@@Kathacamping23 thank you! Could have done some things differently (hindsight’s 20/20 lol), but overall, I guess we got it fixed and back on track so that’s what matters! 😄
It seems like you should take that tire off of that axle and try to ratchet strap it forward after you loosen those U-boats a little bit. And then tighten the heck out of all your U-bolt axle holddowns if you think the alignment is good. Ratchet straps could help you here though
Hi! I just wanted to say I love how real your videos are. You don’t make it look like it is glamorous 24/7. You show the real side of traveling full time with an RV. Found your videos at the start of my Christmas break from work and have been binging the playlist “Watch from the beginning”. Keep up the awesome videos and being yourselves 😊
@@VernMitchell-s6n hitting the washout at speed played a huge part. A 3/8" bolt doesn't just sheer from loose u-bolts, the lateral force was the culprit. But I believe he did say he checked the others too.
First that is not a Brinkley issue or a you guys issue. That has happened to millions of trailers in the last few decades. That is not an uncommon problem the bolt shearing from an axle wrap. Even if you had checked the torque on your axle before you left it could have still sheared the center pin bolt. Just so you know the ubolts on an axle should be replaced if you need to work on them, they are a stretch to torque and you cannot get it back once it is stretched, so you did the right thing to replace them. Carry a grade 8 bolt the size of the center pin bolt and a few ubolts the correct size will fix many of the normal problems. Having a spring pack would be the icing on the cake. I think you did an awesome job on it and now you know you can do that if you run into problems again. Carry a ratchet strap to use to pull the axle into place if you need to, but as Craig did by pulling the tire he was able to just move the axle into place. You could have put a ratchet strap on at the side of the road and pulled the back axle into better position but otherwise you did great as a master tech. You guys are a great team together, most people never meet as good of a companion as you two are for each other. You had a expensive test but excelled on it, great job. Stay safe and healthy. If you need a place in Wisconsin to park you can set up at our farm, we are a ways from the Interstate but it is a beautiful drive.
yep. I would have tried cranking it forward into better alignment after seeingit also. The only thing that made me a bit nervous after the repair was not checking the boltson the other side. that kind of movement in anything that's not meant to move often stretches or bends some slack into other fasteners.
@@littlegoobie we mentioned it briefly, but we did check the torque of everything on both sides before leaving. They were all a little loose, so it was a good thing we did!
If you have a ratchet strap, I would put it around the first axle bracket wrap it around the axle then ratchet it in pull on that axle and put it back into alignment that would help you somewhat
There are 2 types of rv’ers. Those with starlink and calls someone for everything and people like you all that can fix anything. 👍🏽 Craig. Happy dance 💃 I’m getting starlink😂
That is hard luck, sorry guys. Glad everyone is safe. Just so you know you look just as beautiful without make-up as you do with. Wishing you smooth sailing going forward.☘
So impressed with your patience, positive attitude and certainly your skills. Great job! And we love your videos. (also eTrailer is the best) safe travels.
Thank you for the appreciation! It can definitely add an extra layer to a situation, but we’re always glad to be able share our experience with you guys after the fact 😄
Holy cow. To be 130 miles from anything and have that happen. Gosh that will test your metal, you two came through that test with flying colors. Stay safe, and hope no more surprises on the way home.
Thank the Lord Jesus, that you two younger people are able to do the crawl, under the truck, or the RV! I do love your grit today as I am 72 with back problems, but love to follow you youngsters over the road in your travels!
Thanks for sharing the video. I know when unexpected stresses happen, filming is the last thing on your mind. Thanks to both of you for being willing to share. Glad it was fixable. Craig, you are “the man”!!!
A length of chain with a chain binder is a great emergency tool. You could have chained the axle back into position for he drive to Whitehorse. But YOU MADE IT!
Bummer your troubles, ugh. Grand Design says to check the torque in the U-bolts regularly. I check them every 1,000 miles. OH, and I'm team flip flops! 🤪
yes!! we definitely should have been checking them. Admittedly, something we had not done, so I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier LOL. they are all getting checked regularly now!
I thought Craig would have been all over that roadside fix! Loosen the U-bolts then use a ratchet strap to pull the axle back forward and tighten it back down. Clearly needed a new spring, but getting it close to center would have made for a much easier drive to town.
Good thing I got to see your video, I'm in the process of putting my travel trailer axle under the leafsprings to turn it into a Jayco Baja, I think I better replace all the bolts for new ones, better safe than sorry Thanks for sharing.
