What are you currently working on??

Last night when I was going into the house from the shop. I heard a "pop" and a fast air leak. I know right away it was a tire on the new to us motorhome. The inside RR dual was flat so I had aired it up yesterday. A few hours later that happened, and it is the same tire. Dang. Made it a bit harder to sleep last night!

Went ahead and put it on the concrete where Loree normally parks to see about jacking it up and pulling those tires off. Good time to change the generator oil and air filter too. I figured I would take it to a tire shop if a plug blew out. Get it patched on the inside.

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There is jackstands under it. I didn't want to drag the jack back into the shop. Found out that my floor jack isn't cut out for these low trucks. It's jacking range is with the handle much higher. It took forever just to raise it up enough! My knees are shot---LOL!

Getting the valve stems out of the hubcap was a chore on one stem. Threads must have been boogered and the stem nut was so thin that it was hard to get a half inch wrench on it. Got them pulled and rolled the tires inside. Was able to chase the stem threads with a deep chaser.

Right away I noticed this elbow on the inner tire was very loose. Tightened it and all the other joints up, then put air to it.
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Took air just fine and seems to be holding. Tire itself looks great.
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The way the valve stems were mounted into the hubcaps was a pain too. Not enough stem sticking out to get some air chucks on including my digital one. I modified them by removing a u shaped plate and installing correct size washers and was able to use thicker nuts even. Now any air chuck should fit---I hope. Still need to do that to the LR setup. Hopefully I won't have to take the wheels off to do it.
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Will let it sit in the shop- overnight to see if it holds.

Went back outside to do the generator service, and of course it looks and sounds like rain coming.
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Everything went pretty smoothly except the oil filler design is as stupid as many of the pumps and gearboxes we had at work! It took over a half hour to put a little over 3/4 qt of 30wt in it. (.84 qt with filter on the sticker). It has a nice big fill tube but it chokes down into a probably 1/4" hose going into the bottom of the engine block.
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It was starting to sprinkle about the time I was able to start the generator and check for leaks. That is hard to see since removing the filter makes a mess too. Ran it 5 minutes and hurried up and put away tools except the drain pan and the floor jack. Checked the oil after shutting it down and it's right on the full line.

So far just sprinkles and thunder.

DAC
 
Went and mowed my kids rental after work, then out to the kid's house where my camper is and got some stuff out of it the wife wanted.
Also took a few measurements, one thing I forgot to get a picture of.
We're going somewhere this weekend (without the camper) and needed some of what's inside.
Came home from that and dragged the nice cedar lined wardrobe cabinet that I had taken to the curb this morning hoping to see it gone before I got home from work, instead it was laying down in the ditch. Seems my wife knocked it over when she saw 2 caster wheel prints from where it had sat the previous 9 hours in our newly blacktopped driveway (just got that done last Friday finally). No takers at my garage sale the weekend before memorial day and a handful of "is it available 's" from Fakebook in all the time since. Sledgehammer, prybar and sawzall and it's firewood now. I'm tired of it being in the way of my stand up freezer, and my wife "not being able to get to it". Came from moms house, I remember her getting it from (I believe it was, I was young then) her mom/ probably 40 years ago. I know it was old, even then.
But it's in the way and even though I wanted 1/4 of what I seen (what appeared to be) very similar pieces of furniture being asked of (most of which was more modern and particleboard) so I'm sick of seeing it so away it has to go. The biggest piece is now I believe about 18" square. That cedar smelled nice though as I cut into it, I really hated to
 
Wanna come do mine
I don't mind doing it if my knees and back would take it. Did the smaller on today. Only took 11 new bags and 6 left over from last year. Will get the fountain going tomorrow, and get some pictures as the sun will be right in the morning. Both shaded from noon on. Best price I could find was $3.99 a bag. Every place else I checked was over $5 and a couple $6.29.. Have a short way across the front of the house to do and some at the yard art wagon..
 
Last night when I was going into the house from the shop. I heard a "pop" and a fast air leak. I know right away it was a tire on the new to us motorhome. The inside RR dual was flat so I had aired it up yesterday. A few hours later that happened, and it is the same tire. Dang. Made it a bit harder to sleep last night!

