I recently had complete new brake assemblies installed on my 2003 coachmen TT. It is 24' long and weighs under 5K. With the old brakes I had my prodigy brake controller set to 8.6. To calibrate the brakes I would travel approx. 20mph on a level road and manually apply full braking until a wheel locked up. I would then back off a little and know that I was just shy of the lockup point with full brakes applied.Now, with brand new brakes, calipers, etc. I have to crank the controller all of the way up above 11 (out of 13) to get reasonable braking. No matter how high I set the power (13)I am unable to get the wheels to lock up. I live off a hill that is about6-8% grade. at 10mph going downhill I apply the trailer brakes fully and the truck and trailer slow to about 5mph, but do not stop. This is with no gas applied, just at idle in drive, using only trailer brakes. My old brakes would stop me.The wheels do get hot when I heavily apply the brakes and I can feel them slowing me down, so i have some braking. It is just not as smooth or firm as my old brakes and the brakes won't stop me all the way. I've had it back for adjustment twice and they have said one wheel was out of adjustment and they adjusted the others. They say it does not roll when they apply the emergency brake activator.I liked my old brakes a lot better. Are these just cheap pads that don't grip like the old ones? I don't think anything has changed with my controller. The old brakes were fine when I dropped it off, 2 days later when I picked it up the new brakes are not as effective. I know the pads are making contact because the wheels get hot but the pads just won't stop the wheel from turning.What do you experts say???btw. I just towed it 300 miles so the pads should be well worn in by now.

Hi neighbor!It sounds like they are not adjusted correctly or the drums are warped (common with new).This is one of those cases of "if you want it done right, do it yourself". You should watch some youtube vids and try it.BTW, where did you have the work done? I have to say that anyone who tests the brakes by pulling the emergency pin doesn't know what they are doing because that proves almost nothing.

Sounds dangerous.I would return it to get your desired point and have total confidence when you are running at regular speed.

Trailer drum brakes have to be adjusted so that there is a slight drag on shoes/drumThen the new shoes have to be 'burnished' so shoe material 'wears in' to drum surfaces ---same with new magnetsBrake adjustments on pg. 13Burnishing on pg. 11 & 16Synchronizing brakes pg. 12Troubleshooting pg.18https://www.lancecamper.com/docs/manuals/Dexter-axles.pdf

Can you describe the new brake assemblies better? Your use of "caliper" and "pads" indicate a disc brake assembly but nearly all trailers are shipped with drum brakes.

You can get by without it, but here’s a tool that would help you get the brakes set correctly.

Trailer brakes | Good Sam Community

ScottG
Nomad
Aug 01, 2018
Hi neighbor!
It sounds like they are not adjusted correctly or the drums are warped (common with new).
This is one of those cases of "if you want it done right, do it yourself".
You should watch some youtube vids and try it.

BTW, where did you have the work done? I have to say that anyone who tests the brakes by pulling the emergency pin doesn't know what they are doing because that proves almost nothing.
Yosemite_Sam1
Explorer
Aug 01, 2018
Sounds dangerous.

I would return it to get your desired point and have total confidence when you are running at regular speed.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 01, 2018
Trailer drum brakes have to be adjusted so that there is a slight drag on shoes/drum

Then the new shoes have to be 'burnished' so shoe material 'wears in' to drum surfaces ---same with new magnets

Brake adjustments on pg. 13
Burnishing on pg. 11 & 16
Synchronizing brakes pg. 12
Troubleshooting pg.18

https://www.lancecamper.com/docs/manuals/Dexter-axles.pdf
westend
Explorer
Aug 01, 2018
Can you describe the new brake assemblies better? Your use of "caliper" and "pads" indicate a disc brake assembly but nearly all trailers are shipped with drum brakes.
Mortimer_Brewst
Explorer II
Aug 01, 2018
You can get by without it, but here’s a tool that would help you get the brakes set correctly.
budwich
Explorer
Aug 01, 2018
get a meter and do a "quick" resistance check at your trailer plug on the brake pin to the ground pin. That resistance should be under 1 ohm (note ensure you have tested just the resistance of your test leads to know what the "zero factor" is for the meter reading thereafter). IF you did complete assembly installs where you had to do some re-wire, it is possible that the wiring resistance has increased causing an issue with the amount of current going towards the brakes.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Aug 01, 2018
It might take a thousand miles or more for the new brakes to be fully effective. By cranking up the brake controller you worked the new magnets very hard and those surfaces now might be compromised. While the brake manufacturers tell you that a burnishing process needs to be done, that same hard usage is hard on the magnets. There is no good answer, you drive with marginal brakes for awhile or you beat them up when new.
Woodinvillej
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
Thanks everyone for answering my questions. First my mistake in not describing everything correctly. They are indeed drum brakes. You all verified what I suspected that they are not adjusted correctly. I have had them back twice after the initial install. Scott G., I tried a newly opened RV service center at hwy99 and 525. Via RV. Prior to this I had some service done at Evergreen RV. I decided to try Via as I drive by them daily and they are more convenient. Unfortunately after 3 strikes they are out. They seem overwhelmed in dealing with the volume of business they are getting. I think finding new techs has been a challenge. My time is short so I will probably start by taking it somewhere that is experienced and can identify what is wrong and fix it. After that I think I will take the advice from other posters and learn how to do this myself. Scott where do you have your TT serviced? Evergreen was good for me before, just not as convenient.
beemerphile1
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
If they have unsuccessfully been adjusted multiple times, they may be installed wrong. They have to be installed on the correct sides, right or left.
PaulJ2
Explorer
Aug 04, 2018
Lynnmor wrote:
It might take a thousand miles or more for the new brakes to be fully effective. By cranking up the brake controller you worked the new magnets very hard and those surfaces now might be compromised. While the brake manufacturers tell you that a burnishing process needs to be done, that same hard usage is hard on the magnets. There is no good answer, you drive with marginal brakes for awhile or you beat them up when new.

X2---they will work better and better as they wear in.