Definitely! I feel like the bolts are an easy upgrade but you don’t always think about it (until you’re on the side of the road with a broken leaf spring lol). Glad you watched at the right time!
I'm so glad that it all worked out. The reason it did is that you two were prepared for most everything. That's the key. With 3 trucks, a boat, and the trailer all grades of disaster have happened in my 71 years. If we ever meet up ask about the deer carcass and the wrecker dolley from my work.
RV's today are assembled with close tolerance between empty weight and maximum load. It is challenging, if not impossible, to keep under what overloads the axels, let alone the frame. It would be a good idea to shore up the frame and add more appropriate axels and suspension before any long trip over rough terrain. As a senior RV tech, I've seen a lot of nightmares.
I'm impressed with your attitude on this. You both tackled a rough job that most would not have even tried and succeded with a job well done. I would get a new tire.
Agreed about Startlink! we were just south of Dease Lake on the Cassier when our transmission blew. We had to be towed 250 miles to Terrace BC, had to sit there for 35 days while we waited for a new transmission at the dealership. Who knows maybe you passed us on the way back to the states lol
I love you folks and your positive attitude and "go after it " mentally. You seem to have fun even facing trials. Thank you for sharing the "hard part" of RV life.. prayers for continued safe travels 🙏
Glad to be watching your crazy adventure. You guys never commented on how you think this happened. I'm thinking the vertical forces exerted on that center bold of the leaf spring pack was enough to snap the top part right out and after that the leaves were free to shift backward. What an ordeal!!!
Brinkley's supposedly put sumo springs on their 5th wheels now. You should look into getting some. Greatest upgrade I've done to my 5th wheel. It will add to your suspension and make pulling it feel so much smoother, plus it helps protect your leaf springs.
If you've got tools with you just loosen those u-bolts and then slide it back forward again that's what it sounds like it's wrong or check if the pin is came out of the leaf spring and then you can just put it back in
Take a tape measure and go from center of front axle to the center of the back axle and it should be the same distance on each side of the tv and that will tell you if your axles are straight
I’ve been up and down this highway soo many times… back in the day northern Canada was pretty much all gravel and frost heaves were absolutely terrible. I’ve learned quite a bit over the years traveling that road 😂
I'm 62, both of you young people just showed me how to keep a smile and believe you can figure it out. I'm sure some bad words would have been involved though. Plus you both look awesome, no need for make up for either of you. LOL
I’m impressed! This is why I watch your RV channel instead of buying a RV. We definitely are not mechanically inclined enough and possibly too old. I enjoy your adventures!
OMG I was stressed out with you being 200 miles from White Horse and that axle situation. Great job in keeping your cool and figuring out how to fix it and doing it covertly in the RV park. Don't think very many people could've pulled that off!
There are some fantastic campgrounds in the Yukon (actually all of BC) that are only $20CAD per night and are way nicer than a $47CAD per night. We stayed at the one on Watson Lake and it was lovely. Plus they always have free firewood! Just a tip for others planning their trip! Great job to both of you for keeping your cool and to Craig for his amazing work!
I recognize that RV Park. I changed a transmission in my truck there in June 2023 with the help of one of the park employees. We did it under the radar like you did. I was there for 14 days acquiring a transmission and parts. Good job on the repair. That center bolt had been broken for a while. You can tell because the broken end is rusted.
Nice you were able to help yourself. That is huge while rving. Having to have help come to you adds a layer of difficulty in an already difficult situation. Mitigated it pretty well. Great job. Score one for self reliance!
Oh my goodness! We had THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN to us while RVing to Grandby CO. With no cell signal, we had to leave our rig on the side of the road (in the mountains) & drive all the way back to Silverthorne to find a towing company that could accommodate a 30’ TT. Now that I see what you went through, our situation was definitely not as bad. Being stranded for a week in the middle of Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, & Vail…we still enjoyed ourselves! Mountain Recovery Towing let us stay in the tow yard & provided us with electricity while they helped with the repairs. Not the trip we dreamed of, but WE WEREN’T STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YUKON!!!
Wow I’m glad y’all got that resolved. It looked awful turned out not so bad. I’ve traveled that stretch 7 times with only 1 problem. Rock that was sharp enough to pierce the tire and made it flat.
