What did you do to your truck today?

[jenandjon]

On 5/13/2023 at 9:10 PM, Av8r3400 said:

Lots going on for me these days.

1. Several years of saving and lobbying she-who-controls-the-budget, I finally have concrete in the barn where the trailer and truck live!
   
   
    
2. While the concrete is curing (30 days before I can put the truck and trailer in there) so I'm still chipping away at making all the lights on the truck work.  This is a dandy little turn signal, running, brake and reverse light that RVH's Jack Mayer turned me onto, so we have a bit of an upgrade along with all the repairs.  There are still many more Boogey Light strips to mount and wire, but we're on the way...
   
    
3. The final item is a little work on myself.  I had a little minor surgery to remove a bit of skin cancer on my nose during this whole time too.  (Everything went fine and I'm good)  I definitely won't add a photo of that...

Its never too soon to start asking for insulation and heat.

[Av8r3400]

14 hours ago, jenandjon said:

Its never too soon to start asking for insulation and heat.

I have a heated shop in the back, so the nose of that camel is already in the tent.  

I've planted the seed of "ceiling" now.  The unwritten item on that approval is insulation.  I really don't want to make the entire building a "warm" work space all winter.  If I can get it to be a 3-season work space, I'll be satisfied.

[rickeieio]

We have a 40 x 60 insulated and heated shop.  The thermostat gets set at 40 degrees and we head for the south-west.

Retirement has it's advantages.

[jenandjon]

Took a weekend trip. Had to add a couple cans of freon to the AC. I will have to take it in and get that checked. 

I don't like to unhook when we overnight someplace. It makes the trailer more stable and saves time. I will usually drop the air and put the jacks down. Sometimes doing that we are too low and I need to unhook because the truck will loose air overnight. Well, I installed that new bumper hitch this year. I figured out I can put some blocks under the bumper and dump the air. I have a comfort ride hitch so I don't have to worry about that losing air overnight. 

 

[Sculptor]

On 5/14/2023 at 6:48 AM, Sculptor said:

By removing the side fairing and cab fairing, access was much better.  The top tank strap Allen bolts have blue lock tite on them, and a torch was the only way to loosen it on the front.  Must have gotten lucky on the rear?  Anyway, both straps are replaced on the right tank and fairings are back in place.

A few days ago the DW and I got the tank straps replaced on the left tank. While we were at it we got a rusty support bar painted and re-wired the drom box connection.  It now has a plug usually used for a trailer.  In case we need to get the big drom box off, in the future.

[dennisvr]

2 hours ago, jenandjon said:

Took a weekend trip. Had to add a couple cans of freon to the AC. I will have to take it in and get that checked. 

I don't like to unhook when we overnight someplace. It makes the trailer more stable and saves time. I will usually drop the air and put the jacks down. Sometimes doing that we are too low and I need to unhook because the truck will loose air overnight. Well, I installed that new bumper hitch this year. I figured out I can put some blocks under the bumper and dump the air. I have a comfort ride hitch so I don't have to worry about that losing air overnight. 

 

I don't like to unhook if I don't have to, especially for a quick overnighter.  I usually drop my bags and find a level spot.  Your picture got me thinking how I could have a drop leg on the back to hold the truck level if it was too low.  Then I thought I would probably forget it and drive off, that wouldn't be good.  Then I thought how about an air cylinder plumbed into the brake system, so when I released the brakes with the help of a spring it would raise the cylinder automatically. Hmmmm, now I got to think if it would be worth the work.................

[lappir]

2 hours ago, dennisvr said:

I don't like to unhook if I don't have to, especially for a quick overnighter.  I usually drop my bags and find a level spot.  Your picture got me thinking how I could have a drop leg on the back to hold the truck level if it was too low.  Then I thought I would probably forget it and drive off, that wouldn't be good.  Then I thought how about an air cylinder plumbed into the brake system, so when I released the brakes with the help of a spring it would raise the cylinder automatically. Hmmmm, now I got to think if it would be worth the work.................

