Air brakes
We are in our 3rd year of ownership and traveling in our 2006 Itasca Horizon. Retired last year and now have the time for the longer trips. I always like to have a lot of stopping room so everythi...
Forum Discussion
vegasfood guy: Yes I know how to do an airbrake test. It was the result of a two day coarse at the local college. I'm not a qualified instructor but I have scored perfect each time I have to write. I also do the test completely each time I move my semi from the yard.
I purposely wrote the story as I did to stress the importance of not driving an unsafe vehicle and calling out a qualified truck mechanic. Here in Ontario the number 1 reason for trucks being grounded at the scales both CANADIAN AND US is brakes out of adjustment. I'm not trying to be a wise AZZ but any modern day truck driver will know exactly what I am talking about from the story I wrote. I've gotten into the discussions in the past and people who drove big trucks 40 years ago who clearly knew nothing were trying to make me the fool. One gentleman went so far as to say as long as the s cam didn't go over center there was nothing to worry about. That line of insults obviously came from someone who knew nothing but thought he knew everything.
The reason for our endorsement is not so we can do repairs but be able to recognize the problem ,take it out of service ,not drive it in for repairs but bring out a qualified tech.
An air brake system is relatively inexpensive to repair ,extremely reliable and last a long time unless contaminated with oil or grease.
When I got home from Florida this spring and it was time to get my semi in for it's annual inspection I found out all the rules of the inspection had changed. My understanding is that it was going to be standardized for all of North America. With the stiff regulations for big trucks I can't imagine it not spilling over onto Motorholmes.
One other thing I forgot to add to my list was the need to drain air tanks every day. Who would ever think of doing that when they have an air dryer??
I wrote the reply to make motorholme drivers who are not truck driver realize that there is more to it than turning the key , waiting for the buzzer to quit buzzing and stepping on the peddle .
Please reread a couple of times more . Because of the lack of clearance between the vehicle and the ground and the fact you can't check brake stroke travel without being under the vehicle it should be checked over a pit and addressed by a qualified tech. An hours labor may save your life and someone elses
I purposely wrote the story as I did to stress the importance of not driving an unsafe vehicle and calling out a qualified truck mechanic. Here in Ontario the number 1 reason for trucks being grounded at the scales both CANADIAN AND US is brakes out of adjustment. I'm not trying to be a wise AZZ but any modern day truck driver will know exactly what I am talking about from the story I wrote. I've gotten into the discussions in the past and people who drove big trucks 40 years ago who clearly knew nothing were trying to make me the fool. One gentleman went so far as to say as long as the s cam didn't go over center there was nothing to worry about. That line of insults obviously came from someone who knew nothing but thought he knew everything.
The reason for our endorsement is not so we can do repairs but be able to recognize the problem ,take it out of service ,not drive it in for repairs but bring out a qualified tech.
An air brake system is relatively inexpensive to repair ,extremely reliable and last a long time unless contaminated with oil or grease.
When I got home from Florida this spring and it was time to get my semi in for it's annual inspection I found out all the rules of the inspection had changed. My understanding is that it was going to be standardized for all of North America. With the stiff regulations for big trucks I can't imagine it not spilling over onto Motorholmes.
One other thing I forgot to add to my list was the need to drain air tanks every day. Who would ever think of doing that when they have an air dryer??
I wrote the reply to make motorholme drivers who are not truck driver realize that there is more to it than turning the key , waiting for the buzzer to quit buzzing and stepping on the peddle .
Please reread a couple of times more . Because of the lack of clearance between the vehicle and the ground and the fact you can't check brake stroke travel without being under the vehicle it should be checked over a pit and addressed by a qualified tech. An hours labor may save your life and someone elses