Just had a similar issue with the back axle on my Rv drove over a 170 miles cause we were in the middle of nowhere. Mine is the back shackle that is welded to the frame. Split completely apart. It’s in camping world parking lot in Myrtle Beach SC.
It is always good to have someone that knows how to fix things. My husband has had to do so much with our trailer in the last few years. This year we were in ID and our axle broke for the second time. But this time he had a guy that had a welding machine and listen to my husband on how it needed to be fix this time The last place would not do it the way it needed to be done, so it did not last the bumps in the roads Great job Craig
I used to see this occasionally on the old 70's Chevy nova's. the pin would shear and the axle would shift. The rear end of the car would be a foot to one side as it traveled down the road. Well Done, fixing it on the road.
Had a leaf spring snap on our G3500 near Beaver Creek last month. We’ve been up and down the AlCan so many times we always carry spare parts now, including the leaf spring I had to change. Great job Craig!
My word of the Day was Situation, then I pull up your Video and there it was, we have a situation !! Craig driving like Fred Flintstone again. I feel for ya.... Life happens.
Victoria,first of all i seen you without make up,so what its called life😊we are who we are,thank God Craig is handy with fixing things,hope an pray the rest of your trip is good🙏💯
Wow. Lucky you got there before it got worse. Hope you got to NC for your sisters baby. And hope they made it thru the storm ok. We live on east coast of Florida so we were lucky. Sad for all the people that had trouble with the storm.
On our Alaska trip this summer, we carried an extra set of leaf springs, bushings and bearings. Also a come along, ratchet straps and a heavy duty jack. Plus of course all the tools needed to change everything. Luckily the only repair we had on our 5th wheel was a sewer hose bracket that we fixed using zip ties!
I know that feeling of being broke down in the middle of nowhere without cell coverage. Had a similar issue happen to us 3 times in Baja Mexico last spring. Had to cobble "new" leaf springs together from junk yards. Axel was bent, spring hangers torn off, tires worn out. While the supply chain for RV parts in Mexico isn't very good and there is the language barrier as we aren't fluent in Spanish, the local mechanics were super helpful and resouceful. .Limped the RV back750 miles to Phoenix where it's been in the shop since April for a full axel and suspension replacement. Shop says it will ready for me next week. The plan is to take it to Florida this winter then on the Alaska next summer. Will definitely get some of the replacement parts from you list on ETrailer. I've learned that suspecsion parts and tire sizes for these heavy 5th wheels trailers are not easy to come by in remote areas.
Been there, done that!! Ruined two tires and a wheel going up, and and coming home, we broke a spring hanger. Traveled over 200 miles, in two days, at 40mph. Had that fixed in Ft Nelson. Awesome people that helped us there. I’m guessing you have made it back to lower 48 by now.
Great work Craig. Being able to handle that on your own is such a lifesaver and $$$ saver. I had a ford truck that did the exact same thing when that center pin failed. Great job!
Well I was super impressed with how you handled that leaf spring. Not sure, nope pretty sure i would not have been able to! Enjoyed the video. Oh love Maverick! We used to have a black/white tri Aussie.
Great job, guys. This is one of the reasons we watch you! We got a call from Brinkley Friday night. They were just checking in on us since we got ours (like, what? Brinkley is really impressive) We told them you 2 were kind of instrumental in our decision to get a Brinkley (they know you!) and that you should be official ambassadors!
Just back from 8.5k mile tripin my travel trailer to Yukon, NWT and Alasks including Dempster, Top of World and TransLab highways. Managed to break one leaf in the left side spring 20 miles east of Chicken. Broke behind the axle so, axle only slightly askew and trailer was listing. Limped into Chicken, removed borken spring from my Jayco 154BH and drove 5 hours to Fairbanks where White Spruce Trailer Sales had a replacement in stock. I bought two, because unbroken side was flattened after 105k miles since 2020. That includes three Dempsters, one Deadhorse and others. Over 5ks of gravel but leafspring break is my first mechanical fail. My highlights were first clear day at Denali NP after five prior visits and air tour from Skagway to Glacier Bay. Looking carefully at the "No Camping" sign at that rest area, I saw those too and think it only restricts soft sided camping because of bears. Like your reporting. My rig weighs only 3000lb wet, only 20' long. Towing and parking a fifth wheel trailer must be challenging at times especially, when it is your home.
