Monday, June 1, 2015

Breaking (and braking) it all down...

The most daunting task facing me these days is figuring out where to start.  Limitless funds or fully frugal, what to do when still has to guide a project.  So pulling back from the fun world of solar panel and composting toilet choices, I need to focus on pairing the trailer and truck for towing.  Then what do I need to park it when we stop.

First.  No matter how carefully I worked thru Towing 101, if the hitch and tongue don't match up, you're not going anywhere.  The current tongue jack, and the blocking under it, can't bring the tongue to the height I need to set it on the ball of the hitch.  And since it is a weight distributing hitch, that also means I won't be able to fit in the spring bars and connect them to the tongue.  The second thing is not so much of a problem, since the trailer isn't currently loaded, but it will be soon.

And as I stood there contemplating what to do next, looking around at the other trailers hoping for a clue to resolving this dilemma, I realized I have none of the normal equipment used once I got it to where I was taking it.  Pieces of 2x4's are not good wheel blocks, the jacks needed to level the trailer are missing important pieces, nor do I have any of the necessary hoses or plugs to connect up.  I have the adapter plug for the wiring from trailer to tow vehicle, but not sure about the trailer brakes. Um, do I HAVE trailer brakes?  What kind of hose do I need for the sewer connection?  Oh.  The bathroom needs water first.  What kind of .....

No.  Wait.  Back up.  The only  brakes I need to use are the ones in my mind.   Today's problem is how do I get the block changed under the tongue jack so I can raise the tongue up high enough to fit over the hitch ball.  Then I can move on to the other questions...

And spend a minute thanking all those people who took care of this stuff for me in the past, when I didn't even know to thank them!

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