GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 I have read many times on here "lost rv brakes and didn't even notice it". I do. My truck will stop but I can smoke brakes if light causes me to stop quick, or any other situation causing me to stop quick. Are my faulty. Truck seems to stop fine without Teton 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 When I had a hydraulic line cut trough on the frame, I knew I was not stopping like normal. But I had to verify by punching the Manual Trailer Brake Controller and not having any slow down. You have to take some statements with a grain of salt, like I get 10 mpg towing the trailer". Please click for Emails instead of PM Mark & DaleJoey - 2016 Bounder 33C Tige - 2006 40' Travel SupremeSparky III - 2021 Mustang Mach-e, off the the Road since 2019 Useful HDT Truck, Trailer, and Full-timing Info atwww.dmbruss.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Do you have a trailer brake controller on your truck? (johnson bar) (or whatever) Get your trailer wheels off the ground and have someone apply your brakes. Does the wheel spin? Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 1 minute ago, HERO Maker said: Do you have a trailer brake controller on your truck? (johnson bar) (or whatever) Get your trailer wheels off the ground and have someone apply your brakes. Does the wheel spin? Think you misunderstood my post. I recently had to tow with no brakes on 'Teton. Valve blew out on trailer brake system. I was a little concerned with brakes after this. It stops but not as good as I have read on here. Have corrected problem and was wondering. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Glenn I agree with Mark. Anybody who makes that statement probably had little or no trailer brakes to start with. There is definitely a difference. Nigel 2006 Volvo VNL 430, 2006 smart cabrio cdi, 2000 Triple E Topaz 30' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Thanks guys. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 1 hour ago, GlennWest said: I have read many times on here "lost rv brakes and didn't even notice it". I do notice. My truck will stop but I can smoke brakes if light causes me to stop quick, or any other situation causing me to stop quick. Are my (mine) faulty. Truck seems to stop fine without Teton Well sure. You've got 20k+ lbs pushing that truck! In rereading the above post, tried to imagine what you were saying and asking. 19 minutes ago, GlennWest said: Think you misunderstood my post. I recently had to tow with no brakes on 'Teton. Valve blew out on trailer brake system. I was a little concerned with brakes after this. It stops but not as good as I have read on here. Have corrected problem and was wondering. I guess you aren't asking if your trailer brakes are faulty now, since you state that you have "corrected problem"? Do you feel the trailer slowing you down now? Was your failure before installing the BluDot system? Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 I installed the disc and bludot while I was on the long term job. First tow, brakes worked great until check valve blew out, It was dark, at busy truck stop. No where to really work on truck. So bleed off bludot system and proceed to destination. About 100 miles. Had to be at work early the next morning. I replaced the check valve after job finished. Just was questioning my brakes on the truck. Logic tells me 21k in tow, Smart on deck should be reduction in truck brake performance. Just read the opposite on here many times. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Glenn, I have lost my brakes on my trailer on three occasions. The truck stopped the trailer better than any other tow vehicle I have ever used but still stops a lot better with the addition of 6 disk brakes on the trailer. Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Did you have to smoke your brakes to make a quick stop? 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Never had to stop that fast when I lost the brakes. But with the 4-air disk brakes on the Volvo I'm sure I would have engaged the ABS system. Don't know if the tires would smoke with the ABS system. Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Tires didn't smoke, brakes did. My setup works great. Very content with the disc and Bludot. Knowing what I do now, I could have removed valve and continued. Wouldn't have released as quick but better than no trailer brakes. Valved called quick release trailer protection. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porky69 Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 FWIW..... a tandem axle truck will most likely be spec'ed with a gvw of at least 46,000lb (12,000lb steers+34000lb drives) so weight capacity wise if you are under that weight you would technically have enough brakes to stop the unit. The legal side of the equation says that any trailer over a certain weight (varies from state to state, but usually somewhere around 3000lb) must have functioning brakes. Running with out the quick release valve could cause extra brake wear on the trailer. With the power an HDT has you probably would not have noticed the trailer brakes releasing more slowly (and therefore dragging if you didn't wait long enough). Most noticeably when running in traffic and lightly using the brakes while rolling along. I wouldn't hesitate to run without the trailer brakes functioning but would definitely have got them fixed ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 I did, first day off. Made that statement based on salesman. He said they would still release, just not as quick. You are right about likely not notice it. When valve blew out Teton brakes locked up. I was slowing down and didn't notice it until air alarm went off. Dragged it about a hundred feet. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted November 28, 2017 Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Glen, Saturday when we moved over to Willis TX, as I came off of I-45 onto the service road, the lady in front of us STOPPED.... Then SLOWLY proceeded to merge onto the service road that had no traffic. I mashed the brake pedal hard to avoid running her over. The truck didn't go into antilock, but after we got onto the service road and turned into the RV park 1/2 mile later, I could smell the truck brakes. Did I smoke them I don't think so, but I know they got hot. Good part was I never felt the trailer push us. Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2017 Thanks again everyone. Feel better now. We going to Escapees Rainbows end Friday 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billr Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Glen no sure if you or someone else mentioned this.... When you lost your blue dot did you need to run with the trailer brake push pull on dash out? And your used to towing and driving with it in? Tractor protection valve I think they call it affects the braking If you do you will notice a pretty good reduction in braking and it might cause you to feel like it’s not stopping normally and cause you to have to apply more pressure but now slightly delayed. I found that out one day and don’t like running towing or bobtail with thet valve out. I know bobtail you have to watch it on slick roads with it in. Bill and Joan and 3 Collie pups 2001 Volvo VNL 770 "The Doghouse" Singled short, "ET" hItch VED12 465HP Gen 1 Autoshift 3.58 ratio 2005 Mobile Suite 38RL3 2011 Smart Passion loaded piggybacK Weigh-It Portable RV Scales http://www.weighitrv.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Bludot uses the trailer brake system for supply and signal. yes, the red valve is engaged while towing. When bobtailed no. Don't really understand what you asking. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Heiser Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 43 minutes ago, GlennWest said: Bludot uses the trailer brake system for supply and signal. yes, the red valve is engaged while towing. When bobtailed no. Don't really understand what you asking. Glenn, Some trucks have proportional braking (I'm not sure if this is the correct term or not, but it is what I am using). Meaning that when running bobtail, the truck brakes do not engage as hard as they will when towing a trailer. The way the system knows whether the truck is running bobtail or with a trailer is if the red trailer brake valve is engaged or not. On the trucks with proportional braking, when the red trailer brake valve is in the "out position" it thinks it has less weight behind it because there is no trailer attached so the brake pressure applied at the wheels is less with the same brake pedal activation than it would be if the red trailer brake valve is in the "in position" indicating there is a trailer attached to the truck. This is what billr was talking about in his post. I do not know if your Freightliner has proportional braking or not but if it does this could explain some of the feeling you had when stopping without trailer brakes (assuming your red trailer brake valve was in the out position because of the failure you had). Also, a lot of the time we HDT owners make statements about how great the breaks are on our trucks and we hail the ability of our trucks to stop our rigs whether or not the trailer brakes are working. I personally have had the brakes go out on my 5er when towing with an LDT and then with the same 5er while towing with an HDT. This was a relatively light 5er (my last one) at 16300 lbs. The LDT eventually stopped the combination, but it required me to mash the brake pedal to the floor and then still took a while to get the combination stopped with a lot of brake smell coming from the truck. The HDT stopped the combination with basically the same braking action I was used to, but did take a little bit longer than normal. Basically it wasn't nearly as hair raising as it was with the LDT. Now with a much heavier 5er (21000+ lbs), I can tell the difference when my trailer brakes are working versus when they are not (even on the HDT). The HDT still stops the combination much quicker than an LDT would, but there is a difference depending on whether the trailer brakes are working or not. There just isn't that hair raising difference there would be with an LDT. 2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift 2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard 2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan 2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage) 2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)My First Solar Install ThreadMy Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the buildMy MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet! chadheiser.com West Coast HDT Rally Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 It may. It sures feels as though I have better brakes towing than bobtail. Could just be those brand new 3 axle disc brakes just installed. Lol 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisvr Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 I remember the first time I drove a truck with proportional braking. I came to a stop sign and braked like I would normally bobtailing a truck and I thought I was going to go through the intersection. I kept giving it more and more brakes and didn't think it was going to stop. Took me quit awhile to get used to them. Cant remember if this was before ABS or not. "It is better to have more truck than you need than to need more truck than you have" 2001 Volvo 660, Cummins 400 ISX, Eaton 3 Peddle Auto Shift 2014 Fuzion 40' Toyhauler 2015 Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Get under the truck and make sure your brakes are still adjusted after they got smoked. It could have glazed the shoes or a bunch of other stuff but it is wheels off to figure that out. You probably also have 15x4 front brakes, which gets to be pretty small when an axle is removed. 4x2 medium duties have more braking than that so, yea, it probably didn't perform so well with a heavy unbraked trailer. 15x4 in a 4x2 isn't a combination that is built new. It didn't pass 121 back then and really doesn't pass it now. 15x4 new truck wise pretty much died forever in 2011 actually. Bobtail proportioning isn't something to be taken lightly. That's why there is a big fat red warning sticker on the dash. It is only OK on a bare rear end tractor that is looking for an air braked trailer. It was never done on a truck that carries something and if you "build out" a tractor that adds more weight to the rear then it needs to be removed. If you've got an electric trailer, plug your red line, and rely on memory to push in the red valve you are playing with fire. It really should be interlocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Have Bludot. Nothing electrical to brakes. 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrap Posted November 29, 2017 Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Yes, so you can't move until red knob is in, which means you can't ever be bobtail proportioned while under load, which is good. Now go roll in the mud and check those pushrods! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted November 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2017 Should I put larger brakes on front? 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.