18 Jun 2022 - NSTR Last Day at Out-Back RV Park

18 Jun

 Nothing huge today and nothing significant to report.  We decided with the heat and all not to venture back into Tulsa today. We did some housekeeping and then headed into the small town north of here called Pryor.  There we restocked a few groceries at Walmart and refueled the truck in preparation for our journey tomorrow to Mustang OK near SW Oklahoma City.  

The temperature kept rising until it topped out at 97F with a heat index peaking out at 107F.  I was due to lubricate the trailer suspension so that was on the plate for this afternoon.  The maintenance never ends.  The following is probably a lot more about trailer suspension than your really need to know! 

There are two 7000 lb axles on our Alliance coach.  Each Axle has two sets of leaf springs.  Each end of the leaf sping is equipped with a shackle that connects the leaf sring with the frame.  Inside the eye of the spring is a bronze bushing.  The whole thing is held together with a "wet bolt" which is a harded mounting bolt that is hollow.  In the center of the bolt is a hole and on the head end of the bolt is a grease zerk.  Grease is pumped into the zerk.  It travels down the center of the bolt and exits the hole, lubricating the bronze bushing.  Sounds complicated but it is really simple.  The key to maintaining the suspension is keeping them lubricated (greased) and inspecting them periodically.   I do this more frequently than is recommended.

One side view - Two axles, four leaf springs, eight shackles

Shackle with two wet bolts and two bronze bushings

So we climbed under the slideouts and pump grease into all 10 wet bolt with a grease gun and gave everything a good visual inspection while we were under there.  Also very important so that if something looks different on down the road you are more apt to notice it.

We also completed the normal "day-before-we-depart"  tasks such as dumping and flushing sewer tanks, stowing flush hose, sewer hose and support device, etc.

Tomorrow morning we will depart and drive a short 158'ish miles down to the Mustang Run RV Park on the outskirts of Oklahoma City.  Next report from there!