Trailer Brakes

Click on the pictures to make it larger, then use the back button to go back. You should have your brakes checked by a professional if you are not sure how to do the work. It is more important to be able to stop than to start. What I am trying to do in the three pictures here is give you an idea on how electric brakes work. When you look under your trailer (I hope you do) & see wires that are not connected to anything, that may mean you have no brakes.

This is my opinion and we all have one. Yours may be better than mine.

A new & old Magnet

Here you have a new & an old magnet. The top one being new, so the bottom one is the old one. Look at the holes in each one, see how the bottom one is worn; this did not stop it from working. What stopped it from working was the broken wire. The magnet drags on the brake drum at all times. When you press on the brake, current runs through the magnet; the magnetic force tries to stick on the drum. Rotation of the drum then pushes out the shoes to stop the rotation of the wheel.

The Brake

This is the brake. I have wrapped a rag around the spindle to keep from getting greasy. My rag covers up a large part of the magnet. The magnet is located at the bottom, (look at wires going to magnet). The magnet drags on the drum at all times (you hear the sound when the wheel turns). When you put on the brakes there is current sent to the magnet so that it will try to stick on the drum, that action pushes the brakes shoes out against the brake drum. That is what slows the wheel.

A simple Leveling system for an RV

The following four postings explain how I made some simple leveling ramps using pressure treated 2x10 boards. The 10 inch width allows room for the tires to completely sit on the ramp without hanging over the edges. The system consists of eight 3/4 inch dowel rods 3 inches long, four boards (the length of two tires with the two top boards being one foot shorter), four eye screws and two large nails for a set. Drill eight 3/4 inch holes to place the dowel rods in after cutting 2 boards to equal lengths and 2 boards one foot shorter, with one end of each board cut at a 45 degree angle. In the squared off end of each board, place two eye screws where nails will keep them in place and prevent kicking up when completed. The shorter boards with the same 45 degree angle will have no eye screws in them. Place one of the shorter boards on top of the longer board with with square ends evenly flush; clamp in this position, then drill four 7/8 inch holes where dowel rods will be placed to keep them from moving when driving upon them. Paint the board sets with the dowel rods placed in them one color; paint the other set a different color so that the dowel rods will fit properly. The reason for this is that the drilled holes may differ somewhat. Click on any picture to see larger details and then use your back button to return to posting. This explains how I did it; you may have a better method.

Single set of ramps

These two boards were cut from a 2x10x8 board. I used pressure treated wood as it will last longer.

In the end of the squared off end of the boards you can see two eye screws they are for holding the boards together while driving up on them. You put a nail, etc, through the eyes and boards will not be as likely to move when you pull your RV up on them. I used the 2x10 board so the tires will be sure to be completely on the board. It is not good to have a tire not completely on the board, also the angle on the end means the tire does not have to ride over the 90 degree corner of the non beveled end of a board.

Set of single ramps beveled end

This shows the beveled end of the single ramp. It is a 45 degree cut because that angle is easy to cut & you waste no board.

Beveled end of the double set

We are looking at the beveled end of the double ramp. When put together the ramp is beveled on each end to a 45 degree angle. The purpose is to make it easier on your tires to move upon them. And as you can see, you would have a hard time putting unlike colors together.

The reason I do not put the ramps together now is due to the weight in handling them; also there are more ways they can be used (like putting under a jack) if not assembled.

Double Set

All of these board were cut from one 2x10x12. They are painted to make it easy to set up. The like colors go together. They were clamped together; then the holes were drilled so as to make it easy to line up the holes. I then placed the 3/4 inch dowel pins in each hole which were cut from a dowel rod. The drilled holes are 7/8 inch, so if while sitting , if the wood were to swell the pins will still be easy to get out. You can see in the ends of the two longer base boards there are a total of four eye screws in this set for one side of an RV. Place the squared ends together with the eye screws lined up and then push a nail or bolt through the eyes of the screws, one from each side, to secure them and keep the boards from raising up as you back from one to the other. Many an RV has been damaged from a board jumping up on one end, and hitting the bottom of the RV. Guess how I know?

Solar Oven or Cooker

Solar cooking go back to the 19th century and before. The French Foreign Legion was known to employ solar "hot boxes" while on campaigns in North Africa.

More recently, the idea was revitalized and updated with the work of Barbara and Sherry Cole in the 1960s and the 70s when they pioneered the solar box cooker made from cardboard while in India.

Solar cookers can also be used to pasteurize drinking water and sterilize medical equipment. There are three basic type of home-sized solar cookers. Parabolic Cooker, Panel Cooker, and the Box Cooker. I made a box cooker. I used a lot on material I had on hand to keep the cost down. You may be able to use the same material I did or you could find something better.

I want to thank Tom and Nancy Vineski where I got a lot of my info.