Craig you may want to retorque the bolts on the other side if you didn’t they could have been loosened also it may mess up in ya if you don’t, just a thought if you haven’t already done it! ✝️👀🏡🦌🦃🛻🏕️ ok now I heard you say you did it good!
This must have been so nerve wracking until you could get it all figured out. Hubby and I were getting excited about a possible trip to Alaska next year and looked at each other in the first part of the video, Jim said “And we want to go to Alaska?” It shook us just understanding the stress you were probably feeling. So glad it all worked out okay.
Very good job craig. You guys do work together very well. Impresed by your tools you brought on AK trip. I ALWAYS travel prepared as posible for most problems i can think of. Generator, air compressor, tools, belts, hoses, hose repair kits. ect. But not so much on spair large parts, like leaf springs. Again great job on repairs and filming it. That wasn't nothing right👊😉
We both are awesome and handled the situation very well. I have been full timing for 18 years. There will always be bumps in the road and I have learned that everything can be fixed. Yes sometimes it’s easier said than done, but in the end, it will all work out. Craig is one awesome handyman and a cutie patootie and you are beautiful without makeup. I have so enjoyed your videos. Safe travels, ❤️🙏
Well on the road to distruction in Alaska! Well, what were you two thinking! You know you have to have a large emergecy fund to travel in Alaska/Canada! At least you two are alive and safe! That is what is important you two! We will check in on your two traveling buddies down the road!
![Ultimate RV Trip to Laramie Wyoming [RV Living at its BEST]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IIXJfAvnBEs/mqdefault.jpg)
Way to handle a really stressful situation with logic and calm! 🙌
@@Kathacamping23 thank you! Could have done some things differently (hindsight’s 20/20 lol), but overall, I guess we got it fixed and back on track so that’s what matters! 😄
Yeah on camera!
Man, I would not have handled it like they did. I'd have looked like Yosemite Sam. Great job by them. Semper Fi.
It seems like you should take that tire off of that axle and try to ratchet strap it forward after you loosen those U-boats a little bit. And then tighten the heck out of all your U-bolt axle holddowns if you think the alignment is good. Ratchet straps could help you here though
@@PurpleMrMojo yes, good tip!
This is exactly what I was going to mention. Glad someone else thought of it as well.
Carry in your truck :
20 ft. 5/16” grade 70 chain
5/16” ratchet chain binder
1” and 2” ratchet straps
Complete hub assembly
Complete 1/2”drive Imperial and metric socket set .
I want to see the un-edited version. I can only imagine what it was like off camera!
Hi! I just wanted to say I love how real your videos are. You don’t make it look like it is glamorous 24/7. You show the real side of traveling full time with an RV. Found your videos at the start of my Christmas break from work and have been binging the playlist “Watch from the beginning”. Keep up the awesome videos and being yourselves 😊
Agree. Loose U-bolts is the cause of the center pin shearing off. Check the other u-bolts torque asap.
@@VernMitchell-s6n hitting the washout at speed played a huge part. A 3/8" bolt doesn't just sheer from loose u-bolts, the lateral force was the culprit. But I believe he did say he checked the others too.
First that is not a Brinkley issue or a you guys issue. That has happened to millions of trailers in the last few decades. That is not an uncommon problem the bolt shearing from an axle wrap. Even if you had checked the torque on your axle before you left it could have still sheared the center pin bolt. Just so you know the ubolts on an axle should be replaced if you need to work on them, they are a stretch to torque and you cannot get it back once it is stretched, so you did the right thing to replace them. Carry a grade 8 bolt the size of the center pin bolt and a few ubolts the correct size will fix many of the normal problems. Having a spring pack would be the icing on the cake. I think you did an awesome job on it and now you know you can do that if you run into problems again. Carry a ratchet strap to use to pull the axle into place if you need to, but as Craig did by pulling the tire he was able to just move the axle into place. You could have put a ratchet strap on at the side of the road and pulled the back axle into better position but otherwise you did great as a master tech. You guys are a great team together, most people never meet as good of a companion as you two are for each other. You had a expensive test but excelled on it, great job. Stay safe and healthy. If you need a place in Wisconsin to park you can set up at our farm, we are a ways from the Interstate but it is a beautiful drive.
This is all such great info, thank you for commenting!! Going to pin this!
yep. I would have tried cranking it forward into better alignment after seeingit also. The only thing that made me a bit nervous after the repair was not checking the boltson the other side. that kind of movement in anything that's not meant to move often stretches or bends some slack into other fasteners.
