Before we start, I DO like to travel. Normally. Of course, when I happen to be the person on the front line when something breaks, traveling can be a bit stressful. I sometimes sit there and think: “Is that a new noise?” It’s been nearly a year since the engine blow-up but there has been a constant string of little to medium-sized issues.

In my last post, I referred to a rear axle flange leak – that I tightened the nuts and cleaned up the oil. We drove back toward our home base and checked – and yes, it was still leaking. But before that- this week+ has been one thing after another. So here we start…..

I started both researching the axle leak problem and looking for a seal. I found several posts and videos where DIYers took care of their F53 axle flange leaks. More on that below. The immediate issue was where to get a new gasket in just over a week we would be stationary. No online place either had one or could get one to us in less than two weeks. I hit up my local Ford dealer and they promised to get one (I always order two) delivered in a few days – and they did.

Our 2019 Tiffin is based on a Ford F53 stripped chassis. This chassis seems to come with one of three different transaxles. None of the numbers on the transaxle seemed to match up with anything I could find on the Internet. Most references were for 8-stud axle flanges. Mine had twelve. Aside from the issue of getting the right gasket, the torque values for the various flange stud nuts is very different based on the size of the studs (6 or 8 studs flanges use larger diameter and higher torque values than the twelve).

I had never dealt with this size of transaxle before. The F53 has dual wheels on the rear. The hub on each side, to which the wheels bolt and the brake disk attach connects to the transaxle via a pair of bearings. Without the axle shaft installed, the hub would free wheel. A “half axle” then inserts through the hub and a spline shaft connects with the gearing inside the transaxle. The Flange on the end of the half-axle bolts to the hub, and thus drives it. There is a thin paper gasket that seals transaxle oil from leaking between the flange and the hub.

The transaxle is filled with oil high enough that it runs out to the bearings in the hubs. I let oil out of the transaxle case so I didn’t have to deal with a lot of oil running out when I pulled the axle. There are three plugs in the case – one at the bottom to fully drain, one part way up the side for a partial drain and one higher up which is the fill and full-measure port. The case is vented, so if you pull the plug on the middle port, it will drain and drain quite fast. I let oil run out, until it slowed a bit and put the plug back in. My estimate was it was low enough to minimize the oil that would come out later (it did).

The process goes something like this: place the RV on a flat surface, with wheel chocks in place. During removal and re-installation you will need to release the parking brake and place transmission in neutral. Remove the hub cover (the left side has left-hand threads). Mark the flange and hub, so that when reassembling, you can line everything up the same way. Remove the flange nuts. Now release the brake and go to neutral. The flange should pull out fairly easily if all pressure on the drive system has been removed.

I cleaned up both sides (hub and flange). I removed the remainder of the gasket with a utility knife and buffed up the surfaces with 3M green scrubber and did a final cleaning with a paper towel wetted with brake cleaner. I applied the gasket dry (as per instructions). The axle slid back in and with a little bump and jockeying, it mated in just the same place it came out.

The service manual specified to tighten the nuts in a star pattern – that is start with one nut – then go opposite (180 degrees), then 90 degrees, then another 180. Or based on a clock, noon, 6, 9 and 3. Then move to the next set and tighten in the same order. With twelve bolts, that meant three sets of 4. I snugged by hand, then set the torque wrench to 20, 40, and 65, in turn, following the pattern each time. Finally, I cleaned up the hub, hub cover and wheel with brake cleaner so that if anything leaked again, I could easily tell.

After installing the cover, I added back new gear oil (my service manual spec’d 75W140. It took 6 pints – it all depends on how much yours leaked and how much drained out.

We were waiting to leave town for one last medical test on me (which turned out good). We headed northwest, into Iowa, and stayed the first night at a Harvest Host (Alpaca Farm). It was our second trip to that host and it was as great as the first time. It was hot during the day, but by evening it was cool enough to sleep with the windows open. The next day was a long one – 6 plus hours on the road. The axle flange didn’t leak – that was great.

