Air troubles 1990 Double Drop Atlas 40' trailer box-van

This old puppy is coming home to be my new Parts/Tool room so it's only got to go less than 15 miles. I'm not sure about caging all the cans. and I only have 3 caging bolts.
I'm having a bugger of a time with a new to me old 1990 Double Drop Atlas van trailer with air ride suspension ... can't hardly get under the sucker to access or even look Life ain't easy when your Fat AND Greasy . The gladhands were cut off and one 1/4" air fitting is connected to one airline (3/8" plastic tubing) the other airline was left open. Both airlines that are coming from the rear of the trailer are black so I'm not sure which is which ...¿red/blue? Getting some gladhands, fittings and tubing couplers tomorrow ... suggestions? Also do you have a quick way to tell which airline goes to Emergency Supply/Red and which goes to Break Service/Blue because I am having a hard time crawling in the snow and under the LOW low lowboy trailer. I pressurize the one line I hear air trying to come up in the tanks but all I can get is about (tops out at) 63psi out of my little 3gal AC air compressor... Not enough to release the the Supply line gurrrr I don't hear any big leaks but it bleeds down rather quickly and holds a small amount of back pressure. It has been extremely cold -20*F ~ -7*C warmed up now and I've been purging the one line with lots of alcohol.
Am I pressurizing the Break Service line and not releasing the Emergence Service line when I pressurize the one connected airline? I also think the air suspension system is supplied by the Emergency Service line, Let me know if I'm wrong; if that is the case, as I pressurize the one airline with my little compressor the air suspension should inflate even at 60psi. Thanks for letting me walkthrough this. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Caging bolts are cheap. And perhaps Coaldust could expound upon “It ain’t easy being fat and greasy…

Some air suspensions use a 90 psi pressure protection valve. If the air lines were left in there related spots
the air line to the left side would be emergency. But when air is supplied to wrong side it will try to compound.
You need a proper supply to begin with.

Most of the time its easyer to back the brake ajustment off than to cage them.

Thanks, it is a bugger getting under it but I'll block n chalk the puppy water out of it then I'll suffer through crawling under it. I was out there yesterday and came back to the house for more tools and a caging bolt that wasn't there. Now, thanks to Old Doug's suggestion I'll make sure I have a couple of 9/stence n 5/8" wrenches with too. Been awhile can't remember the sizes anymore.

Might want a 7/16 and 14 millimeter, sometimes the 9/16 is too loose and the 14 grabs. Probably not 7/16 being that old but who knows.

When you get them backed off, smack the drums. Shoes are probably stuck to the drums.

I can't find squat locally...., however, I learned early on how to bunt. "No hill for a stepper"... I'll get this. ... I'm going to have to jack it up so I can access the air cans, there's no way around it and I'm calling in reinforcements (A.K.A my thin son). Found the jack in the back of the truck hidden by the snow. Grabbed some donnage from the house to block that puppy up a bit - forgot to get it this morning.
I LOOOOVVE MY JOB!! But I got there today and someone had parked a crane in front of my trailer ever get the feeling the universe has it in for you....? ... Me too .!! I put out little fires like that all the time. "No hill for a stepper"

Or maybe it is the universe saying jacking and blocking is way too much work and you should use the crane.

Don.S said:

Or maybe it is the universe saying jacking and blocking is way too much work and you should use the crane.

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Don ya got me..... I bet I laughed for a full minute. Best comeback EVER.... I have to admit, I'm embraced and a little peeved that I didn't think of that.
We fought all day in the snow and cold to find only one rusted caging bolt. Three stores in two towns and NADA... of all automotive stores NAPA had to be the store that had the last four bolts. Yes I did have to take the rusted one in to show the parts guy. Got the one side jacked up but the cross frames are so close to the air cans it is nearly impossible to get your hand and bolt in a position to work things. We (my son) got two caged off and we ran out or light and resolve. We did try to back the adjusters off but there is too much rust and to much pressure on the system to release and there is NO ROOM on the front trailer axle to get to the slack adjusters at all.. It's snowing still and can't get the guy driver to move it till the roads are clear and sanded..
Thanks all
Don... You da Man, man.

I'm impressed you managed to get any caged. When I had a issue a few years back on my 2012 trailer I gave up trying to cage the brake and just backed it off, it was way too rusty it was never going to cage. Are you just transporting it to sit and never be put back in service? If so there's plenty of options to get the brakes off that would be easier then caging, and regardless if you get stopped moving it, you got no brakes and aren't legal anyway.

"Free at last, Free at last ... Thank God Almighty It's Free at last..." LOL
Got three to cage but the last one was too rusted More than one way to skin a Cat-Skinner ... So we wound up cutting a hole in the floor and cutting the rod at the clevis end next to the slack adjuster. To my surprise it was a wimpy bump (not even a thud) and not the exciting KA-POW-BOOMM. I was expecting the spring letting go and dust n dirt shaking loose but it was just a fizzle. I even had to take a 2lb hammer n slap the slack adjuster a time er two to free the breaks.
Talked to the guy with the crane today. There was lots of miscommunication between the owner, myself and the less then trustworthy person (liar) that sold the Double Drop Dry Moving Van Trailer to me... The less then trustworthy person owes the owner of the property money and are at war but the owner of the property is working with me... He should be moving the crane tomorrow - wouldn't start today. As soon as the weather is permitting I'll have the Parts/Tool Room moved to it's final resting place.
Thanks everyone for your help

@ Truck Stop Thanks so much, slapping things with a hammer was the trick to loosening the break pads for sure.

1990 Kentucky 48 ft Dry Van Trailer - Swing Door, Air Ride, Fixed Axle
That puppy is low low low to the ground...

Our school district had 2 of those old Kentucky moving vans that were used to haul band equipment. I pulled them many times, and they were HEAVY, even when hardly loaded. Ours had airbags on the axles, and one of the trailers was so low it rubbed on the tires if you did not air up the suspension before moving. You have checked tire clearance, haven't you? good luck with your project. Lots of room in that thing for parts and tools.
Jeff

If you look at the way those have to be built for strength, the walls are pretty stout to support a second
deck inside if needed. Moving vans can be a little heavy because there mainly moving house hold furnishings.

I do have the air suspension and I think I'm good because it has a good 8-10" or more of clearance between tires and wheel wells without air. Thanks for the heads up on the clearance issue. Two levels is a grand idea to maximize the cubic footage

Thanks everyone ... got "Ye Ol' Kentucky White Elephant" home. What a cluster-FUBAR getting it ready but the ride to the yard went flawlessly.
Again Thanks everyone.

cool piece of equipment Dan. I drove a 45' across the country similar to that one. It is easy to deck up over the wheel wells for example. That will make a grand toolbox, but do mind the snow loading and roof conditions. That one I drove was all caved last time I saw it , over in Montana after a hard winter there.

The band trailers we had were both double decked for better storage. We had steps going up at the front and back, with a second floor in the middle. We could haul a lot of band gear that way, with plenty of room for more, as each band grew larger.

skyking1 said:

cool piece of equipment Dan. I drove a 45' across the country similar to that one. It is easy to deck up over the wheel wells for example. That will make a grand toolbox, but do mind the snow loading and roof conditions. That one I drove was all caved last time I saw it , over in Montana after a hard winter there.

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Thanks for the feedback and heads up .. great info to know... cuz we get lots of heavy snows like Montana..
Now if I can find another one as cheap ... I'd put a Quonset hut over the top of them and have a very nice shop..
Thanks everyone