@@littlegoobie we mentioned it briefly, but we did check the torque of everything on both sides before leaving. They were all a little loose, so it was a good thing we did!
@@wildrvlifeWhat is the Torque spec on those U bolts?
Our Jayco NP 310 has Dexter Axles.
@@ceimo856 we should have took a screenshot when we looked it up, but if we’re remembering correctly, it was 90lbs for the u bolts
A new 3/8" center pin bolt and you can reassemble the original leaf spring pack for a spare.
If you have a ratchet strap, I would put it around the first axle bracket wrap it around the axle then ratchet it in pull on that axle and put it back into alignment that would help you somewhat
There are 2 types of rv’ers. Those with starlink and calls someone for everything and people like you all that can fix anything. 👍🏽 Craig. Happy dance 💃 I’m getting starlink😂
That is hard luck, sorry guys. Glad everyone is safe. Just so you know you look just as beautiful without make-up as you do with. Wishing you smooth sailing going forward.☘
So impressed with your patience, positive attitude and certainly your skills. Great job! And we love your videos. (also eTrailer is the best) safe travels.
I REALLY appreciate you guys taking the time and effort to film this for us!!
Thank you for the appreciation! It can definitely add an extra layer to a situation, but we’re always glad to be able share our experience with you guys after the fact 😄
Me too! I learned a lot about leaf springs. Barely knew anything before.
Holy cow. To be 130 miles from anything and have that happen. Gosh that will test your metal, you two came through that test with flying colors. Stay safe, and hope no more surprises on the way home.
Thank you!! There are definitely some longgg stretches there on the Alcan with nothing for many miles. It can be a little nerve wracking
Great job on the repair, Craig…been there done that and you made it look easy. Ya’ll might consider an episode on tools and spares to keep on hand.
Whitehorse looks awesome, perfect place to relax and change a leaf spring
We loved Whitehorse, when we went to Alaska in 2022. Such a unique town.
Thank the Lord Jesus, that you two younger people are able to do the crawl, under the truck, or the RV! I do love your grit today as I am 72 with back problems, but love to follow you youngsters over the road in your travels!
Get a life. I'm way older and still can do under the truck sh!t. Maybe you need to contact a funeral home.
It is so nice to see how well you two work together.
Thanks for sharing the video. I know when unexpected stresses happen, filming is the last thing on your mind. Thanks to both of you for being willing to share. Glad it was fixable. Craig, you are “the man”!!!
A length of chain with a chain binder is a great emergency tool. You could have chained the axle back into position for he drive to Whitehorse. But YOU MADE IT!
Good thing you are mechanically inclined to be able to fix these problems as you go! Good job!
Bummer your troubles, ugh. Grand Design says to check the torque in the U-bolts regularly. I check them every 1,000 miles. OH, and I'm team flip flops! 🤪
yes!! we definitely should have been checking them. Admittedly, something we had not done, so I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier LOL. they are all getting checked regularly now!
Dexter says to check the U bolts torque regularly. 90-120 lbs.
Great job changing that pack out on the road!
Safe travels from Chuck & Cheryl Imo
I thought Craig would have been all over that roadside fix! Loosen the U-bolts then use a ratchet strap to pull the axle back forward and tighten it back down. Clearly needed a new spring, but getting it close to center would have made for a much easier drive to town.
Oh man! I’m so sorry this happened!
White Horse looked awesome!
U bolts are usually 1 time use anyway. Glad it was damaged so you didn’t try to reuse it and have trouble later on.
Awesome video and repair. You are the ultimate RV couple. You can make your own repairs.
Craig did a wonderful job and Victoria is a terrific helper and cheerleader. Way to go, guys!
Ha. You guys are great. Makes me worried about buying a Brinkley now.
Good thing I got to see your video, I'm in the process of putting my travel trailer axle under the leafsprings to turn it into a Jayco Baja, I think I better replace all the bolts for new ones, better safe than sorry Thanks for sharing.
Definitely! I feel like the bolts are an easy upgrade but you don’t always think about it (until you’re on the side of the road with a broken leaf spring lol). Glad you watched at the right time!
25:00 shoulda asked the spring shop for a paint marker so you can mark your bolts
Victoria, you are simply gorgeous without make up! Ditch the face painting :)
I'm so glad that it all worked out.
The reason it did is that you two were prepared for most everything. That's the key.
With 3 trucks, a boat, and the trailer all grades of disaster have happened in my 71 years.
