Does your home jurisdiction require air brake endorsement?
Are there jurisdictions about the continent that allow people to drive air brake equipped vehicles without any type of training or license endorsement?
Forum Discussion
Going from driving a vehicle with hydraulic brakes to air brakes there are notable differences. Hydraulic brakes, if the pedal goes soft or down you should know you have a problem coming.
Air brakes, the pedal feels the same pretty much all the time. If the brakes are set up and you make a fast stop it does not take much pressure on
the pedal to achieve that. As the adjustment get loose the force needed on the pedal increases similar to regular brakes but not as noticeable. This happens over time and miles and on a motorhome it probably takes awhile before the adjustment changes significantly. What does happen is people get complacent and the brakes work fine in stop and go traffic. The kicker is when all of a sudden you have to make a panic stop and your standing on the brake pedal and it is not stopping fast.
Some of the experience on here offers some good good advice to people new to DP's and air brakes.
No you don't have to get under your coach every time it moves, but you should realize it needs to be done periodically and either know or learn how to do it or have it done and know your not getting ripped off by some unscrupulous mechanic. There are responsible people on the road and then there are the ones who thumb their nose at someone trying to give good safe responsible advice.I really don't know what microwave ovens and airplanes have to do with air brakes. Sheesh!
Air brakes, the pedal feels the same pretty much all the time. If the brakes are set up and you make a fast stop it does not take much pressure on
the pedal to achieve that. As the adjustment get loose the force needed on the pedal increases similar to regular brakes but not as noticeable. This happens over time and miles and on a motorhome it probably takes awhile before the adjustment changes significantly. What does happen is people get complacent and the brakes work fine in stop and go traffic. The kicker is when all of a sudden you have to make a panic stop and your standing on the brake pedal and it is not stopping fast.
Some of the experience on here offers some good good advice to people new to DP's and air brakes.
No you don't have to get under your coach every time it moves, but you should realize it needs to be done periodically and either know or learn how to do it or have it done and know your not getting ripped off by some unscrupulous mechanic. There are responsible people on the road and then there are the ones who thumb their nose at someone trying to give good safe responsible advice.I really don't know what microwave ovens and airplanes have to do with air brakes. Sheesh!