Went ahead and put it on the concrete where Loree normally parks to see about jacking it up and pulling those tires off. Good time to change the generator oil and air filter too. I figured I would take it to a tire shop if a plug blew out. Get it patched on the inside.

View attachment 97092

There is jackstands under it. I didn't want to drag the jack back into the shop. Found out that my floor jack isn't cut out for these low trucks. It's jacking range is with the handle much higher. It took forever just to raise it up enough! My knees are shot---LOL!

Getting the valve stems out of the hubcap was a chore on one stem. Threads must have been boogered and the stem nut was so thin that it was hard to get a half inch wrench on it. Got them pulled and rolled the tires inside. Was able to chase the stem threads with a deep chaser.

Right away I noticed this elbow on the inner tire was very loose. Tightened it and all the other joints up, then put air to it.
View attachment 97089

Took air just fine and seems to be holding. Tire itself looks great.
View attachment 97086


The way the valve stems were mounted into the hubcaps was a pain too. Not enough stem sticking out to get some air chucks on including my digital one. I modified them by removing a u shaped plate and installing correct size washers and was able to use thicker nuts even. Now any air chuck should fit---I hope. Still need to do that to the LR setup. Hopefully I won't have to take the wheels off to do it.
View attachment 97087

View attachment 97088

Will let it sit in the shop- overnight to see if it holds.

Went back outside to do the generator service, and of course it looks and sounds like rain coming.
View attachment 97091

Everything went pretty smoothly except the oil filler design is as stupid as many of the pumps and gearboxes we had at work! It took over a half hour to put a little over 3/4 qt of 30wt in it. (.84 qt with filter on the sticker). It has a nice big fill tube but it chokes down into a probably 1/4" hose going into the bottom of the engine block.
View attachment 97090

It was starting to sprinkle about the time I was able to start the generator and check for leaks. That is hard to see since removing the filter makes a mess too. Ran it 5 minutes and hurried up and put away tools except the drain pan and the floor jack. Checked the oil after shutting it down and it's right on the full line.

So far just sprinkles and thunder.

DAC
Liking that motor home Doug.
Any trips planned in the near future ?
 
Liking that motor home Doug.
Any trips planned in the near future ?
Thanks Bill. Think we will like it too. We are looking at driving it to Arvada, CO to my oldest sister's house at the end of this month. 450 miles one way. She has an extra lot beside her house lot that we could park it in. Hopefully it will be close enough to her house to pick up her wifi. I got the TV to get our wifi here at home and also got my phone and ipod connected to the bluetooth on the stereo. Loree needs to get inside and evaluate things we need to take, but her work has been long hours lately.

DO check the date codes on those tires while they're off. They'll age out before they wear out on something like that. Hopefully the next kaboom isn't while rolling down some highway
Didn't check that unfortunately. Can't read it in my pictures. Might pull the front wheels to check the brakes. Pads looked almost new on the RR.

The RR inner held air overnight. Got the duals mounted up. Recommended torque was 140 but I went 150 since I had to use an extension.
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My MAC Tools torque wrench is an antique, bought it in my mechanic days from the dealer truck in the 1970's. Hopefully it is still accurate---LOL!
Been recalibrated a couple times by the dealer through the years.
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Labeled the stems with a sharpie for now as to which tire each one goes too. Next time I have the vinyl cutter running (maybe this weekend), I will cut stickers to replace my shakey writing.
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Remounted the valve stems in the LR hubcap too. Can get air pressure gauges on them now too. Tightened all the joints in those hoses except the inner wheel stem. Just can't get at it without tire removal.

Loree did tell me to start pricing floor jacks more suitable to work on the rears of this thing but I think the price might be scary.

Did a 20 mile drive and parked it back in the gravel. Too hot outside now. Will recheck the wheel torque on the RR tomorrow.

