I hate new stuff that’s JUNK!!!
November 19th, 2020, 06:26 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,402
I hate new stuff that’s JUNK!!!
I also DESPISE scotch lock wire connectors!!!
I loaned my trailer to my wife’s ex husband to move my oldest stepdaughter into her college apartment. When he returned the trailer, he forgot to unplug the trailer light connector before pulling away. 😡 Of course, that was the one time the connector lock was fully engaged!
I have never been happy with the location of the license plate mount, it’s too far back, and hangs too low. I decided to move the plate forward a little, and get high enough it won’t hang up and get ripped by snow, low ground, etc.
I also had a few lights that worked intermittently. With all the little issues, I decided to address all these problems.
I ripped out all the old wiring (including 17 scotch lock wire splices!) Because scotch lock connectors are not environmentally sealed, I also had to replace every light on the trailer because the copper wire was corroded inside the insulation.
I bought 2 rolls of 4 conductor trailer light wire from a parts store. I laid out all the new wire, installed the new lights, once I was happy I started to make all my connections.
I quickly learned that separating the wires from the ribbon breaks the insulation. I kid you not, the brand new wire is more brittle than the 15 year old stuff I took out!
I would have been better off just buying a 50 foot roll of brown,green,yellow wire and running individual wires instead of the ribbon. And WHY are some of the new LED lamps polarity different?! Same manufacturer, the amber lamps are white=ground, black power. The red lamps, black ground, white power. The license lamp is red power, black ground (ok, that makes sense!!!).
I thought trailer manufacturers standardize wiring color/pinout connector long ago? Did that standardized not follow into the trailer aftermarket? How do the OEM offer trailer tow packages on new trucks if every trailer builder does their own thing??
I just needed to vent. When I get home from work, I have about an hour of daylight (thanks daylight savings time!). I have been working on this for about 2 weeks off and on, though it was all done. Now I have to deal with reversing some wires. Which will probably involve more cracked insulation from the junk trailer ribbon wire.
It’s the stupid things in life that really chaps my ***!!!
I loaned my trailer to my wife’s ex husband to move my oldest stepdaughter into her college apartment. When he returned the trailer, he forgot to unplug the trailer light connector before pulling away. 😡 Of course, that was the one time the connector lock was fully engaged!
I have never been happy with the location of the license plate mount, it’s too far back, and hangs too low. I decided to move the plate forward a little, and get high enough it won’t hang up and get ripped by snow, low ground, etc.
I also had a few lights that worked intermittently. With all the little issues, I decided to address all these problems.
I ripped out all the old wiring (including 17 scotch lock wire splices!) Because scotch lock connectors are not environmentally sealed, I also had to replace every light on the trailer because the copper wire was corroded inside the insulation.
I bought 2 rolls of 4 conductor trailer light wire from a parts store. I laid out all the new wire, installed the new lights, once I was happy I started to make all my connections.
I quickly learned that separating the wires from the ribbon breaks the insulation. I kid you not, the brand new wire is more brittle than the 15 year old stuff I took out!
I would have been better off just buying a 50 foot roll of brown,green,yellow wire and running individual wires instead of the ribbon. And WHY are some of the new LED lamps polarity different?! Same manufacturer, the amber lamps are white=ground, black power. The red lamps, black ground, white power. The license lamp is red power, black ground (ok, that makes sense!!!).
I thought trailer manufacturers standardize wiring color/pinout connector long ago? Did that standardized not follow into the trailer aftermarket? How do the OEM offer trailer tow packages on new trucks if every trailer builder does their own thing??
I just needed to vent. When I get home from work, I have about an hour of daylight (thanks daylight savings time!). I have been working on this for about 2 weeks off and on, though it was all done. Now I have to deal with reversing some wires. Which will probably involve more cracked insulation from the junk trailer ribbon wire.
It’s the stupid things in life that really chaps my ***!!!
November 19th, 2020, 07:22 AM
#2
Oldsdruid
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southside Vajenya
Posts: 10,538
Trailer builders fell in love with scotchloks years ago. I don't like them either but sometimes they're the best option. Doesn't take much to seal 'em with RTV but on a production line? "It'll do till it gets out the door"🙄
I haven't dealt with a trailer ribbon in 18 years but sounds like quality has declined. One big reason I've stayed away from LEDs is that there doesn't appear to be any real standardization on them.
I haven't dealt with a trailer ribbon in 18 years but sounds like quality has declined. One big reason I've stayed away from LEDs is that there doesn't appear to be any real standardization on them.