If we ever meet up ask about the deer carcass and the wrecker dolley from my work.
RV's today are assembled with close tolerance between empty weight and maximum load. It is challenging, if not impossible, to keep under what overloads the axels, let alone the frame. It would be a good idea to shore up the frame and add more appropriate axels and suspension before any long trip over rough terrain. As a senior RV tech, I've seen a lot of nightmares.
But the supplier of the Chinese made suspension said they were first quality.
I'm impressed with your attitude on this. You both tackled a rough job that most would not have even tried and succeded with a job well done. I would get a new tire.
Agreed about Startlink! we were just south of Dease Lake on the Cassier when our transmission blew. We had to be towed 250 miles to Terrace BC, had to sit there for 35 days while we waited for a new transmission at the dealership. Who knows maybe you passed us on the way back to the states lol
I love you folks and your positive attitude and "go after it " mentally. You seem to have fun even facing trials. Thank you for sharing the "hard part" of RV life.. prayers for continued safe travels 🙏
Been there and done that! I was at just about the same place and my 5th wheel frame split on both sides. Spent 2 days in Whitehorse welding my frame.
Look into Induction Bolt Heater which helps "loosen" nuts/bolts.
I have an awning if you are interested. I have a 1999 class c, e450. You are going to love your class c. I’m in NC as well. Congrats!!!
Glad to be watching your crazy adventure. You guys never commented on how you think this happened. I'm thinking the vertical forces exerted on that center bold of the leaf spring pack was enough to snap the top part right out and after that the leaves were free to shift backward. What an ordeal!!!
Brinkley's supposedly put sumo springs on their 5th wheels now. You should look into getting some. Greatest upgrade I've done to my 5th wheel. It will add to your suspension and make pulling it feel so much smoother, plus it helps protect your leaf springs.
We did the same on our Jayco
Craig did an incredible job! Happy Camping, yall 🏕
If you've got tools with you just loosen those u-bolts and then slide it back forward again that's what it sounds like it's wrong or check if the pin is came out of the leaf spring and then you can just put it back in
Take a tape measure and go from center of front axle to the center of the back axle and it should be the same distance on each side of the tv and that will tell you if your axles are straight
I’ve been up and down this highway soo many times… back in the day northern Canada was pretty much all gravel and frost heaves were absolutely terrible. I’ve learned quite a bit over the years traveling that road 😂
Going to have to retorc the ubolts
I'm 62, both of you young people just showed me how to keep a smile and believe you can figure it out. I'm sure some bad words would have been involved though. Plus you both look awesome, no need for make up for either of you. LOL
Glad you had a criag and the tools to do the job ❤
Having a Craig is the bestttt! 😄
I liked it how Criag kept it together with this episode. Great job in troubleshooting and repair.
Craig is a beast. I wouldn’t even attempt to do some of the repairs and maintenance tasks he performs.
I’m impressed! This is why I watch your RV channel instead of buying a RV. We definitely are not mechanically inclined enough and possibly too old. I enjoy your adventures!
OMG I was stressed out with you being 200 miles from White Horse and that axle situation. Great job in keeping your cool and figuring out how to fix it and doing it covertly in the RV park. Don't think very many people could've pulled that off!
Nice Save!
Awesome field repair!!! This is also a good time to remind everyone to check your U-bolt torque every year or 12,000 miles.
There are some fantastic campgrounds in the Yukon (actually all of BC) that are only $20CAD per night and are way nicer than a $47CAD per night. We stayed at the one on Watson Lake and it was lovely. Plus they always have free firewood! Just a tip for others planning their trip!
Great job to both of you for keeping your cool and to Craig for his amazing work!
I recognize that RV Park. I changed a transmission in my truck there in June 2023 with the help of one of the park employees. We did it under the radar like you did. I was there for 14 days acquiring a transmission and parts. Good job on the repair. That center bolt had been broken for a while. You can tell because the broken end is rusted.
Nice you were able to help yourself. That is huge while rving. Having to have help come to you adds a layer of difficulty in an already difficult situation. Mitigated it pretty well. Great job. Score one for self reliance!
