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katanapilot

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Posts posted by katanapilot

  1. 5 hours ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

    Katanapilot

    Great trip!  How was hauling the Oliver into McCarthy?  Boondocking or camping along the road east of Chitina?  Started in once and quickly decided the road would quickly reduce our old stick and staple trailer into it's component parts.  Backed out with my tail between my legs.  Heading back to AK next year and thinking the Oliver might be up to it.

    We did not take the Ollie to McCarthy.  We left it at the campground in Glenallen and stayed at the lodge in Kennicott.  The lodge is pricey, but it was a good experience.

    The trailer probably would have been fine, but we did not want to risk it based on reports of the condition of the McCarthy road.  I'm not sure where you would camp along the way - maybe others will weigh in on that.

    • Like 2
  2. On 3/25/2023 at 10:28 AM, John E Davies said:

    Thanks for posting, this is very cool! But %^*+! 😉 Please put a soft cotton towel under your whale tail. Or suspend it with a bungee cord under the coupler hole. Half of that Andersen weight is carried by the truck, after all.…. I used to weigh light aircraft, it was a task I greatly enjoyed. More than greasing the gear and wheel bearings. If you don’t mind, please post a pic of your hanger and what’s inside.

    As far as redoing it all on your hanger floor goes, why bother? It’s a trailer, not a piano. As I was told more than once by my supervisors, perfect isn’t needed, just good enough. As an anal compulsive that is hard to hear, and much harder to do.

    I can’t wait until I see your rearranged trailer wiring. LOL, here is my new compressor fridge digital control harness….. Isotherm’s “solution” during my initial smoke test:

    40F6EDF7-C925-44A6-B10F-9794556453BB.thumb.jpeg.8dfd09a194292490659a5bda17e73a2c.jpeg

    And my solution to their solution:

    6AF69150-D471-481A-925C-80F7F6459BE1.thumb.jpeg.57ce87a8e1dc935779a9f6cd9d40006f.jpeg

    03A62FF7-C6B1-49C9-8B87-7BD9E73F5C2C.thumb.jpeg.b10c907f4ea92b8e35c261d09f3d15a7.jpeg


    We need more aircraft techs participating in this forum. I was lamenting to myself that I no longer have access to an avionics wire marking tool.

    John Davies

    Spokane WA

    Nice work John.  Even us non-A&P's can do reasonably nice work too, I think...

    Dymo Rhino heat shrink tubing label makers are pretty inexpensive.  I sprung for one for security system labeling and ended up using it on the two airplane builds.

    C296897C-D2EE-4DA9-A109-ED973C910FFD_1_105_c.jpeg

    • Like 3
  3. For those of you fortunate enough to own a LC/LX and find yourself somewhat lacking in HP or torque, Magnuson does make a supercharger kit for some models with the 5.7 V8. I have it on my Tundra and it has eliminated any issues of diesel envy. Does require premium fuel but I assume the Lexus version already requires it. 

    Not an inexpensive upgrade, but given that the LC/LX can last 500k miles, not a bad investment either. 

    • Love 1
  4. TPMS is just as important to me as any other option we have.  Don't some of the newer trucks allow you to add sensors to your trailer that are read and displayed by the factory TPMS? My old Tundra does not, so we use a TST system.  Worked great to/from Alaska.  Fortunately, we never had any issues with the truck or Ollie tires.

    I know the LT versus ST arguments have been made previously, but the factory Cooper tires have done much better than I expected.  Would have preferred the previous years Michelins and I wouldn't hesitate to install high quality LT tires again.

    • Like 3
  5. I too am amazed/impressed at the ability of the little 4 cylinder diesel.  Not sure it would do great up and down Monteagle, though. 

    What I don't understand is the folks who say the Gen II 5.7 Tundra is not a great vehicle for towing an Elite II. We towed our Ollie from Atlanta to Alaska and back and the truck did great.  Only time we had any issue was a long, steep downhill from Jasper to Banff.  I think the trailer brake controller was a bit off, so we suffered from some brake fade. And no, I did not ride the brakes on the downhill.  

    Would a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel do better? In some respects, absolutely - but they are expensive to purchase, maintain and feed. Pretty harsh ride unloaded too for a daily driver.