November 19th, 2020, 10:29 AM
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,402
Butt connectors, scotch locks, wire nuts, none of it belongs in a car (or truck, trailer, etc). While the butt connectors that are covered with heat shrink are a step up, it’s almost impossible to crimp them without cutting the heat shrink. I suppose the glue inside will seal any cuts in the covering, but it takes too much time to do it once. I don’t want to have to repair the same connection later.
To be fair, only one roll of the ribbon wire was junk. I bought them on the same day, maybe one was considerable older than the other? The packaging was the same, and didn’t look any different than the other. Who knows? Unfortunately, it’s the roll I used to run from the tongue of the trailer, all the way to the back that’s splitting. I used the other roll to run from each side of the trailer. In typical Murphy law, of course the roll with the most splices will be the one with insulation that splits open.
I just needed to vent. Right now, the trailer is sitting in my driveway. I have an enclosed fenced area behind the house where I normally park it, unfortunately, there is no electricity or decent lighting back there. My wife is complaining about the trailer taking up parking spaces, I have at best an hour of daylight after work (about 15 minutes of that is spent blowing out the leaves that accumulates overnight!), and the weekends always seem to be freezing or raining.
It just makes my blood boil. I thought I was in the home stretch, now I get to do some of this crap all over again.
Im beginning to feel the need for a long decompressing Olds therapy session!!!
To be fair, only one roll of the ribbon wire was junk. I bought them on the same day, maybe one was considerable older than the other? The packaging was the same, and didn’t look any different than the other. Who knows? Unfortunately, it’s the roll I used to run from the tongue of the trailer, all the way to the back that’s splitting. I used the other roll to run from each side of the trailer. In typical Murphy law, of course the roll with the most splices will be the one with insulation that splits open.
I just needed to vent. Right now, the trailer is sitting in my driveway. I have an enclosed fenced area behind the house where I normally park it, unfortunately, there is no electricity or decent lighting back there. My wife is complaining about the trailer taking up parking spaces, I have at best an hour of daylight after work (about 15 minutes of that is spent blowing out the leaves that accumulates overnight!), and the weekends always seem to be freezing or raining.
It just makes my blood boil. I thought I was in the home stretch, now I get to do some of this crap all over again.
Im beginning to feel the need for a long decompressing Olds therapy session!!!
Last edited by matt69olds; November 19th, 2020 at 10:31 AM.
November 20th, 2020, 05:33 AM
#7
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,402
that about sums it up. There is blame all around, but as the saying goes !hit slides downhill.
Granted, this could have been a simple fix. I could have simply repaired the trailer plug, and replace the defective lights. But I guess it’s the OCD in me, I can’t stand sloppy wiring. I figured if I’m taking the time to fix it, I don’t want to have to do it again later. Same thing with the license plate, it has been torn off before, but I didn’t want it to happen again.
I could have moved my stepdaughter into her dorm, but since he offered, I was more than happy to let him have the “pleasure” of dealing with 500 other kids and parents all trying to move at the same time. My wife wasn’t really happy about letting him use the trailer in the first place, his track record isn’t the greatest with using my stuff. Long story I won’t go into here, suffice to say if I borrow something from someone, 9 times out of 10 I return it in at least as good shape as when I got it, usually better.
I just needed to vent. There have been a lot of minor crisis in my corner of the world lately. Any one of these crisis would be looked back upon with humor, unfortunately, they are coming even before the previous crisis has been resolved. One at a time KARMA!!!
November 20th, 2020, 06:45 AM
#8
Oldsdruid
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southside Vajenya
Posts: 10,538
Some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug... I went thru a spate of aggravation a few months back so I'm with you. And unfortunately mine seems to be starting again. The shift mechanism in my 93 F150 took a dump last week. After 60 years you'd think Ford would have overcome their shift collar and tube problems. This failure is common enough that the aftermarket supports it, so that should tell ya something.
November 20th, 2020, 12:04 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,402
The day after the trailer was returned, I noticed that the starter wouldn’t always engage when I turned the key on my neon. I decided to replace the starter at my convenience, instead of in the parking lot at work.
While I’m replacing the starter, #2 stepdaughter informed me that she lowered her passenger rear window on her car, only to find it wouldn’t go back up. WHY DO POWER WINDOWS ALWAYS FAIL AFTER THEY ARE DOWN?! Of course, nobody had a regulator in stock, and it’s suppose to rain for the next couple days. Crap. I take apart the door, cut an old broom handle to length and jamb it under the window glass.
