Time for Some 2015 185RB Baja Repairs & Upgrades

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Bugzilla46310

Bob, did you ever post your 1 year update on the galvanic corrosion?

I will in a few months when I summerize the trailer and clean out the hot water tank. Thanks for the reminder!

[Bob K]

Anyone remember that old children's TV song? "Which one of these is not like the other?"


I hit some wicked washboard road in Colorado traveling at about 35 mph. Worst I've ever seen and nearly invisible in the flat midday sunlight. It snapped the driver's side leaf spring and just about shook my eyeballs out in the truck.


Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until I arrive at home (another 70 miles) so the slightly misaligned axle performed a nice feathering job on the inside edge of the tire.


On went a new set of springs from eTrailer. I used 3,500-lb springs with 25-1/8" eye-to-eye spacing to match the existing axle.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lea...SP-212275.html


I also installed Dexter's heavy duty wet bolt shackle upgrade kit. The existing shackle hanger straps on this 7-year-old trailer were significantly wallowed out.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lea...71-358-00.html


I'll tell you what: It's a little discomforting to realize that the 2 leaf spring mounting bolts and the 2 U-bolts around the axle are the only thing holding the entire axle to the trailer.

[Mikec557]

Originally Posted by Bob K

Anyone remember that old children's TV song? "Which one of these is not like the other?"
Attachment 79866

I hit some wicked washboard road in Colorado traveling at about 35 mph. Worst I've ever seen and nearly invisible in the flat midday sunlight. It snapped the driver's side leaf spring and just about shook my eyeballs out in the truck.
Attachment 79867

Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until I arrive at home (another 70 miles) so the slightly misaligned axle performed a nice feathering job on the inside edge of the tire.
Attachment 79871

On went a new set of springs from eTrailer. I used 3,500-lb springs with 25-1/8" eye-to-eye spacing to match the existing axle.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lea...SP-212275.html
Attachment 79868

I also installed Dexter's heavy duty wet bolt shackle upgrade kit. The existing shackle hanger straps on this 7-year-old trailer were significantly wallowed out.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lea...71-358-00.html
Attachment 79869

I'll tell you what: It's a little discomforting to realize that the 2 leaf spring mounting bolts and the 2 U-bolts around the axle are the only thing holding the entire axle to the trailer.

Holy Cow!
Be glad for the happy ending... It looks like it could have been so much worse.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Mikec557

Holy Cow!
Be glad for the happy ending... It looks like it could have been so much worse.

Exactly. If the front portion of that spring had sheared as well, I suspect the entire axle would have rotated out from underneath the trailer.

[MrKABC]

Bob K, I'm following in your footsteps! Installing the Pollak box now. See what it's replacing? A cheap J box and wire twist nuts. Fun fun!

Any last minute tips hints or suggestions?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Bob K, I'm following in your footsteps! Installing the Pollak box now. See what it's replacing? A cheap J box and wire twist nuts. Fun fun! Any last minute tips hints or suggestions?

Yuck.

The only one I would add to this list is to save the two studs on the far right as extra positive and negative terminals in case you need space to add more stuff in the future.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tml#post864734

[MrKABC]

Wow, that was no fun. Bob K you forgot to mention what a PITA it is to get the wiring to behave!



At any rate, I have now joined you as a Pollak distribution box owner. My install isn't as pretty as yours but it's close enough for government work! Thanks for the inspiration.

EDIT: The pictures are upside down but you get the idea!

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Wow, that was no fun. Bob K you forgot to mention what a PITA it is to get the wiring to behave!



At any rate, I have now joined you as a Pollak distribution box owner. My install isn't as pretty as yours but it's close enough for government work! Thanks for the inspiration.

EDIT: The pictures are upside down but you get the idea!

I'm kinda like the doctor who says "This won't hurt a bit!"

Looks dandy to me. I like how you bent the big terminal on the far left at 90 degrees so that it would go on "straight". That's a good technique I'll remember for next time.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Bob K

I drain the hot water tank often when traveling in the cold season.

I discovered that my low point drains will also drain the hot water tank; however, I also wanted a convenient way to drain just the tank without needing to get tools out to remove the drain plug, so I installed a ball valve.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GWBK57V
Attachment 65331

"But Bob, that's an Atwood aluminum tank and you put in a stainless steel ball valve. Aren't you worried about galvanic corrosion?"

