Replacing the Lippert Pin Box with a Demco Glide Ride Pin Box

Lippert Pin Box to Glide Ride Pin Box

The old Lippert Pin Box

So I decided to replace the old Lippert Pin Box and install a new Demco Glide Ride Pin Box.




It all looked fairly simple and I had adjusted the Lippert Pin Box before, so I knew that it was not to heavy. It just looks like it.

Blue Steel. This stuff is magic.

Blue steel painted on.

First I took a bunch of pictures, especially where it is attached, this way it would make it easy to install the Glide Ride in the same bolt holes, by having a look at the pictures.




That really worked well for me.




I had another look, removed the break away switch and decided to back the truck up and drop the tail gate down on the truck deck.




This way I could loosen all the bolts off, carefully remove all the bolts except the back bottom two.




Now the Lippert pin box just nicely flipped down on to the tailgate hanging from  those two bolts. (sorry I did not get a picture of it hanging down)




Once the  pin box was supported on the tailgate it was easy to remove the last two bolts.




I cleaned up the frame where the pin box attaches, painted some "Blue Steel" on. Blue steel is one of my favourite paints.

Removing the link assembly. It is torqued to 85 lbs.

Removing link assembly and king pin plate.

You clean up the steel surface the best you can (not all rust has to be removed) paint on the Blue Steel (goes on like cream) on and it eats the rest of the rust up.




When it has dried, paint with the appropriate colour.




To install the Glide Ride pin box, I did everything in reverse. I did spray a bit of "Dry Slide" on the new Glide Ride pin box so it would fit in easier. The Glide Ride pin box is a lot heavier then the Lippert.




Once the two bottom back bolts were in, it was easy to lift up the pin box and install the rest of the bolts.

Capture Plate in place

One hole drilled for the capture plate.

Make sure to torque to manufacture specifications.

My Demco HiJacker hitch with one capture plate removed.

Blue Steel touch up on rusty spots

New Demco Glide Ride Pin Box in place.

Since I have a Demco - HiJacker Auto Slide hitch on the truck I had to install a capture plate on the new Glide Ride Pin Box.....




a bit scary to start drilling holes in the new King Pin Plate.





The instructions that came with the capture plate were good, so it all went well.









After that, I had to remove the old capture plates on the HiJacker hitch.




At the same time I cleaned the hitch off. I primed the bare/rusty spots with Blue Steel and then painted it black.




All went well, looking forward to giving the new Demco Glide Ride Pin Box a good try next week.

Happy Trails,

Anders

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 47. Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek, and Home to Cortes Island, British Columbia

Drive From Fort Nelson, Dawson Creek, to Our Home on Cortes Island, BC.

Anders and Liz in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada.

Driving south from Fort Nelson

Peace River

If you want to start from the begining of this trip go to part one.

We are crossing Peace River in British Columbia

It was the 16th of August 2014 and we were making a quick stop in Fort Nelson to pick up some more drinking water, and then we were on the road again.



The roads were in very good conditions, but the drive along here is rather boring.



Some hills in the distance and then the scenery changed. South of Fort St. John the bridge and valley of the mighty Peace River is very impressive.



As we came closer to Dawson Creek the smoke from the forest fires became very strong and annoying.



We checked in at Northern Lights RV Park, about a mile outside Dawson Creek. It is well run, not spectacular but OK.



After we set up camp we went back in to town again.



Liz went to the Dawson Creek info center and watched the movie about the construction of the Alaska Highway. Amazing



I went to the closest car wash and gave the truck a good wash.

Back in camp we tossed some burgers on the BBQ and had a glass of wine. Life was good.

Dawson Creek to Lac La Hache

Camp set up at Lac La Hache Provinical Park. Wonderful.

In the morning of the 17th of August, Liz and I had a "Pow Wow" and came to the conclusion that the smoke from all the forest fires were not going to go away anytime soon. It was time to go away from this polution.



The northern Rockies are beautiful, but not in smoke. It was time to go south, in the direction of home.



We got on the road and the smoke just got worse and worse. Getting closer to Lac la Hache Provincial park the smoke seemed to ease a bit, and we set up camp in this beautiful park.

Lac la Hache

Liz at Lac la Hache

We went for a nice long walk down to the lake. After we had a nice camp fire, might as well make some more smoke :)

That evening we savoured some of the smoked/dried salmon we were given earlier on our trip at the Teslin Native Centre.

