Coiled plastic hoses suck. Straight rubber hoses rock. I think the plastic ones should be banned too.

I don't understand why they would approve hoses made out of plastic. Plastic is petroleum based and dries out in the sunlight and break. In extreme cold weather it can also become brittle and break. It doesn't make sense for the DOT to allow those plastic hoses on the market. :evil:

If you're sure it's your 5th-wheel then by all means spend the money, but you may want to check your kingpin first. Sometimes they become worn, especially if they've been used in D&H operation. Doesn't happen very often but it does happen.

I have a long time friend who is in the plastics industry.
Plastic and rubber are both obviously, petroleum based. The problem is not that they are made out of plastic. It's that they were not made out of the correct plastic.

When the plastic is speced out by the company doing the manfacture of the hoses they will call out for a certain amount of UV inhibiter(sp?) This inhibiter is very expensive and you wont know it was left out until the sun has it's way with it.
It could also be that a flex agent was under speced or left out. This causes the brittleness in very cold weather.
The real problem is either someone is getting cheap or the wrong plastic is being used.

Be good, Jim

Several years ago I was driving in Chicago during a brittle cold wintry day and as I was making a turn to the receiver, my air lines snapped from the cold in morning rush hour. I had to back off the s-cam brakes on the trailer to make the delivery and then had to replace the lines. Plastic does suck!!

Just came back from the hydraulics parts store. 100 feet of 600psi rubber hose, 4 solid brass fittings that screw right into existing hardware and stainless crimp bands enough to make 10 10' hoses. It cost me $89.00. This would have cost me $390.00 in a truck stop.

When I went down to the truck this morning it was about 5 out. I needed the glad hands to make sure the stuff fit. I grabbed the air hose, bent it, and it broke off. So much for -40 rating. These air lines are less than a week old!

Since when is rubber "petroleum based"? Last I checked (which was about 10 seconds ago), rubber was "rubber based". :roll: Even synthetic rubber isn't petroleum based.

Rev,

After you click on the link, you may be interested in reading the first sentence.

Be good, Jim



http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/recycling...s/rubberis.htm

Funny - this link says nothing about petroleum.....

I thought one of the reasons for the huge increase in tire cost this year was because of the increase in oil prices?