    No idea on how the Gen III Tundra will do, but I suspect it will do pretty well once all the early production bugs and fit/finish issues are worked out. Better mileage (maybe) when towing.  Certainly better than the 5.7 not towing.

    • Like 1
  6. 2 hours ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:

    After changing bulbs in Chevy’s, Toyota, Lexus I made it a point to order ALL LED bulbs on my 2020 Ford - have not been disappointed but no matter what I do in terms of keeping the truck level (Air Bags in back, etc) my low beams seem to be too bright for many oncoming cars.  It is mainly the cars that are low to the ground, trucks don’t seem to mind.

    I have to say they are the clearest, brightest lights I have ever had - including some off road lights. 

    Good luck to all the bulb-changers out there. It is not a fun, or easy task.

    Cheers,

    BL

    By chance was your truck subject to the headlight recall?  I find I'm constantly flashing at SuperDuty trucks that seem to have their high beams on.  They are blinding and annoying to oncoming vehicles.

  7. I always checked and double checked the gear shift on our Honda Fit before locking the doors.  Usually I would push the car the last couple of inches up to the motorhome before hooking it up - partly as an additional check of the transmission status.

    I guess I need to work on my sense of humor.  If it happened to me, I would not be amused.  But since it happened to someone else, I guess it's OK to chuckle a bit.

    • Like 1
  8. 12 hours ago, Bill and Nancy said:

     If Katanapilot  happens to see this post, I see in your picture you have a RV7A I built a Vari Eze a Long Ez and an RV7, Ive sold them all and bought a BMW 1200GS and an Oliver, go figure! Hence the email N227EZ@gmail.com

    Bill

    From a couple of homebuilt airplanes to a motorcycle.  Your risk tolerance is a bit higher than mine!  Interesting you went from composite to sheet metal - wish I had your composite skills.  I very much dislike the fiberglass work - mostly because I'm very bad at it.  The RV-10 I just built had a lot more fiberglass work than the RV-7A.

    Sorry for the thread drift.

    C682EB80-7159-462F-8A26-B2740A10E53A_1_105_c.jpeg

    • Like 2
    • Wow 1
  9. 2 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

     Fairly likely it's a loose or damaged connection near the pump, and Mike's suggestion of blue paper shop towels in the pump area should help you pinpoint the issue.

    This is exactly where our water leak occurred during our trip to Alaska.  The flexible hose line came loose at the pump.  Took longer to move the bed out of the way and find the adjustable wrench than it did to find the leak and tighten the fitting. 

    Sorry too, that you are having issues and I hope you get them resolved quickly.

    • Like 1
  10. 1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:

    I have sent an inquiry to Timken asking if Summit is a trusted dealer for their bearings and National Seals.

    Awaiting their response.

    They are. Bought my Timkens from them (they are just down the street) and they all checked genuine with the app. Didn’t trust the ones from Amazon. 

    • Like 3
  11. 2 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

    .  We just finished up our 2022 Summer/Fall TX to Alaska voyage (12,709 miles) and found nothing of concern with the ball or hitch.  

    With my 2019 F-150 EB Lariat FX4 we have zero sway worries.  That said, I am considering a set of air bags for next year.

    GJ

    It was a pleasure meeting you and your spouse in Whitehorse. Glad you had a good, safe trip. 

    And you beat us (not by much, though). 12,430 miles 😉

    • Like 3
  12. There are bound to be some dealers who are taking a long term view and not going to take advantage of their customers.  You may have to look a bit to find them and even buy an airplane ticket to get there, but I am sure they are out there.

    Just glad I don't need a vehicle right now.  I have never paid above MSRP for a vehicle and don't want to start now...

    • Like 3
  13. Suggest you ask the folks that towed Elite II trailers with a Tacoma (much better tow vehicle overall) that were close to 100% of the rated towing capacity. I've never towed at close to 100% of rated capacity, but don't think it would be particularly comfortable or very safe.

    As an aside - I towed our Elite II with a supercharged Tundra (550 hp), beefed up OME suspension and upgraded brake rotors and pads.  We encountered uncomfortable brake fade on some downhill stretches between Jasper and Banff in Canada. I used engine braking as much as possible and still want even bigger brakes now. Uphills were no problem and never taxed the cooling system (engine or transmission) at all. 

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 1
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