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Big_Redneck's avatar
Big_Redneck
Explorer
Aug 22, 2018

My 2004 MH needs better brakes

I bought a 2004 MH and drove it home today. A few rattles here and there as usual I guess. Now the brakes? They need looked at. It was just inspected but the brakes are soft and it takes a good bit of force to use. I don't like that. Any of you ever had this problem? I am going to upgrade them so where the best place to get them? I haven't checked anywhere yet. That the first thing I am going to do. It a Winnebago Sightseer 28 foot, 2004 with 35,000 miles. I backed it in the garage so I can wax it. The inside is very clean. It has jacks levelers which is nice to pull the wheels to work on it.

27 Replies

  • Is it a Ford or Workhorse chassis?

    I have a 2004 Workhorse chassis and there is a recall on the Bosch brakes that came on it.


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  • Another vote for having the brake fluid flushed. It's amazing the difference this can make.
  • Thank you fellows for the information and I will have the brake fluid flush and check for rust. Then I will road test to see the results. Sounds like a plan to start with. I never though of that.
  • Apparently this is on a workhorse chassis, if the spec sheets I could find are correct. There are some brake system recalls on some of these chassis from that era, so I think it would be wise to verify that they have been done (and get it done if it has not been done yet).

    More generally, if the motorhome had not been driven for awhile (weeks or months) before you drove it, it may possibly just be some surface corrosion on the brake discs that had built up, which makes for much less effective braking for a bit until it wears off. This is normal with all vehicles.

    If you're expecting hair-trigger sensitivity on a gas motorhome braking system, that's unlikely to happen and probably not really ideal. So long as you can stop quickly in an emergency situation you should be all right. Somewhat heavier brake feel and more sedate response to all control inputs than a car is what I at least would expect.

    Don't rely on the leveler jacks or any jacks to safely support the vehicle weight when working underneath it. Proper jack stands (or maybe safe cribbing) should be used for that. For just removing a wheel it may be possible to manage things so that you aren't putting yourself in danger underneath the vehicle, but most chassis maintenance that would involve pulling a wheel requires safe support.
  • Need inspection and fluid change first. Sorry I have no idea what is a good shop in your area.
  • Before you decide to upgrade or "needs better brakes" as you say, try to get them working properly as they came from the factory.

    My bet: You'll find they work just fine as long as you stay within the GVWR/GCWR weight limits.

    Chum lee
  • Have the complete brake system FLUSHED with DOT 4 fluid. This is not the same as having the brakes bled. Flushing will probably take 3 quarts of brake fluid until all of the old fluid is removed. Then after this is done see if the improvement is acceptable.