The rear differential seal on our truck was leaking, so I had to top it off with some oil. The cause of the leak was later fixed with the replacement of the back universal joint.

Lac La Hache to Fort Langley

On the 18th of August we woke up fairly early, after we both had a really good night's sleep, even though the smoke became much worse over night.



I was not very comfortable with the problem with the u-joint and the leaking seal.

Getting closer to the West Coast

We arrived OK in Fort Langley and stayed at the Fort Camping park. This is a pretty good campground we had stayed here several times in the past.

Vancouver

Capilano RV Park.

Anders and our Grand Daughter Isla, both sound asleep.

The next day we took it easy. In the morning we had brunch in Fort Lanfley before our drive over to Capilano RV Park right by the Lions Gate Bridge in North Vancouver.


This is a really nice park, the sites are a bit tight, but all in all very good. It is super convenient to downtown Vancouver.


On the 20th of August we picked up our daughter Jenny and our two grand kids, Amber and Isla. Jenny, Josh and the children live in Vancouver.


We brought them back to the RV park and enjoyed the day at the swimming pool. So much fun.


Josh, Jenny's husband joined us for supper that evening after he got off work. It was nice to be with family again.


On the 21st we lazed around in the morning. Then we went shopping in the nearby Park Royal Plaza. Back at the trailer, our good friend Charlie came over for lunch. We enjoyed great food, wine and friends. Charlie's wife Judy had just left for a trip out East, too bad.

Victoria and Home to Cortes Island

On the 22nd of August we took the 11 am ferry over to Victoria and  checked in at West Bay Marina and RV Park. This is the park we stay at all the time when in Victoria. From this park you can walk right downtown Victoria. The setting is beautiful.  Make sure to make a reservation if you plan to stay here!

In Victoria we were happy to see the rest of our family, our son Mark with his wife Lisa and the grand kids Sarah and Ryan, and our daughter Linda and her boyfriend Mathew. Wonderful to see them all again.

Camped at the West Bay Marina in Victoria. Fantastic views.

We stayed in Victoria for three days. We needed to do a few chores. Liz applied for a new passport. We also both needed a haircut badly.

On the 26th we drove up to Comox and stayed at Cape Lazo campground, a very nice completely re-done campground. It is a beautiful spot.
On the 27th we had an appointment in Campbell River to fix the issue with the truck.

Then it was time to take the two ferry rides home to Cortes Island.

Views from our Dining room on Cortes Island

What a trip this was. We almost clocked 15,000 km and enjoyed every single one of them. This country of ours is so incredible and so beautiful. We have now visited every province and every territory except Nunavut. We will keep that on the bucket list.

More pictures from this part of the trip right here in the clouds.

>>>Start over with post number one>>> in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you.

  1,    2,    3,    4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,  10

11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 46. Liard Hot Springs to Fort Nelson, BC

Liard Hot Springs to Fort Nelson, British Columbia

Buffalo on the side of the road

Big Horn Sheep on the side of the road.

It was the 15th of August 2014 when we broke camp around 8:30 am in beautiful sunshine.


We were heading south, direction Fort Nelson.


This stretch of the Alaska Highway is very pretty.


One could camp and hike for a week or so and still not see it all. Just wonderful country.


We observed Big Horn Sheep, buffalo and bears. They are all shy, but so beautiful to see.

Pit stop just before Muncho Lake, British Columbia

Muncho Lake, British Columbia

Muncho Lake, British Columbia

Northern Rockies Lodge on Muncho Lake

Liz by the shore of Muncho Lake

Sheep on the side of the road.

Getting closer to Fort Nelson, there was lots of smoke from the forest fires

Fields outside Fort Nelson, BC

Muncho Lake is just an incredible place to visit. Right on the lake is the Northern Rockies Lodge, it is a very nice place and has a great RV park directly on the lake.



Watch out though, the Diesel/gas is expensive, I think we paid 1.99 per liter. This was the most we paid anywhere, even more than in Inuvik.



The lodge offers a discount on the fuel if you stay in the RV park or rent a cabin.



Having said that, it is a beautiful spot and very nice lodge on a gorgeous lake.



Muncho Lake Provincial Park is also wonderful, like most Provincial parks in British Columbia.

The drive along this part of the Alaska Highway is so beautiful. Unfortunately, the closer we came to Fort Nelson, the more smoke from forest fires was in the air.