Debbie and I weren’t really in sync that day. We were having issues with gas stations. Flying J and Pilot stations were limiting credit card purchases to $100, even in the RV lanes. You can’t fill up an 80-gallon tank on $100 unless you travel back to the 1960’s. AND, when I put my card in again, the station, or the card company denies your charge – EVEN IF I PUT IN A DIFFERENT CARD!!! So we pull into the left RV lane and there are bags on the left pumps – the easiest one to use. But there are pumps on the right side of that lane – so I try that – “processing” forever. (AND there was a deep puddle I had to wade to get to the right pump – wet shoes!) Ok, the right lane is now empty – so Deb drives around the lot to enter the right lane but some bozo parked his RV and trailer in the way, forcing a tighter turn into the right lane. I was worried about the truck jumping the curb, as was Deb. We weren’t agreeing on when to turn which way. Deb was halfway into the lane when I in frustration said,”Just pull up, I’ll tell you when to stop” – when I heard a crunch. The left front fender hit the island guard that was sticking WAY THE HELL OUT INTO THE GAS LANE. Shit! To add insult to injury, this lane didn’t like my card either so I had to walk into the station to prepay. Oh, and some stations put a $500 hit on my account, which is adjusted later to the actual amount – all the while limiting the

exact same purchase to $100. After filling up, we pulled out of the lane and parked in the lot to add half a roll of tape to the fender. Some Flying J’s just plain suck rocks. Others are great. This one obviously sucked boulders!!

Update: I am fixing this myself. I’ve done lots of body work and paint, but very little fiberglass before. The fiberglass broke in about 10 places. Trying to work through insurance and finding a place to get the work done quickly (likely to be in a shop for a week or more) – we just couldn’t see doing that. I’m almost through with the fiberglass work. Then finish it out with glazing, primer, and paint. It turns out I can get the same BASF paint in two different spray options. We shall see.

When we pulled into our RV park – the girl was “new and on her own”. She assigned us a site but we found a large fifth wheel parked there. Back to the office – and a new site – backed in – but found only 30 amp service. Back again – assigned another site and it had a very antiquated and jury-rigged 50 amp, but it worked. Then the fun begins. While unhitching the pickup truck, I found something wrong with the RoadMaster Nighthawk tow bar. I couldn’t get the hitch to catch in the storage position. It was sticking out too far and wouldn’t recess. I presumed something in the stinger was broken and the bar was about to separate. That wouldn’t be good.

Of course, I didn’t have the correct socket, so we went out and bought one and some supplies in case I could put it back together. I managed to remove the nut (inside the stinger) that held the tow bar in and couldn’t, for the longest time, figure out what was supposed to be there. The nut I removed was trying its best to slide out of the stinger so there had to be a washer, spring, or something in there originally, that had broken into pieces and fallen out of the stinger.

I couldn’t find any diagram of the internals of the stinger. I finally decided there was a washer missing. So, a trip to Menards was on the schedule for 6 am the next morning. And wonder of wonders, I found a grade 8 washer there that was exactly the right size – and a better-fitting socket. Back home – lubricate and reassemble it all, install on Rover and we are ready to leave and water starts dripping out of the speaker just overhead of the driver. We had downpours much of the night. I opened up the back of the cabinet but couldn’t directly identify the leak (it’s way overhead). I went on the roof and dried off the area but could not find any break in the sealants. Out of frustration, I coated all the seams in the area with self-leveling sealant. Won’t know if it worked until it rains again – which seems to be coming soon. (It rained cats, dogs, and elephants at the next park, and no leak. Yea!!!)

We found a park today that had vacancies for three days. A little relaxation is in order.

Mike

P.S. THE DAMN RVLOCK DOESN”T WORK EITHER!!!!

We just spent the last 4 months camp hosting. I’m going to try to describe the process, our experience and my suggestions (for someone considering camp hosting). Technically we were Park Host Volunteers. In return for various duties(min 24 hours per week), we received a full hookup RV site for free. This was our first and only experience so far. Our tour was at a Texas State Park, so filter accordingly.

Where? We were at Caprock Canyons State Park. Caprock is a 15,000+ acre park, situated outside Quitaque, TX. Now if you are reading that, you might be thinking quit-a-que or quit-auq, but the correct pronunciation is kitty-quay. Its posted right on the welcome signs to the city. Caprock is 50 miles east of and halfway between Lubbuck and Amarillo. In other words, the middle of nowhere.

Weather winter – Texas Panhandle.

Some days, it seemed, our weather came up from Mexico and others it came down out of the Rockies. Highs in the mid 70’s or more one day, then lows that night well below freezing happened every week. We got as low as 9 degrees F, so keeping the water lines and bays warm was an issue as was being able to use the air conditioners and the warm sunny days. Winds too – were forecast at times to gust up to 60 mph, though our weather station only reported just under 50. My rain gauge, for the entire four months – 0.04 inches – and most of that was snow! Dry, dry, blowing dust and more dry. But on good days, hiking in the canyons was great. But it wasn’t summer – and summer, we hear, is VERY HOT!

