has anyone changed to disc brakes on your RV?

[Bug Out]

I was tossing the idea around about possibly putting disc brakes on the 40' 3 axle Toy hauler. .

The drum brakes are fine, but i think disc are better and probably a whole lot easier to maintain.

Has anyone swapped them out and if so, what did it cost etc?


Thanks for your help .


Ed

 

[Dutch & Di]

Hi Ed,

We put Disc brakes on our 38"triple slide Carriage about 4 years. Ago. Best money we have ever spent. Far superior and yes easier to maintain. If memory serves it was about $2600. 00. We found out to late, for us, that there is a kit you can get and do the job yourself. If you want info on that PM me. Diana

 

[SnoKing]

Just read on RV.net that you end up with a 2 second delay to brake activation, which might not be that good of a deal. SNOKING

 

[rweis]

I think there are hydraulic actuators that do not have the several seconds delay. The delay is a hydraulic pump comming up to braking pressure. One of the actuator manufacturers has an actuator that has like 1/2 second delay. I would have to do some research to find them, but when I was looking at doing a disc conversion on my 5er I questioned the 2 second delay as well.



Bob Weis

 

[Dutch & Di]

When I asked Dutch about the delay, he said we don't have any delay. We've been fulltimeing for 11 years and using this system for 5 and don't feel we have any delay. Diana

 

[Jerryy]

I had my HitchHiker converted to disk brakes---best $$$ ever spent. If you talk to Mor-ryde, they will charge approx. $2500 for a two axle rv. If you review Trailer Life articles from approx. 1. 5 years ago, they converted a rig to disk brakes, and found that it stopped in less than half the distance of drum brakes. My experience parallels that.

 

[SnoKing]

Also make sure that your TV brake controller works with disc brakes. I would consider making this conversion also. SNOKING

 

[Cordy]

Have 36ft Hitchhiker that will have Disc brakes installed Nov. 14. After lots of research decided this was best way to go. Wife also drives while towing and she feels like she will be happy with the disc brakes. My cost will be $1800 was at rally where MorRyde rep quoted me a price of $2100+$700 labor at factory. Will have Dexter installed.

 

[J.V.]

Disk Brakes

I have a 37' HitchHiker 5er. I took it to Hardy, Arkansas to TowBrake International and had disk brakes put on all 3 axles. Stopping is a non-event now. The 18,000 rv stops just like the truck when empty. Won't be without disk brakes as long as I pull a rv.



No delay as this system does not use a pump.



J. V.

 

[rweis]

That's the company that has a no delay hydraulic system, TowBrake.



They use a master cylinder like a automobile instead of a pump pressure buildup. Theirs is a ram pushing on the master cylinder pistons. Instant response.



Bob Weis

 

[sfr1047]

UNOIT,

Are you having the Dextor disk brake conversions put on?

What size axles do you have on your trailer? 6000# or 8000#

 

[Bug Out]

Its on the list

Well, after the replies, it looks like I have found something to spend more money on...





I'll wait till next year, then start plotting the swap.





Thanks for all you help and input.





Ed

 

[FLynes]

I know that some of the Airstreams have/had hydraulic discs, and a few owners didn't like the setup, so they switched over to drums. Some folks I've talked to with the discs love em.

 

[dcoffman]

That's the company that has a no delay hydraulic system, TowBrake.



They use a master cylinder like a automobile instead of a pump pressure buildup. Theirs is a ram pushing on the master cylinder pistons. Instant response.



Bob Weis

How does this work on a 5er? On a TT the tongue slides and operates the master cyclinder.

 

[SnoKing]

How does this work on a 5er? On a TT the tongue slides and operates the master cyclinder.

They operate the master cylinder with an electric drive unit. Claim only 1/2 Second delay. SNOKING

 

[Cordy]

SFR1047 Have 6k axels. Dextor disc brakes are to be installed as I have been told by the Supplier. Will follow up after installation in 2 weeks.

 

[tburke]

I installed the kit with kodiac discs and the brakerite actuator. cost was just under 2000 grand for 3 7000# axles, doing the work myself. Performance is great, I have to be careful not to lock them up. One thing I would do different would be to leave one of the three axles elec. This way you have some back up. If you get a leak somewhere you loose all braking, or have the actuator fail. I had a tire blowout, the tread wrapped around the brake hose and ripped it. I lost all braking.

 

[mberry]

How does this work on a 5er? On a TT the tongue slides and operates the master cyclinder.

Not exactly true. Boat trailers typically have the surge system since commercially available electric brakes for boat trailers were non-existant up until a couple of years ago. The typical and majority of TT, 5th Wheel, and Gooseneck trailers come with electric actuated drum brakes.

My Father has a gooseneck with electric over haydraulic disc brakes and it does have a good delay. Probably 2 seconds. Scared the crap out of me this past summer while I was using it to move.

 

[jelag]

I've done this on 2 commercial trailers... . we love the braking and the ability to hold a load of 22K lbs trailer weight... . What we never liked was the lag time from when you press the brake pedal to the time the electric over hyd's function and the trailer brakes come on... . this IS longer than electric brakes... .



We found that the disc brakes were at least 2x's as strong as we ever could get out of the electric brakes and with the BRAKE SMART controller we could get more brakes faster once the system came up to pressure...



What we were always afraid of was that some A** would pull into the Safety Margin (SPACE) we had in front and than hit their brakes and leave us in a bad spot...



Even with the issues of it being slower we'd do this again... .

 

[CUMMINZ]

My first Cedar Creek had all electric. The Day Dreamer has hyd. and there is absolutely no comparison.