We have a travel trailer with the typical electric brakes. They seem to work very well. However, I am seeing disc brake conversions featured on TV lately. They claim that electric brakes are not reliable and too hard to keep 'tuned' so that all four wheels brake the same.
So far in our travels the TV has been able to hold the trailer back sufficiently by downshifting so that the brakes do not get over heated.
Has anyone done a conversion to disc brakes, and if so, does it make sense?? What is the cost including labor?
Fred Cory
Mineral Bluff, GA
2008 20' Cruiser RV Toy Hauler
Dodge Durango 5.9L
Harley 06 VRod
If you travel in the mountains a lot then the conversion would be worth your time. Otherwise your old electric brakes are probably the way to go. The Calipers for disc brakes will really test your patience if they start hanging up from sitting long periods. Good luck what ever you choose to do.
My drum brakes work just fine as long as they are adjusted. There is a reason the big OTR trailers use drum brakes verses disc. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
NCH
2000 Ford F350 4X4 PSD,CC, DRW
4:10's, BTM Muffler, Isspro Gauges,
Coolant Filter,CCV Mod
FTVB , Ford AIS
6.0 Cooler,SCT2 W/DP's 40 tow & 80 econo,Zoodad mod
2005 Keystone Hornet 30BHSS
Reese Dual Cam
Family of 4 saved by Grace!!! MY TRUCK OUR TRAILER
Mor/Ryde makes a conversion kit.. It costs over $2000 for a 2 axle setup.. (plus labor!!)
I'll stick with my drum system..20,000 miles so far it has not let me down and with my Prodigy, I even had to make a serious panic stop once. Stopped 'er dead!!
OTR drum brakes are powered by air/lack of air. RV electric brakes are activated by a problematic collection of magnets and friction surfaces. The drum brakes part isn't the problem. It's the rest of the system. If someone would make a drum conversion that used the same electric/hydraulic system as the disks, I'd buy it in a NY minute. It's just as easy to change to disks while you're there.
We converted a 2005 Holiday Rambler 32FKD from standard electric brakes to hydraulic disc brakes. We also converted it from the standard steel leaf spring suspension to Mor/RYDE fully independent suspension at the same time, and finally we converted the rear shackles of our F350 to Mor/RYDE "RL" to improve its ride. The entire bill was $5,712 which breaks down as follows
$2007 - Mor/RYDE suspension on TT
$2995 - disc brake conversion on TT
$750 - Mor/RYDE RL conversion on F350
The difference in braking was phenomnal. Before the conversion, the truck and trailer took about 150% as much room to stop as the truck without the trailer. After the conversion, the combination stopped virtually as well as the truck alone. After the conversion, I could descent long grades and use the brakes as much and as often as I wished without fade. We intentionally descended Snoqualmie Pass by accelerating to 60 then braking to 40, accelerating to 60 then braking to 40 repeatedly all the way down the hill and were able to make a quick full stop at the bottom.
Additionally, the smooth linear braking of disc brakes was very noticable. Even DW in the side seat could tell the difference in smoothness in normal braking.
Downside? There is a delay between the brake controller telling the trailer to apply the brakes and the pump developing full pressure to make the application. We had the best dual system pump installed which also had the shortest delay (0.2 seconds vs 0.5 to 1 second). The increased braking performance far surpassed any safety concerns regarding the delay. However, the delay does cause a Hensley Hitch to compress which imparts a slight crabbing motion in the TV. If you have a Hensley Hitch, you'll quickly learn to compensate by slightly turning the steering wheel when braking. If you don't have a Hensley, then you'll probably never notice the delay IF you get the best hydraulic unit.
Was it
Steve & C. J.
"Gracie" the Rough Collie & "Bo'sun" the Bichon Frise
rolnrolnroln wrote: OTR drum brakes are powered by air/lack of air. RV electric brakes are activated by a problematic collection of magnets and friction surfaces. The drum brakes part isn't the problem. It's the rest of the system. If someone would make a drum conversion that used the same electric/hydraulic system as the disks, I'd buy it in a NY minute. It's just as easy to change to disks while you're there.
Drum brakes are installed on OTR trucks and RVs for one reason - money. They are cheap. Many newer truck and high-end RV's come with disc brakes. We started getting disc brakes on our fire engines in the 80's and the difference in stopping ability was dramatic.
Frankly, I think the drum brake is a very real part of the problem. The drum brakes on our 10,000# TT are the same size as would have been installed on a mid-60's full-size domestic car that weighed less than half as much. Fade was a real problem with drum brakes back then and it's real problem with drum brakes on our RV's today.
It's a fact of life that the typical pickup/TT or 5ver combo takes about 150% as long to stop as it takes the truck alone. So, if you're going 60 MPH and your truck will stop in 300 feet, figure you need another 150 feet to stop while pulling your trailer. If you have that 150 feet, you don't have a problem. If you don't have that 150 feet you bought a whole lot more than a $2000 brake upgrade.
Why is it that MANY RVers will spend $1000-$5000 to increase the power of their rig, but few will spend $2000 to increase their braking ability. I guess putting a Kodiak disc brake decal on the side of the coach doesn't feed the ego as well as a Banks decal does.
Offline
(plus labor!!)
