Out of Thin Air

First things first. 77 years ago today my dad, Eugene Boggs was born into the world. Happy, Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you so much and praise God for your life, health and strength!

Out of Thin Air

I mentioned the air line breaking under the driver's seat on the way to West Virginia Saturday. Now for the rest of the story.

This particular air line has caused problems before. The line begins at a fitting below the floor and provides air to the air ride portion of my seat while I am going down the road. It is not absolutely essential to moving down the road, but when the air line splits, it is deafening. As long as I am moving down the road and not using breaks, I can keep the air pressure up, but we start looking for a place to get off the road immediately!

This air line first split while going down the interstate in October 2016.

It split a second time in a different section the next year while going down the interstate in California.

It split again late at night while traveling across Texas in October 2018. That time I replaced the line from its source. I tied it into the existing line underneath the seat with a coupling with pressure fittings.

The break in the air line Saturday was beyond the coupling in the old air line. Beyond that coupling was a Tee that I did not see before. 

The 1/4" line goes into the Tee and comes out as two 6mm lines. The seat is German made so it uses European hose sizes. One of the 6mm lines dead ends because my seat is not equipped with air in the lumbar. The second 6mm line goes to the seat itself. 

Look closely at the picture above. Can you tell the difference between the 1/4" line on the right and the 6mm line on the top and left? Me neither. There is only .35mm difference. However, I have been told the 1/4" will leak if I put it on this 6mm fitting on the chair.

Where that line meets the fitting for the seat is where the line broke. There are places that sell the 6mm line and the reducer from 1/4" to 6mm, but nothing near me. I have some options using the old parts and I am considering those options. Keeping in mind though, that if I use the old line, I better plan on replacing it soon, because it is obviously brittle.

OR I can keep the line capped off with Visegrips until I get home, but that means no air ride on the seat through the mountains. I will keep you posted.

That is life on the road and owning and operating a bus. Problems seem to chase me down out of thin air. But, you know, I could be Pastoring a church!

Thank you for stopping by to see us today.

Davy