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Sunday, September 21, 2014

Broke auto parking brake

Well shoot, that weren't so bad. A nice ride up the road a piece, $10 for the dump station, $75 worth of gas, an 14.6 gallons of propane. We ready to roll back to "Yo Mama's RV Resort".

I turns left on to I-20 east an' I see a flash'n red light on the dashboard. Then it turn solid bright red. Then the other bright red light come on.  "Houston, we have a problem".  The auto parking (emergency) brake has gone haywire....losing pressure from the 1500 pound pressure pump. I ain't gonna go into how the "auto" part of this system works.....it would boggle yer mind.

I'm go'n down the interstate a hunnert mile a hour. I looks in the mirrer an' "HOLY CRAP", I see smoke. The parking brake shoes are burn'n slap up. I could boggle yer mind here again, but you gonna just have to take my word for it....the brake shoes are history. "Sally da house" no longer has a parking brake. In a emergency situation, I'm up the creek (Colorado River) an' I ain't got no paddle.

Back to "Yo Mama's", "da house" is parked an' set up for camp'n. Water an' electric provided at a reasonable price. The hood was opened to check the "rotton green switch". This controls the auto park pressure pump. The pressure pump assembly is a  $1200 item. I climbs up under "da house" to look see the auto park actuator (a $1000 to $1500 item) and look see the dashboard auto park trouble light sending unit. Transmission fluid is run'n out the "weep" hole on the actuator. Tranny fluid is the operating oil used in this system. Actuator pressure seals are gone......poooof, just like that. No pressure means the parking brake is applied. At a hunnert mile a hour ya don't stop, the brake shoes just burn slap up.I did tell ya bout all the smoke for the next 5 miles....right?

The way it stands right now, if'n I was to pull up to a gas pump on a sloped surface, "Sally da house" would roll down the road a piece. Sadie Mae would have to drive so's we don't hit no parked cars. Ya see, a Allison transmission in a motorhome don't have a parking pawn to lock the wheels from turn'n. There's a reason for that, but we won't be go'n into that.

Now, bout one them compost'n toilets. NO!!! Cain't be no more simple than that. Though they may sound good, they have a constant odor. What grows worse after only a few days. You can contest my statement, but reviews say otherwise. And, you got to empty them every 2 weeks on the poo side and every few days on the pee side. On the other side the coin, my black water tank needs "dumped" every two months when I conserve the amount of water used for a flush. Mine bout a pint each flush. How much poo can ya create in 2 months? Sides that, RVers are usually parked right next to a sewer connection.

Ok, as much as I hate to think bout it, I need to crawl up under "Sally da house" an' remove that broke actuator thingy. God I hate lay'n on the ground.

9 comments:

  1. My brakes will automatically go on when there is no air pressure to them. In other words, the normal position is on. When I stop somewhere, I pull out a switch that dumps the air pressure to the brakes and that is my only emergency or parking brake. I like that system.

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    1. Ok Dizzy, I'm sure that's the way most auto brake systems work. So glad to hear yours are automatic.

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    2. It is a safety feature. If there is no air pressure, the brakes will be on.

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  2. Oh No, Ya have to fix the fix.

    July 18, 2014
    Yeee haaa....boy howdy an' all that good stuff. I'm talk'n bout that auto park brake system on "Sally da house". There are days when ya fix something an' feel good bout it....even give a little smile at the good work ya done. But let me tell ya....I was smil'n from one ear to the other one. Had me one them possum grins. Ya see....this auto park system on "Sally da house" is a MAJOR repair....Oh wait, I don't say repair, I say fix.

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    1. Yup Ed, got to go through all that stuff again...after I get the leak'n actuator fixed. I did find a deal on ebay....brand spank'n new for $599. Repair will cost right at $200.

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  3. Darn, BB, if it isn't one problem, it's two or three more. You got a bad luck charm round your neck apparently. Then again, looking at my situation, I'm floundering under problems every which way I turn. Bad thing is, I can't fix any of them, so just do the best I can.

    Now what and when is your next medical step?

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    Replies
    1. That's what I was think'n too......if'n it ain't one thing, it's two or three more. An' it ain't only me.
      Appointment with the surgeon Tuesday. Ask a few questions an' probly sign some papers for surgery. I'm need'n it bad now.

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  4. We spent $2,000 on a new emergency brake something or other last winter. I hit something on the road and soon the MH filled with smoke. We had to spend a few days in an RV park while parts were ordered. Fun, fun. Good thing I didn't need that $2,000 for anything else.

    Good luck at the doc's.

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  5. Fix you fix Sally , get at that stuff then soon you be outta there.

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