the ultimate haha users guide...

[crispyboy]

Not sure how I missed those pictures since I have read through this thread a few times.
I have the holes drilled in the frame, now when time allows I wll finish the paint job on the HA HA and hang it on the trailer.

[millvalleyca]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hi woodedareas...

i see you asked about the grease issue...

like mike noted there are options...

i use the cartridge style grease gun with a 1 foot flexible hose and standard grease fitting...

about 20$ from napa...a tube of grease last several months; perhaps a year.

yes the bars can be dropped out for greasing, but that is messy and more work...

also hensley recommends lubing the bars every 500miles...

i hit mine with enough to ooze out the old stuff every couple of days while on the road...

this may be overkill but according to them 'you cannot grease too often'

with the grease gun it takes less time than checking tire pressures....

as an aside the screw/stabilizer jacks on the airstream also need greasing occasionally.

the jacks have the same size zerk fittings...so the gun does double duty.

in the pics of the 'spring bar swap' you can see the fresh red grease just squirted...

posts #91 and 96...

cheers
2air'

I'm buying a grease gun tomorrow....what is a "standard grease fitting"? Is there a specific "size" I need to buy for it to fit the grease zerk on the HAHA?
Thanks
Dennis

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by millvalleyca

...what is a "standard grease fitting"? Is there a specific "size" I need to buy for it to fit the grease zerk on the HAHA..Thanks...Dennis

hi millva'

by standard size i meant 1/4 inch fitting and the opening centered on the tip...

there are other standard (sae) sizes and metric too!

also there are a variety of the 1/4 inch tips (angled, side) and they all will work on the haha zerks.

i suggest getting a typical hand pump like the 1st pic and adding a 12 inch flex tube, if it doesn't come with the kit...

most auto supply shops will have all of these things...

the final product looks like the 2nd picture..

AND if you want absolute assurance the fitting will fit...

take along one of your EXTRA ZERKS to be sure,

you do get some extra zerks right?

cheers
2air'

i use the same g.gun and same tip, to lube the stabilizer jacks on the trailer.

[millvalleyca]

Thanks once again 2air'

Any specific grease?

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by millvalleyca

...Any specific grease?

from the pix associated with the earlier posting on this u can see i use...

red grease

it's a syn lube forumula.

there are almost as many threads here on 'type of grease' as there are axles or tow vehicles...

i'm sure most of the typical automotive greases will work, lithium, molyb, syn and so on...

i use the red stuff because i can SEE it better when it oozes out of the bushings (which are black) and displaces the dark, older stuff...

[YSavage]

What great timing on a very good topic. Expecting to pick up my 25' fb next week, I have decided to trade in the Sequoia and purchase a solid tow vehicle. (Any suggestions? I was going to look at a Dodge 2500) My other potential investment was going to be the ha ha (great abbrev!). Keep up the thread and educate this first time RV'er.

[Sean Woodruff]

With the location of the zerks, the style of gun with the flexible hose, like shown on the right above, is really the most convenient and easy to use.

[SRW]

I have pretty much used all of two small tubes of grease (6" x 1/1/4 dia) and have never seen grease oozing from anywhere. This is after the dealer said they had greased the hitch.

Probably should buy a larger grease gun and use larger tubes?

[SRW]

I still use the ratchet that came with the hitch to tighten the spring bars' 3/4" hex nuts, but I have noticed that some folks use an electric drill.

Will any electric drill do for tighting the hex nuts?

Also, where do you get a 3/4" socket that has a fitting that will go into the drill's chuck?

I have looked with no success.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Have always had good luck with Makita

Just bought the combo set, needed a new drill anyway, the 1/2 drive socket

adapter I got at Home Depot.

Got a good deal on the combo set on e-bay

Makita 18V Lithium-Ion Compact Cordless Combo Kit - eBay (item 150217258771 end time Feb-18-08 21:59:57 PST)

Makita - Power Tool Detail Page For BTD140


Makita - Power Tool Detail Page For LCT200W

[2airishuman]

his srw...

Originally Posted by SRW

...Probably should buy a larger grease gun and use larger tubes?

yea the small grease gun cartridges hold about 1/5th as much grease as the standard size...

as i recall richL used the small size (4 awhile) and it took 20+? pumps before old grease was dispelled from the bushings.

since the haha springbar head/bushings should be greased OFTEN (manual says 500 miles) those little cardridges don't last long...

typically requires 4-6 pumps with the bigger gun, AFTER the bushings are really really filled the first time.

i'm using about 2-3 cartridges/year, and they are also used on the stabilizer jacks.

Originally Posted by SRW

...Will any electric drill do for tighting the hex nuts?

depends on if you are using the tongue jack to raise the trailer, which reduces the torque required on the screw jacks....

IF tightening without the tongue jack my 18v cordless will just handle the torque needed,

but it spins 'em right up quickly IF the tongue jack is used to establish 'level' first.

Originally Posted by SRW

, where do you get a 3/4" socket that has a fitting that will go into the drill's chuck?

i use a typical 3/4" craftsman socket which takes a 1/2" ratchet driver...

there are hex/driver-drill-ractchet adapter-thingies, in all the popular driver sizes that match the socket set...

see pic below.

cheers
2air'

[SRW]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

his srw...



yea the small grease gun cartridges hold about 1/5th as much grease as the standard size...

as i recall richL used the small size (4 awhile) and it took 20+? pumps before old grease was dispelled from the bushings.

since the haha springbar head/bushings should be greased OFTEN (manual says 500 miles) those little cardridges don't last long...

typically requires 4-6 pumps with the bigger gun, AFTER the bushings are really really filled the first time.

i'm using about 2-3 cartridges/year, and they are also used on the stabilizer jacks.



depends on if you are using the tongue jack to raise the trailer, which reduces the torque required on the screw jacks....

