No Disk Brakes!

[wdk450]

I made a move on Tuesday from Porterville, Ca (50 miles North of Bakersfield) to Nicolas, Ca. (15 miles North of Sacramento). As I left the funky, small RV park with a short potholed driveway immediately connecting with a state highway, I wanted to do my manual controller brake check, but was unable to, due to the campground conditions. I didn't want to do it on the 55 mph crowded highway, so I forgot about it and made the essentially flat 250 mile drive up the Sacramento/San Joaquin valleys. When I got to the turnoff from Ca 99 to the campground access road, I had to stand on the truck brakes to make the turn. On the short, empty, country road, I tried the manual brake test again and found that I had no trailer brakes.

Today I found that my 4 battery system was miswired (by me), and 3 of the 4 batteries were not getting charged. Of course, the 3 battery section was where the brake actuator pump was connected, and those batteries only had 7 volts on them. The electrohydraulic pump gets a proportional control signal from the truck brake controller, but depends on the trailer battery system for the current needed to operate the pump. With the batteries reconnected charged up to 13 volts, the pump worked correctly and I am sure the brakes will work O.K. when I pull out in 3 weeks. But I will make certain to check the brakes before rolling out of the park.

 

[TandT]

Good advice. I always hit my manual brake control lever once, just as I am hitching up to leave. Trace

 

[Rodbuster]

After hitching up and before retracting the landing legs all the way up is when I do a pull test. After that test, I know that I'm hitched up properly and that my brakes are working.

Dick

 

[For20hunter]

After hitching up and before retracting the landing legs all the way up is when I do a pull test. After that test, I know that I'm hitched up properly and that my brakes are working.

Dick

I do the exact same thing. I raise them about an inch of the ground and do a "tug test" to insure the hitch is locked in and trailer brakes are working.

Rod Ditrich

 

[wdk450]

While I was hitching up for the trip, I had the trailer pinbox too high for the lock bar to go in, the hitch wasn't right on horizontally, either. My trailer wheels were still chocked. Well, when I pulled forward to try another hitch attempt, I learned that my Butch's services trailer saver bar does work. I didn't notice that it was mostly across the pin opening, missed the pin when backing in, but it caught the pin when I tried to pull forward with no ill affects.

Usually I try to do the manual brake test going about 10 mph, but I like the idea of doing it when first pulling forward. I think I will adopt that practice.

BTW, I hope that everyone knows that regular electric trailer brakes REQUIRE wheel movement to actuate - they won't engage like auto/truck emergency brakes just sitting. My hydraulic disk brakes WILL engage whenever the brake pedal is engaged, and I always shift the transmission to PARK when stopped at an extended red light (or railroad crossing) to save wear on the hydraulic pump (per the manufacturer's recommendations).

The low voltage on the batteries may explain some of my previous posts about a lag in disk brake braking. I am going to thoroughly check the braking system out when I pull out of this park in 3 weeks. I may add one of my E-Bay $3 miniature 12 volt digital voltmeter readouts to the braking battery connection point, to check before pulling out.

BTW, the controller in the truck just senses its connection and complete activation circuit voltage, so everything looked O.K. on the controller readout up to the manual trailer braking test, where the controller readout read its maximum value (15) and there was no braking from the trailer.

 

[Terry H]

My hydraulic disk brakes WILL engage whenever the brake pedal is engaged, and I always shift the transmission to PARK when stopped at an extended red light (or railroad crossing) to save wear on the hydraulic pump (per the manufacturer's recommendations).

Bill,

In case you are not using the parking brake before placing your truck in park. It is best when placing your tow vehicle in park to apply the parking brake before placing the transmission in park. If you are on a hill and go to move the transmission out of park into a gear, it will be very difficult to get the transmission out of park, you might have to get the "Hulk" to help you. Don't ask me how I know. Also to take the vehicle out of park, put it in gear before you release the parking brake.

 

[wdk450]

Bill,

In case you are not using the parking brake before placing your truck in park. It is best when placing your tow vehicle in park to apply the parking brake before placing the transmission in park. If you are on a hill and go to move the transmission out of park into a gear, it will be very difficult to get the transmission out of park, you might have to get the "Hulk" to help you. Don't ask me how I know. Also to take the vehicle out of park, put it in gear before you release the parking brake.

Terry:
Thanks for the advice. I normally just do this "park" maneuver when stopped on a level surface for a light or railroad crossing. I will remember your advice for anytime I am on a grade in these situations.

 

[GMCaddic]

After hitching up and before retracting the landing legs all the way up is when I do a pull test. After that test, I know that I'm hitched up properly and that my brakes are working.

Dick

X2
This is always the way I do it. Safety comes first