DAC
 
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I think I would go with a bottle jack rather than a floor jack. 3 ton is all you would need. Lot less storage room, easier to manipulate under the axle when needed. Probably a few blocks also. Wheel chocks? Just trying to help you spend your $$ DAC.
Definitely a bottle jack for travel, Rog. The floor jack would be for working on it at home. I have this one that looks to be a lot of overkill!
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Seems like I have a couple smaller ones around here somewhere too. Be nice not to be as heavy as this piece of pig iron.

I have plenty of blocks and can build a set of chocks from a couple of 4x6's. Have a couple of jacking or leveling pads out in a shed too.

DAC
 
In Ohio.
Been going this weekend for about 15 years to the same campground except for 2... One year covid screwed us and the other year $5+ gas did.
At home we're about $3.40 for "cheap" grade now, here they're as cheap as $2.39, highest I've seen was $2.99 so far.
Started going when we had the Apache pop ups, as everyone we camp with either has or has had at least one.
This year we rented the small cabin. Didn't bring a camper.
. We're between the big speedway at Norwalk and cedar point, never have made it to either. This is gonna be a "working" camp trip this time.
I've mentioned that I'm rebuilding a truck from the ground up. There's guys with parts listed near home but everything i ask for by home they never seem to have. Found a bunch of what I need out here over the past couple of weeks on CL and FB and have messaged them about the sellers that I would be in the area this particular weekend and would be contacting them. I actually made a trip out near here a few months ago, for some parts that were in of our other regulars in the group's hometown so I had him go get those for me, and came out then to get them from him
Had some other goodies from another seller in the same town pop up and my buddy came to the rescue again, he brought them to the campground this time
I'm gonna go see that seller tomorrow for some more goodies (parts to convert to power windows and then some) plus 2 other guys.
I need a good (new/used I don't care) gas tank sending unit and all the aftermarket ones are inaccurate junk. My son has used 4 of them in various vehicles and they all read empty at 1/2 tank. Many on the forums complain about them as well. I solved that issue on my sins current project when I lucked into an NOS one at a swap meet. My gauge works but the lines rotted off flush and suck air. Picked up a gas tank with lines that look new on the way out here for less than 1/2 what those junk aftermarket ones go for.
Problem with the ones local to me are they're all for newer fuel injected versions or diesel, I'm staying carbureted with my truck. Nice clean tank for $20. It's the small one of the 2 choices (my truck had the bigger version) but for the money definitely better than what I had. Going a slightly different way home Sunday so I can pick up a 2nd one (I have 2 of the same trucks)
Tomorrow I'm going after an aftermarket headliner with a spot for gauges and a CB, I've seen them for $500-1000+ (those higher would be coming from Canada). A guy not far from camp has one for $125.
Plans are to haul the body to the sandblaster this week once I get back and bring the frame home from my son's house and paint it and go thru the brakes and suspension while the body is in paint jail.
 
Guess that's why we have roadside assistance insurance too. Just can't cover every scenario of a breakdown. Small motorhome with limited storage.

DAC
I've never had a problem on the road that I couldn't fix with what I bring along.
I don't go far without a basic assortment of tools. Haven't needed either yet but that now includes a cordless Milwaukee impact and a jump pack behind the seat
Worst I've had on the road was one flat and a deer strike where I limped into an O'Reilly's and bought a radiator, and changed it in the parking lot myself and was able to drive on.
 
I have had AAA for about 5 years now. Used it twice. Once when I just got my shoulder out of the sling from replacement surgery. They gal that answered the phone had no clue where Iowa was let alone a mile marker on hw #34. She was going to send a guy from a town2 hours away and aid he would be there in 1/2 hour. Farmer stopped and changed the tire for us. Second time I had knee surgery and was just out and about when a tire went flat 6 miles from home. That time I call the local AAA guy as I had known him for 20 years or more so he knew what was going on when the gal called him. When I got hold of the AAA gal I told exactly what to do as I had been through this before. For once she listened and it wasn't 5 min till Scott called and said he was on the way. Couple days later we figured out we were trying to use the wrong end of the jack handle to lower the spare. Need to lower this one so I can cut that stupid safety cable that will be sized up like the majority of them are.
 
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