I'm going to take one for the team here and do a little experiment. SS316 and aluminum are only .5 volts apart on the anodic index, and this isn't salt water. Additionally, the aluminum tank is a huge anode as compared to the in-contact portion of the relatively tiny stainless steel valve (cathode). I'm going to check the tank, tank threads, and valve at regular intervals to see just how much galvanic corrosion is actually taking place. My hypothesis is that the tank and valve will long outlast the rest of the trailer. I'm ready for the little experiment to prove me right or wrong.

I removed, checked, and cleaned the stainless steel drain valve on the hot water tank. Everything looks fine.

There was plenty of old sealant, tape, and mineral deposits immediately upon removal.


After a brief go at the tank threads with a wire brush, and cleaning the valve with some Lime Away, everything looks great and I see no indications of galvanic corrosion. The tank threads may look corroded or discolored to some folks, but to me they look the same as they did before I started using the stainless steel valve.


Time to flush the tank with vinegar and get ready for RV season! I'll continue to monitor for galvanic corrosion when I summerize each year.

[MrKABC]

@bob the Parts am taillights you listed don't seem to match the ovals that I have. I noticed dead LEDs in mine, but I'm worried to go with square lights like yours to avoid drilling unnecessary holes. Any suggestions?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

@bob the Parts am taillights you listed don't seem to match the ovals that I have. I noticed dead LEDs in mine, but I'm worried to go with square lights like yours to avoid drilling unnecessary holes. Any suggestions?

Does "partsam oval" on Amazon get you any results that look like your lights?

[MrKABC]

Originally Posted by Bob K

Does "partsam oval" on Amazon get you any results that look like your lights?

Here's what I have now - they are 9 1/2" W x 4" H ovals with "Command" stamped on them. No model number, but I am sure when I take it off I can find something. Mounting holes are 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" apart.

The Command website doesn't have these lights. Astonishingly poor website at that!

https://www.commandelectronics.com/shop

E-Trailer shows these as replacements, also by Command:

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...19800771133556

Holy cow those look cheap. 3mm LEDs sparsely populating the board. I can see why you looked elsewhere for lighting, these things look terrible.

Oddly enough, in looking at my OEM lights I can't remember if I have ever seen the back up lights work in my trailer, so I don't know if that is even a thing! Guess I will have to plug my truck in to see if anything lights up in reverse before I go shopping.

So now I think this Partsam ones will fit based upon the mounting holes, but wondering since they don't have backup lights will this be a problem?

https://www.amazon.com/Partsam-Trail...9FYTC1XV&psc=1

@Bob K what do you think?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

Here's what I have now - they are 9 1/2" W x 4" H ovals with "Command" stamped on them. No model number, but I am sure when I take it off I can find something. Mounting holes are 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" apart.

The Command website doesn't have these lights. Astonishingly poor website at that!

https://www.commandelectronics.com/shop

E-Trailer shows these as replacements, also by Command:

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lig...19800771133556

Holy cow those look cheap. 3mm LEDs sparsely populating the board. I can see why you looked elsewhere for lighting, these things look terrible.

Oddly enough, in looking at my OEM lights I can't remember if I have ever seen the back up lights work in my trailer, so I don't know if that is even a thing! Guess I will have to plug my truck in to see if anything lights up in reverse before I go shopping.

So now I think this Partsam ones will fit based upon the mounting holes, but wondering since they don't have backup lights will this be a problem?

https://www.amazon.com/Partsam-Trail...9FYTC1XV&psc=1

@Bob K what do you think?

Yellow is the standard wire color for backup lights in a 7-Way RV Standard wiring configuration.


I don't have reverse lights on my trailer and my yellow wire coming in the junction box from the 7-Way connector wasn't hooked to anything. Was yours?

[MrKABC]

Originally Posted by Bob K

Yellow is the standard wire color for backup lights in a 7-Way RV Standard wiring configuration.
Attachment 80431

I don't have reverse lights on my trailer and my yellow wire coming in the junction box from the 7-Way connector wasn't hooked to anything. Was yours?

