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Over59 · 05-22-2011, 06:54 PM

Wife stopped me as I was backing into the driveway today. She tells me a wheel is falling off.

Sure enough it was looking like it was falling off. After some jacking up in the street and removing the wheel I could see the whole backing and hub was separated from the axle beam. The weld attaching the axle beam to the spindle piece had failed. I just pulled the whole thing off by lifting it up. How luck were we? Looking at it you can see the weld was not complete, missing the bottom quarter of the axle.
This is a five year old Dexter 3500lb. I am more than a little concerned about the other four welds.
I'll be calling around tomorrow and hope to take it somewhere doing the one axle crawl.
Cann't imagine what would have happened at 55mph.

Someday'59 · 05-22-2011, 07:16 PM

Oh no!

mello mike · 05-22-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Over59

Wife stopped me as I was backing into the driveway today. She tells me a wheel is falling off.

Sure enough it was looking like it was falling off. After some jacking up in the street and removing the wheel I could see the whole backing and hub was separated from the axle beam. The weld attaching the axle beam to the spindle piece had failed. I just pulled the whole thing off by lifting it up. How luck were we? Looking at it you can see the weld was not complete, missing the bottom quarter of the axle.
This is a five year old Dexter 3500lb. I am more than a little concerned about the other four welds.
I'll be calling around tomorrow and hope to take it somewhere doing the one axle crawl.
Cann't imagine what would have happened at 55mph.

Yikes!! That's totally unsat to have a 5-years old axle fail like that.

Frank's Trailer Works · 05-23-2011, 03:14 AM

Such a good thing you were backing in and not in the middle of France when this happened Paul. Unfortunately, this is the fourth time I have heard this same issue in past 6 months. All those axles were Henchen though....

Over59 · 05-23-2011, 07:24 AM

I think a few of those bridges on I495 around Boston contributed to this. For some reason in Mass the department that repaves highways is different then the one that does bridges. So the bridge
bumps were hugh around Lowell. I had the hangers replaced last year but they missed the crack in the weld.
Have a shop to take it to today.

Very fortunate I was in front of the house.

mistral blue · 05-23-2011, 10:33 AM

Holy Earthquake Batman!!!

If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask.

(BTW, water held tight with full tanks. Tank you beddy much.

)
.
.

Over59 · 05-26-2011, 02:53 PM

"The Bat Cave Express" is home with a new axle.

I thinks the God's want me to retire and get out of here.

Frank's Trailer Works · 05-26-2011, 05:50 PM

will we see you in Augusta NJ next weekend?

Over59 · 09-11-2011, 09:47 AM

Finished the fresh water system today. We have two fresh tanks, a 25 main and a 50 backup for longer stays without hookups.
A triple filter system with 12 Volt UV processes hook up water and tank water into the main service. We can also recirculate and treat water with the excess solar output, pump treated water to an outside connection, or dump tanks without putting the water through the filter after beaching. A little drill attachment for a hose pump and we can fill without a pressurized line. I still use an inline filter on the fill line.

Adventures of The Bat Cave Express to begin Nov 10 in NYC.

Over59 · 10-31-2011, 04:15 PM

? How do you get the screen holders out. Driving my nuts.

Update.

75 Gallon Aux is in and gets wired Monday. Need to put in fill.
Medium grade buffing will be done by Friday. Finish will be done OTR.
All window cranks replaced. Need one crank channel.
Had new trim bent for the windows @ 1.5x1.5 with a little kick on the edge. Cut and ready to polish.
I think it will be finished by the time we pull out next Wed for NYC.

Pictures to follow..... Really.....

Over59 · 01-11-2012, 04:53 PM

On the road since Nov 12. Now in the Everglades at Flamingo. Leaving tomorrow for Key West. Have to post those pictures when I get some bandwidth. Spoonbils today.

Over59 · 08-17-2012, 07:31 PM

New set of two 6000lb axles with shocks. Pulls great. Most of the extra weight is over the axles, ie the wine cellar......

Dry Camping at Charlestown Breachway State Park Rhode Island next week. Then the end of September we hit the road full time in "The Bat Cave Express". The Nov to May trip went great (except for the weather along the Gulf) and we came home to put things right so we can take off for a 30 month adventure.

First destination stop is Manmoth Cave, KY via Lancaster County PA.

Then Memphis, Hot Springs Ark, Fort Worth Tx, Big Bend, Carlsbad Caverns, Quartzite, Death Valley, lots of places in between, Wine areas in Calf, Oregon and Washington, and then Alaska next Summer.

We hope to stop at some gatherings along the way. Two Airstreams make a gather.

Pictures will be posted soon.

flyfshr · 08-17-2012, 07:40 PM

Between Carlsbad and Quartzite I hope you can make a stop in Phoenix. We're a few miles off I-17, have courtesy parking and I would love see another '59 in the yard. Paul - you're more than welcome anytime.

Brad
FF

Over59 · 09-10-2012, 08:35 PM

Both are on the list. We will stop for sure. We'll be leaving Connecticut in October. Hope to get another round of polishing in before we leave. Ordered a new TriMeteric yesterday as mine was 12.9 volts for the last two months, even when the jack wouldn't work....
Thanks.

Over59 · 01-27-2013, 08:20 PM

We left Mercedes Tx today. Lost another tire on US83 West of La Joya. Tore right open in the middle of the thread. I am down to one spare and these are hard to find. So I'm looking for a place between here, Falcon State Park Tx, and Death Valley to pick up 6 new 15'' tires with wheels. Anyone know of a good place? I think I can get 15's on the new axles. Option B is having them shipped somewhere I'm staying. Also ordered the pressure monitor setup I've been being cheap about.

Just turned off the AC. Cooling down nice tonight.

slowmover · 01-28-2013, 01:17 AM

DISCOUNT TIRE is in the RGV. I was pleased with the LR-C YOKOHAMA RY-215's in 7.00x15 (7r15) I had on my previous TT. Had store manager order them from TIRE RACK. Check your scale tickets (as with any tire/wheel purchase) so that each position has a rating 15% in excess of actual (when WDH applied). CENTRAMATIC balancers also a good choice.

Over59 · 02-22-2013, 10:53 AM

New tire from Forrest Tire in Carlsbad. They had them in stock. A for service.

Now in SKP The Ranch in Lakewood, NM waiting for replacement fridge door. Break a hinge on a Norcold on the door side and buy a door.

We are heading west to see all the snow

, but first we are going to White Sands, Hatch, Gila, Saguaro, Whole Foods in Tucson and the 4CU Rally.

11am and 58 outside.

Over59 · 02-23-2013, 10:15 PM

Have door will travel.

Over59 · 05-04-2013, 11:38 PM

We have been on the road since Oct 2012 doing the grand tour on the way to Alaska. The trip ended today on the Ave of the Giants highway in the California State Park. No injuries. No more Bat Cave Express.