Animals? Cayotes, mountain lion, road runners, bison, deer, bobcats, bison, racoons, bison, rattlesnakes, and much more. Bison? Yes, they say there around 300 Bison there, and it is THEIR park. It is the home of the Texas State Bison herd.

They go pretty much anywhere they want, including sometimes walking through our site or settling in for an afternoon nap around our fire ring. Speaking of Bison, sometimes our duties included monitoring and turning off campsite water faucets because the bison would turn them on to get their fill of water for the day!

Caprock Canyons is comprised mostly of some pretty rugged area just east of the high plains. That makes for some photogenic scenery and, depending on which trails you might choose, some brutal up and down hikes, all the while trying (but failing) to avoid all the cactus and thorns. There is also a campground set up for horse camping, one for water electric hookups, three for tents, and two backcountry camps that have to be hiked into.

Duties

Back to camp hosting. Duties included cleaning facilities (bathrooms), picking up trash, emptying fire pits, light maintenance, site checks (marking down which sites are occupied each morning), monitoring for rule violations and being helpful in general to campers. The latter involved answering questions, giving directions, reminding people to get their permits, describing trail hikes and occasionally loaning out an extension cord to a tent camper trying to stay warm.

As for campers, we found most of them to be respectful of the park and their neighbors. Some made a point of picking up trash – to leave the area cleaner than they found it. They followed all the rules, left on time, etc. As with any population, there were a few of the other types. About once a week, we’d walk through all the campsites that were empty (Sunday afternoon or Monday morning) to pick up trash. Most common object picked up? Bottle tops. Evenly split between water bottles and beer bottles. That was closely followed by paper towels, napkins, plastic food wrappers, shopping bags, candy wrappers and cigarette butts. In a tour of all the sites, we’d come pretty close to filling a large trash bag every time. It’s just nuts that a site would have half a dozen bottle tops as well as that many cigarette butts left on the ground.

Prior to camp hosting, we had followed pretty much an open schedule. Most of which was clocked by the needs of two small older dogs. A trip out first thing in the morning, another after our coffee (their breakfast, another mid day, one after their late afternoon meal and another at bedtime. Around that, we’d plan hikes, watch some TV or go on drives and work on the RV.

As camp hosts, most of that still needed to happen, but so did site checks first thing in the morning, bathroom checks and cleaning, twice a day plus whatever other tasks had been assigned. It doesn’t sound like all that much of a difference, but after four months, we were ready to get back to our old “schedule”. But then we also found ourselves “bored” sitting in a new camp site one day after we left. Going on dog walks and NOT picking up trash became the new weird. I did pick up trash in our next site but paying for a site and cleaning up the campground for free – seemed too much (sorry Thousand Trails).

Our daughter, son-in-law and their 4 little girls also were camp hosting during the same time.

So many off-hours were spent with the girls as well. They helped with some chores such as picking up trash, going hiking with us, cooking weenies around the campfire and looking at the stars through a telescope. While the skies were dark there, it was often too cold to stay out long, and for whatever reason, the “seeing” was often poor. Seeing in astronomy terms is the amount of upper air turbulence that messes with taking pictures.

If you’ve never camp hosted, well you’ve likely had a new job over the years or joined a different church. When you sign up to work as a part of a new-to-you organization there is a learning curve on both sides. They get to learn what you will and won’t do and how well you can/will do them. You get to try to fit into their way of doing things. Hopefully. Your new park has carefully honed its practices over the years. They may not make sense to you and your fresh look. Hopefully, your new bosses will at least listen to your input if not accept some of it. But you won’t always understand the WHY of some things. As a camp host volunteer, some things you just need to go along and do your job as best you can. And we did. Our park accommodated some changes in the schedule we needed as well as a few changes in procedure.

Since we were at a State Park, and having worked at a state university (Illinois) for 30 years, I was well aware of the kinds of limitations and downright obtuseness of state funding and oversight. That translates to “there were some things they could fix and some things they couldn’t. If you work for a private park, I’d expect similar constraints of logic, just different ones from working for a state park. It all comes down to that adage: learn what you can change (little), what you can’t (lots), and discern the difference (go with the flow).

Having said all that, I expect we will camp host again sometime. Probably not four months straight in one place unless there is a very good reason for us to do so.

Mike and Debbie

Category: Trips

When does it end?

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Caprock Canyons State Park, TX, Camp Hosting

Weather winter – Texas Panhandle.

Duties

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Weather winter – Texas Panhandle.

Duties

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