Holy crap what a day....

[Grant Lamontagne]

I suppose Calvin's Dad would tell you that this was good for Character.

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

Maybe, but days like this I think that character is Wile E. Coyote.... 

I have taken the tongue off again and taken the coupler and chains off it, then primed it and started to spray it with bedliner.  I will do some more on it tomorrow.  I am not sure yet if I am going to keep the current coupler or switch back to the proper 2" coupler on it so I don't have to keep switching back and forth- the Apache camper we have takes a 2" ball so I will either need to switch one trailer or carry around both balls.

I also picked up some more bolts to re-attach my wheel jack when the tongue is painted and re-installed.

Def

[Syph007]

I remember MacGyver welded with some coins and a 12V battery... but Im not sure that would actually work?

[Syncop8r]

I vote for going back to the 2" ball.

[Don Pablo]

I see no reason why you should not keep both of your balls. 


Does it take time to change between them?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I see no reason why you should not keep both of your balls. 


Does it take time to change between them?

Nope.  Just pull out a cotter pin, pull the load pin, pull the bar out, slide the other one in and replace the pins.  I'm more concerned about not having the right ball when I need it, or having a fifteen pound lump of steel bouncing around needlessly in the trunk.

Def

[Syph007]

I see no reason why you should not keep both of your balls. 


Does it take time to change between them?

Nope.  Just pull out a cotter pin, pull the load pin, pull the bar out, slide the other one in and replace the pins.  I'm more concerned about not having the right ball when I need it, or having a fifteen pound lump of steel bouncing around needlessly in the trunk.

Def

I've seen guys with flipable ones with a ball on top and bottom and even quad balls.  Lol.  I guess it's so you can tow anything on the fly.

[Syncop8r]

I've seen guys with flipable ones with a ball on top and bottom and even quad balls.  Lol.

Quad balls

[Grant Lamontagne]

I see no reason why you should not keep both of your balls. 


Does it take time to change between them?

Nope.  Just pull out a cotter pin, pull the load pin, pull the bar out, slide the other one in and replace the pins.  I'm more concerned about not having the right ball when I need it, or having a fifteen pound lump of steel bouncing around needlessly in the trunk.

Def

I've seen guys with flipable ones with a ball on top and bottom and even quad balls.  Lol.  I guess it's so you can tow anything on the fly.

I looked at those yesterday and considered it... but at $75 I figured I didn't need all those options.

Def

[TazzieRob]

If you can kill two birds with one ball then keep it simple 

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you can kill two birds with one ball then keep it simple 

That's my thinking exactly. 

Def

[pomsbz]

Unbsmurfing believable! I'd have given up long before you. Heck but that rain was the smurf icing on the smurf cake.

(all smurfs typed in, 'instead of' swearing is so much more fun than the real kind!)

[Steinar]

When the choice is between crying and laughing... 

 , Grant!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Unbsmurfing believable! I'd have given up long before you. Heck but that rain was the smurf icing on the smurf cake.

(all smurfs typed in, 'instead of' swearing is so much more fun than the real kind!)

I'd agree with you, but there's no way to give up, except to leave a $1,000 trailer and $5,000 worth of boats and equipment behind.  I can't afford a loss like that, so I sure as heck can't give up, and there's no one else that can do it for me.

This is the problem with being an adult- I'd really rather have walked away and built a blanket fort, but that's not an option.

Def

[Syncop8r]

Everything else is just boring now after reading that.
Come on... have another bad day... 

[pomsbz]

Unbsmurfing believable! I'd have given up long before you. Heck but that rain was the smurf icing on the smurf cake.

(all smurfs typed in, 'instead of' swearing is so much more fun than the real kind!)

I'd agree with you, but there's no way to give up, except to leave a $1,000 trailer and $5,000 worth of boats and equipment behind.  I can't afford a loss like that, so I sure as heck can't give up, and there's no one else that can do it for me.

This is the problem with being an adult- I'd really rather have walked away and built a blanket fort, but that's not an option.

Def

No kidding. Going through a whole bunch of depressing medical stuff over the past few years I've often thought that I wish there were the option not to cope. But there isn't. Not as adults as you say.

[campussecurity]

You poor guy Def. Your a trooper.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Grant Lamontagne]

Everything else is just boring now after reading that.
Come on... have another bad day... 

I am certain more bad luck will be along soon enough, be patient! 

I had to document this bad day- I feel like if I watched this in a movie or on TV then it just wouldn't be believable, what with everything going wrong, especially the rain coming out of nowhere!   

When the choice is between crying and laughing... 

 , Grant!

Well, if I'd cried when it started raining, who would have known?   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Unbsmurfing believable! I'd have given up long before you. Heck but that rain was the smurf icing on the smurf cake.

(all smurfs typed in, 'instead of' swearing is so much more fun than the real kind!)

I'd agree with you, but there's no way to give up, except to leave a $1,000 trailer and $5,000 worth of boats and equipment behind.  I can't afford a loss like that, so I sure as heck can't give up, and there's no one else that can do it for me.

This is the problem with being an adult- I'd really rather have walked away and built a blanket fort, but that's not an option.

