chilly81
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Joined Mar 13, 2011
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Re: Electric trailer brakes uneven drag around rotation
Took it out today with mixed results. On the plus side, they don't get hot if they aren't being used (which was my worry - cooking them from drag). On the down side, they really don't work that well. I need to keep bedding it - haven't been able to do too many cycles. They are working somewhat though, and all seem to heat up somewhat uniformly during bedding runs. No where near locking up yet though which saddens me somewhat. This is a bursting-at-the-seams #7k trailer on dual #3500 axles, so I wouldn't be shocked if they can't lock up on pavement, but they dang well better lock up on dirt. (I mean with the manual trailer-only control - not in normal use). I have pretty heavy wire going back to the brakes, so don't think it's voltage drop. Will give it a little more time - they seem to be improving slowly.... only done like 10 cycles from 40mph-20mph. Have a decent ride ahead of me tomorrow, so should get some more cycles in.530Views0likes0CommentsRe: Electric trailer brakes uneven drag around rotation
Ugh. Thanks for the feedback. I will at least give them a chance to bed in tomorrow, since eTrailer tech support didn't call me back anyway. My worry is that @Lynnmor is on the right track, since mechanically, I can't see how bedding will affect an inconsistent behavior around a single rotation. It's worth a shot though, and as some have said - maybe it's not bad enough to matter and won't be as noticeable once bedded. It sucks because I also figured out my left rear spindle is toed-in a bit and there's nothing I can do about it. I've seen far worse horror stories, but I'm looking at a new set of tires every 20k with religious rotation the way it is. That's 2 years at my current burn rate... and it tows (toes!) fine, so we'll see. Plus, I'm full time and stuck doing repairs boondocking in the 90 deg yuma desert with 1" long horseflies (I have pics of their bodies) biting me while it's up on jackstands with me working on it. Please excuse the venting - long day. Everyone's feedback and experiences are very much appreciated. edit: What also sucks is that I paid a little premium to get all Dexter USA made parts and was expecting smooth sailing for it.519Views0likes0CommentsElectric trailer brakes uneven drag around rotation
I'm replacing the brakes with brand new dexter assemblies, hubs, bearings right now. I put the new ones on and I'm getting uneven drag on a couple of them. Like I can spin it and it will rotat through 270degrees of rotation then the drag will stop it and I have to turn it through the last 90 degrees by hand. It's not like it's hard to turn, but it's definitely dragging the brakes more significantly during that portion. I can't envision a scenario where this has anything to do with my spindles or the backing plate. It really has to be the runout of the drums or possible the bearing races - as those are the only moving/rotation components. Anyway - is this normal or acceptable to some degree? Kind of bummed these are brand new parts and I'm a bit worried. btw, these are self adjusting and I haven't yet applied or adjusted them - but they are obviously close and dragging some at some point during rotation. Thanks.2KViews0likes12CommentsRe: Bathroom odors coming from toilet-to-floor gasket seal?
Well that's good to hear it's not a massive job (like home toilet). I think I'm going to do it just for piece of mind. I'll be on full hookups for a month starting tuesday, so I'll flush everything out and use one of those stink killer additives before I open the mouth of hell. @j-d: mine does indeed have that overflow... that's what I was referring to smelling up close. I believe it has a trap inside and it has water in it and I can't detect a smell coming from that hole. @garyemunson: I did pull the air valve off and inspect, and as you say - a 02' trailer's gray tank smells like death itself once that valve is off. The smell was not the same as my lingering odor though - so I really think it's the black. The valve really looked to be in fine condition, and the kitchen one is certainly fine. If this doesn't work, I'm sure they are cheap though and I'll try one anyway.486Views0likes0CommentsBathroom odors coming from toilet-to-floor gasket seal?
I've read a bunch of the existing threads on this common problem and don't think I have a solution yet. 02' trailer. Have always had a little sewer smell after travelling but now it's getting more consistent even on breezy days. -All traps are full. -Stacks vents are clear and it's worse on breezy days (makes sense). -Air checkvalve under sink looks good. -I'm *pretty* sure it's black tank smell because when I unscrewed the air vent valve under the sink (gray) to check it I almost died, and it seemed to be a different odor. Plus, it really doesn't seem to be emanating from under the sink or from the shower side of the room. -Toilet flapper seal holds water fine. -Sniffing the little overflow trap hole in the toilet - doesn't seem to be coming from there - so I think that trap is OK. So I still can't really pinpoint it except it really seems to be coming from the toilet side of the bathroom and I think it's black tank smell. I can see the front of the gasket looking under the flush pedals, and it looks OK from the front. Would it be a waste of time to pull the toilet and check or replace that seal? I'm at a loss. Any advice? Not looking for waste treatment solutions - just plumbing and mechanical please.2.4KViews0likes10CommentsRe: Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)
Learjet wrote: chilly81 wrote: Have some people done this with one side of the trailer still on the ground - wheels weighted- wheels weighted? . See my answer above, I think some are not reading what you are asking. You definitely are understanding what I'm asking. At first I didn't think much of it, but now I think about I'm tending to agree with you. The fulcrum part you mentioned is true, but it will be pushing the axle downward on the unfastened/raised side, so you could support it with a jack. The big worry for me is if there was any slope or tendency towards rolling - with the weighted side chocked, it could put a fore/aft force on the axles and might be really hard to get back aligned. And that could be tough to recover from. Sucks because I'm full time in a 22' TT. The stuff to raise the whole trailer up in the air at once eats a lot of space. I can already do one side with normal jackstands and a bunch of 4x4. Harbor Freight has some nice 25" 6-ton stands for $39.99 I'll just get (TT is 20" to frame bottom). Guess I'll just have to find something to throw away so I can store them somewhere.668Views0likes0CommentsRe: Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)
brulaz wrote: I do that to grease the bushings, they take the grease better with weight off. I do it for tires and wheel bearings and such - but was just thinking once you disconnect one side of the suspension it might be another story. With weight on the other end of the axle does it make it really hard to maneuver back into place, etc.667Views0likes0CommentsRe: Dexter HD Suspension & EZ-Flex Install (long w/ pictures)
Dumb question I just thought of. Have some people done this with one side of the trailer still on the ground - wheels weighted? Most of the (great) pics in this thread show both ends being jacked at the same time. I'm full time in a 22'TT and barely have the equipment and blocking to get one side off the ground at a time (going to buy a cheap bottle jack to go with my floor jack, and chop up a couple extra 4x4's tomorrow).667Views0likes0CommentsRe: DIY suspension upgrade tips for full timer
brulaz wrote: B.O. Plenty wrote: Seems to me there used to be a sticky regarding this somewhere on here... B.O. That would be over in the Travel Trailer section at the top. Many pages of info and photos. That's a heck of a writeup - thanks!294Views0likes0CommentsRe: DIY suspension upgrade tips for full timer
MEXICOWANDERER wrote: You just may be able to source rental tools for your project. I sure would give that avenue a thorough look :) That's a good idea. Do you have any idea what tools specifically might be needed beyond the basics I have?292Views0likes0Comments
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