I did that for a few trips. Had some "Crawl Space jacks" that were almost perfect. Placed them under the frame rails and used the adjustment screw to bring them almost tight and then dropped the air and lowered my trailer jacks. (it was with my first toyhauler). Don't really have to do it anymore. Or do I???

 

 

Rod

[jenandjon]

21 hours ago, dennisvr said:

I don't like to unhook if I don't have to, especially for a quick overnighter.  I usually drop my bags and find a level spot.  Your picture got me thinking how I could have a drop leg on the back to hold the truck level if it was too low.  Then I thought I would probably forget it and drive off, that wouldn't be good.  Then I thought how about an air cylinder plumbed into the brake system, so when I released the brakes with the help of a spring it would raise the cylinder automatically. Hmmmm, now I got to think if it would be worth the work.................

Leave the dump valve open then you don't drive off with it down. 

In my long haul days our Reefer trailers had legs that automatically come down when you set the brakes. So when the forklift went in and out it did t bounce around so much. As soon as I released the brakes they went back up. 

[rickeieio]

Not the truck, but....

Yesterday I decided I was tired of looking at the generator exhaust hanging low and too far out from the trailer.  So, with a hand full of wrenches, I crawled below to see what I might adjust to correct the alignment of said pipe.

I was only mildly surprised to find the previous owners had grafted an exhaust hanger/isolator strap with a piece of cheap pre-punched 1" wide metal strap all fastened to the coach frame by a self drilling, self tapping screw.  The silly part, was they'd joined hanger and strap using three grade 8 bolts.  Hmmmm. Just one grade 5 would have far exceeded the weight the single screw would support.

Some say, "You can't fix stupid."  Well, I can, but it'll hurt.

[jenandjon]

Managed to find some time here and there to work on the bus. Got the hitch on. ITs the same one I put on my Freightliner.  Today my Nephew should get the brake controller and trailer plug hooked up. Turns out this bus is wired like our HDTs. It was a challenge figuring everything out. I should have gotten a jackalopee but by the time I figured out what the problem was I was able to get a 3 wire to 2 wire adapter and make it all work. 

 

[Rotorhead]

I finally got around to replacing my air dryer. Old one had a constant leak. 
Question, after the tanks fill and it does it’s vent, how long is normal for the purge close? 
The tanks fill. It vents and the pressure goes down to 100 on the front tank. Then the compressor kicks back on and the cycle repeats. The rear tanks stays full unless you are doing some braking.

it’s about 35 seconds for this to occur. 
 

 

[Darryl&Rita]

2 hours ago, Rotorhead said:

I finally got around to replacing my air dryer. Old one had a constant leak. 
Question, after the tanks fill and it does it’s vent, how long is normal for the purge close? 
The tanks fill. It vents and the pressure goes down to 100 on the front tank. Then the compressor kicks back on and the cycle repeats. The rear tanks stays full unless you are doing some braking.

it’s about 35 seconds for this to occur. 
 

 

You got a leak in the system, somewhere. I don't know what the front tank runs, but it's in that circuit.

[Rotorhead]

15 hours ago, Darryl&Rita said:

You got a leak in the system, somewhere. I don't know what the front tank runs, but it's in that circuit.

Ok thanks. There could be more than one I suppose. I've changed a couple o-rings so far an they have been dry rotted and no good. There are also what seems to be some repairs in a few lines with a splice type fitting. One that you just plug the hose into each end. I'll start at the compressor and work back. I am going to try that fitting that was mentioned on another post  and use my garage compressor to charge the system.

But alas, I need to finish a major honey do project. We are overhauling an area in the yard where we have a water feature. So glad I have a back brace, hahaha. 

 

[mike5511]

Swapped out the old train horn today for a new one. It’s just one of those three horn units from United Pacific. The old one never did work real good. Wondering what size air line it’s supposed to have?  Also wonder how many amps it takes to trigger the solenoid to open the air valve? It’s a long run and looks like 16guage at the most. The problem with the old horn may have been in the horn button on the steering wheel itself. Still need to look into that. The horn is on the front of the bed behind the sleeper. Probably a 20’ run for the air line at least. I’m wondering if I need a small ping tank and a relay for the 12 volt. I’ll figure it out, but open to advice and suggestions. 