Def

No kidding. Going through a whole bunch of depressing medical stuff over the past few years I've often thought that I wish there were the option not to cope. But there isn't. Not as adults as you say.

Sorry to hear that man.  Medical issues really stink.  I have a few myself, but they are at least just annoying and uncomfortable, and not actually damaging, life threatening or significant, and I consider myself lucky for that compared to what others are going through.

Growing up is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure!

Def

[pomsbz]

Unbsmurfing believable! I'd have given up long before you. Heck but that rain was the smurf icing on the smurf cake.

(all smurfs typed in, 'instead of' swearing is so much more fun than the real kind!)

I'd agree with you, but there's no way to give up, except to leave a $1,000 trailer and $5,000 worth of boats and equipment behind.  I can't afford a loss like that, so I sure as heck can't give up, and there's no one else that can do it for me.

This is the problem with being an adult- I'd really rather have walked away and built a blanket fort, but that's not an option.

Def

No kidding. Going through a whole bunch of depressing medical stuff over the past few years I've often thought that I wish there were the option not to cope. But there isn't. Not as adults as you say.

Sorry to hear that man.  Medical issues really stink.  I have a few myself, but they are at least just annoying and uncomfortable, and not actually damaging, life threatening or significant, and I consider myself lucky for that compared to what others are going through.

Growing up is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure!

Def

My dad keeps saying that growing old is not for wimps. Hey but we have it all to come right? 

[TazzieRob]

Coming soon to Discovery: I shouldn't be an Adult
Join us as we reinact the worst days of people's lives as they struggle through hardships that just won't stop. Just when the odds seem insurmountable, will they find the glimmer of hope required to continue to adult, or will they crumble and retreat to a blanket fort?

[Aloha]

Coming soon to Discovery: I shouldn't be an Adult
Join us as we reinact the worst days of people's lives as they struggle through hardships that just won't stop. Just when the odds seem insurmountable, will they find the glimmer of hope required to continue to adult, or will they crumble and retreat to a blanket fort?

Will this be aired on the Nature channel or history?

[TazzieRob]

Coming soon to Discovery: I shouldn't be an Adult
Join us as we reinact the worst days of people's lives as they struggle through hardships that just won't stop. Just when the odds seem insurmountable, will they find the glimmer of hope required to continue to adult, or will they crumble and retreat to a blanket fort?

Will this be aired on the Nature channel or history?

Dunno, just remembered the doco "I Shouldn't Be Alive" was on Discovery. One story I remembered has just need made into a movie with Daniel Radcliffe called Jungle. About a guy who was lost in the Bolivian jungle for 3 weeks

[Grant Lamontagne]

Just to update this thread a little.....

First off, the painful bit.  The coupler DOES fit a 2" ball, it just has to go completely straight down on it, which I can't do because of the spare tire on the Jeep.  If I open the back door and hook up the trailer it works fine.  That means that the day I brought it home on the highway was extra dangerous because I was using a ball that was too small for the trailer.... with no safety chains.... 

The trailer is finally repaired (I hope) although I still may need an extra bit welded on to the tongue to fit in the bracket so it doesn't sway wildly, but I'll deal with that in the spring.  In a couple of weeks I am going to drive 650kms with it to store it at my parents' place, and it should be fine enough for that, even if I have to shove a work glove or something in the bracket to keep it from swaying.  Currently I have some neoprene pads in there but I really don't expect them to last too long.

I have bought new safety chains and hooks and the bolts I had to attach them were too big to fit through the chain, so I am now using slightly smaller bolts.  I'm not happy about that and may grind the extra few millimeters I need in the chain later on, but it'll do for now.

I have rewired the whole trailer.  The wiring in it was a mess- the trailer uses a 4 pin connector to connect to the Jeep, and halfway down the length of the trailer it stopped at two four pin connectors, which led to a six pin connector which then went to the two tail lights.   

I ripped all of that out and ran dedicated wiring to each tail light to simplify matters.  I also ran some PVC conduit under the trailer to protect the wiring, but, as I am terrible with wiring the whole mess didn't work once I was done, and I ended up calling my cousin to check it for me.  It was a stroke of luck that he happened to be in the neighborhood and was here in just a few minutes.  He is a mobile mechanic and actually goes to wherever you are broken down to repair your vehicle, and I caught him at exactly the right time.  Finally, some good news! 

Twenty minutes later he diagnosed it as a bad harness, but luckily there were several other harnesses embedded in the old wiring, so we cut one of those out and replaced the one that I had replaced on it a few months ago.  I really need to stop loaning my trailer to my landlord, as I have to replace the harness after every tie he uses it.... 

To counteract the sway issues, I have tried filling the gaps around the tongue with some neoprene and silicone pads used for furniture.  I don't expect them to last long, but as I got them from the dollar store, I am not too worried about replacing them.  They should manage until I find a more permanent solution.

Anyways, I will be off to test everything shortly!  Wish me luck, because I really don't want to have to add to this story again!

Def

[powernoodle]

So in short, whether successful or not, tomorrow is going to be another busy one...

This is why I never leave the house.


 

[Mechanickal]

Good luck, stay safe!

