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MaineStreamer · 03-14-2021, 12:46 AM

Does anyone have advice how to prevent the door hinge pin from working its way out? I have to tap it down several times each year.

OTRA15 · 03-14-2021, 05:08 AM

I will look at ours later this morning. In the meantime, these "hinge pin loose site:airforums.com" search results may be helpful:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hing...=airforums.com

OTRA15 · 03-14-2021, 09:51 AM

Marty, on our 2014 those hinge pins have a knurling at the top, so that when they are pressed in at the factory, they don't want to back out. Do your pins have this knurling?

Were those search results any help?

How far out does your hinge pin move? If a 1/4" or so, you are probably fine, as long as you keep an eye on things IMO. You could always add something like Loctite when you drive the pin down.

https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-13307...5737128&sr=8-7

Speaking of which . . . is the pin loose enough that you can tap it down with a hammer, or do you have to use some kind of clamp to get it to "seat" ???

Some photos might help.

Good luck.

MaineStreamer · 03-14-2021, 11:18 PM

Peter,
Yes. Please see photo.

OTRA15 · 03-15-2021, 02:41 AM

Thanks for the photo. Let's go back a step or two.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
Were those search results any help?
. . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

. . .
In the meantime, these "hinge pin loose site:airforums.com" search results may be helpful:

https://www.google.com/search?q=hing...=airforums.com

The first thread linked in those search results has a video in Post #20 that is good to watch IMO. Based on this, I will check ours out later. There is probably more helpful info in all the other search results, but I don't have time to dig in right now. Do you see any other mentions of a new "C-clip" being installed on a replacement hinge pin?

OTRA15 · 03-15-2021, 10:12 AM

I looked at ours again, Marty, and we already have the C-clips referred to in the video. Unless you find some other solution in those search results, I guess you should plan on getting a new hinge pin[s?] with the C-clips. The replacement process seems pretty simple, if you can wiggle your pin up and out, using vise grips etc..

If your pin [or the other one] will not come all the way up and out, however, the project gets more iffy IMO. As a DIY project, the scary part would be drilling out the bottom of the large hinge bottom piece, so that you can use a straight punch from underneath to free up the stuck pin. The video has some suggestions about using a center punch, etc.. Also there may be other videos in the other threads.

Good luck.

Putemback · 03-15-2021, 01:16 PM

Does anyone in the Bozeman, MT area use a trailer dolly like trailer valet or Trax to move their 20 footer into tight garage spaces? I know that Steve uses a Trax but I was unable to visit him in person to see how it functions. Hopefully I could find someone in the Bozeman area who could give me first hand feedback and recommendations.

Camano20 · 03-15-2021, 02:50 PM

Marty, I had the same problem on our 2007. I finally just put a dab of epoxy on the side of the pin when I drove it back down. It hasn't come out since.

OTRA15 · 03-16-2021, 04:25 AM

Similar to the Loctite linked earlier IMO.

LNBright · 03-19-2021, 08:40 PM

So, learning fast, but we’re still newbies at having a camper, having only brought it home in mid-January.

Dealer had it winterized, we brought it home as such. Past week, was dewinterizing, continuing to learn things as I went along. Closing drain valves filling the water tank, putting the hot water heater tank plug in, etc. so, I was bleeding air out of the sink lines, happened to look into the bathroom, and pink RV antifreeze was in the floor of the shower. And I couldn’t get it to drain. The sinks drained fine, the toilet flushes fine, but the shower just wasn’t draining. And, we’re camping next week.

So I pulled out the manual, look at the plumbing layout for the 20FC, and, it then makes sense: it just so happens, I’d expanded the back of the driveway to make a spot for the Airstream, had graveled it, but, it wasn’t perfectly level. I mean, it was ‘close’, you could sit/ walk, the fridge works, etc., but, the street side was a bit lower than the curbside. Looking at the manual’s diagram, O suddenly realized that, unlike how the toilet is a straight shot down into the black tank, the shower drain does not drop straight into the gray tank: it runs from streetside to curbside, then turns and runs down into the tank. Thus, by not being level with the curbside being high, water was collecting in the drain line...

So today, I went and had the Marathons pulled off and Endurance’s put on, and the TPMS put in. Before backing back into its spot, I regraded the gravel, so the streetside wheel had a mound on which to rise, so it’d be closer to level than before (actually, did a really good job, can get it level now). And, the shower will drain. Lol.... I have to laugh at myself, wondering why the shower wasn’t draining... but now I know.

So, tomorrow is mop and clean day, load it up, make final prep and stock up, to get ready for our maiden voyage.

OTRA15 · 03-20-2021, 02:58 AM

Well done!

Do you have electric and city water at that parking spot, so you can put everything through the paces? [air conditioner too]

Have a great trip.

Travel safe . . . and . . .

