Towing my 2012 26 ft. Jayco tt from Pa. to SC. After traveling @150 miles I stopped at a red light and a truck pulled up along side and the driver yells(YOUR WHEELS ARE SMOKING!) To make a long story short, we pull over and called Good Sam & they sent some one out. The guy thinks it is a wheel bearing but the bearing looks good. He pulls the wheel and the brakes fall out, pieces of metal, brake shoes, springs, electric brakes. He replaces everything. He checks the other wheel on the same side,same thing. The adjustment screw came apart and jammed the brakes. The other side was okay. Has anyone else experience anything like this?

I haven't experienced anything like that, but glad you got fixed and back on the road.

:hWhen was the last time you inspected your brakes?That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.

Nothing like that, but on our Brand new unit I found one of the wires for the electric brakes got caught in-between the pad and the drum. It caused a short so none of the brakes would work on the trailer.

I had the trailer inspected in the late fall of 2012 and went to Fl this year and returned in march. Kayakfish

rhagfo wrote::hWhen was the last time you inspected your brakes?That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.PA requires a YEARLY inspection on any trailer 3K and higher GVW.Part of the inspection is to PULL and inspect at least one drum and brakes on each side. So the OP has a 50/50 chance that the bad brake was or not inspected during the last inspection.Trailers live most of their lives SITTING so chances are the brake assemble rusted causing the brake shoes to overheat and burn up..

Smoking wheels | Good Sam Community

Softballdad
Explorer
Jun 30, 2013
I haven't experienced anything like that, but glad you got fixed and back on the road.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 30, 2013
:h

When was the last time you inspected your brakes?

That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.
joelabq
Explorer III
Jun 30, 2013
Nothing like that, but on our Brand new unit I found one of the wires for the electric brakes got caught in-between the pad and the drum. It caused a short so none of the brakes would work on the trailer.
KAYAKFISH
Explorer
Jun 30, 2013
I had the trailer inspected in the late fall of 2012 and went to Fl this year and returned in march.

Kayakfish
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Jun 30, 2013
rhagfo wrote:
:h

When was the last time you inspected your brakes?

That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.

PA requires a YEARLY inspection on any trailer 3K and higher GVW.

Part of the inspection is to PULL and inspect at least one drum and brakes on each side. So the OP has a 50/50 chance that the bad brake was or not inspected during the last inspection.

Trailers live most of their lives SITTING so chances are the brake assemble rusted causing the brake shoes to overheat and burn up..
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jul 01, 2013
Gdetrailer wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
:h

When was the last time you inspected your brakes?

That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.

PA requires a YEARLY inspection on any trailer 3K and higher GVW.

Part of the inspection is to PULL and inspect at least one drum and brakes on each side. So the OP has a 50/50 chance that the bad brake was or not inspected during the last inspection.

Trailers live most of their lives SITTING so chances are the brake assemble rusted causing the brake shoes to overheat and burn up..

Interesting, who preforms the inspection, the DMV, or and inspection facility?
I_am_still_wayn
Explorer
Jul 01, 2013
Electric brakes are different than hydraulic barkes. Your brakes wer adjusted TOO LOOSE ( believe it or not!).
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Jul 01, 2013
rhagfo wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
:h

When was the last time you inspected your brakes?

That could have been ugly, glad it got fixed without major damage.

PA requires a YEARLY inspection on any trailer 3K and higher GVW.

Part of the inspection is to PULL and inspect at least one drum and brakes on each side. So the OP has a 50/50 chance that the bad brake was or not inspected during the last inspection.

Trailers live most of their lives SITTING so chances are the brake assemble rusted causing the brake shoes to overheat and burn up..

Interesting, who preforms the inspection, the DMV, or and inspection facility?

Any authorized inspection facility....Usually most do not want to take RV's due to the size..
Airstreamer67
Explorer
Jul 01, 2013
A couple of years ago I was in the process of greasing my axle bearings and found what you did: the brake on one wheel was falling apart. In my case, it was the brake adjuster and related springs that were rolling around the wheel housing. I was able to just replace the badly damaged adjuster mechanism with no other apparent damage.

I suspect my problem began with a broken spring on the adjuster.

This can happen at any time. The only solution I know of is to be cognizant of how the rig is running and to take apart and inspect all wheels ever so often. How often depends on how much energy or money you have and how lucky you feel.
gkenworth
Explorer
Jul 01, 2013
As a mechanic, I've seen it on many vehicles with drum brakes, either hydraulic, electric or air brakes. The culprit on a brake that is adjusted properly is likely a broken spring. The one that holds the shoes tight onto the self adjuster. It's very odd for a spring to break on a '12 trailer. There are many culprits on brakes that aren't adjusted properly.
Never seen two brakes on one side fail and other side good.

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