A. Preventative Maintenance

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1990 Serro Scotty 265

Preventative Maintenance

The first part of my restoration process is to make sure the trailer is in safe working order. That includes new wheel bearings, add a spare tire and trailer lighting repairs as needed. I hate having problems with any of my trailers while out on the road. It is much easier to do the maintenance at home than on the side of a road.

I do not know how many miles are on the existing bearings. So, I ordered new wheel bearings, races and seals from e-trailer.com. First I took off one of the hubs to measure the hub and axle to make sure I ordered the correct parts. The ones I ordered are the BK2-100 Bearing Kit for @84 spindle, L44649/L68149 bearings and 10-19 double lip seals.

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I pressed all the new races and seals in instead of using a hammer like would be necessary if I was on the road. I also put anti-seize on the studs to prevent lug nuts from rusting onto the studs.

I also measured the brakes so when the time comes I can order the correct ones.

I will wait to replace the brakes if they do not work properly. But for now they are staying.

The brake lights were not working properly but after cleaning the fixtures and replacing the bulbs they are working. One of the lenses had a broken piece. I was able to glue it back with some CA glue.

All the clearance and side marker light fixtures have silicone on them and are very brittle.

I will be replacing all of them and resealing them properly with butyl tape.

I also ordered some clip on style safety chain hooks. They keep the chains from coming loose and dragging on the pavement. They are a must on all my trailers.

The battery was not mounted to the trailer and was not in a battery box. I had a battery box and installed it with a ratchet strap for now. The old battery is toast. I plan to get a new Duracell AGM deep cycle battery from Sam's Club soon to replace it. It is an important safety requirement since the breakaway brake system will not operate without 12v to power them.

The breakaway switch would still work, but the lanyard was missing. I just ordered and installed a complete new switch.

The trailer lights connector was pretty worn, so I installed a new one.

There was only one propane bottle and the rack needed some attention. The regulator was new but only had one screw holding it to the bracket. I removed the rack, repainted it and fixed the regulator to the bracket with four screws. Then I added another propane tank so the bracket can tighten properly to keep them tied down.

There was only one propane bottle connector and it was the old style. I could not get it to quit leaking at the bottle when I tried out the gas to the oven. I ordered two new style 12" pigtails and will install them when they arrive.

The hitch came with the camper. It is a really nice hitch. The camper pulls great with it. I added some zip-ties to the fourth chain link to remind me which link to set when I install it next time.

I like to have a spare tire to use in an emergency but there was no spare tire rack. I bought one from etrailer.com and installed it on the rear bumper. I already had an old trailer tire that can serve as a spare.

Now it is time to put her in her space under my pole barn. Once there, I can begin to address the roof and any other possible water issues.

08/15/2017