Dad started his day on the Travco with a rear drivetrain inspection. He jacked the rear of the coach only to find that the brakes on the driver side were dragging badly. The wheels were almost jammed, impossible to spin by hand. They would spin under engine power, but there was significant friction. Everything was normal on the other side.
First thing Dad tried to unlock those brakes is, with the engine running, shifting forward and reverse a few times and actioning the brakes pedal. But all of a sudden, the brake pedal when down to the floor!
Dad crawled under the Whale and found a major leak in one of the brake lines.
Shortly after, Dad was trimming the edge of a stainless steel piece using his angle grinder with a cutting disk. Suddenly, the steel piece moved a bit, the grinder kicked hard and slipped from Dad's hands. Within a fraction of a second, the cutting disk, spinning at 12000 rpm, made a deep gash along Dad's left forefinger.
Back from the emergency room with 10 stitches, Dad will have only one hand to work with for the next few days. Fortunately, the X-ray showed no damage to the bones or nerves. The cut is very deep (a cutting disk cuts quite easily into metal, you can imagine how it can cut though flesh), and if the disk had hit the finger at an angle Dad would have probably lost a finger or a part of it.
Needless to say, Dad was pretty mad at himself. He ALWAYS wears his safety goggles and leather gloves when working with the grinder or dangerous power tools. This time, as he only had a little grinding to do, he ommited the gloves. He probably would have been injured with the gloves anyway, but maybe not as bad.
So the situation is now: locked brakes, busted brake line, and left hand out of service.
For the locked brakes, Dad will have to get the wheels and drum off and figure it out. He expects a seized cylinder or something like that.
The busted brake line is another story. Dad had previously inspected the brake lines, and found them in good shape, with almost no rust. The busted line leaks under a metal braket that holds the line to the frame. The bracket seems to have made the line rust (pretty common). I haven't seen it myself but I'll try to snap a picture on my next visit.
Obviously, it is better to burst a brake line while the motorhome is sitting in the driveway than while trying to stop at a red light or going down a mountain. The brake lines will have to be thoroughly inspected, some or maybe all lines will have to be replaced. This is going to take some time.
So it will be a few days before Dad can get back to work because of his left hand. Dad's is right-handed, which helps somewhat, but doing that type of work with a single hand, or with a hurting bandage on the forefinger is not easy.
What's worst for Dad and Mom is that time goes by: we're already in mid-August and there's still a lot to do on the Blue Whale before she's ready for a longer trip.
The plan for this weekend was to install a propane fridge. Used propane fridges are not easy to find. My parents finally found one and they were supposed to buy it last week, but the seller wasn't there, so the sale was postponed until this week. So, once again, if everything goes right, and if Dad's finger improves enough, the Travco should get a new fridge this week or next weekend.
Finally, all this made me think of a quote that most of you have probably heard a few times:
"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses"
Make that "safety gloves" for Dad!
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