Braking Conundrum

If that is all you know about your unit it is time to turn in the keys. I never said the OP was Canadian. I was only mentioning that some Governments think a person should have a little knowledge about the air brake system. Most DP owners do know more than " that pedal stops the coach". Do you know how to handle mountains in your coach? I am betting that you do ! Running out of air on a 6 % downhill grade can bring your RV life to a quick end.

Moisheh

If the OP was Canadian he should have made that clear. This US based forum allows anyone to jump in a coach with air brakes and have at it. I drive a Canadian built Prevost bus but I am not required to follow Canadian rules. I know very little about how air brakes work other than I push the pedal and the brakes stop the bus. I let Prevost handle the normal maintenance including the air dryer and brake pads. My old coach requires manual adjustment of the brakes and that is taken care of as well.
Since you have no idea what you are talking about when you point fingers at me you might want to mind your manners.
Here in the US you really DON'T need to know any more about air brakes than you would know about hydraulic or manual brakes and I will say it again, you just push the pedal to stop.
OK, on edit I should have said you need to make sure you have air pressure in the system but I would assume that most folks would at least ask "What do these gauges mean?" before driving the coach off the lot.

Why do people with little or no knowledge on a subject post?? Donno stated that only large DP's have air brakes. Not true. Probably 90% of the DP's have air brakes. Then Bill. satellite jumps in stating that you need to know nothing other than you use the brake pedal to stop. Maybe Bill should stick to talking about LNB's. Every Province in Canada requires you to have an air brake endorsement. Perhaps a little bit of overkill but no one should drive a vehicle with air brakes unless they have a basic understanding of how they work. Not hard to go on the net and do a little reading. Not complicated. Does Bill drive a VW or a DP? Another poster states that you rarely have to use the brakes. Just the Jake. Also wrong. Your Jake or exhaust brake usually does not work when you are in cruise control. In stop and go traffic you need the to apply the brake treadle. My advice to the OP: Do not be intimidated. Read some of the links that were posted. Talk to other DP owners. Air brakes are one of the advantages of a DP. Stop quicker. Normally require little maintenance. You need to drain the tanks once in a while. You also have to change the dryer filter every few years. When doing a lube job there are fittings on the slack adjusters that need greasing. Outlast any hydraulic system.

Moisheh

Air brakes are great and easy, but different. Read up what you can. Note that British Columbia and most, if not all, Provinces in Canada require an air brake endorsement. For a reason.

Tom/Barb wrote:

slickest1 wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Is your RV a semi or an RV. If it's a semi I would suggest that you run and run very fast. If it is an RV and it happens to have air brakes then my original post remains......Push the brake pedal and the RV stops. You really don't need to know anything else.

The air system on an rv is the same as a semi.
There are things that you should know such as they require periodic adjustment unlike hydraulic brakes among other things.
It isn't Rocket Science but knowing a little more then just pushing the peddle will probably be more like the advice you are looking for.

I would venture a guess that any coach you buy today will have automatic slack adjusters. no adjustment required.

I agree that most units will have automatic slacks, but they are not fool proof. They do require a manual setup from time to time.

The slacks on the truck I drive at work are in good shape but I usually adjust them manually every month or so just to make sure they are adjusting properly.
Given a motorhome won't see that kind of mileage in a month it won't need adjustment that often but being aware of it is good to know because some times they all do not adjust right.
In some places you are not allowed to adjust them yourself, and they have to done by a licenced mechanic.

If you are serious about wanting to learn about air brakes, go to this website and set up an account. It is free. www.brake-school.com.

We got to test our brakes on our maiden voyage.
Hard rainstorm on the interstate, when someone ahead slammed on the brakes.
Thought for sure we had the one in front of us and even though I always stay far back from what's in front of me.
Anyway, jumped on the pedal with both feet and must say I was very impressed with the way this behemoth came to a straight and complete stop and our toad as well.
Oh yes, the exhaust brake was on as well and what a blessing that thing is, especially when descending in the mountains.

I'm new to air brakes - ours is a tag axle 43' and I am very impressed with the stopping power! As a bonus, they are even anti-lock which I didn't know was available.

The only hassle is waiting for the air to pump up in the morning so you can move out - It gets a little noisy for the neighbors having to listen to the diesel.

slickest1 wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Is your RV a semi or an RV. If it's a semi I would suggest that you run and run very fast. If it is an RV and it happens to have air brakes then my original post remains......Push the brake pedal and the RV stops. You really don't need to know anything else.

The air system on an rv is the same as a semi.
There are things that you should know such as they require periodic adjustment unlike hydraulic brakes among other things.
It isn't Rocket Science but knowing a little more then just pushing the peddle will probably be more like the advice you are looking for.

I would venture a guess that any coach you buy today will have automatic slack adjusters. no adjustment required.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Is your RV a semi or an RV. If it's a semi I would suggest that you run and run very fast. If it is an RV and it happens to have air brakes then my original post remains......Push the brake pedal and the RV stops. You really don't need to know anything else.

The air system on an rv is the same as a semi.
There are things that you should know such as they require periodic adjustment unlike hydraulic brakes among other things.
It isn't Rocket Science but knowing a little more then just pushing the peddle will probably be more like the advice you are looking for.