Next evening after dinner I go downstairs to let the dog outside. I smell plastic burning. Great, I figure a plastic bowl has fallen onto the heating element in the dishwasher. I open up the door to find its not Tupperware or some other plastic, but the upper sprayer of the dishwasher itself.
Sunday afternoon. I decide to mow my lawn, and chop up the fallen leaves. Get the riding mower out, make not even one lap of the lawn, and I hear/feel a grinding noise. Back to the garage, I find that a guard has broken loose and has torn up one of the blades. Out come the welder, new blade, back in business. So I thought. About 20 minutes later, the mower belt shreds. Probably from when the blade stopped turning. Couple trips to the store trying to get the right belt. All told, about 6 hours to mow what normally takes 2.
The very next morning, I go downstairs to let the dog out again. As I walk across the family room, imagine my surprise when I step into a large puddle of water. There is no plumbing in that room, but I do have a large aquarium, that now has about an inch of water in it, along with several fish gasping. Crap!!!! I pour in a little water, wake up the kids and tell them to take the quickest shower possible. Once the showers are done, I put the aquarium in the bathtub and refill it. My wife went to the store on her lunch and got another aquarium, transferred everything, luckily didn’t lose any fish. At that time. 😡.
Fast forward 3 days. My son sends me a text message informing me that there are several fish dead. More crap. When I get home from work I went fishing (ha!) for the dead fish. I noticed the water is hot, like almost bath water hot. Crap CRAP CRAPPPPP! Obviously the fish tank heater stuck on, I boiled all the fish. Now I have a brand new aquarium, with every fish cooked.
Like I said, any one of those wouldn’t be that big a deal. As I also stated, it would be nice if life would space out the minor disasters just a little. Needless to say, my trailer project keeps getting pushed back.
While I’m replacing the starter, #2 stepdaughter informed me that she lowered her passenger rear window on her car, only to find it wouldn’t go back up. WHY DO POWER WINDOWS ALWAYS FAIL AFTER THEY ARE DOWN?! Of course, nobody had a regulator in stock, and it’s suppose to rain for the next couple days. Crap. I take apart the door, cut an old broom handle to length and jamb it under the window glass.
Next evening after dinner I go downstairs to let the dog outside. I smell plastic burning. Great, I figure a plastic bowl has fallen onto the heating element in the dishwasher. I open up the door to find its not Tupperware or some other plastic, but the upper sprayer of the dishwasher itself.
Sunday afternoon. I decide to mow my lawn, and chop up the fallen leaves. Get the riding mower out, make not even one lap of the lawn, and I hear/feel a grinding noise. Back to the garage, I find that a guard has broken loose and has torn up one of the blades. Out come the welder, new blade, back in business. So I thought. About 20 minutes later, the mower belt shreds. Probably from when the blade stopped turning. Couple trips to the store trying to get the right belt. All told, about 6 hours to mow what normally takes 2.
The very next morning, I go downstairs to let the dog out again. As I walk across the family room, imagine my surprise when I step into a large puddle of water. There is no plumbing in that room, but I do have a large aquarium, that now has about an inch of water in it, along with several fish gasping. Crap!!!! I pour in a little water, wake up the kids and tell them to take the quickest shower possible. Once the showers are done, I put the aquarium in the bathtub and refill it. My wife went to the store on her lunch and got another aquarium, transferred everything, luckily didn’t lose any fish. At that time. 😡.
Fast forward 3 days. My son sends me a text message informing me that there are several fish dead. More crap. When I get home from work I went fishing (ha!) for the dead fish. I noticed the water is hot, like almost bath water hot. Crap CRAP CRAPPPPP! Obviously the fish tank heater stuck on, I boiled all the fish. Now I have a brand new aquarium, with every fish cooked.
Like I said, any one of those wouldn’t be that big a deal. As I also stated, it would be nice if life would space out the minor disasters just a little. Needless to say, my trailer project keeps getting pushed back.
November 20th, 2020, 01:00 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 35
The day after the trailer was returned, I noticed that the starter wouldn’t always engage when I turned the key on my neon. I decided to replace the starter at my convenience, instead of in the parking lot at work.
While I’m replacing the starter, #2 stepdaughter informed me that she lowered her passenger rear window on her car, only to find it wouldn’t go back up. WHY DO POWER WINDOWS ALWAYS FAIL AFTER THEY ARE DOWN?! Of course, nobody had a regulator in stock, and it’s suppose to rain for the next couple days. Crap. I take apart the door, cut an old broom handle to length and jamb it under the window glass.
Next evening after dinner I go downstairs to let the dog outside. I smell plastic burning. Great, I figure a plastic bowl has fallen onto the heating element in the dishwasher. I open up the door to find its not Tupperware or some other plastic, but the upper sprayer of the dishwasher itself.
