has anyone changed to disc brakes on your RV?

[B.G. Smith]

I have 31' 5th wheel with elect. over hydraulic. It does have a slight delay but then you DO have brakes. There was a shorter delay with the electric set up I had on the last 31' 5th wheel and then still not real good brakes. Biggest problem I have had is to keep the controller set so I don't lock up the wheels and flat spot the tires. I did have a tread come off and wrap around the axle like reported above and it did take out a line, leak was slow and I was able to get off the road ok. I also boiled the fluid I guess last summer when I got cought in the 5 oclock traffic in Denver on I-25 and did a lot of stop and go. Another thing with the elec. over hydraulic like I have is, you have to be careful when stopped at red lights, slow traffic, etc. because if you hold your foot on the pedal too long it can burn up the pump motor. I have a push button switch that I use to cut off the brakes when stopped at light etc. It is a push to open switch and I just release the button when I start moving again. bg

 

[HBarlow]

I agree completely that trailer disc brakes provide stronger stopping but I've pulled a few trailers equipped with disc brake setups and didn't like the delay. I found the delay scary when pulling a heavy fiver in heavy Los Angeles or other big city traffic where the 65 mph traffic could turn into a parking lot in the time it took to glance at the attractive woman in the car alongside.



I pulled one new very heavy fiver from the factory and experienced a total hydraulic disc brake failure. The problem can occur because the hydraulic system is a single system ie if one brake caliper or brake line is damaged or fails the entire system loses hydraulic pressure. The one I was pulling suffered a catastrophic failure because the hydraulic brake line to the left rear wheel was ground off by the inside of the wheel. The hydraulic calipers just barely fit inside the typical 16" wheels installed on most trailers . . . there is only about 3/16" of clearance between outside edge of the caliper and inside of the wheel. The hydraulic brake line has to pass through that opening and the calipers have a tiny notch to faciliatate the line. A clip used to secure the hydraulic line on the one I was pulling failed, the line relaxed, drug against the wheel, and dumped all fluid the first time I applied the brakes. Scary with a 17,000 lb. trailer behind.



There is another alternative to the high cost of installing disc brakes. The larger, wider electric drum brakes built by Dexter and offered as standard equipment on top of the line units or as optional equipment on lower cost units provide great braking at about 25% of the cost of disc brakes.



I opted for the larger or "heavy duty" electric drum brakes on my new HH and am very pleased. The brakes have far greater stopping power than other trailers I've owned or pulled and are capable of smoking the tires when applied hard.



Harvey

 

[rweis]

I think there is one hydraulic system that uses automobile hydraulic redundant brake systems. You would still loose 1/2, but would still have 1/2.



I recall they use a electrically driven ram to a master cylinder and the delay time is also about 1/2 of the time it takes a pump to pressure system.



Bob Weis

 

[macie]

I was quoted from Dale Fenton at Trailair Service Center, Goshen, IN. For total swap out, . New springs, 8000 lb. Axles, Nev-r-lub wheel bearings, New four-wheel disk brakes. Complete job In and out one day service. $2,300.