[Darryl&Rita]

8 hours ago, mike5511 said:

Swapped out the old train horn today for a new one. It’s just one of those three horn units from United Pacific. The old one never did work real good. Wondering what size air line it’s supposed to have?  Also wonder how many amps it takes to trigger the solenoid to open the air valve? It’s a long run and looks like 16guage at the most. The problem with the old horn may have been in the horn button on the steering wheel itself. Still need to look into that. The horn is on the front of the bed behind the sleeper. Probably a 20’ run for the air line at least. I’m wondering if I need a small ping tank and a relay for the 12 volt. I’ll figure it out, but open to advice and suggestions. 

What's sold as "Train Horn" kits for the bro-dozer crowd runs at 150+ psi. The truck air system doesn't. More pressure makes a difference. Volume can help to compensate, but won't cure everything. Use the biggest hoses and fittings you can get in there. Use the next size bigger wire than the chart says.

[mike5511]

On 6/7/2023 at 6:59 AM, Darryl&Rita said:

What's sold as "Train Horn" kits for the bro-dozer crowd runs at 150+ psi. The truck air system doesn't. More pressure makes a difference. Volume can help to compensate, but won't cure everything. Use the biggest hoses and fittings you can get in there. Use the next size bigger wire than the chart says.

Thanks for the reply. I reached out to the manufacturer and got a reply and it confirmed what I’d thought. I am replacing an old “train horn” that never did work like it should. Hopefully will get this new install completed correctly. This is not a true train horn. Just a triple air horn with a nice sound. A lot better than the the sick goose sound of the factory Volvo horn!

[mike5511]

So planning on putting air to the train horn with the Johnson bar....... Can anybody identify witch of these lines goes to the Johnson bar? 98 Volvo 610. The top red one has an air coupler on it in place of the glad hand attachment. I push in the red knob to put air to it. I couldn't see a brand name on the valve.

[NeverEasy]

No one else has jumped in here to assist so I thought I will try.  I am not a tractor/trailer brake expert.  What I think you are looking at is #16 "Manifold Tractor Protection Valve #16 (MPTV)"   On the attached diagram, that is the valve at the very top.  The Johnson Bar (hand brake # 15) provides braking to the trailer only.  On this diagram, there is a gray line connecting the hand brake to the MPTV.  If you can read the text to the left, it says in part, "All colors
are as they appear on the tubing in the vehicle." Therefore, the gray line on the bottom of your attached picture is likely the output of the hand brake to the MPTV.  

Things I would be concerned about:

1. Assuming you are going to bypass the horns solenoid and direct connect to the horns input,  The pressure provided at the output of the hand brake is proportional to the amount of pull.  You may not get full tank pressure there even at full pull on the hand brake.

2. Since you are attempting to use the hand brake to sound your horns, I assume you are using a standard automotive brake controller not tied into your tractor air system.  Most of us tie our brake controller (air over electric or electric/hydraulic) via a connection that uses the foot pedal for truck/trailer braking or the hand brake for trailer braking only.  Would not want to use your modification.

 

[rickeieio]

Chet,

I think you're correct in thinking it might not be wise to not use the hand brake at all.  I doubt it would provide enough flow to give satisfactory results.

That said, a few minutes with a handful of parts and one could plumb up a glad hand to test it. If all the trailer air brake hoses have been remove, find another truck for the test.

[rpsinc]

On 5/13/2023 at 7:10 PM, Av8r3400 said:

This is a dandy little turn signal, running, brake and reverse light that RVH's Jack Mayer turned me onto, so we have a bit of an upgrade along with all the repairs.

What connectors did you use?  I am not a fan of Scotchlok for this application but used them in my recent frame lengthen, hitch replacement, light upgrade project.  Would like to use something that is NOT prone to failure with vibration.

