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RE: wiring question - intermittent loss of brakes
UPDATE
I just replaced the 4 yellow clearance lights as two were cracked and had signs of water penetration. They look good but I still have the same problem - no clearance lights on the coach and my brake controler runs through numbers. It does show the .c when connected.
I just ordered a new trailer end plug and 6 foot cable from Trailer Parts Superstore. I hope this solves the problem. Will report when this project is installed. I hope the color code is the same!
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Steveque
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05/18/12 11:23am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: wiring question - intermittent loss of brakes
Thanks. I will order both things. I figured that 9 years was a long time exposed to the heat here in Central California.
I did try and clean the Tahoe plug and found what looked like silicone on one prong. And I agree, crimping is a tough thing to get right. I have found that I either cut the wire or the wire pulls out.
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Steveque
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05/12/12 12:20pm |
Travel Trailers
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wiring question - intermittent loss of brakes
I have been experiencing an intermittent electric problem. I use an electrical contact cleaner every time before connecting my coach. My Prodigy will show an NC. I'll remove and install the plug several times and I get a c. Then I may or may not have turn signals. When they start I may or may not have brakes. If I pull a short distance, maybe 25 feet I may get my brakes back. But they may not be there the next time I step on the brakes. I pulled it home from storage today and by the time I did the 20 miles, the brake lights were strong as were the turn signals. Brakes in reverse, as I backed into my yard, stopped me faster than ever.
Also, I have a 2003 Chevy Tahoe as a tow vehicle. It has a button on the dash that when it is pushed will give me running lights on the Tahoe plus light up the top and side lights on the trailer. Now when I do that the Prodigy will run through various numbers but I will not have the trailer lights on.
Several years ago I cut my trailer cord in a rather stupid move while backing up. I did use regular solderless connectors with heat shrink over each connector and wrapped the entire thing with electrical tape. Everything worked great then.
My choice is to replace the trailer 7-wire cable and/or the plug on my Tahoe. The battery for the coach is just two years old and was charged.
Has anyone had a similar experience and, if so, what did you do to correct the problem.
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Steveque
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05/11/12 02:22pm |
Travel Trailers
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RE: DOT roadblock today while towing - Hitch question
I lock my hitch in the receiver and lock the tongue on the ball. While it may or may not be law it does help stop those people at rest stops and in parking lots from screwing with the hitch. The two locks are like a really nice fence around your property. It will help keep honest people honest.
Yeah, there are those that travel with all kinds of lock breaking tools and if they want to steal your stuff, your stuff can disappear in seconds. But maybe a decent lock will deter them just enough to visit the next guy down the way.
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Steveque
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10/26/11 11:06am |
Towing
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RE: Tire placement on axles
I emailed Goodyear this question and was told that it makes no difference what side I put the new tire on since the Marathon tire is a non-directional tire. So the new tires will go on the front axle and I will move a tire to the rear axle. This way each axle has a tire of the same age and mileage on it.
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Steveque
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10/24/11 11:51am |
Travel Trailers
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RE: Tire pressure while towing
I can tell you that at 36 psi on my P rated tires on an '03 Tahoe, I had a lot of tire squirm. At 44 psi the squirm went away and the Tahoe acted more civilized.
I now run an LT tire that is a 4-ply and not the typical 6-ply. The sidewall says 36 psi. The sidewalls in these tires are stiffer and gives me a great ride with or without the trailer.
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Steveque
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10/17/11 12:28pm |
Towing
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RE: Trailer brakes locking up
Not sure of your problem but the 7-way plug may have water, corrosion, or sand in it. Try squirting WD40 into the plugs(both ends) to clean and dry it out. I have had problems in dry windy sandy areas with sand working its way inside the plug. I had no brakes. Another time the plug got wet and I had brakes but no lights. Electrical contact cleaner will also work.
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Steveque
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09/25/11 08:27am |
Towing
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RE: Trailer tire Questions / Help - multiple blow outs
I'm not sure you can tell a tire is bad by looking at it. I keep my tires covered when in storage. I ArmorAll the inside of the tire at the yearly brake/bearing check. I keep 50 psi in them and carry my own air compressor. My trailer rides just a little nose high.
While I have not weighed the axles by themselves I have weighed the trailer and I typically run right about 5100 pounds down the road. I rarely go over 60 when towing as 55 is max here in California and 55 to 60 gives me my best towing miles per gallon of fuel.