Eventually we arrived in Fort Nelson. This town looks sad, and it looks like it is in remission. Things must have gone well before, when the oil was strong. But things looks tough now.



We found a good campground at Triple G Hideaway. From there we walked into town in +32C, wow that was hot.



We walked past many empty stores and commercial spaces.


We stocked up on a few things and headed back to camp. A cool Apple Cider was in order to wash down some of the dust.



We have a bunch more pictures in the clouds. Check them out.

>>>NEXT>>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you.

  1,    2,    3,    4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,  10

11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46, 47,

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 45. Watson Lake, Yukon to Liard Hotsprings, British Columbia.

Heading for Liard Hotsprings, British Columbia.

Liz in the signpost forest

Signpost forest goes on for ever.

It was the 13th of August 2014 and we had enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast with yogurt and some wonderful wild raspberries that Liz picked last night right here in the campground at Nugget City.




Once on the road it was not long before we arrived in Watson Lake. Here is where you can look at all the signs in this huge signpost forest.



We spent 30 minutes or so walking around looking at all the signs. There are signs from all over the world.

Liard River

Anders at the rapids in Liard River

The drive on the Alaska Highway along the Liard River is very pretty and interesting. Once we got closer to Liard Hotspring we encountered some buffalo on the road and some bears in the ditches.



We were dry camping in Liard Hotsprings, We made sure our freshwater tank full and the grey and black holding tanks were empty.

Liard Hotsprings

Buffalo on the road close to Liard Hotsprings.

The campsite is very nice and the sites are large and level.



It was mid-afternoon when we had the camp set up, and it was time for a dip in the hot springs.



We walked on the boardwalk towards the hot springs. There was a moose grazing in the marsh looking at us.

On top of the world

Wonderful views from up here.

Liz down by the Liard River

No shortage of wild life here.

Bear cub

Wonderful country side. Beautiful British Columbia.

Our campsite at Liard Hot springs, British Columbia.

The hot springs are very hot and soothing on the body. We talked to a family from Alberta. Interesting family, he consults in the oil fields in Albania.


We met another couple, she is a teacher and he is from Mexico. They have been on the road for a long time and traveled all over North America.


That evening we BBQ some burgers over the open fire.


We stayed here two nights. The second day we wanted to go exploring a bit in the back country. I talk to the staff at the park gate and they told me that there was a trail up the mountain about 3 km back.


Said and done we headed off into the bush with the truck. Once we were up on top of the hill, we enjoyed the views over the surrounding area and the beautiful hills and mountains.


On the way back, we encountered a mamma bear with two cubs and also some buffaloes.

For more pictures from the drive to Liard Hot springs, have a look at our album. Also here are all the pictures from the hot springs.

>>>NEXT>>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you.

  1,    2,    3,    4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,  10

11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44,  45, 46,  47,

Yukon and Alaska Bound, Part 44. Whitehorse to Watson Lake, Yukon.

Whitehorse to Nugget City to Watson Lake

Leaving Whitehorse, Yukon. Heading South East on the Alaska Highway

Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada.

After seeing our Swiss family off on the 10th of August, we stayed one more day in Whitehorse.


We did some more shopping and visited some galleries.



On the 12th of August we broke camp in a leisurely fashion and cruised south east on the Alaska Highway.

Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre

The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre

Totem poles at The Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre

We first arrived in Teslin and stopped at the "Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre". There is a small fee to enter this center, but it is well worth it.



They had one of the best gift shops we had encountered, unfortunately we already had our souvenirs.

We watched a video produced by a local man. It is the story of survival, when one year, spring and summer never came.

It is a very interesting story about an ash plume from a volcanic eruption in the south pacific that blocked out the sun here in the north. It you have time to spend half an hour, see the video, it is well worth it.



They also offered free Bannock and smoked/dried salmon.... so yummy and good!






Down at the lake they were still smoking/drying salmon the old fashion way. The man in charge told me I could pick a piece of salmon and take it along. So nice of him.

Camping at Baby Nugget City

On the road again, we decided to camp at Baby Nugget RV Park in Nugget City just west of Watson Lake.

More pictures here.

>>>NEXT>>> post in this series.

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs post from our Yukon and Alaska Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you.

  1,    2,    3,    4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,  10

11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30

31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40

41,  42,  43,  44, 45,  46,  47,