it's getting close to that time of year again when all you fellers hitch up the wagon and start heading out
time to check your wheel bearings, brake shoes and activation units as well as tyres and pressures on tug and tow vehicles
don't just hook up and go, do your pretrip service checks and maintenance fluid levels, if your van has been standing for a while then check for deterioration of your tyre walls
I want to see you here for a visit but I don't want to be repairing your vehicles because of faulty maintenance, do it now
tighten up towballs, regrease and repack wheel bearings, if you have manual overide brakes then when was the last time you relaced the cable or greased it, check your springs on the van for rust and possible failure, check for any abnormality BEFORE you leave not after
check all spares for pressure and wear, will it get you to the servo when you are out there and need to get back
get your tugs checked over and let the service mob know you are about to put the vehicle under heavy load, he/she will check things that normally go under the radar
-- Edited by dave06 on Tuesday 18th of August 2009 05:46:21 PM
Sounds good.....also check water tanks.........may pay to flush them out I think Davo or others might have a recipe for cleaning tanks if it tastes weird or smells.
also check the batterys in the camper/caravan.....
Thank you Honarable Guru As one to another it was all completed by monday lunchtime, even Judys done the curtains as well Departue Oct 10th to Young then on to the mountains,
well I thought I had done all mine as well until I read Daves response and thought "holy snappin *******s" the Batteries, unfortunately out of sight out of mind
maybe getting to the stage of the infamous "list on the fridge" last bout didnt help me, I made the young feller his brekky this morning, been doing the same since he was born, stood in front of the china cupboard wondering what the hell I was looking for, vegemite for his toast of course, found in cabinet opposite, been there for twenty three years (well not the same jar) I must have stood there a good 2 minutes not knowing why??
weird feeling!!!!!!, lost the car in the K-mart car park last week, now thats a feeling I wouldnt like to pass on, first time ever!
I used to smile at the elderly wondering around in a daze, now I know myself that horrid feeling
losing your car, thats something we all do, lost the Patrol in Kunnunurra W A for the life of me couldnt remember where I parked it , thats what happens when you are in a strange town with lots of throught streets sometime lose the tucker places too, so you are very normal for your age ???? And the elderley aint in a daze, they is concentrating on what they have to do, Too many choices today, so you have to think harder
absolutely queer is how I would describe a lot of these d/heads nowadays, drink till they vomit then drink until they pass out then drink till morning, then sleep all day
unless they decide to get up and play their doof doof music all day and all night and top it off with burnouts, I hate the city!!
Guru & Ma Ulladulla NSW Happy day, safe travelling Ford Ranger towing 21ft Jurgen shower and toilet which was large enough to fit in a few extras (fridge, bed, stove...)
I hate the city too. I know the feeling of the lost car.... Lost ours in a street in Brisbane and could only tell Roger it was in a one way street.... Spent the next half hour looking for it!!! Still have'nt lived that one down. Of course I deny it..
Question for Dave. I packed the van's wheel bearings in 07 just before I set out. They were well packed with brand new grease. It's been 2 years now, and of that I've been parked in Cairns for a year. Do I have to do the wheel bearings again? Wodya reckon Dave? Cheers Chris
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
if you can take the dust cap off of one wheel, stick your finger in there and feel if the grease still "greasy" and is soft and maliable and no sign of water or discoloration then it is fine,
grease will often go hard if left "standing" sometimes a trip down the road will soften it enough to get it in to working condition
if you have used a good quality "bearing rated" grease then it will have a life (high mileage notwithstanding) of at least five years, dont use a cheaper non bearing rated grease, it may be cheaper but it is a false economy
grease will not tolerate water infiltration when standing as this will weaken the grease
if you have a hard "wad or dag" of grease poking out the back of the axle bearing seal then be sure and remove it as this can tear the seal and allow the grease to escape when it is hot or allow dust to penetrate in and destroy the bearing or shaft (in some extreme cases dust and dirt will wear the axle to such an extent that the axle will snap)
keep the rear of the axle seal clean and clear of any debris, this will give the seal the longest possible life and extend the life of the bearings inside
I aimed the first part of my answer to you chris as I know you have a fair understanding of mechanics, the rest is just general info to build the knowledge base of the young players
our van hadn't been used for many months, so before we left got it serviced. A couple of minor things but 400 klms up the road a tyre on van was going down. Eventually discovered stem on tyre (tubeless) had a small split, and under pressure was loosing air. Don't know how old they are and when last checked. Had them fixed at Beaurepairs Gladstone, the guys there replaced all stems , as all prob same age and prob same condition. Bottom line may be worth replacing if don't know how old etc. Ed
There's a bit of a "trap for young players" too in that most caravan tyres look to be in quite good condition, - with plenty of tread, no cuts nor scuffing - *way* beyond their usable life.
Modern tyres deteriorate with time and have only about 5-6 years life in them. Beyond that they are liable to fail without notice. (And usually in accordance with Murphy's Law.)
With reasonable 8ply light truck tyres casting less than $100 fitted and balanced, replacing at the appropriate time becomes cheap insurance.
Don't forget the spare/s either; often never used, but still subject to the ravages of time: Something that most GNs will be familiar with ;)
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Old age and treachery will overcome youth and enthusiasm any day.......
The other half put the same tyres on our little Jayco as he has on the Triton. A good tyre but also useful if you have two flat tyres in either the ute or the van, there is that extra tyre. They interchange and don't have to carry extras on the rough trips.
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I must be a binge thinker. I do it a lot at times, then, not much at all.
if you "stand" your van for an expected 6 months or more then one of two things should be done
(1) rotate the tyre every month or so just to keep sharing the pressure equally around the tyre wall, also cover the tyre to keep the UV away as much as possible
(2) where possible take the weight completely off the tyres, this alleviates problem number one
any rubber will deteriorate over time, especially the high plastic component of the modern tyre, no longer is the everyday tyre made exclusively from rubber they can have up to 25% plastic in them
tyres, as with bearings and batteries will have their longest life when in use and well maintained
don't use them and neglect them then expect a half life from them
