Replacing struts on ramp door.

This just received from an owner in Davis, CA:

Thanks to the information on your blog, I was in contact with LS Technologies(located in Saskatoon, SK, Canada) about my failed gas lifts(springs) on my Brenderup Royal TC:  I. sent them an e-mail with my problem and a photo of one of the lifts.  A wonderful fellow named Nolan figured out what I needed, and I paid with a credit card over the phone for two new gas springs.  The total was $100.46 for two springs plus $25.00 shipping.  They were originally out of stock of this spring but shipped them as soon as they had inventory. This is a great company to deal with:  good customer service and  communication!  

We had to mount the new spring on the upper hole rather than the lower hole(it was a slightly different length) and add a few new washers to keep it from rubbing. It turned out that only one spring had gone bad so I’m holding onto the other one for a future repair.  Perhaps if I had mounted it under pressure, it would have worked getting it in the original mounting hole?  It’s working just fine with this configuration.

Photo below is new spring mounted…..  Photo at bottom is original mounting position.

Thanks so much for your blog:  I love my Brenderup and want to keep it as new as possible for the next owner:   I will probably be selling it later this year since I’m retiring my old gelding from trail riding far afield!

K.

Hopefully that will be useful information to several of you.   Happy Trails,    Jeff

Snowing indoors?

   I had an inquiry a couple weeks ago asking about how to keep snow from blowing in during the MN winters.  My suggestion was (Although I didn't use it because my daughter thought it would look s-t-u-p-i-d...   This is foam pipe insulation sold at Lowes or Home Depot in lengths of about 6 ft.  It's alredy slotted to slip over a pipe, so you can just snap it over the hatch door edges and help close some of that extra space.

I'm not certain that it is durable enough to last more than one season, or to stay in place when traveling, but it's cheap enough that replacing it wouldn't be painful.  

Happy Trails!   Jeff

Dusty question?

Question from one of our readers:   

On another topic, if anyone has any ideas on how to cut down the amount of dust that gets inside the trailer, I would appreciate the help!  It seems that these trailers were designed for use on European paved roads only, because my horse always looks like a large flour bag exploded in there with him after going down only a couple of miles of dry gravel road, which is not ideal for his lungs.  This happens even with the windows closed and the back flap up, as there is still a significant gap around the top flap that seems to create some kind of suction for road dust. I also tried it with the window open, to try to create airflow from front to back, but that did not help at all either.   I am considering trying to figure out how I could put a furnace filter in the window, so there is still some air flow, but I don't know what to do about the back.

 

Thanks!

 

KM
Calgary, AB

Brenderup Trailer Specificatons

I had a call this afternoon for specs on the wheels used on Brenderup.  With a quick search I found a link to a brochure which appears to have everything for the various models.  Let me know if you have success or if any of this info is in error.

Link to Brochure <<<

This just in!  So nice to receive positive feedback and hear that the parts are still available.

Hi Jeff,

I just wanted to thank you for the resources that you provide on your blog. I needed new gas struts and license plate lights for the ramp of my 2008 Baron TC, and was easily able to obtain them from Andy at Mountaintop. He was extremely helpful and easy to deal with, as well as knowledgeable about the parts that I needed for my particular year and model. Thanks again for providing information and resources for everyone who has these wonderful trailers!

Yours truly,

D.P.
Huntington, NY

Exterior maintenance

This has been a busy week about Brenderups... one call about replacing fibreglass panels and two about the gate cyclinders.

Here are a couple suggestions about the walls and exterior.   I use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to clean the plastic surfaces at least once each season.  Use household detergent on the easy stuff and Goo-Gone or something strong on tree sap.  Careful working on the roof...   Hoses, water and ladders don't mix well.

Once clean, I started using a high quality UV protecterant laveled "303", "Marine/Recreational Clear Vinyl Protective Cleaner", found at boat sales and repair centers.  About $13/bottle but is reported to be the top product for protecting kayaks, boats and other plastic surfaces from UltraViolet degradation.

Here's the Google Search result <<<

AS for cracks in the walls, DON"T start by trying to remove the vinyl... I haven't heard of anyone having positive results for replacing the exterior surfaces.  Interiors are slightly easier.

Start by cleaning everything and trying to use a silicone glue/sealer (like for around bathtubs) to seal the cracks.

If anyone has positive experiences or suggestions they would be welcome!

Happy Trails,   Jeff

July 2016 update:

Happy Trails to all of you!  I received two calls recently for the cylinders which boost the ramp lift mechanism.  As far as I know, Andy is still importing them to the US.

Rita and Andy Kaulbach
Mountain Top Trailer Sales
454 West Main StTilton, NH 032761-
603-494-9787 Andy
1-603-493-8057 Rita

There are two posts I have updated, below, from a few years ago when I searched for suppliers in the UK.  Hopefully you can use them for a resource for parts.

If you have a trailer, or parts to sell, don't hesitate to post them here or email details to me.

Jeff Kurtz
BrenderHelp
717-620-9676
jeff@kurtzinpa.com