Trailer and Power Generator

you

only

far:

That would be 2 weeks for me.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

Except that time and environment also have their effect on the bearings. As a result of this thread, I got to thinking that my trailer was perhaps ten years old and perhaps it was time to repack the bearings. (I doubt if it has more than 2 or 3 hundred miles on it). Even after repacking, I found one of the bearings felt rough enough to need replacement. That trailer is part of my evacuation plan (I live in hurricane country) so I now have a complete grease-packed spare hub. I plan to go "all out" & install a spindle on the trailer's frame to hold the spare tire and hub all together. The hub and spindle will serve as my spare tire mount. You will actually be able to rotate the spare on the bearing!

Vaughn

=A0As a

years

more

the

f my

the

nd

o rotate

Pretty impressive to have a spare hub as well. My trailer sits in the garage. But if you're in hurricane country, you likely have salty airas well, certainly appropriate to protect the moving parts, and to have spares.

It's likely your spare hub will die along with those in use. It'll be exposed to the same elements, spare may roll in the slipstream, seal will be compressed on spindle, etc. I'd seal up the spare hub somehow, maybe plastic cups over ends and stored in waterproof box.

Can you evacuate ahead of time? Sometimes they don't let trailers on the road when it's down to crunch time. If you're retired, then that's not a problem as long as you don't mind evacuations. It's also a hell of a lot easier to evacuate a day or two before crush. I once spent 12 hours driving 120 miles. Drank a twelve pack of cokes, smoked a half dozen cigars. For a good chunk of the trip, there were cars in both lanes (2 lane road), both shoulders, and some in the ditches.

Pete Keillor

Sometimes it can be good for the spare to roll. If bearings are in one position for a long time and there is vibration if them, they can flatten out. At work we have had spare motors that used to sit for months and not be used, then when started the bearings failed. They had flattened out. The motors now get rotated on a schedule.

Thoes are all good thoughts! The bearings and seals are dirt cheap online. My thought is to just rebuild all three hubs every few years.

That is my plan but...

Yep! I hope to evacuate a day ahead of everybody else. I am retired so tht simplifies things. I have a 91-year-old father and his wife who will need to be persuaded to accompany us. That complicates things! I have never heard of trailers being excluded, or of Florida having enough police in enough places to enforce such a ban.

I have heard stories far worse. I knew folks who just gave up and drove back home to face the hurricane. I am expecting no gas (or anything else) to be available inside Florida, so the trailer will carry luggage, food, water, & fuel.

Where does one pee when you are stuck in endless bumper-to-bumper traffic? (Note to self: Include one empty wide-mouth juice bottle in evac kit.)

Yep, leaving early sounds better and better!

Thanks for the thoughts

Vaughn

On a long trip last summer with a men's soccer team, one of the players in the back had to pee but didn't want to slow us down, so he used an empty Gatorade bottle. He nearly filled it. (There was a lot joking in the back about putting the bottle back in the case with the unopened ones)

be

It sounds like something worth investigating.

I was kinda wondering what you folks were bugging out with that would require a trailer. I'm a couple of hundred miles from the coast so if I even thought I'd have to leave I hadn't considering leaving with anything but some clothes and perhaps the cats. ;-) You got me thinking, though. Maybe I'd take the truck instead of the car, but that makes traveling with the cats a bit more problem. Maybe both, and let SWMBO take the cats. ;-)

How do you store enough fuel to make it worthwhile, safely? A 5-gal can is easy, but that's not a lot.

I hope you don't have to evacuate (NPI) with any women folk.

My plan, even here in Alabama. Screw work, though they're so chicken they close on the slightest forecast of snow. We got some of Gustov and Ike shortly after I got here in '08, but other than rain (and washing out our retaining wall - before it was mine) they were a big nothing.

be

This was in Texas, for Hurricane Allen in 1980. It turned out to be a non-event on the upper Texas coast, but that was the first satellite high res shot of a very symmetrical hurricane, and it rattled everybody.

Just don't mix up the cans...

You have a truck..and you ask that?????

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

Certainly. Even small trucks, like mine, drink the stuff. If it's available when the evacuation occurs I wouldn't need to take any. If it's not, I'm not evacuating. Again, how do you store a worthwhile amount of fuel safely?

I have MULTIPLE 5gal steel military gas cans that go into the back of the vehicle when I head somewhere that may be short on fuel.

My bugout vehicles have racks for MULTIPLE gas cans. Not the red plastic pieces of crap..but the real deal steel cans.

As I inquired...you have a truck and you cant emplace more than (1) 5 gallon of gas?????

