Shemokin Diesel, LLC

05/25/2026

05/18/2026

Gonna put this up again because camper tires are apparently the hot topic right now, and trusting mystery rubber at highway speeds is a bold little human tradition.

Share it with the campers in your life before their “quick weekend getaway” turns into Trailer Maintenance 2026: Shoulder of the Road Edition.

Camping season is upon us.

That magical time of year when folks hook into the camper, give it a quick glance, toss the family inside, and head for the great outdoors like nothing could possibly go wrong.

Don’t make your family draw straws to decide who has to tell you that you’ve officially been voted off the proverbial island.

Before you leave, check a few things:

Your tires. And not just whether they’re flat. How old are they? Are they dry-rotted? While you’re down there, check those wheel ends too. Nothing spices up a camping trip quite like watching your tire and hub pass you on the interstate.

Crawl underneath and look over the axles and hangers. Potholes have not been your trailer’s friend.

Do all your lights work?

Is your bumper hitch or fifth wheel in good shape?

Do you have a spare tire? And not one that’s been hanging in the factory holder since the beginning of time, rusted in place, with conditions unknown.

Do you have triangles, flares, or extra flashy lights to put out if something goes wrong? Maybe they’ll help alert the distracted drivers before they plow into you.

If you have a generator, does it work? Sure, your campsite might have full hookups, but nothing ruins the mood faster than no electric.

Remember, you’re going on vacation to relax, not to star in Trailer Maintenance 2026 on the side of the highway.

If checking all this over is not exactly in your wheelhouse, or you just don’t feel like crawling around in the driveway, give us a call and schedule an appointment. We’re happy to help, whether you’ve been towing campers for years or this is all new to you. And if you can’t come to us, we can come to you.

A few minutes in the driveway now can save you a whole lot of roadside misery later.

05/17/2026

Big trucks are changing, and apparently so are the ways they test our patience.

Lithium batteries and a battery-powered sleeper A/C system.

The concept is awesome: cool air without idling, less fuel burned, happier driver. We’re all for technology and change, even when it shows up with an attitude problem.

What started as “low batteries” turned into discharged lithium batteries, some wiring issues, and a whole new system to learn.

So we’re learning it the old-fashioned way: with a voltmeter, a wiring diagram, and just enough irritation to stay focused.

The trucks are changing.
The problems are changing too.

And we’re changing with them.

05/14/2026

Called out for a loss of power, possible transmission failure, and a dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree.

The culprit?
Brake pedal pressure switch.
Sneaky little bastard.

This 2020 Peterbilt 579 had brake lights staying on even after the brakes were released.

The computer still thought the brakes were applied, which can mess with plenty, including power, shifting, and the transmission.

No cussing required this time.
Just watching pressures on the computer and pulling the dash apart.

One little switch.
A whole lot of drama.

Shemokin Diesel LLC

05/14/2026

Yesterday’s fun: I was finishing up the last of 3 Motive cameras for a company.

Naturally, the Peterbilt had other plans.

The famous Peterbilt fuse panel had been marinating in water corrosion long enough to take out the fuse wiring feeding the diagnostic plug. No power to the plug, no camera setup, no joy. Because apparently trucks like to add side quests.

A little testing, a little wiring repair, a little muttering…

Ta-da. 12.5 volts back to the plug, cameras working, diagnostic port alive again.

I don’t always get to post about the crazy crap I get myself into, but yesterday earned it.

-Jessica

05/12/2026

“I didn’t know y’all did that.”

Yep, we hear that a lot.

Radiators, transmissions, rear ends, engines, fuel problems, check engine lights, tires… we do a little bit of everything.

We focus on the big stuff, but we’ve been known to see RVs, buses, trucks, and even cars too.

A full mechanical smorgasbord.

And we love it.

05/09/2026

If you know The Princess Bride, you already heard this in the voice. 😂

“Marriage brings us here today”… but make it diesel shop edition.

Fuel filters bring us here today.

Change. Your. Damn. Fuel. Filters.

No fuel. No fire. No mercy.

05/07/2026

Today was National Skilled Trades Day.

Which is fitting, because we’ve been out here doing skilled trades stuff all day and, because trucks have absolutely no respect for the clock, all evening too.

Wrenching, welding, fixing, chasing problems, making trucks behave, and keeping the world moving one greasy disaster at a time.

Skilled trades aren’t a backup plan.

They ARE the backbone.

Happy National Skilled Trades Day from Shemokin Diesel.