fj12ryder wrote:
jmtandem wrote:
So are you suggesting that everyone travel with a thermal imaging device? That may be a good idea, but loses points on practicality.
For under $50 everybody can travel with a Harbor Frieght infrared temp probe. It is small, practical, and works. It can save a roadside repair by detecting a bearing problem as well as brakes that are working or not. A thermal imaging device is wonderful but for most trailering applications is probably more than needed. This has been an excellent thread and my read of the OP's concern is that however we do it the brakes should be checked to be certain they are working. Thermal imaging is only one way to do it.
I have a non-contact infrared temperature gauge and use it pretty regularly.
The point I was trying to make was that the OP kind of pooh-poohed everyone's suggestions on how they check the functioning of their brakes, and seemed to suggest that unless they were using a thermal imaging device they were not doing enough.
"I can say this, minus the thermal imager I used from work. I would have continued business as usual thinking everything was fine."
I'm not Pooing on anybody's idea, just wondering about the practicality of some of the ideas is all. Keep in mind we are on the road traveling, no gravel roads to mention, no jacks except to change a flat if necessary. In this particaular case, I was traveling from So Cal to WA state and back, just interstate and surface streets.
I keep asking the question though, how would you know? Where you quoted me at the bottom of your post is an absolute fact. Okay, I used an imager from work, they have retired 3M heat tracers as well that I could have brought, this one just happens to be much nicer. No, it is not the only way to check your brakes. I didn't actually bring it for my brakes but rather by the suggestion of many right here on the forum for checking my wheel hubs. It just happened to be an added benefit that I could check the brakes with it. If I wouldn't have seen the abnormally high temp on the one brake I can promise you I wouldn't have bothered checking the others. I can say this too, if I would have used the 3M heat tracer I would have overlooked the brakes as again, I really didn't even consider the brakes to be a problem. It would have never entered my mind because when I step on the pedal I feel the tug on the back of the car! In my mind, everything is well as far as the brakes are concerned. I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I'm just pointing something out that I think many, myself included ever gave a thought to.
restlesswind wrote:
I check for current draw right after hooking up.I apply full braking using the manual mode,then do the same using the brake pedal.I also check the reading at a stop sign,once in a while,especialy if the braking seems to feel "not quite right".
After towing this trailer over 70K miles,it's pretty easy to tell if the brakes feel OK or not.I also use the "ray gun" at just about every rest stop.
I’ll have to check this out. I’ve seen the numbers “flash” when I do the initial brake check but I never really paid any attention to them. Again, brakes “feel” right, what could be wrong? Right! At least that WAS my disposition anyway, how wrong I was! I’ll start paying a little more attention to those numbers and what they mean. Believe me. I thought I knew, I’m learning and I think this is really what I’m trying to stress. If one doesn’t know this about their brake controller but everything “feels” right when you brake, I’ll keep asking. How can you know?
I wanna say this too. Throw everything away I said about the thermal imager. I’m on my way to WA and the same thing happens. Remember, when I left San Diego I had brakes on all four wheels albeit one was working harder than the others. At what point do I discover I have a problem with one of my brakes, and how do I discover it? Some of you have a lot of miles and years behind you and perhaps have ways of discovering something like this. Again, the brake controller idea is a great idea and I will employ it but it has one small drawback. How do you discover which wheel has a failure? You know you have a failure and that is half the battle but now discovering which wheel is the problem. (If you are at home and have tools like restlesswind, you can use the clamp-on-ammeter as I don't think many carry these tools with them just like a heat tracer or thermal imager) I suppose that is not that big a deal though because once you discover it, you do the same thing I did. You take it to the shop and have them fix it. I will say this though, I was able to tell him exactly which wheel had the failure. I wonder if he had to trouble shoot each wheel till he found it if that would have uped the ante? This is not to start another debate about where you bought your RV and getting it serviced. I used an independent if one must know.
Okay, last thing. I asked the service manager how common this problem was. Mine being an open inside the magnet. His response was, he gets one like this about 1 in 100. It is not a very common occurrence but it does happen. My concern was, which one is next and do I need to do them all?
