 to 15 amp adapter, or a #10 extension cord in addition to the shore power cord. As mentioned, you also need to consider the length of the branch circuit from the house's panel to the 20 amp receptacle which can greatly increase voltage drop. Always have a permanent voltmeter mounted inside an RV and keep an eye on it. If it gets down to 104-105 volts, shut the AC unit off as it will cause damage. Best thing is an EMS which automatically shuts you down on low voltage. Also, always ensure the blades on your cords are kept clean and shiny and never plug in the RV with power on.459Views0likes0CommentsRe: RV extended warrantee
Take your trailer to a reputable frame and axle shop, and preferably a gov't certified one if you have such a thing. Pay the couple hundred $$ and get a detailed inspection. Do NOT try and resolve this with the dealer. Extended warranties are a waste of $$. Stating you overloaded your TT or caused it otherwise is a standard Lippert excuse. Problem is, there are no industry standards for RV frame construction and Lippert can do what they want. Many TTs these days have super cheap, weak frames and sometimes also have manufacturing defects. These are the ones that have I-beams that are made from 3 pieces of mild steel welded together to make what looks like a "regular" I-beam. These flex a lot and can cause serious problems. Extremely unlikely to be a tire or rim issue or an axle that you bent. Weighing the TT at a scale might also help to show you're not overloaded. We had a previous TT that had one of the above frames and we managed to get it replaced under the basic factory warranty. Day after we owned it from new, I took it to a local independent RV shop looking for some propane fittings & parts for under the TT. The owner crawled underneath and noticed some odd issues with the frame. Initially we took the TT to the dealer. They sent photos to Lippert who allegedly came back and said "it was within spec." We then took it to a gov't certified inspection facility (a frame & axle shop) who did a thorough inspection and ended up saying it was the worst frame they'd ever seen and should be condemned. Spring hangers were bent to one side, lower "web" of I-beams were damaged at spring hangers, welding was bad, to name a few issues. We sent a copy of the report to the TT manufacturer and dealer and within days they said they'd replace the entire TT. When we got it, it had a MUCH heavier duty frame. Original frame was 6" tall and new one, 8" and with forged type I-beams. Also came with 12" brakes. In the 7-something years we've had it, not a single frame-related problem. (many other problems tho.) If you have one of the weak welded frames, they have a LOT of vertical flex. While doing a wiring mod, I found a failed weld in the aluminum framing due to the flex. Also, the entry door would "parallelogram" and once the door flew open on the highway as a result because the latch would get out of alignment while the frame flexed. There could have been other failed welds, dunno. I hope it all works out in the end for you.670Views0likes0CommentsRe: Rewiring Trailer Brakes - How to Allow for Axle Movement?
Here's what I did recently. I ran a #12 ga. brake cable along one side of the frame and tie-wrapped it to the propane pipe. I ran the new brake cable across each axle tube and secured it with tie-wraps every 6". The cable is on the trailing side of the axles and not likely to be hit by road debris. I soldered all the splices, used shrink wrap and then electrical tape over that for more physical protection. The splices are well-secured to the U-bolts with tie-wraps. The brake wiring installed by the axle manufacturer is tiny #18 ga. (in our TT anyway) and the holes into the axle tubes are waaay too small to get a #12 ga. brake cable into. The alternative is to run new cable above the coroplast but that's a heck of a lot of work for little gain, plus the wiring will be a bit longer. I bright the brake cable up from the backing plates and forward about 1.5' to 2' forward and tie-wrapped it to the propane pipe. This allows for a lot more vertical movement than will ever occur under normal road travel or jacking the frame up to re & re a wheel. I have to say the improvement in braking with the new #12 wiring is absolutely amazing. The original splices by the TT manufacturer were really sh!tty - not only added to a poor connection but there was the possibility of the splices pulling apart. See the photo below for one example. The crimp connectors are designed/approved for one wire only in each end and note how only a few strands were pushed into one end. ALL of the other splices were equally bad.1.2KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Why the large discrepancy in rv antifreeze prices?