I'm glad the leaf springs wasn't real serious and Craig got it taken care of he has a good supervisor watching over him y'all hang there 🙂
I'm impressed that you could do that "on the road". Both of you took it in stride & made it work. 👍👍👍🐾🐾🐾
Oh my goodness! We had THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN to us while RVing to Grandby CO. With no cell signal, we had to leave our rig on the side of the road (in the mountains) & drive all the way back to Silverthorne to find a towing company that could accommodate a 30’ TT. Now that I see what you went through, our situation was definitely not as bad. Being stranded for a week in the middle of Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, & Vail…we still enjoyed ourselves! Mountain Recovery Towing let us stay in the tow yard & provided us with electricity while they helped with the repairs. Not the trip we dreamed of, but WE WEREN’T STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YUKON!!!
Wow I’m glad y’all got that resolved. It looked awful turned out not so bad. I’ve traveled that stretch 7 times with only 1 problem. Rock that was sharp enough to pierce the tire and made it flat.
We bent our axles in Alaska a few weeks ago. Long story behind that.
Having replaced all our springs myself, I feel your pain.
Victoria, you look beautiful without makeup! Really admire your steadfastness in a really stressful situation. Craig is a magician! Great job.
Amen to that, you look 10 years younger without the makeup and you’re real young to begin with.
100% you are beautiful without makeup
Always carry in your truck :
1 ) 20ft. 5/16” grade 70 chain and ratchet binder .
2 ) Several quality 1” and 2” ratchet binding straps .
3 ) Complete 1/2” drive socket set , imperial and metric .
4 ) Complete hub assembly .
Happy Camping !
GOOD WORK ...Your man kept calm all the way
Add a 1/2" battery impact wrench to your tools.
Just had a similar issue with the back axle on my Rv drove over a 170 miles cause we were in the middle of nowhere. Mine is the back shackle that is welded to the frame. Split completely apart. It’s in camping world parking lot in Myrtle Beach SC.
You two are still cute without make up. Like your videos showing all the good stuff with the not so good stuff. Praying for you.
We had this years ago. We loosened the u-bolts, backed up until the axle was straightish then tightened the ubolts back up. It worked!
It is always good to have someone that knows how to fix things. My husband has had to do so much with our trailer in the last few years. This year we were in ID and our axle broke for the second time. But this time he had a guy that had a welding machine and listen to my husband on how it needed to be fix this time The last place would not do it the way it needed to be done, so it did not last the bumps in the roads Great job Craig
I used to see this occasionally on the old 70's Chevy nova's. the pin would shear and the axle would shift. The rear end of the car would be a foot to one side as it traveled down the road. Well Done, fixing it on the road.
Had a leaf spring snap on our G3500 near Beaver Creek last month. We’ve been up and down the AlCan so many times we always carry spare parts now, including the leaf spring I had to change. Great job Craig!
Craig, thank goodness you are so handy! Great job!
Your mechanical skills are so impressive Craig! And, both of you were so calm during this episode which could’ve been such a disaster!
My word of the Day was Situation, then I pull up your Video and there it was, we have a situation !! Craig driving like Fred Flintstone again. I feel for ya.... Life happens.
Hahaha, always an adventure that’s for sure!
Victoria,first of all i seen you without make up,so what its called life😊we are who we are,thank God Craig is handy with fixing things,hope an pray the rest of your trip is good🙏💯
Wow. Lucky you got there before it got worse. Hope you got to NC for your sisters baby. And hope they made it thru the storm ok. We live on east coast of Florida so we were lucky. Sad for all the people that had trouble with the storm.
Hope all is well with your families who live in North Carolina. Be safe and careful. God bless you all. Mary
Lucky it was raining. It lubed the tires just a little going down the road so it didn’t wear out.
On our Alaska trip this summer, we carried an extra set of leaf springs, bushings and bearings. Also a come along, ratchet straps and a heavy duty jack. Plus of course all the tools needed to change everything. Luckily the only repair we had on our 5th wheel was a sewer hose bracket that we fixed using zip ties!
This was quite a frustrating situation. You guys handled it very well! Glad you were able to get to a location you could fix it.- Jim & Michelle
I know that feeling of being broke down in the middle of nowhere without cell coverage. Had a similar issue happen to us 3 times in Baja Mexico last spring. Had to cobble "new" leaf springs together from junk yards. Axel was bent, spring hangers torn off, tires worn out. While the supply chain for RV parts in Mexico isn't very good and there is the language barrier as we aren't fluent in Spanish, the local mechanics were super helpful and resouceful. .Limped the RV back750 miles to Phoenix where it's been in the shop since April for a full axel and suspension replacement. Shop says it will ready for me next week. The plan is to take it to Florida this winter then on the Alaska next summer. Will definitely get some of the replacement parts from you list on ETrailer. I've learned that suspecsion parts and tire sizes for these heavy 5th wheels trailers are not easy to come by in remote areas.
