Blowhole at the waterfront of Xcaret Park near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Toluca on December 24th!

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Brake problem diagnosed!

I spent some time yesterday morning crawling around underneath Sherman trying to diagnose his brake problem, and sure enough I spotted the cause.

The brake line running along the side of the frame rail has developed a little pinhole leak.

It's at a section that looks a little rusty, but brake lines can also rust from the inside out if any moisture gets into the line. And with a possible 1,000 psi of pressure when you hit the brakes hard (as I did the day before!) it was just enough to blow a little hole through the line.

Garry (the owner here at Rancho Altarose RV Park) called a local mechanic that he knows and the guy is coming out this morning at 9:00am to see what he can do. If I had the right tools, I could fix it myself. But I don't, and mechanical work in Mexico is pretty cheap compared to the rest of North America. So we'll see what happens shortly.

We were supposed to go into Puerto Vallarta this morning to have lunch with friends, but I've come down with some sort of a stomach bug. Hopefully it's the 24 hour variety and all will be better tomorrow! So we'll just hang around here today. Lots to do to keep busy, and if we don't feel like keeping busy, we have lots of books to read.

Really enjoying just being back and doing our thing with the motorhome. :-) Not ready to get going yet. We'll play it by ear, and one day we'll just say "we're moving on down the road"!

Can you see Sherman hiding in the trees? Lots of shade, but we still get some sun on the solar panels.

Lots of big trees and greenery.

Other than the big tree on the left, this was just a corn field when they moved here 10 years ago.

Oh, and apparently we're world famous. A Canadian senior's magazine called "Forever Young" asked to write a story about us, and how we came to be where we're at. Our facebook fans have already seen it, but now that they've corrected a few errors it's even better. Even has the right photo of us now!


And, amazon.com is back with this fantastic deal on a quality pair of binoculars, We advertised this deal once before and a couple of you took advantage, but this time I think the price is even better!





16 comments:

  1. Glad to hear the brake job will soon be taken care of. Take care of yourself as well!

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    Replies
    1. Brakes have been looked after and Kevin is feeling better, not perfect but definitely better, thanks Dianne.

      Delete
  2. Anytime I hear "stomach bug" I immediately think "food poisoning". But hey, that's only a guess.
    It's been a long time since I've had to replace a brake line, and the last time was right outside here in the driveway. The replacement sometimes isn't so much the issue (especially if there's an aftermarket line available) but it helps to have a second body to pump the pedal to bleed out the air. I think I'm preaching to the converter however.
    Good luck.

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    Replies
    1. Nope, don't believe it was food poisoning, I ate the same thing as he did and I am fine. Whatever it was has been getting better throughout the day. Hoping that he will feel much better by tomorrow morning.

      The brakes are fixed, Kevin will give you more details in tomorrow's post.

      Delete
  3. Hope you are feeling better soon Kevin

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    1. Thanks Helen, he has been improving throughout the day.

      Delete
  4. You might want to flush your brake lines and install new fluid, just in case you have gotten moisture into the system. I do that every two years on my car, motorhome has air brakes.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Paul but the problem was a small pinhole in the line. It has been fixed now so hopefully everything is good to go.

      Delete
  5. Love all the trees around Sherman! I'm just back from two weeks in California visiting relatives in Palm Springs, Hemet, Orange, and Newport Beach areas. Living in PA, we are surrounded by mountains of trees. It was interesting to see the difference in the desert areas out there. This country sure is beautiful though no matter where one travels. Feel better soon, Kev!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We love the trees around us too! Actually we are parked on the far side of the trees so we get the morning sun and the afternoon shade, plus a beautiful view.

      We agree, the west is so different from the east but we love them both.

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  6. Great that you got the brake problem diagnosed and fixed, relax a while catch your breath then roll on down the road.

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    1. That is exactly what we are doing George, and loving it!

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  7. That looks like the absolute perfect site. Gorgeous trees AND solar sun. Nice place to recuperate Kevin. You do a great job of not getting sick on your travels but only back where Sherman can take good care of you. Glad to hear the brakes are back to normal.

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    Replies
    1. Our view out the of side window is beautiful!

      Luckily we are rarely ever sick and yes, if it was going to happen it is nice to be in your own home.

      Delete

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