Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

Earlier this year I posted about an intermitent hence hard to diagnose
problem with a trailer's electrical wiring.  Well, on examination I
found splices in the wires inside a structural tube of the frame.  The
splices were capped but the tube was packed with the highly abrasive
sand and salt that is used locally to treat road ice.  When the trailer
is towed in wet weather, the packing gets wet and the wiring shorts.
So, all splices will be remade and covered with heat-shrink rubber
tubing (love that stuff!).  Possibly I should relocate the splices so
there are none inside the tube.  I have not yet decided what to do
about the tube getting packed:  seal it or keep it open and periodically
flush it out.  The tube cannot be sealed completely because the wiring
runs through it (and it protects the wiring from damage from road debris
or vegetation).  For sure it will dry out faster hence rust less if
left open on both ends.
 
Earlier this year I also posted about another trailer problem:  one
brake was locking up.  Solving that problem is still underway.  The
brakes were adjusted, and this summer the trailer was towed over 5000
miles.  The locking up problem continues but is much less severe.
The tire on that wheel is cupped.  (Chicken and egg question here:
which came first?  Locking up may contribute to cupping and cupping
may contribute to locking up.)  Next steps are to again adjust the
brakes (after 5000 miles a brake adjustment is needed anyway),
replace the cupped tire (or keep it as the spare), and rotate the
wheels.  The tires are not balanced:  I will get that done too, as
in my experience balancing significantly reduces the vibration at
highway speeds.  The difference is noticeable in the truck, so just
imagine the difference experienced by horses in the trailer!

The above topics are in our 2012 Q2 archive on the web, combined in
the thread "Trailer one brake locking up":
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/msar-riders/2012q2/thread.html

These are two different trailers, by the way.
 
Parallel to this work on these two dual axle trailers, my SAR team's
single axle communications trailer has also been getting a makeover.
You can see a photo of it on http://www.laarc.org/ from 2010.  It is
much heavier than it looks, due to containing so much SAR gear and
equipment, and a bank of very heavy large batteries.  The original
tires were light duty and not balanced;  now they are upgraded and
balanced.  Ah, much better.

The wiring harness on my truck behind the trailer outlet was badly
corroded too, so it also got replaced.  Here in the desert southwest
very little salt is used on the roads so corrosion isn't something
we worry about much.  But I have begun paying attention and washing
off the undercarriage after winter trips.

Stay safe,

        Una Smith
        New Mexico