IF tightening without the tongue jack my 18v cordless will just handle the torque needed,

but it spins 'em right up quickly IF the tongue jack is used to establish 'level' first.



i use a typical 3/4" craftsman socket which takes a 1/2" ratchet driver...

there are hex/driver-drill-ractchet adapter-thingies, in all the popular driver sizes that match the socket set...

see pic below.

cheers
2air'

Thanks for the reply.

You may have touched on the something that I am doing out of sequence when I hook up.

I have not been tensioning the spring bars until after I raise the tongue jack.

Got to ask another question, and as far as I know its not in the haha manual, is the correct hook-up sequnce to first tension the spring bars and then raise the tongue jack?

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by SRW

... as far as I know its not in the haha manual, is the correct hook-up sequnce to first tension the spring bars and then raise the tongue jack?

it may not be in their manual? but we've covered it in the users guide some

i don't think it matters, but it IS a lot easier to tighten/loosen the screw jacks,

manually or with the cordless driver, IF the trailer tongue jack is still supporting the load.

the key is knowing which notch/mark on the lower jacks is right for your rig...

typically i put the tongue jack down before loosening them and raise the tongue jack up after tightening...

occasionally in a really odd campsite (with extreme inclines or dips) i don't use the tongue jack assist.

cheers
2air'

[SRW]

Originally Posted by SRW

Thanks for the reply.

You may have touched on the something that I am doing out of sequence when I hook up.

I have not been tensioning the spring bars until after I raise the tongue jack.

Got to ask another question, and as far as I know its not in the haha manual, is the correct hook-up sequnce to first tension the spring bars and then raise the tongue jack?

OK, belay last.

After a careful reread I do see that "Step 10" says raise the tongue jack.

That's NOTwhat I have been doing. As I said I have been raising the tongue jack, and then tensioning the spring bars.

I suppose the key is learning how to read.

Thanks again.

[SRW]

A HAHA workshop at this summer's international would be a great idea.

I am off to get a full size grease gun.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

it may not be in their manual? but we've covered it in the users guide some

i don't think it matters, but it IS a lot easier to tighten/loosen the screw jacks,

manually or with the cordless driver, IF the trailer tongue jack is still supporting the load.

the key is knowing which notch/mark on the lower jacks is right for your rig...

typically i put the tongue jack down before loosening them and raise the tongue jack up after tightening...

occasionally in a really odd campsite (with extreme inclines or dips) i don't use the tongue jack assist.

cheers
2air'

Just hooked up and did not raise the tongue jack until after I tensioned the spring bars.

My drill did just fine. Plenty of battery and torque.

Greased using the full size gun. On the right zerk it took about 5 pumps before grease oozed out of the bottom.

For some reason couldn't get any grease into the left zerk?

Very little, but still some groaning when I pulled out.

SRW

[SRW]

Had the AS at the dealer today to get a few items corrected, and they pumped enough grease into the left zerk to get the stuff to ooze out of the bottom.

Finally, there is no more groaning from the HAHA.

Should add that our dealer is Camper Clinic II in Buda, TX. Todd, the mechanic (don't know his last name) did a very good job. There were about seven items, all fairly minor, and he got everything done in 3 1/2 hours of the same day.

Won't hesitate to take the AS back there when necessary.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by SRW

...For some reason couldn't get any grease into the left zerk?...

hi srw...

it may just be a bit of dirt in the zerk port impeding flow, BUT

it is also possible the zerk is TOAST inside the bushing.

we covered this a bit in the 90s # posts and richL made reference to his buggered zerks in the 270s...

he also posted about this issue with pix in d'blog here is his photo...

http://tour.airstreamlife.com/weblog...rn%20zerks.jpg

so while the service guy may have got grease moving through it, finally...

consider removing and inspecting that zerk.

IF it's ground down or OVER inserted, this can hang up the movement in that w/d bar...

even worse the bar can FALL OUT!

of course, don't remove/inspect it IF u don't have an extra zerk and spare parts kit (see post 181)

cheers
2air'

[SRW]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

hi srw...

it may just be a bit of dirt in the zerk port impeding flow, BUT

it is also possible the zerk is TOAST inside the bushing.

we covered this a bit in the 90s # posts and richL made reference to his buggered zerks in the 270s...

he also posted about this issue with pix in d'blog here is his photo...

http://tour.airstreamlife.com/weblog...rn%20zerks.jpg

so while the service guy may have got grease moving through it, finally...

consider removing and inspecting that zerk.

IF it's ground down or OVER inserted, this can hang up the movement in that w/d bar...

even worse the bar can FALL OUT!

of course, don't remove/inspect it IF u don't have an extra zerk and spare parts kit (see post 181)

cheers
2air'

2Air:

When I bought the full size grease gun I bought a package of assorted zerks. I know that the HAHA uses 1/4" zerks and from the visable portion it looks like I have a replacement.

Versus the right hand zerk it took more force to get the grease to enter the fitting.

I see the emergency bag of parts. I assume that Hensly still sells it and will check with them.

Bar falling out. Hmmm. Thats sounds a bit weird, and certainly not like a good thing.

You referenced a "user manual"earlier, where is that available?

Also, why would a zerk go bad? I know its a rather simple device, but what would I look for to indicate its bad?

As always, thanks for your help.

SRW

[ROBERT CROSS]

http://www.hensleymfg.com/Documents/...nualmedres.pdf

Ask and you recieve in hahaland.

Good luck

Bob