What did YOU do today?

[CamTheHedgehog]

One last thought, there’s usually only two or three or four well drillers in any area. Talk to a couple of them, you may even find the driller who installed your well if it’s only 20 years old. The guys who have been working in the area for a while will probably know what’s going on with the wells where your house was built. It’s like any other institutional knowledge, it’s gained over time from working in the area.

I can confirm this. Our well was acting up recently, our house was built in 2007, my family is the second owner. We dusted off the well data plate, called the number, and lo and behold the company is still alive and well, and came out and fixed it. Turns out it was a bad pressure switch.

 

[JoshT]

All understood, just one follow up point regarding surging and then needing a filter. It’s actually the opposite.

Right now, the soil around the well is the “filter.“ As the water flows through the ground, if there are any small particles carried with it, they get filtered out by the soil. Over time, the soil becomes less porous, and the flow is reduced. But it’s something you will never notice until it reaches a restriction point for your use.

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One last thought, there’s usually only two or three or four well drillers in any area. Talk to a couple of them, you may even find the driller who installed your well if it’s only 20 years old. The guys who have been working in the area for a while will probably know what’s going on with the wells where your house was built. It’s like any other institutional knowledge, it’s gained over time from working in the area.

I get it. Wasn't thinking about it that way, but I do understand. Very familiar with the concept of the ground being a natural filte. Basically surging would be backflushing the filter. Same idea as cleaning a reusable air filter.

I know who drilled my well, they left an information label right on the top. I also know that this was a branch of their operation and they've been gone from the area for many years, possibly with the whole company being closed or sold and name changed by now. Posted a query on the local Facebook group asking for a company. Within the first few hours I had around 15 referrals to the same company. Out of 33 total replies, 25 were for this company, 6 were between me and this company, one was for a different company, and one was jibberish.

Can you provide details on that car show? I may run out if it’s not too far.

Battle of Byron. Not just a car show, it's a whole festival for the community. Here's the site, battleofbyron.com, and it looks like there is a photo gallery showing some of last year's events.

Honestly, it's probably not big enough to be worth the trip down for the car show, but there are some nice cars in the area if they show up. I've never actually made it to the festival myself, been meaning to for years, but something always seems to get in the way.

If you decide to make the trip down it looks like there is also a Cars and Cures Bronco VS Jeep Day a few exits further down the interstate on the same day. Sounds like this might be the second annual occourance for this one. I didn't even know about it last year, it just popped up in a facebook feed the other day. Might be worth making the trip if you can hit both.

What were the damages? If you don’t mind me asking? How much?

More than I hoped and less than I feared. About $1430. Almost $1000 of that was the pump, but I'm telling myself that it is a better quality pump than I could/would have purchased for half the price. Was $160/hr labor for 1.5 hours, that part was definitely worth the price. Without the truck, winch, and specialty tools, I'd have been working on it all day, if not two.

 

[Rick W]

TOWING SAFETY:

I found this, and I thought it was worth posting for everybody. It’s a good reinforcement for the guys who already know, and it’s a very important wake up to anybody who doesn’t know. If there’s a better spot to post it for everybody, please let me know, and I’ll move it, or move it for me.

This little video is a great little snapshot of what happens if you don’t have your trailer loaded properly. I’ve always gone by the rule that 60% of the weight should be in front of the axle, or the center point of multiple axles (20% on the tongue). It’s actually very easy to check if you have a little common sense. Literally pick up on the tongue of the trailer and guesstimate the weight, and then pick up on the back of the trailer. Even if you have to do this with a 2 x 4 as a lever, you should be able to tell that the tongue is noticeably heavier than the tail.

One thing I really don’t like about this video, is the way the models are mounted on the treadmill: the center of the front of the vehicle is the attachment point for the experiment. In real life, the nose of the tow vehicle would be flipping around just about as much as the back of the vehicle and the trailer, and it would go out of control much more quickly, much more tragically.

Let me also throw another thought out there before somebody comes crashing down on me about my crazy trailer designs. On most trailers, the axle, or the center point of multiple axles, is basically the pivot point of a seesaw like when we were kids. The crazy stuff I build, I usually have the axle(s) set further back. With the axles further back, like a tractor trailer, tracking is not really an issue. The issue would be tongue weight. When I build my crazy trailers, I also make sure the truck I pull them with can handle the resulting tongue weight.

When I was very young, I had a little tiny trailer loaded with firewood, pulling it behind a Pinto squire station wagon (I loved that thing). It was loaded wrong, and it went into a sway like this as I was going down a hill. I realized after the first couple wiggles, that it was only going to get worse, and I just locked it up. The Lord was looking out for me, because I dumped a little firewood, but actually didn’t damage anything.

I’ve seen the aftermath of this several times in person, not pretty, and a couple of the guys working for me over the years had accidents like this.

I know I sound like a preacher all the time, but I do believe this is one of the things that should be preached, not just referred to. It’s such an easily avoidable tragedy.

 

[scotts90ranger]

They probably did use a better pump than the HD special like I used. That's not too bad for a cost, doing everything myself I'm pretty sure it still cost almost $1k with home depot and lowes parts but I just had low pressure for a few days (sand wore out the impeller) then had my brother and a friend come out on a Saturday mid December and fix it up, me and my friend were half done by the time my brother showed up, I should have had a couple pipe wrenches handy and unscrewed the schedule 80 PVC and just re used it but with the poly pipe it'll be super easy next time it needs a pump, won't even have to take the roof of the pump house off...

Today so far other than work I used some aluminum carpet tacks (don't ask why aluminum, it's the first ones I found in the garage sale drawer organizers...) to hold the velcro to the front door frame for the magnetic screen deal since it's getting to be the season... might go hose off the '90 Ranger from the wheeling adventures...