[Syncop8r]

Good luck! 

 

Show content

[Grant Lamontagne]

Lights still didn't work so I picked up a new harness today.  I don't trust the old harness i had to use.

Def

[redmond]

Lights still didn't work so I picked up a new harness today.  I don't trust the old harness i had to use.

Def

Shot in the dark - check the fuse(s) too.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Lights still didn't work so I picked up a new harness today.  I don't trust the old harness i had to use.

Def

Shot in the dark - check the fuse(s) too.

Always a good plan.... thanks for the reminder.   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Curse of Lac LaPeche strikes again.   

Once again Megan and I decided to go and paddle around Lac LaPeche.  It was a pleasant paddle in the past, and, despite the above issues, we felt it was worth another shot.  Little did we know that the Curse of Lac LaPeche wasn't done with us.



It started out as a nice enough paddle.  We did a good chunk of the northern part of the lake.  It was overcast, but expected to clear, and it was also pretty hot (either high 20's or low 30's) so no complaints even if it did rain a little.  We visited Megan's old camp site, and scouted some other spots on the shore that looked interesting, and generally had a pretty good time.



As usual I was amused at how color coordinated Megan and I are in the Point 65 boat she usually paddles and the new Sun Flight kayak I recently picked up- of course, they paddle entirely different, but they look neat together.



This was where Megan and Sarah camped last year- the beaver lodge may have gotten bigger, or it may just appear that way since the water seemed a lot lower this year.  Either way, I didn't get any photos last year because I was too busy dealing with.... well.... everything else!   



Other than being a bit overcast, the weather was great- not even a slight breeze, so the water barely had a ripple on it.  It was so serene that it was almost boring....



We landed on a few nice beaches here and there to see if there were wild blueberries or other tasty edibles, but alas, no such luck.  After several hours of paddling and exploring the large lake, we headed back, loaded up the trailer and headed for home, having seemingly escaped The Curse.

Nope.

Shortly before reaching home the trailer started to sway a bit, and at first I attributed it to wind or potholes.  We were, after all, still in Quebec, a province famous for not maintaining roads or infrastructure.  It got pretty bad at one point, but we were only a few blocks from home, so I kind of babied it until we got to our driveway, and I went to back the trailer into our spot.  That's when I noticed the passenger side wheel wobbling.  Badly.   



I had destroyed a wheel bearing so badly that it kicked off the grease cap and vomited grease all over the wheel.



I cut my fingers pretty good on jagged metal as I tried to haul out what was left of them to clean the hub and install new bearings, and I even had to cut the old bearing housing off the spindle as it had gotten so hot it pretty much fused on.  Thank the Maker for my Dremel tool!  We then headed off to Canadian Tire for replacement bearings and some fresh grease.



After we got back, the next problem was trying to remove the race from the hub, and Megan and I took turns pounding on it for a couple of hours before we admitted defeat.  The heat that was generated that fused the housing to the spindle also apparently fused the race to the hub, which meant new hubs were needed, so we went to Princess Auto for those.  It's a bit further away, but they are more likely than Canadian Tire to have the hubs I need.



Naturally they didn't have a direct replacement for my big, heavy cast iron ones, so I had to try and locate a suitable replacement set.  Since I know nothing at all about how to size these things, I grabbed an employee and asked him.  Soon we had three employees around us, all arguing over what we needed, and, as it turned out, all of them were barking up the wrong tree.   

As the store was closing for the night (it was now almost 9 pm) we left without buying anything, and, as I drove home, Megan started searching the Internets for the answer.

By the next morning, she believed she knew what we needed, and she insisted that we go to the other Princess Auto in town so as not to be confused by the people that should have known.  We got there, spoke to another employee, who confirmed what Megan believed was the correct set of parts and we left.

It's important to point out that I can build just about anything, as long as I have the right parts, so I would have been lost without Megan's insights into the correct parts.  As it turned out, the bearings that came with the kit had the correct size external ring, but were sized for a larger spindle, and so had an incorrect internal ring size- luckily I had purchased the correct bearings at Canadian Tire the day before, so the good news was that I finally had all the right parts.  The bad news is that the bearing kits from Canadian Tire cost a pretty penny, and the hubs weren't exactly cheap either, so I had been hoping to be able to return the original bearing kits and get some of my money back.  That wasn't in the cards though, and this whole repair cost me well over $200.   



But, with all of the correct parts, it didn't take long to grease up the bearings, races, seals and collars and install them.  The new hubs are sharp looking and also weigh a fraction of what the old ones did, so no complaints from me.  I did one side while Megan took care of the undamaged side (I wasn't going to just replace one side!) and we soon had it back up and running- or so we'd hoped, because we actually were supposed to spend a couple of days at a friend's cottage, almost two hours away, and we needed the trailer for that!



We stopped every twenty minutes or so to check to see if the bearings were heating up, leaking grease or had any other telltale signs, but it performed like a champ, just as I have come to expect from my trusty utility trailer!

The Curse of LaPeche got us again and cost me some money and time, but at least I got to deal with it in the comfort of my own driveway this time, and at least we got to enjoy a nice paddle first!

Def