What a great team you two are. Love sharing your experiences with you
Craig, what tools have you NOT used on this trip? You are RV handy👍👍👍
Been there, done that!! Ruined two tires and a wheel going up, and and coming home, we broke a spring hanger. Traveled over 200 miles, in two days, at 40mph. Had that fixed in Ft Nelson. Awesome people that helped us there. I’m guessing you have made it back to lower 48 by now.
Craig, you have an adorable wife. Really enjoy the videos. Very interesting and humorous.
Great work Craig. Being able to handle that on your own is such a lifesaver and $$$ saver. I had a ford truck that did the exact same thing when that center pin failed. Great job!
Well I was super impressed with how you handled that leaf spring. Not sure, nope pretty sure i would not have been able to! Enjoyed the video. Oh love Maverick! We used to have a black/white tri Aussie.
Great job, guys. This is one of the reasons we watch you! We got a call from Brinkley Friday night. They were just checking in on us since we got ours (like, what? Brinkley is really impressive) We told them you 2 were kind of instrumental in our decision to get a Brinkley (they know you!) and that you should be official ambassadors!
Love when asked, “how many miles are we going to do today?” 4 1/2 hours 😂😂😂 That’s us too. We travel in hours these days not miles😊
Just back from 8.5k mile tripin my travel trailer to Yukon, NWT and Alasks including Dempster, Top of World and TransLab highways. Managed to break one leaf in the left side spring 20 miles east of Chicken. Broke behind the axle so, axle only slightly askew and trailer was listing. Limped into Chicken, removed borken spring from my Jayco 154BH and drove 5 hours to Fairbanks where White Spruce Trailer Sales had a replacement in stock. I bought two, because unbroken side was flattened after 105k miles since 2020. That includes three Dempsters, one Deadhorse and others. Over 5ks of gravel but leafspring break is my first mechanical fail.
My highlights were first clear day at Denali NP after five prior visits and air tour from Skagway to Glacier Bay.
Looking carefully at the "No Camping" sign at that rest area, I saw those too and think it only restricts soft sided camping because of bears.
Like your reporting. My rig weighs only 3000lb wet, only 20' long. Towing and parking a fifth wheel trailer must be challenging at times especially, when it is your home.
Craig you may want to retorque the bolts on the other side if you didn’t they could have been loosened also it may mess up in ya if you don’t, just a thought if you haven’t already done it! ✝️👀🏡🦌🦃🛻🏕️ ok now I heard you say you did it good!
haha great minds! Thanks for watching!
This must have been so nerve wracking until you could get it all figured out. Hubby and I were getting excited about a possible trip to Alaska next year and looked at each other in the first part of the video, Jim said “And we want to go to Alaska?” It shook us just understanding the stress you were probably feeling. So glad it all worked out okay.
Very good job craig. You guys do work together very well. Impresed by your tools you brought on AK trip. I ALWAYS travel prepared as posible for most problems i can think of. Generator, air compressor, tools, belts, hoses, hose repair kits. ect. But not so much on spair large parts, like leaf springs. Again great job on repairs and filming it. That wasn't nothing right👊😉
We both are awesome and handled the situation very well. I have been full timing for 18 years. There will always be bumps in the road and I have learned that everything can be fixed. Yes sometimes it’s easier said than done, but in the end, it will all work out. Craig is one awesome handyman and a cutie patootie and you are beautiful without makeup. I have so enjoyed your videos. Safe travels, ❤️🙏
Well on the road to distruction in Alaska! Well, what were you two thinking! You know you have to have a large emergecy fund to travel in Alaska/Canada! At least you two are alive and safe! That is what is important you two! We will check in on your two traveling buddies down the road!
Great job on the axle fix, great video the music when Victoria was describing the situation was perfect. Thanks for the Alaska list.
Very nice! Im always amazed at Craig's ability to fix anything!!! Grateful you are safe after that
The center pin holds the spring pack together and also holds axle in place. Denis from Santa Rosa Ca
Its great that you could repair the broken leaf spring yourself. Victoria you are so beautiful
May want to add some red lock tight/ thread locker to the list of must haves. Comes in handy .