Now what I have never seen anyone talk about is the road condition. I really think the number of potholes is directly related to premature tire failure. This, I think, helps cause the tread separation problems, along with heat, speed and other factors.
I had one tire fail due to air getting between the carcass and the tread (tread separation). The tire looked like a bicycle tire - high in the middle. I changed it before it blew. The tire that did blow as I was coming into Mobile this year gave me the same warning but I ignored it for some stupid reason. I use a tire brake when parked. I was unable to get it between the tires without backing off the tension some. I 'assumed' I was parked at an angle. Now I know the tire was starting to separate.
My tires were only 3 years old at the time but had been to NC once already so we had about 10,000+ miles on them in that time frame.
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Steveque
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08/29/11 12:27pm |
Towing
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RE: WD problem, what did I do wrong?
I had the same problem when I tried to set up my SUV. I ended up lowering the ball height and then had to angle the ball toward the trailer to get my 5 links under tension. Doing that got me back to an equal drop on the front and rear axles on the SUV and I maintained a 1/2" front end drop on the trailer.
I only ran my rig across a scale once to get total weights. I set my rig up using a tape measure like you are doing.
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Steveque
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07/13/11 08:00am |
Towing
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RE: Trailer Brakes
It probably is something to be concerned with. I recently finished a 6,000+ mile frip from CA to NC and back and neither my tires or rims were hot. They were warm but I could lay a hand on them. I had a blow out entering Mobile and I was able to remove the wheel bare-handed.
What could be happening is the brake linings are adjusted too tight, causing them to heat up. Your springs could be weak due to age and are not pulling the lining from the drum. Your magnets may be getting power and causing the brake pads to stay active. Your controller may be the problem by sending power to the magnets. Your shoes may have grease or oil on them and that may be causing them to heat up. Maybe the shoes are not 'round' enough. Maybe the shoes have not had the leading end beveled and that makes it difficult to adjust. I would say maybe your trailer ground is bad but I doubt that. Maybe you have 'boost' elevated on your controller allowing the trailer to slow down the tow-vehicle instead of working with the tow-vehicle to stop the total rig.
Sorry I have so many 'maybes' in my answer.
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Steveque
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07/11/11 10:11am |
Towing
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RE: Question about my WD Bars
Without a scale, you can get 'close' using a tape measure and a relatively flat area. Level your trailer unhooked - measure the four corners of it. I marked the spot on the trailer with blue tape and wrote the measurement on the tape. I put a washer at the spot on the ground so I could find the same spot again. I did the same at the four corners of my Tahoe except for marking the ground. I then hooked up and measured everything again. If you guess right, the trailer should be about 1/4 inch lower in the front than the back and the front and rear of the van should be somewhere close to the unloaded heights but both will be lower than the unhooked heights.
If not, find the sticky for this forum and go throught the adjustment procedure. It is really easy to do.
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Steveque
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06/01/11 01:51pm |
Towing
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RE: Pulling with my Husky WD hitch
Due to the angle and length of my driveway, I have to pull my coach into the cul-de-sac before hooking my WD system up. Same on my return, unhook and then back it into the driveway. I only move it about 150 feet either way.
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Steveque
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06/01/11 01:42pm |
Towing
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RE: Pulling with my Husky WD hitch
A Husky hitch is not all that bad. I have one from 2003 that is giving me great service.
As far as shocks go, 2006 means the OEM are now 5+ years old. It is probably time for new ones. The old stand by of counting the bounce in them is OK. The other way is to look for oil on the outside of the shock. Usually time is the key factor in shock replacement.
Another item to consider is worn springs - if you have springs or a torsion bar that has softened with age. This is an item few people or shops really consider - in my humble opinion of course.
I have a 2003 Tahoe SUV. I replaced the OEM hitch with a much stiffer hitch a few years back. That really helped remove some of the bounce from the trailer. The OEM hitch had too much flex in it. That could be part of your problem. I added the Monroe shock kit to my trailer and that helped more. I did add the greaseable shackle upgrade to my trailer and that really helped removed even more bounce.
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Steveque
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05/31/11 03:51pm |
Towing
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RE: Replacing Dump Valve - Handle Exchange Problem
I think the threaded part is right at the T handle and not from the internal valve as the T handle usually breaks first. Make sure your tank is completely empty before taking the fitting apart. I had a small surprise as I worked on mine a few years back - not much but some stuff left in the pipe. Put a drip pan under the valve before working on it.
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Steveque
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05/28/11 11:40am |
Travel Trailers
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