Tuesday, November 15, 2016

It’s a pretty nice day today, up to 65ºF, and not much wind.  This good weather streak is supposed to extend to Friday, when rain is predicted.  Cooler days are following that they say.

John keeps working on installing a power package for the tarp and unloading doors on the Vision’s  trailer.  It is a Wilson trailer, and the tarp is a Shurco brand.  The upgrade package is also from Shurco.

After delivering a couple loads of corn to GPC this morning, he got back to work on the project.  He had to weld an extension on the pipe on the LH side of the tarp.  I was impressed with his welding job on that galvanized pipe.   Before this installation, a long crank handle on the back end of the trailer turned this pipe which rolled and unrolled the tarp.  Now, that pipe will be operated with an electric motor!

John finished off the big arms on each end on the trailer.  That completed the installation of the trailer’s components.  Next, he worked on installing the wiring on the Vision (our nickname for our ’05 Mack truck).   I help off-and-on, fetching wrenches and such.  It has been a bit more involved with more hours of work than we anticipated.

John works on connecting the motor on the front end of the tarp. The wires to power this motor are routed through the big arm that is hinged in the center of the trailer.

A similar big control arm mounts to the rear of the tarp and trailer

John routes the heavy wires up through the Vision’s floor to a disconnect, then on to a special plug-in that will provide battery power to the new devices on the trailer

The goal of this project is to make the operation of the tarp and unload doors much easier for the truck driver.  We have another package to install ASAP on the Pete’s trailer.

We seem to enjoy these types of projects, when we can make ‘improvements’ to our machines or facilities.  It’s one of the perks of being a farmer, and quite satisfying when the work of your hands results in something working smoother/better/faster.  We are constantly looking for ways to improve.  Every year brings opportunities to enhance our soil conservation, boost machine productivity or efficiency, and refine the effectiveness of our farm management systems.  It’s not just automatic; we have to be proactive in our search.  We peruse the farm publications and university or Extension Service information for innovative ideas.  Social media, like Twitter, has also become a way to network with other farmers around the nation and see what they are doing to make their operations better.