GM wants to improve trailer brakes

Cheapest at any cost prevails too often...

For every one of you who say "I would gladly pay..." there are 999 others who would cry bloody murder if the price of their trailer jumped by $1000, let alone $1500. They'd expect the dealer to eat the cost, and the dealer is not going to eat the cost. The manufacturer is sure not going to eat the cost. So it doesn't happen.

Same goes with steel brake lines on vehicles. They should come with something that does not rust out and blow, but they don't, because the manufacturer won't eat the cost, the dealer won't eat the cost, and the customer isn't willing to pay the cost.

Trailerparts.com has self adjusting brake kits for about $80 per axle at this time. I think that I will be switching my brakes over to this set up in the spring. I can adjust my brakes in about a half hour in my camp site, and I do it about every 2000 miles. I get a lot of strange looks when I have the TT hooked up to the truck and both trailer wheels jacked up to adjust the brakes.

Lantley wrote:
If your counting on the RV industry to set the standard for quality control you are mistaken

The same issue exists if GM made brakes and other components for RV's. Automobiles have far higher regulations to meet than RV's. If GM made parts for RV's they would drop quality for the same reason RV manufacturers do. Cost and lack of regulations requiring them to do otherwise. That and the fact that RV buyers demand lower cost.

Groover wrote:
GM ebrake development

As one who takes trailer brakes seriously that brings joy to my heart. I like the idea of stopping in the same distance with a trailer as you do without one.

If disc brakes were to become standard equipment, today’s manufacturing companies would merely go smaller, lighter, cheaper than should be on the unit.

As having self adjusting on our 2001 and then hydraulic disc on our newer, heavier unit, I concur about having superior brakes as a huge asset! memtb

I would have happily paid an extra $1K~$1500 for my trailer to include discs. That would be a bargain compared to installing them afterwards. That is a small amount compared to plowing into a heard of dear or worse, a person.
If they would install them in more trailers the economy of scale would bring the price way down though.

drsteve wrote:
Spend how many thousands to knock 40 feet off the stopping distance?
No thanks.

That 40' saves lives.
It cost $2,500.00 or so with labor to upgrade to aftermarket disc brakes. I imagine that figure could drop closer to $1,000.00 if disc were installed OEM.
I'd gladly pay $1000.00 for the improved braking. 40' is a significant improvement

If, given the option, I'd spend $1000-1500 for disc brakes. 40 feet is the difference between stopping at the edge of the intersection vs the middle of the intersection.

Spend how many thousands to knock 40 feet off the stopping distance?
No thanks.

The experts in building RVs are experts at reducing cost as demanded by the consumer.