Thanksgiving Special!

Welcome to East Coast Truck and Trailer Sales Newsletter It's the time of year for giving thanks to those we appreciate. Our Customers. To all of our customers we will offer FREE shipping on all orders over $200.00 placed between Thur, Nov 27th - Sunday, Nov 30th. (Excludes ODF items and clearance items.) Simply sit back, log on to Parts.ECTTS.Com and get your shopping done without having to brave the weather, or the crowds. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Perfect Turkey? If you're fixing turkey this thanksgiving (and who isn't?), you're probably expecting a moist, juicy bird. While everyone hopes their bird will turn out that way, what if there was a way to make it happen every time? This is going to seem strange, at first, but you'll get the idea of why it's necessary. First, after you have removed the giblets, and rinsed the bird, place the turkey in the roasting pan upside down (breast meat down). Second, do not stuff the bird. Place ¼ cup of butter inside the bird, and place the remaining ¼ cup of butter in the pan with 1 cup of water. Now cover the bird, and cook for 3 hours and 3o minutes (13lb bird), at 350 degrees F. In the last 30-to 45 minutes you need to turn the bird over to cook without the cover, until brown, if you want the breast skin brown and crispy. After the turkey is done (Thigh meat is 180 degrees F) , You can use the remaining juices to make gravy, or work into the dressing, according to your tastes. Some variations of this recipe call for using apple juice, instead of water. Others call for cooking the bird in an oven bag, and using a blend of olive oil and butter. One thing all the cooks have to say about this method is that this produces a moist, juicy bird - every time. Enough said. On the Road Thanksgiving So, you're going to be on the road this thanksgiving. That means you're going to be passing by truck stops, and you're going to need to know where some great grub can be found. Problem solved. Here are some of the truck stops that have great food figured out. Dysart's Truck Stop and Restaurant - Bangor, ME Berky's Restaurant at Lee Hi Travel Plaza - Lexington, VA R Place Restaurant - Morris, IL Iowa 80 Truck Stop - Walcott, IA Johnson's Corner - Johnstown, CO Billy Bob's Texas Truck Stop - Fort Worth, TX Omar's Hi-Way Chef Restaurant - Tucson, AZ Needless to say, this is only a small sampling. We've tried to compile a list that goes across the continent, but if you know of others you'd recommend, certainly e-mail us, and we'll try to get those out there during the holiday season, as well.

Fifth Wheel Maintenance

OK, so how many of you are thinking about your fifth wheel right now? Probably not many, right? Well like everything else on your truck, it needs maintenance. Which means you also probably need a checklist to do it right. Everyone loves a checklist, and we've got you covered. 1)      First, you're going to need to clean the gunk off that fifth wheel. Some folks go so far as to steam clean it; others simply scrape and clean it with a brush and solvent. You should know that it is recommended that you steam clean not only the top plate, but the jaws and legs, as well. 2)      Next you're going to inspect the upper area and edges for any damage. This can simply be wear and tear, or something more excessive - like missing parts or cracks. You're going to need to find a straight edge, too, because you've got to check the flatness of the fifth wheel. Cracks are obviously bad, as well. Finding them can be tricky if you're not steam cleaning the fifth wheel, but if you check underneath it, you can see any grease making its way through a crack. 3)      Look at the jaw area. Is there any damage, or excessive wear? You should have a test pin from your manufacturer. You're going to use this to engage the locking mechanism. Check the release handle, as well. This needs to be straight and secure. Look for any missing parts. Adjust the locking mechanism. 4)      You'll want to examine the bracket pins and legs for any type of damage (slack, wear or cracks). 5)      Check those Zerks. Obviously, grease fittings should be intact and unclogged. 6)      This is the point where you're going to need the square. Review the flatness of the bolster plate, as well as the kingpin. You're looking for any deformities in either one. No one likes it, but when you find damage in either one, you're going to need to replace it. 7)      Check your kingpin for wear, as well. You're going to need a kingpin gauge for this. 8)      Now that you've made it through the inspection, hopefully without needing to replace anything, it's time to look at the necessary maintenance. First, lubricate the jaw and locking mechanism. You're going to do this with a silicone based spray lube, or some other light oil. 9)      Let's give the zerks something to do now. You're going to use the grease gun for the bracket pin zerks to lube the surfaces above the pin. 10)   Now for the top plate. While many drivers and mechanics apply high quality grease all over the fifth wheel, you only need to grease the rear part, as the action of connecting a trailer will apply the grease to the rest of the fifth wheel. Note: Not all of these steps apply if you have a fifth wheel with a Teflon disc. The disc is the lubricant.