Brakes, hubs and Magnets need Replacement on 2012 Northtrail 32 BUDS Caliber edition

I have to say that once again I am disgusted with my Heartland Northtrail product...Purchased two summers ago I just had a mechanic look at my brakes and they need total replacement...drums, pads, and magnets...that's everything...worn out...believed to be due to improper set up...I've noticed my brakes not working and had the same issue last year...of course this is after warranty has run out. I seem to have had issue after issue with this product...my previous Outback was excellent...never had an issue wiht it...but this Northtrail has been trouble since we bought it...sorry to say that I'll never look at another one...will replace this one when we can but very disappointed in thier products.

My first instinct is telling me your mechanic is pulling your leg. I can't imagine having everything worn out in 2 years. You mentioned improper set up. From my experience, premature brake wear can be caused by the brakes being adjusted too tight or the break away switch being pulled. At any rate, I can tell/feel when my brakes are dragging.
What was it that was improperly set up? I replaced the brakes on my 8 year old Bighorn just last year. There was a good amount of material left on the shoes too but I got a great deal on new self adjusting backing plates so I thought, why not. I had to do PM's on the bearings anyway.
Improper seet up just doesn't sound right. There had to be some other underlying cause.

First off, I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune!
I have to agree with Ray in that it seems unreasonable to need replacement in just 2 yrs (unless you are towing 20,000 miles a year).
My first step would be to take some pictures of the shoes, hubs and magnets and call the manufacturer. I'm not familiar enough with the Northtrail to know where they come from. I know from personal experience that Dexter is very good to deal with when there was a question of product deficiency.
Lastly, I would like to mention that Hearland probably had little to do with setting up the brakes on your rig. There is the possibility (again, as Ray mentioned) that something (like the safety cable being pulled) happened in transit. When discovered it's put back in the switch and no one is the wiser until the owner has a problem in the future.
If you could post the pictures on this thread I'm sure a lot of folks would like to see what has happened

I appreciate your comments gentlemen but I've ben having problem after problem with this TT from day one...the mechanic is retired and a good friend of my inlaws and a very well respected gentleman...unfortunately I do not have photo's to post but I trust this man. He was a mechanic for a trucking company and worked on all their trailers. He is still called back to help them from time to time. He did say total replacement is necessary...I live in Canada so our summers are not very long...the maximum number of trips I'd have annually are 10. Mostly weekend trips no farther away than 2 hours...so minimal travel with this TT. Also...the dealer I purchased from closed a couple months after puchase and the closest affiliated dealer is minimally an hour away and I'd have to leave the TT for some time to get the work done...just frustrated to say the lease...We special ordered the trailer and maybe that's why we had som much difficulty with it...who knows...Chuck

"Improper set up" could mean YOU had the brake controller set to high. > The TT brakes may have been set so high so to also stop your Ram truck.

Hi Barrington,

A couple of things that you might want to know:

First, if Dexter brakes, I believe they come with a 2 year warranty from Dexter. You might want to call even if slightly over 2 years old. Not sure about Lippert, but it's worth a call if that's what you have.

Second, Dexter (and probably Lippert also) recommend changing the entire brake assembly as a unit. They price the assembly at about the same price as the sum of the individual parts. Labor is less and you avoid having another part wear out shortly after your repair.

Drums may need to be turned, but rarely need to be replaced. If yours do, it's probably due to scoring from wearing out the shoes. If all your drums are scored, as others have mentioned, it's probably from incorrect settings on your controller or the break-away switch being activated.

Heartland doesn't set up the brakes. They buy the axle and brake assembly as a unit and attach the axle to the frame. It's possible the brake manufacturer made an error, even possible they made an error on all 4 brake assemblies, but frankly if you have a failure on all brakes, it's much, much more likely that something happened as you went down the road.

I am hoping that you'll take the advice here and check your brake controller settings and break-away switch so you don't have a repeat of the problem on this trailer or on whatever you buy next.

Just why do the bearing hubs need to be replaced? If proper bearing repacking was performed...then they should not need replacing. If the drums have hot spots from overheating need to be replaced. If the brake lining is worn off and the drums scored you might need to replace them. Any owner/driver should know if something does not feel or sound right. Its up to the owner to remove or have removed a brake drum once a year and inspect the bearings and brake wear. Being an auto tech for 45+ years...I'm no dumby about brakes and what causes abnormal brake wear. I have seen it all and heard it all. No matter what or who caused the issue...its up to the end user to be aware and have it repaired. Good luck with another trailer company.....cause they all use the same brake products.

I still find it hard to believe the whole brake system needs replacing. But....
I don't know about Lippert, but Dexter says the drums can be turned .090" (which is quite a bit.) And the magnet surface can (and should) be re-surfaced at the same time. You may need to find a good brake and clutch shop to do this though.