steelhunter wrote: https://www.amazon.com/PEAK-Marine-Antifreeze-50%C2%B0F-Guaranteed/dp/B07MBQ5YX3 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Tech-RV-Marine-Antifreeze/17179674 The stuff from Amazon costs a lot more because there's shipping, packaging & handling costs buried in the "free shipping" price. If anyone thinks there really is "free" shipping in this world, then pigs really can fly... :R If you go to the right places, you can get the PG AF at a minimal cost above the retail store pricing on the cheapo ethanol-based version. Most people don't understand there's two types of AF and buy based on sticker price. I get the PG type at a nearby independent RV repair/parts shop at a cost slightly above retail stores or RV dealers that sell the ethanol-based version. The propylene glycol antifreeze is the good stuff and a much better choice. Won't evaporate and dry out in toilet or p-traps, will help lubricate seals, won't taint plumbing lines, is non-toxic and is non-flammable. If you look at a jug of it in a store, read the label for the contents. Sometimes it's hard to find or the print is small and hard to read. FWIW, I always blow our lines out when winterizing. Easy to do and a lot less AF is needed.1KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Reese Dual Cam HP frame brackets
Try phoning Reese again. When I had our issue with the cam arm brackets they sent me new ones, no questions asked and no need to send them photos. They've had manufacturing issues with these in the past and it's a known problem. Below is a photo I what ours looked like at first. Unacceptable. Another option would be to take them to a welding shop, get them to heat up the metal with a torch and bend it to 90 degrees. But if the bottom isn't flat, it's not going to be a good solution. First photo shows the brackets I originally received when I bought the DC package and the replacements sent by Reese. Big difference! I don't understand how Reese could have let this stuff get out into the marketplace. Poor QC somewhere... If you have the 17K setup and have a TW upwards of about 1200 lbs, I would NOT use Reese's forming screws. The A-frame tubing is quite thin and you won't get enough thread engaged which will end up loosening. The best solution IMO is to through-bolt through the A-frame tubing. I cut away the end cover on the A-frame tubing. Made up a plate with nuts welded on one side. Welded a bolt to end of the plate. Welded a nut to the end of a piece of EMT tubing (after removing the plating). Pushed the EMT into the A-frame tubing and bolted it on with new bolts along with some loctite and tightened to 75 ft-lbs (IIRC). Plug-welded the plate onto the A-frame tubing, sanded down the welds and touched up with some paint. Made some shims to match the radius between the bracket and A-frame tubing. Just took some 3/16" flat stock steel and ground the radius by hand with an angle grinder. End result is a very tight fit between brackets and A-frame. I did this 5 years ago and it has been good ever since. Once you take the time to deal with the idiosyncrasies of the Reese DC, it's a truly excellent WDH. I love ours and how it performs.640Views0likes0CommentsRe: Is this normal for a 30 amp breaker
LoudRam wrote: As per NEC you are only allowed to load a breaker to 80% of it's rated capacity that way you have room for start up current. My AC is only on a 15a breaker and draws 10 to 11 amps. A 20a breaker should be more than enough. And as it was stated earlier warm is normal but hot is a problem. However it never hurts to check the connections. That's not quite right when it comes to motorized appliances and equipment. An AC unit (and any motor for that matter) has the breaker "over-sized" (per NEC table) to ensure the compressor motor will start on the initial momentary inrush current of 50-60 amps of a typical AC unit. The 20 amp (or 15 amp) AC unit breaker isn't based on the full load running amps. Another thing to note is that a code-sized breaker for an AC unit doesn't take into account what happens when the voltage goes down which causes an AC unit to draw more current which can cause the 20 amp (or 15 amp) breaker to trip. A compressor load stays relatively constant but as voltage goes down, the motor has to draw more current to try to keep horsepower output up. The motor can end up drawing much more than 80% of the breaker rating and eventually cause it to trip due to the bimetal element heating up more. Low voltage is common in CGs in the summer and is often much higher than the 5% recommended by NEC.688Views0likes0CommentsRe: Electricity? Never touch the stuff
road-runner wrote: OMG... I wish people would stop referring to "phases" in reference to 120/240 volt circuits and services. You might have a tough time with this. For examples, I used google to search for "120/240 volt circuits and services", and 4 of the first 5 hits talked about phase. My similar thing is that I wish people would stop bringing up calories when I go for the cookies or chips. I spent a career as an EE in the construction biz and can tell you it's always been line 1 & line 2. Go look at a 120/240 volt panel, meter base or fused disconnect switch somewhere and see what the labeling says on it. A 120/240 volt circuit/service is commonly called "single phase" but each hot leg is never referred to as a phase. Go by what internet "pros" say if you want tho...463Views0likes0CommentsRe: Is this normal for a 30 amp breaker
Skipg wrote: The 20 amp breaker for the air conditioner get warm when the air is running. Is this normal? Warm is normal. A circuit breaker has a bi-metal strip inside which gets warmer as the current going through it gets higher. When the strip warms up enough it "flips" and trips the breaker. Hot may or may not be okay depending on the actual temp. Breakers are designed to operate at up to 90 degrees celsius max. at rated current under UL standard 489. Also, UL 489 says: “The maximum temperature on handles, knobs, and other surfaces subject to user contact during normal operation shall not exceed 60 °C (140 °F) on metallic and 85 °C (185 °F) on nonmetallic surfaces.” One thing to note about the panels in RVs is that a 30 amp main breaker and 20 amp AC unit breaker are side by side and you can get a mutual heating effect. The plastic housings in RV panels also are as effective at dissipating heat compared to metal housing in panels in houses & buildings. I've read of some people aiming a fan at the breakers to keep them from tripping in hot weather when AC units are running constantly. Bad idea IMO.341Views0likes0Comments
Groups
Bucket List Trips
Bucketlist destinations you just can't miss. Which spots stick with you?Jun 03, 202013,487 Posts Fifth Wheel Group
Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.May 10, 202519,012 Posts Motorhome Group
Join in here to discuss all things motorhomes.Nov 06, 201838,718 Posts Pet Owners
Notes from the road with the best travel companions around.May 05, 20252,081 Posts RV Families
Activities, advice, and destinations for those traveling with kids!Apr 25, 2025501 Posts