OTRA15 · 03-20-2021, 04:46 AM

PS -- Some random thoughts for trip prep FWIW:
-- pre-chill everything you put in the fridge and freezer. If there is room for some blue ice blocks in the freezer, these are good as "thermal mass" in case you need them.
-- consider not filling the water tank full for now . . . all that weight way back there, especially if the trailer is not fully loaded, can be the "tail that wags the dog" and create sway issues on the road. Our model is prone to this IMO.
-- when on the road in gusty cross-wind conditions, or when a semi tractor trailer's "bow wave" wants to push you around, have a free hand on the manual brake controller to apply the trailer brakes first, to control sway.

Have fun!

LNBright · 03-20-2021, 09:30 AM

Here at the house, I can run a water hose over while it's parked. I don't have 30a service, but I do have my 15a dogbone. So, I'm not running the A/C, but for example, last night, since I do have water in the tank at the moment, I went ahead and clicked on the heating pad since it was supposed to get down to 30 (I realize it should have been okay, but, since it was on shore and not via battery, I thought, better safe than sorry). (Doubt we're gonna need A/C this coming week!)

Water tank: I thought about that: Problem is: our destination doesn't have hookups: national park campground, but they're dry sites. SO, I'll have to have water... I'll adjust driving as needed. For our first trip, we're not going cross country, just a few hours away, so we can take it slow... we're really intending this as a shake-down trip, getting used to things. (Of note: we do have a Fiamma rack on there, but are not taking bikes on this trip.)

About the TPMS sensors: it is REALLY nice seeing the psi and temp of the trailer tires right on the center stack of the dash.

I've had the fridge on this past week, just to see how it did. Everything we have will be cold inside the house (this past year, we bought a new fridge, so I moved the old fridge to the garage: so we now have a pre-staging fridge!).

One of the suggested routes had a tunnel: w/ signs for RV's to shut the tanks off: although it might've been the more direct route, I decided to select a different route that didn't take us through the tunnel, thus negating the need for shutting down the fridge while on the go. (FWIW: we're headed to Mammoth Cave in central Kentucky, to check another national park off the visit list.)

I don't think we'll be out of coverage, but... I'll admit, I'll try to stay off the phone a bit more than usual, etc. SO, I'll plan to report back once we're back.

CruizinDux · 03-20-2021, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LNBright

....Water tank: I thought about that: Problem is: our destination doesn't have hookups: national park campground, but they're dry sites. SO, I'll have to have water... I'll adjust driving as needed. For our first trip, we're not going cross country, just a few hours away, so we can take it slow... we're really intending this as a shake-down trip, getting used to things. (Of note: we do have a Fiamma rack on there, but are not taking bikes on this trip.

Personally with a 631 (12.6%) TW I don't worry about the weight in the tail as much as other combos with a lower #/%. I generally run with 3/8~1/2 tank (sometimes more but not full) but also have 2 bikes on the fiamma, tool bag (kitchen sink) and adult beverages in the shower. I also almost never have two full propane tanks on the nose. One lasts forever.

My point is don't get too hung up on just the water...it's loading everywhere...FWD cab's above the bed, certainly under the bed storage. Understanding how the what goes where can affect the TW is critical. If you google it...9-14% pops up. I think AS recommends 10-12 and that has been my guide.

I would either get a portable sherline scale for OTR (or the online method of using a 2X4 and a bathroom scale if you're home). I finally found locally at a coop, but in EUG I had an County maintained Ag scale that I only once had to wait to use. Cat scales are a zoo. Load the TT and TV inc gas and head on down. Put the tongue only only and start moving stuff around...unloading H2O. Besides you'll want to weigh one tire at a time to get a sense of the L to R loading.

Published is 631 but I usually land at about 550-525 and our 20 behind the Highlander/equalizer tracked like it wasn't there...even in OK/TX, E Washington state, WY & the lower San Joaquin Valley.

OTRA15 · 03-20-2021, 10:44 AM

Sounds good, Leslie, have fun!

Good points, Bob.

LNBright · 03-20-2021, 11:03 AM

My Sierra's tongue weight limit is 980: still, though, I definitely want to ensure I don't have too much rearward weight, try to keep things spread, but err on the side of caution w/ respect to in front of or behind the axle, to ensure that I don't have 'lift' off of the ball... let the WD bars do that work, not the trailer's load.

alreardon · 03-20-2021, 09:06 PM

Where is the outside drain for the fresh water holding tank?

Thanks!

LNBright · 03-20-2021, 09:35 PM

Underneath.... white valve. Look from behind the rear bumper.

OTRA15 · 03-21-2021, 04:22 AM

Your owner's manual probably has this location IMO.

LNBright · 03-21-2021, 09:31 AM

Oh, one other thing I've noted:

Why in the world would Airstream have the 30a power socket on the streetside of the 20' models be directly below the city water and black-tank-flush ports?? I was disconnecting the city water input, and watching the dripping onto the lid for the electric connection, but it was still running off onto the power cable.... I wasn't going to touch the power cable for awhile, but, seeing it, got me thinking... so I went and looked, and other lengths, they're not above/below each other: 16', 25', 27'... even though the 19' is close, the it's still not 'directly' above/below each other.

Just mulling that out loud....