Pot for the Solar Cooker

This pot is large enough for two to four people. You want the food to be cooked to come close to filling the pot. The pot needs to be dark in color & a thin metal. I found my pot for $8.00, it is an eight inch pot. I put a turkey breast roast in the pot to cook. To find out how it cooked read on. It was 47 outside when I started the cooking.

Risers for the Solar Cooker

Here are the risers for the cooker so as to get a better angle with the sun.

Solar Cooker Outside Box

This is the outside box with the Styrofoam insulation.

Solar Cooker Inside Box

This is the inside box, the sides are covered with alum foil and the bottom is painted black.

Solar Cooker showing Glass Top

Just under the lid we have a glass top to let in sun but not let the heat out. I have covered the edges with duck tape, so as not to be hard to handle. You also see the pot, also note the inside box has alum foil on all sides. The bottom is painted black. You need a dark pot made of thin metal, (you can cover a shiny pot with 100 percent dark cotton cloth.

Solar Cooker from Side

From this side you can see the metal holding up the lid,also one of the handles, note one of the risers which hold the cooker at an angle for better sun.

Solar Cooker from Front

From this side you can see the lid that is covered with heavy duty alum foil, you can also see the metal used to hold the lid open.

Solar Cooker from Back

As you can see I raised the cooker to get more sun on the pot inside the box.

Solar Oven

Here is the finished product. It has a glass top. The lid, sides, bottom, & inside box are made of 3/4 plywood. The insulation between the outside box & inside box is foam. You can use almost any material for the construction, this is what I had on hand. Some have made the cooker out of cardboard, with paper for insulation. Tom & Nancy Vineski SKP # 31480 used a cardboard cooker they made at a picnic table on a trip into Mexico and Central American it fell apart after two years. You can read about them in Escapee Magazine, July/August 2009. I made mine for less than $30.00. The first thing I cooked was a turkey roast; I put it on at 9:40 AM it was 47 outside, it was done by 4:30 PM. I did turn the cooker so as to follow the sun.

The way I did my Solar

This is how I did my solar. It is not the best, but was a way to start and learn a little about solar. My system cost around $300.00, I found it on sale. I found two kits of 45 watts each, that will give my a total of 90 watts, which should keep my two 12 votes batteries up (I think). I also have a generator.

We are looking at workamper where we will have no electricity this summer of 2010. You can do much better this is just how I did it.

Solar Panels

Here are three of my solar panels. Showing the black box with the wire go to my trailer.

Lead in Wire

This is the wire that will go from the black box to the controllers. It needs to be heavy & as short as possible, but still do the job.

Inside of Black Box

This is the inside of my black box. I have used color tape to mark the difference wires to the two panels, also pos & neg wires.

Base for my Black Box

Black Box

This is my black box the wires on the right goes to the panels, the wires on the left go to the controllers.

Controllers at Work

Here you can see my controllers at work, the wire on the left comes from my black box, and my batters are on the right (you cannot see them).

Front of the Controllers

This is the front of my controllers it has an on-off switch also a switch for the meter to show what is going on. There are much better controllers on the market, you might want to get just one controller that will let you add on more panels. I bought mine as a kit. Each of my controller will just handle 45 watts.

Rear of Controllers

This is the back of the two controllers the wires from my black box go to the right side and the wires from left side of the controllers go to the batteries.

Battery AMG Glass Mat

I only have two 12 vote batteries but they are AMG or glass mat. They do not leak and you do not have to add water. They will also take a faster charge and should last longer than regular lead acid batteries. You can see I have a disconnect, which I use anytime we are not using the RV.

New Look

I have made some changes to the Blog beside just the name. Let me say the old blog is up & running, and will remain so. The pictures & trips on the old blog are very dear to me & I hope when Wilma & I are too old to travel, one of the kids will give us a computer & help us look at the pictures & read the stories, maybe a great great grandchild. As you know the old blog is http://www.weldonwilmatank.blogspot.com

On this new blog we have added ads, if you see one you are interested in just click on it for more info. We will get paid by the number of clicks, but please do not click unless you want the info. I hope to have more post on how Wilma and I do things, some may be good, some may not. Remember I am still old so spelling & wording do not count. Remember too that if life was a book and you did not travel you would only read one page. Thank for coming along.

Solar

We are adding a small amount of solar only 90 watts, that is a small amount. I am doing some experiments, I know very little on the subject even thou I have read-up on solar. I will not mount ours on the roof, but will keep my panels on the ground.

The roof mounts are best for security reason and they are always ready to go to work, when they are on the ground you must find a way to keep them from walking off, but you can park the RV in the shade of a nice tree and still get solar. When you can move the panels from spot to spot and tilt them you may find you will get better results. I will have some pictures in a few days.