Near Disaster

[wdk450]

Gang:
I thought I would relate a near miss I discovered this week. I am on an extended trip which started with the Western Regional Rally in Temecula. Ca. I drove down from Sacramento, about 500 miles. After the rally, I moved 18 miles to the Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes Preserve in Menifee, Ca. for a 3 week stay. I then had to be away from Wilderness Lakes for a week, so I decided to check out Thousand Trails Pio Pico Preserve, near Chula Vista (San Diego Area). That was about a 70 mile drive. When I backed into my space at Pio Pico, and went to install my wheel chocks, I found that one of the shackle nuts had come off, the pivot bolt had worked its way out of the inside shackle link, and was trying to work its way out of the outside shackle link. Before I left Sacramento on my trip, I had the suspension worked on and new springs (again) installed by a 30+ year trailer veteran who builds them from the ground up. I was able to get the bolt back in place (it took all my bottle jack could do, jacking the end of the Dexter equalizer up to relieve tension, and a lot of hammering on the bolt and the link), and had a new nut with me in the old parts from previous suspension rebuilds. I torqued the self-locking nut down on the bolt as tight as I could get it, with some Loctite on the threads.
Per some other users suggestions, I have started to do visual tire inspections as one of my last steps pre-departure, but now I will pay attention to the equalizer/shackle link systems every time, too. The other shackle link bolts/nuts all checked O.K.

 

[TandT]

Bill,
Glad you caught it in time. I will start being more aware myself. Thanks, Trace

 

[porthole]

Bill, wasn't all that replaced at Goshen?

 

[mobilcastle]

It is hard to remember to look at everything. I put in Never Fail bushings to help with the wear but I read on here that they also can fail. (never Fail?) Maybe a waist-time will tell.

 

[jnbhobe]

Bill, I bet you really wish you would have installed the IS now. Its a shame you have had so many suspension problems.

 

[wdk450]

Bill, wasn't all that replaced at Goshen?

Duane: Yes the guys with "Mobile Outfitters" on their shirts (they actually worked full time for an RV side panel manufacturer - that's where I went to get a copy of my $1400 credit card charge) replaced the springs and installed their Correct Track axle alignment device. End result was that my equalizers still sat at a tilt hitting the frame at rest. Lippert and Heartland service said that spring size and spring mounts were according to spec. Time wasn't my friend then, and I ended up driving back to California that way. I then took the rig to a trailer specialist in Sacramento who looked at it and said that the spring eyelet length was wrong. $500 to him had me leaving his place with the equalizers sitting level, but then either the shackle link bolt nut wasn't tightened properly, or just came loose. I will talk to the guy when I get back to Sacramento next month.

Watching the ducks and the sunrise out my back windows at Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes, Menifee, Ca. It's supposed to hit 90 degrees tomorrow.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Bill, join the group. Somewhere between here to The Virnal Utah rally and back home the left rear spring (rear hanger) broke completely off the frame. In fact I drove to the Temecula rally with it still boken. It is repaired now, gussets welded on all the hangers and tubes welded side to side between the hangers. I am lucky, we have a good repair shop here is town. They know what they are doing and at a fair price.

BTW, you are about a 20 minute drive from our home. Come by if you can.

 

[porthole]

Duane: Yes the guys with "Mobile Outfitters" on their shirts (they actually worked full time for an RV side panel manufacturer - that's where I went to get a copy of my $1400 credit card charge) replaced the springs and installed their Correct Track axle alignment device. End result was that my equalizers still sat at a tilt hitting the frame at rest. Lippert and Heartland service said that spring size and spring mounts were according to spec. Time wasn't my friend then, and I ended up driving back to California that way. I then took the rig to a trailer specialist in Sacramento who looked at it and said that the spring eyelet length was wrong. $500 to him had me leaving his place with the equalizers sitting level, but then either the shackle link bolt nut wasn't tightened properly, or just came loose. I will talk to the guy when I get back to Sacramento next month.

Watching the ducks and the sunrise out my back windows at Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes, Menifee, Ca. It's supposed to hit 90 degrees today.

I feel for ya. At $1900 you are not far from the IS - and you were already hanging out there.....................

 

[Greengas]

Ok, a little tongue in cheek here but by definition is not a near miss, a hit? I mean if you nearly missed something that means you did not miss it at all, right? I know, that is not how the phrase is used it just always amuses me

 

[wdk450]

Bill, join the group. Somewhere between here to The Virnal Utah rally and back home the left rear spring (rear hanger) broke completely off the frame. In fact I drove to the Temecula rally with it still boken. It is repaired now, gussets welded on all the hangers and tubes welded side to side between the hangers. I am lucky, we have a good repair shop here is town. They know what they are doing and at a fair price.

BTW, you are about a 20 minute drive from our home. Come by if you can.

I'm trying to hang around until Dec 2nd, but I am on a waiting list after Nov 25th due to the Thanksgiving reservations. I think I will then go home until Christmas to be with the Grandkids, and want to try to get back in here before New Years, as they have a Rose Parade Bus deal from the park. I also found that there is a Thousand Trails in Salome, Arizona, very near where the Heartland Quartzsite group is gathering.