My yellow wire was, I hooked it to another yellow wire that ran to the converter box. Now I wish I had paid more attention to what the yellow wire went to in the converter area - I vaguely remember a yellow wire but it was spaghetti back there. Now I need to go back my TV up and plug it in to see if there are any backup lights or not.

UPDATE: It turns out that according to this diagram the yellow wire is for "left turn" and a PURPLE wire is for backup. I don't remember seeing a purple wire anywhere. Interesting. Still need to hook up my TV and test.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

My yellow wire was, I hooked it to another yellow wire that ran to the converter box. Now I wish I had paid more attention to what the yellow wire went to in the converter area - I vaguely remember a yellow wire but it was spaghetti back there. Now I need to go back my TV up and plug it in to see if there are any backup lights or not.

UPDATE: It turns out that according to this diagram the yellow wire is for "left turn" and a PURPLE wire is for backup. I don't remember seeing a purple wire anywhere. Interesting. Still need to hook up my TV and test.

As you can see from the wiring schematic I posted, there are at least 3 different ways to wire that 7-way plug depending on the application. I'm presuming Jayco used the "7-Way RV Standard" with your trailer like mine, but I suppose getting back into the new Pollack junction box would say for certain.

[MrKABC]

Originally Posted by Bob K

As you can see from the wiring schematic I posted, there are at least 3 different ways to wire that 7-way plug depending on the application. I'm presuming Jayco used the "7-Way RV Standard" with your trailer like mine, but I suppose getting back into the new Pollack junction box would say for certain.

There's no cure for the summertime blues is there!

I think I will pull the taillight and see what is wired up there. That should settle it right?

Oddly enough, I can't find any Command or any other brand name that looks identical to my lights. Weird.

[MrKABC]

It DOES have reverse lights!

I haven't seen lights like these anywhere. Bob, do your Partsam lights have a backup light wire?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by MrKABC

It DOES have reverse lights!

I haven't seen lights like these anywhere. Bob, do your Partsam lights have a backup light wire?

No, they don't have the reverse light function.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0816FKS3D

[Bob K]

I'm not impressed with the 3500lb springs I installed from eTrailer. On the first trip with the new springs, I noticed how much they were sagging and I was pretty confident that the axle was regularly slamming into the bump stops.

When I first installed them, spring travel looked good.



However, after about 1,000 miles, they were sagging quite a bit.


I installed 4000lb 3-leaf springs (2000lb) each.
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Lea...SP-220275.html



Did I get a bad set of 3500lb springs? Maybe. Have I weighed the trailer? Nope. These things, when wet, already run so close to the axle weight rating. I think with a full freshwater tank, I have a mere 327lb of weight capacity remaining. Heck, that doesn't even count anything in the black and grey tanks.

I looked inside, realized we have pretty much the bare minimum of what we are going to take, and decided I wasn't going with less. I'm not worried about a 3500lb axle catastrophically failing if I'm a couple hundred pounds over. It still looks good, it still arches upward, I have no excess tire wear, and the bearings are fine.

After a couple thousand miles and some good flexing on 2-track roads in the mountains, they seem to be riding nicely. Anecdotally, stuff doesn't seem to be shifted around as much inside the RV after travel, and I see no indication that the axle is crashing into the bump stops.

I might do SumoSprings if this isn't a long term solution.

[Bob K]

I decided to install an exterior style garden hose water filter under the sink. Why?

• I was dissatisfied with the large size of standard interior filter systems. They were too big for my small trailer.
• The interior filter systems I saw didn't seem robust enough for a trailer that I regularly subject to dirt roads and offroad conditions.
• I want easy, quick replacement options while on the road instead of needing to worry about proprietary filter cartridges.
• It's convenient to have the same filters to fill the tank and to draw from it.

There isn't much room down there for a water filter system.


I needed two adapters to go from 3/4" garden hose thread (GHT) on the filter to 3/8" compression on the existing fittings.
https://www.amazon.com/ZKZX-Fitting-.../dp/B07SW968TV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RSPQPB2


A 30" supply line hose makes the connection from the existing trailer shutoff valve to the inlet side of the water filter. All of the parts are available at my Menard's and Lowe's as well as on Amazon.


I used one of those Nite Ize wrap thingies to hold the filter in place.


This setup will make it easy to change out the filter when necessary and to completely remove it from the trailer for winterization.