RR-40 finds - Reverse wired Prodigy brake box connectors

Item: This was shown to me lately and before you know it there can be two hours lost on a Prodigy brake box installation by the issue.

Out of the box no one thinks to check wiring on the connector that plugs in to the Tekonsha Prodigy brake box. Just plug the connector and hook up the blue - white- red - black wires to the vehicle and spend several hours troubleshooting the faults. Right. Wrong.

Look at these. The left is right and the right one that came out of the Prodigy box is wrong and reverse wired.

The date tag puts this in about 10-07 time frame but it just recently made it off the shelf for an installation. Look twice at this situation folks.

RR-40 finds - Own made axle ends

Item: Self made axles with ends from import and domestic supply.

These axles ends are welded on the end as well as inserted into tube stock and used as replacements in the repair trade.

This one pilots on the tube end and gets a weld around joint seam and no purchase into the pipe.

The other axle stubs put something into the pipe and lend some support into the axle beam and welded where the insert joins the pipe end face.

These can be used in round or square stock. Roadworthy for local use or industrial but out on the Interstate at highway speeds???

Say fellow far travelers - watch out for these things. Would an own made axle survive this?

RR40-Finds - Bumper Pull hitch

Item: Bumber pull hitch - 50's style.

Daughter #1 was on a photo-ramble and found and old filling station and some old cars and got some pix and and photo compositions.

Here was what caught ol' Red Rovers eye.

This looks like a 1950 Ford and you can just see this hitch pulling and Airstream overland to the canyon and maybe this came from Sears and Roebucks.

RR-40 Finds - Fultons wide wheel swivel jack

Item: This new Fulton wide wheel swivel jack is strong.

Annealed steel barrel and cast aluminum swivel at the tongue and for the wheel wheel and a brake goes on the wide wheel and a jack handle clip keeps it located on the jack and not hanging down to the road.

Some assembly is required and out of the box this is what the jack looks like. Notice the jack handle clips on the barrel and there is a brake that will go on the heel of the wheel carrier.

The back side of the jack looks like this with a bolt through swivel and a detente release.

An end on view from the wheel showing the shape of the inner barrel and fitment to the outer barrel. Definitely not a round tube jack.

RR-40 Finds - Flex Equalizer Systems

Item: Flex equalizer systems are the subject of the hour and may have originated for the RV builders in Elkhart .

But these systems will likely find use in other applications that need to protect the cargo and load from too much motion.

This familiar Ez-Flex system is greaseable and in a replacement or upgrade situation will be a direct exchange of an existing equalizer.



The Joyrider system now resides in each of three rationalized catalogs for the Drawtite, and Hidden Hitch and Reese dealers. Sometimes one dealer is all three from past association. But the umbrella title for all is now "Hitch-Pro" dealers.
The "Joyrider" could directly replace an equalizer but not as serviceable and a throw away. The kit hanger straps are lighter and has no wet bolts.

Here is a monster system and good luck in replacing this system. This Mor-Ryde is an O.E. installation that is directly welded to the chassis and the springs attach directly to shackles clad in a compounded rubber block. Upgrades look to be difficult and replacements are actually a conversion.

These are showing up at the RV dealers now but will likely migrate to other tube axle applications. Check in with your RV dealers and show the Ez-Flex as an alternative replacement for the others.

RR-40 Finds - Marine Biz

Item: Marine associated trailers and parts put on the marine trailers by the builders and the elements the marine trailers are exposed to that can cause running gear failure.

While visiting a marine dealer on the east coast I took some time to see what the marine trailers are made of and got some digi-pix.

First thing I noticed is the cheap lighting on these newly arrived trailers from the builders.

Fenders were also cheap plastic and no paint necessary on these and some other components. When you think about it there is no paint put on any of these and that step in production is eliminated entirely.

After a while the sea salt environment along the coast wreaks havoc and what comes in for repair is virtually not worth the cost of a new replacement trailer. They don't last long.

It's almost criminal - call the law!

RR-40 Finds - Rental Store setup

Item: Rental store setups. This one is at Sunbelt Rentals.

This is about what you would see at a rental store and here Buyers Products holds the shelf.

Notice that the initial installment is fine but on the bottom picture the individual locations do not keep up with resupply. RR's can promote Redline and a next day delivery promise.

There are a few sizes of hitch balls and a combo pintle ball mount and some adjustable face plate couplers. Some cargo straps and ribbon straps and receiver hitch pins and snap pins are here.

On the bottom shelf may be found some chain binders more in the 8, 9, 10K range.

RR-40 Finds - Fultons pneumatic jack

Item: This is a Fulton pneumatic dual wheel swivel jack and Bulldog has one similar.

These are showing up at some renal yards on a telescope lift. Some of these lifts have motorized left and right wheels and the jack is so far out in front that that when the machine is propelled the side walls give on the small pneumatic tires and want to roll off the bead.
It's a big headache
But it is a good thing to talk to the shop foreman about. These things are a nuisance and they cost $180.00 in one instance.

O.K. you are thinking, why not use a harder wheel. Nope, same result. This is a bolt through jack and the way the jack is mounted and how it works will separate the two mating plates apart where the thing is u-bolted to the tongue.

I think we have something that will work and on location says they will try it and I will update this post when it actually solves the problem.

RR-40 Finds - The GN Extender

Item: The 9" Goose Neck extender for the short bed pick up.

Here is what I'm talking about.

This is a version of the GN extender for goose neck trailers that fits into the GN tube and is held in place with set screws.

Or is it.

This one looks like it could potentially pivot around on a sudden stop and bury the nose of this trailer in the cab.