Sunday afternoon. I decide to mow my lawn, and chop up the fallen leaves. Get the riding mower out, make not even one lap of the lawn, and I hear/feel a grinding noise. Back to the garage, I find that a guard has broken loose and has torn up one of the blades. Out come the welder, new blade, back in business. So I thought. About 20 minutes later, the mower belt shreds. Probably from when the blade stopped turning. Couple trips to the store trying to get the right belt. All told, about 6 hours to mow what normally takes 2.
The very next morning, I go downstairs to let the dog out again. As I walk across the family room, imagine my surprise when I step into a large puddle of water. There is no plumbing in that room, but I do have a large aquarium, that now has about an inch of water in it, along with several fish gasping. Crap!!!! I pour in a little water, wake up the kids and tell them to take the quickest shower possible. Once the showers are done, I put the aquarium in the bathtub and refill it. My wife went to the store on her lunch and got another aquarium, transferred everything, luckily didn’t lose any fish. At that time. 😡.
Fast forward 3 days. My son sends me a text message informing me that there are several fish dead. More crap. When I get home from work I went fishing (ha!) for the dead fish. I noticed the water is hot, like almost bath water hot. Crap CRAP CRAPPPPP! Obviously the fish tank heater stuck on, I boiled all the fish. Now I have a brand new aquarium, with every fish cooked.
Like I said, any one of those wouldn’t be that big a deal. As I also stated, it would be nice if life would space out the minor disasters just a little. Needless to say, my trailer project keeps getting pushed back.
While I’m replacing the starter, #2 stepdaughter informed me that she lowered her passenger rear window on her car, only to find it wouldn’t go back up. WHY DO POWER WINDOWS ALWAYS FAIL AFTER THEY ARE DOWN?! Of course, nobody had a regulator in stock, and it’s suppose to rain for the next couple days. Crap. I take apart the door, cut an old broom handle to length and jamb it under the window glass.
Next evening after dinner I go downstairs to let the dog outside. I smell plastic burning. Great, I figure a plastic bowl has fallen onto the heating element in the dishwasher. I open up the door to find its not Tupperware or some other plastic, but the upper sprayer of the dishwasher itself.
Sunday afternoon. I decide to mow my lawn, and chop up the fallen leaves. Get the riding mower out, make not even one lap of the lawn, and I hear/feel a grinding noise. Back to the garage, I find that a guard has broken loose and has torn up one of the blades. Out come the welder, new blade, back in business. So I thought. About 20 minutes later, the mower belt shreds. Probably from when the blade stopped turning. Couple trips to the store trying to get the right belt. All told, about 6 hours to mow what normally takes 2.
The very next morning, I go downstairs to let the dog out again. As I walk across the family room, imagine my surprise when I step into a large puddle of water. There is no plumbing in that room, but I do have a large aquarium, that now has about an inch of water in it, along with several fish gasping. Crap!!!! I pour in a little water, wake up the kids and tell them to take the quickest shower possible. Once the showers are done, I put the aquarium in the bathtub and refill it. My wife went to the store on her lunch and got another aquarium, transferred everything, luckily didn’t lose any fish. At that time. 😡.
Fast forward 3 days. My son sends me a text message informing me that there are several fish dead. More crap. When I get home from work I went fishing (ha!) for the dead fish. I noticed the water is hot, like almost bath water hot. Crap CRAP CRAPPPPP! Obviously the fish tank heater stuck on, I boiled all the fish. Now I have a brand new aquarium, with every fish cooked.
Like I said, any one of those wouldn’t be that big a deal. As I also stated, it would be nice if life would space out the minor disasters just a little. Needless to say, my trailer project keeps getting pushed back.
I hope it gets better for you soon.
November 21st, 2020, 07:48 PM
#15
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 5,402
Occasionally, I buy lottery tickets. I most certainly have the last couple weeks. I figure my luck has to change eventually, hopefully in the form of substantial jackpot.
Unfortunately, as I’m typing this, I plan to get up Monday morning for work. Not much ha changed. 😡
November 23rd, 2020, 09:00 AM
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Rowlett, TX
Posts: 467
Occasionally, I buy lottery tickets. I most certainly have the last couple weeks. I figure my luck has to change eventually, hopefully in the form of substantial jackpot.
Unfortunately, as I’m typing this, I plan to get up Monday morning for work. Not much ha changed. 😡
Unfortunately, as I’m typing this, I plan to get up Monday morning for work. Not much ha changed. 😡
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