After leaving the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, we were scheduled to head back to Tucumcari. But about halfway there, we had a high temperature warning on our tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS):

We stopped at the next opportunity, and waited a while to let it cool down, then we continued. But it got high again, so we pulled off at the next rest area:

Even after parking, the temperature continued to rise into the danger zone, which indicated a serious issue:

So we contacted our preferred roadside assistance company, Coach-Net. We initially thought it might be a tire needing replacement, so were going to get Coach-Net to bring us a replacement (or two, since really should replace both front tires). An expensive prospect, with these large tires costing about a grand each.

But on further research we concluded it was more likely a brake issue. Coach-Net sent out a mobile truck repair tech to investigate:

He pulled off the tire, and looked at the brake. He couldn’t get the wheel to turn; he determined that the brake had seized up:

He wasn’t able to free up the brake (perhaps lacking the experience or tools). It was a Saturday, so we had to wait at the rest area for two nights until Monday before we could get towed to a truck repair shop. Finally, a heavy-duty tow truck arrived:

And lifted our front tires, which is the second-best way to tow our coach, since we have independent front suspension (the best way is to put it on a low-boy trailer, which wasn’t feasible since the wheel wouldn’t turn):

The drive shaft was removed, so the rear wheels would freely turn:

Also, the mudflap was held up, so wouldn’t scrape on the road:

We arrived safely at the truck repair shop (see a subsequent post for more details and photos of the towing adventure):

The techs at West Truck Services Center in Moriarty, New Mexico got to work. They were able to free up the stuck brake (something the first tech and tow driver couldn’t manage), so we would be able to move the coach into the shop:

They also restored the drive shaft:

In the shop, we put blocks under the hydraulic jacks on the passenger side, to lift up that side, plus a jack under the wheel frame to lift the tire off the ground:

They then were able to remove the tire:

The brake disk was rather scuffed:

The jack:

They determined that the issue was that the lower brake piston was protruding too much:

They were able to get replacement parts overnighted, and spent the next day rebuilding the brake, including smoothing out the disk:

They worked late to get us finished up, then we were able to get back on the road. (Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of them reassembling the brake.)

So we spent two nights at the rest stop waiting for a tow (due to the weekend), then two nights at the repair shop while they diagnosed and fixed the brake. Not too bad.

Stay tuned for more posts on our two unexpected stays, the towing experience, and a night drive after the repair was complete.

It’s said that an RV is a rolling earthquake, as things bounce around while driving down the road. Every time we open the fridge for the first time after (or during) a drive, we are careful to do so slowly, in case anything fell, like this occasion:

Heavy stuff like that OJ and wine landing on the cover of the bottom drawer in the fridge cracked it down the middle:

I temporarily patched it with glue:

But that obviously wasn’t a very satisfactory solution. Fortunately, I was able to find the replacement part on Amazon:

Which was trivial to swap out:

Much better!

The lift motor housing broke on the vent in our rear bathroom, so I replaced it.

Here’s the vent, with the decorative wooden cover open:

The broken housing:

I ordered a new motor from Amazon (cheaper than from the Tiffin parts store, though availability may be spotty):

Removing the old motor:

Above that, the lift mechanism, which had become detached (causing the breakage):

The motor just plugs in to a couple of connectors:

The new motor and housing in place, after re-mounting the lift mechanism:

All better:

An easy fix, and as a bonus, it’s quieter now when opening and closing the vent.

An easy and necessary maintenance item for our coach is to replace the windshield wiper blades on occasion.

Our 2017 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40SP motorhome takes a pair of 40-inch frame- or saddle-style blades. I previously ordered some from etrailer.com, but most recently got some from Amazon.

New and old blades:

They are each attached to their arm via a bolt; I have the bolt inserted from the top, so even if the nut comes off, the bolt won’t fall out:

Mounting nut:

The new blades installed (with one obscured by a Magne-Shade cover):

Easy!

When we park our coach on an unlevel site, typically high in the back, our front hydraulic jacks sometimes can’t cope, so we need to add extra blocks between the jacks and jack pad:

To help with that, I purchased a couple of SnapPads, just for the front jacks. We can’t get them for the back jacks, as the jacks are too close to the rear wheels. SnapPads are permanently-attached pads that expand the footprint of the jack a little, and add an extra inch of height, so I hoped that’d help with unlevel sites.

(If you’re in the market for them, you can save 10% off SnapPads with the discount code: DAVID08638.)

Here’s a SnapPad before installation:

It’s simple to install a SnapPad; just squirt a little dish soap around the inner rim, to make it easier to get it on, then line it up below the jack, and lower the jack into place (it helps to have two people, one to control the jack, one to tweak the alignment. Here’s a SnapPad after attaching and lifting up a bit:

Two SnapPads:

Retracted jacks (fun fact: that big box between the jacks is our 150 gallon fuel tank):

The jacks on top of my usual jack pads, which I use on all surfaces other than concrete:

A nice addition.