 

[97RangerXLT]

Mowed the lawn and used my newly acquired bodyshop materials and fixed the bumper on my Buick.

Before:

A

fter:

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Mowed the lawn and used my newly acquired bodyshop materials and fixed the bumper on my Buick.

Before:
View attachment 109910


AView attachment 109911fter:

Man, that looks mint!!

 

[scotts90ranger]

A heat gun and a harbor freight soldering iron type plastic welder would look better, but that is DEFINITELY way less work

 

[Rick W]

A heat gun and a harbor freight soldering iron type plastic welder would look better, but that is DEFINITELY way less work

You know, I love Rustoleum. If you paint the roof a couple different colors of Rustoleum, nobody will notice the bumper.

 

[sgtsandman]

TOWING SAFETY:

I found this, and I thought it was worth posting for everybody. It’s a good reinforcement for the guys who already know, and it’s a very important wake up to anybody who doesn’t know. If there’s a better spot to post it for everybody, please let me know, and I’ll move it, or move it for me.

This little video is a great little snapshot of what happens if you don’t have your trailer loaded properly. I’ve always gone by the rule that 60% of the weight should be in front of the axle, or the center point of multiple axles (20% on the tongue). It’s actually very easy to check if you have a little common sense. Literally pick up on the tongue of the trailer and guesstimate the weight, and then pick up on the back of the trailer. Even if you have to do this with a 2 x 4 as a lever, you should be able to tell that the tongue is noticeably heavier than the tail.

One thing I really don’t like about this video, is the way the models are mounted on the treadmill: the center of the front of the vehicle is the attachment point for the experiment. In real life, the nose of the tow vehicle would be flipping around just about as much as the back of the vehicle and the trailer, and it would go out of control much more quickly, much more tragically.

Let me also throw another thought out there before somebody comes crashing down on me about my crazy trailer designs. On most trailers, the axle, or the center point of multiple axles, is basically the pivot point of a seesaw like when we were kids. The crazy stuff I build, I usually have the axle(s) set further back. With the axles further back, like a tractor trailer, tracking is not really an issue. The issue would be tongue weight. When I build my crazy trailers, I also make sure the truck I pull them with can handle the resulting tongue weight.

When I was very young, I had a little tiny trailer loaded with firewood, pulling it behind a Pinto squire station wagon (I loved that thing). It was loaded wrong, and it went into a sway like this as I was going down a hill. I realized after the first couple wiggles, that it was only going to get worse, and I just locked it up. The Lord was looking out for me, because I dumped a little firewood, but actually didn’t damage anything.

I’ve seen the aftermath of this several times in person, not pretty, and a couple of the guys working for me over the years had accidents like this.

I know I sound like a preacher all the time, but I do believe this is one of the things that should be preached, not just referred to. It’s such an easily avoidable tragedy.

I believe that video has been posted in the towing and plowing section, but I could mistaken.

The reminder is not a bad thing though. People are terrible about loading a trailer and ontaining a proper center of balance and tongue weight.

As far as the tongue weight, 20% is a bit heavy but not catistrophic if the right tow vehicle is being used. 10% - 15% is the rule of thumb for the standard trailer.

The 10% - 15% rule was a real pain in the butt when I was rebuilding the utility trailer but I managed to get it. I also took great pains to make sure the camping equipment was properly configured to maintain that. Since certain things must be in a specific spot, I made a diagram and put it in the tongue box where it is easy to reference so I don't screw it up. So, until the coolers get loaded, it might be a bit tongue heavy but it will never to too bad and it will never be too light. Places to get ice aren't that far away and travel speeds are only 35 mph. So, risk is all but eliminated.

Knowing the trailer weight is very important and I used a scale under the tongue jack quite a bit while configuring the load in order to get the center of balance right.

Once I get the tray for the ramp section built and when I reconfigure the spare tire mounts, that work will have to start all over again. The tray is also going perform as a skid plate. So it is going to be heavy and the center of balance is probably going to shift.

 

[Sharky]

I voted

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

Never heard of them or this AVR event. Tried a google search and struck out as well. Got any more information or details. Not saying I'm going to do it, but would be interested in checking

It's a Facebook/Instagram and who knows ows what else group called Georgia Expeditions. It owned and operated by a fellow Ranger owner named David Yates. He used to have a brick and motor store but closed shop in 2020. Last year he brought back his Adventure Vehicle Roundup. Last fall it was held at the Georgia Bushcraft campground. This year he had it in Ellijay at White Pine Farms or something. It's an awesome show with some great classes and give aways. Always cool people with some cool rigs. He will have a fall event later. I may try and check it out if it don't interfere with the 25th anniversary TRS Roundup

 

[Roert42]

@Rick W

Funny you talk about all the well guys knowing each other ect.
When I needed my pump replaced a few years go, pump seized. I called the name on cast well head cap. Guy said he was busy on a big job a few towns, then gave me the name of another local guy. Called the other guy, came over and fixed the pump. At the end, he asked me how I heard to call him.
Told him the whole story.
He thought it was funny, he they didn’t work together too much, but he ran into him into the beer store a week ago. Said that was probably the only reason he referred him since they just ran into each other recently.

then he went on to tell me the other guys whole life story and about all his sons.

Small world.

 

[Rick W]

I went by Goodwill, hunting a desk chair or barstool or something I can use for a seat on top of the casket in front of the grille. No luck, but I saw ideas.

They had about 30 of these things, and I could’ve gotten them all for about $20

.

Think of the curved back on a kids school chair, except these things are like 36 inches wide. They’re very well-built and they’re immaculate. Rare for me that I didn’t just grab them, I don’t have a vision for them, but if something pops in my head, I’ll go back. I don’t think they’ll move very quickly.