[rickeieio]

11 minutes ago, rpsinc said:

What connectors did you use?  I am not a fan of Scotchlok for this application but used them in my recent frame lengthen, hitch replacement, light upgrade project.  Would like to use something that is NOT prone to failure with vibration.

PLEASE remove all the Scothloks and repair the connections, being sure they're water tight.  Those things are a disaster just waiting to happen.  Every place you install a parasitic joint, you create a place for water intrusion.

When we did our bed build, we used Weatherpak connectors on every light.  A little extra work up front, but lots of future frustration avoided.

[Sculptor]

I have noticed lately that I get the “low beam open circuit” once in awhile.  It’s been more often since getting on the road and in the rain.  Yesterday I contacted deep space and talked to David. ( I forgot his screen name can someone remind me)

He suggested 3 things.  Switch the bulb from right socket to left to test it.

 Check 5 fuses in the “dash”.  I found all 5 and pulled them.  They looked a bit gunky, like a coating of something.  I cleaned all the blades on all and replaced the fuses.

Check the actual wire harness for pinches or abrasion.  Especially the left hinge area harness.  It’s very common to get pinched there.  I found no cuts or anything unusual except the zip ties that hold the wire across the bottom of the grill had broken.

Also the front right turn signal had stopped working.  I checked the bulb itself and both elements gave an ohm reading.  But the socket looks burnt.

So the fuse cleaning seems to have solved the headlamp problem.  The turn signal still was not working.  Running light was fine but no flash.  I didn’t know what to try next, so I decided to fasten the harness wire back up where it belongs.  2 zip ties later the harness is not hanging down, and funny thing, the right turn signal works now.  Haha!

[rickeieio]

Ya know Kevin, it's always the ground. 🤣  But seriously, turn on the lights and wiggle that harness you just tied up.  It's likely there's a broken wire in there, and it's a fair chance it's the ground wire.

[mike5511]

18 hours ago, NeverEasy said:

No one else has jumped in here to assist so I thought I will try.  I am not a tractor/trailer brake expert.  What I think you are looking at is #16 "Manifold Tractor Protection Valve #16 (MPTV)"   On the attached diagram, that is the valve at the very top.  The Johnson Bar (hand brake # 15) provides braking to the trailer only.  On this diagram, there is a gray line connecting the hand brake to the MPTV.  If you can read the text to the left, it says in part, "All colors
are as they appear on the tubing in the vehicle." Therefore, the gray line on the bottom of your attached picture is likely the output of the hand brake to the MPTV.  

Things I would be concerned about:

1. Assuming you are going to bypass the horns solenoid and direct connect to the horns input,  The pressure provided at the output of the hand brake is proportional to the amount of pull.  You may not get full tank pressure there even at full pull on the hand brake.

2. Since you are attempting to use the hand brake to sound your horns, I assume you are using a standard automotive brake controller not tied into your tractor air system.  Most of us tie our brake controller (air over electric or electric/hydraulic) via a connection that uses the foot pedal for truck/trailer braking or the hand brake for trailer braking only.  Would not want to use your modification.

 

Thanks for the information. If you could post a link to that diagram, I sure would appreciate it. It's hard to read. I had found similar diagrams, but not that one, and it looks like it is correct for my truck. 

You are correct. The trailer has electric brakes and I use the DirecLink controller. No glad hands. What you say makes sense about pressure. The old horn never had enough pressure. The air was supplied by extending the stock horn line. The line was small as well as long. When the horn did blow good (at full air pressure) there was a couple seconds of delay. I haven't done anything yet, except verify tonight that the gray air line is the line from the hand brake lever. Your advice has me re-thinking how I will do this. I'm now thinking come right off one of the air tanks, and use the solenoid.  It would be a short run since they are on the driver's side and the horn is mounted on the front of the bed, on the same side. Now to figure out which tank and how to best tap into it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[NeverEasy]

 

 

5 hours ago, mike5511 said:

hanks for the information. If you could post a link to that diagram, I sure would appreciate it. It's hard to read. I had found similar diagrams, but not that one, and it looks like it is correct for my truck.

Sent you a PM.  Could not upload the pdf as it is too big.