My bugout trailer also has a 25 gallon fuel tank mounted on it with an electric pump and hose that may be connected.

I can (and have) left on a run, with 50 gallons of fuel tucked safely away in combination with the trailer and cans.

Since I also bring a genny, Coleman lanterns and stoves etc etc..having enough fuel to power everything for multiple weeks is rather criticle to me.

Each of my 3 gasoline powered welding machines also have at minimum..(2)

I was just shocked by you loading only 5 gallons of fuel and posting in a fretful fashion.

Btw...there are still zillions of actual GI issue cans floating around. Some in good shape, some not worth using. If you are handy...you can rebuild an old can easily and for very little money.

There are also NATO fuel cans available.

Id suggest settling on one or the other style as parts may not interchange..IE the pouring spouts.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

Where do you store them? Remember, the only reason to have gas cans is that gas may not be available when you have to bug out. That means storing them full, and all that goes with it. Were gas available, all you need is money. A

require

thought

clothes

I store the trailer cans..on the trailer (my property is well fenced and I have dogs) and the loose cans are stored in an outbuilding. Most are kept full, and every couple months, Ill dump 2 cans into the vehicles, schlep them down and refill them, and place them in the B rack. This ensures that none go too stale (I also drop a bit of Stabil in each can when I fill them) and that I have gas on hand.

I learned long ago,...that emergencies of most types..dont give you any warning signs..and some are so sudden..any other sources of gasoline may be destroyed/disrupted at the onset.

I was one of the 9000 victims of the Coalinga Earthquake in 83....and other "fun" stuff. I live in California...

Did I mention that all the gas stations were DOWN for a radius of 10 miles?

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

require

thought

clothes

the

My point was that not everyone has a place to store significant quantities of gas safely. It's not nice stuff to store, in comparison with diesel, for instance.

Again, my point.

I generally keep enough gas in my vehicles to make 10 miles. ;-)

No argument here. Take Slowman, please!

So instead of storing 10-20 gallons in steel airtight cans in your garage or outside under cover..you keep a plastic 5 gallon can.

Well..if it works for you..go for it.

So you store 5 gallons instead of a suitable amount.

So what happens if the outage is more than 10 miles?

Btw...there was (1) gas station in that 10 mile range. The next closet one was 32 miles.

Hope you got enough range to make it to your closest functioning gas station when your power is out due to a major distribution outage.

And there arent 100,000 people between it..and you...and the roads are passible.

And you have cash. Because most of the ATM and card readers may be out.

Shrug.

Its your life. Do what you will with it.

As for me...one of my long time hangouts, is misc.survivalism.

Both as a teacher and a student.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

RE/

Based on experience, I wouldn't store even *one* gallon of gasoline in my garage or anywhere else even close to my house.

You have a fire or something and "Boom"....

Also, don't knock plastic: at least it doesn't rust.

Once I found a two-gallon steel can that had rusted out in the bottom and allowed it's entire contents to dribble out onto the floor.

Then you dont store your vehicle in your garage either. Right?

True indeed. And sometimes when you drop one, they dont split open. On the other hand..sometimes they do. And if you leave them out in the sun for any apprciable amount of time..they go white, then get fragile..really fragile. Which I found out about about 15 yrs ago when I had my liquids stocks partially in plastic cans. Fortunately the ones that fell apart held only high sulpher cutting oils. Which while making a hell of a mess..didnt have the capability of exploding into flames.

I once had a VW that had rusted out the floor in the rear passenger compartment.

This was the result of piss poor prior planning by prior possessers

You guys do what you wish. It is after all...YOUR problem to handle as best as you can.

As for me...shrug..Ill simply continue to offer Suggestions, which you are free to take, or not. Your life, not mine.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid. Gunner Asch

Just a few NOTES here:

1. Gasoline does NOT cause Rust in Steel Cans. It is the Water than get in the Gas, and then separates out and sinks to the bottom, that causes rust in Steel Cans.

1. If you SEAL the Steel containers, then no water will get in, and it will NOT cause any rust to form inside the SEALED container.

2. If you want Gasoline with NO Ethanol in it, go out to your local Airport and buy some 80/87 Low Lead Aviation Gasoline. The FAA does NOT allow ANY ethanol in AVGAS, PERIOD.

1. If you buy AVGAS, you do NOT need StaBil in it, to keep it from breaking down. If you then store it in any Kind of SEALED Container, it will store for YEARS, with no degradation.

2. Diesel can be stored for DECADES in SEALED containers with no degradation. Again, it is the water that separates out of the fuel that causes ALL the storage problems with diesel, including any Bug contamination. The bugs live and grow on the fuel/water boundary. No water, No Bugs.