Can I Get Away With a Quick Brake Job in a Campground?

[HadEnough]

I’m driving around right now with brakes that actually don’t really work. They just barely stop the vehicle. I am using my exhaust brake mostly to stop it, and then it just barely will stop the last bit with the regular brakes.

It has been a logistical nightmare trying to get this fixed on the road as a full timer. Either nobody wants to do it, because they are too lazy to use a floor jack, or they want me to remove the truck camper which means I have to dump all of my water and take all of that time. ( I am very busy working not retired.) Or, they are charging me $300 for an everyday caliper.

Every time I have someone work on this truck, they break something. I am sick and tired of letting other people do the work on it just because I am full timing and traveling.

What I would like to do is stop into a campground and do a quick brake job.

What are the odds I could do this? I am currently in upstate New York. Would a campground let me do it if I ask them? Or would that be an automatic no? Should I just try to do it quietly?

Any other thoughts? The Walmart parking lot option does not seem good to me because it is dangerous to do that. I’m not cheap. I’m happy to pay. But I don’t like the quality of work that people do on my truck.

[Crowe]

I would just pull into a NAPA, or similar, buy the parts, park the truck off to the side, and have at it. If there is any question, tell anybody that's bothering you that it's an emergency, you nearly went through the last light, and found fluid flowing out of the caliper.

I was towing a travel trailer through Bangor Maine one summer, when a front brake pad decided to separate from the backer, and leave the scene. I did exactly what I suggest, and nobody cared. The other good part of that plan is that you are right there when you discover that you need some additional part to get the job done.

This would be my advice. If anyone hassles you explain that it was safer to do the job in the parking lot than try to go elsewhere and you had difficulty finding a facility that was willing to do the work.

BTW, is there any such thing as a "quick" brake job? :B

[Lwiddis]

“Can I Get Away With...” No! And don’t try without permission.

[soren]

I would just pull into a NAPA, or similar, buy the parts, park the truck off to the side, and have at it. If there is any question, tell anybody that's bothering you that it's an emergency, you nearly went through the last light, and found fluid flowing out of the caliper.

I was towing a travel trailer through Bangor Maine one summer, when a front brake pad decided to separate from the backer, and leave the scene. I did exactly what I suggest, and nobody cared. The other good part of that plan is that you are right there when you discover that you need some additional part to get the job done.

[westernrvparkow]

agesilaus wrote:
And the emergency brake doesn’t work either. LOL
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??? It's a completely different mechanism, why wouldn't it work?

I've always operated on the "It's better to get forgiveness, than ask for permission." principal. After some practice I can knock off a single wheel brake job in a hour or less. In the middle of the day you should be able to get it over and done with before anyone notices.

100% we would notice. We would tell you to stop immediately. If you refused, we would request you leave immediately. If you refused, a sheriff's deputy would help you leave. If you rendered your vehicle inoperable, a local tow company would assit the deputy. No permission given equals no forgiveness.

[Seattle_Steve]

I wouldn't even try a private campground. Out West we have all kinds of BLM land where you could do whatever you wanted.

Where you are, I would look for a public campground with pull-thru sites that are parallel to the road so the side of your truck away from the road isn't visible. Then quietly do both brakes on the hidden side. Once you have it apart, they can't really ask you to leave. And if you're hidden, no one will even know you're doing it. Then find a similar site on the other side of the road so you can do the other side.

[agesilaus]

And the emergency brake doesn’t work either. LOL
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??? It's a completely different mechanism, why wouldn't it work?

I've always operated on the "It's better to get forgiveness, than ask for permission." principal. After some practice I can knock off a single wheel brake job in a hour or less. In the middle of the day you should be able to get it over and done with before anyone notices.

[HadEnough]

midnightsadie wrote:
if you don,t stay at CG, find a wal mart and swear you broke down, had mine changed in a P.A fair grounds one time caliper locked up. p.s. got a jack and 4x4,s that can handle it.

Wouldn’t be far from the truth. It’s getting very challenging to stop in small-town areas. Like where there is a red light or a stop sign. It’s really not working anymore. And the brake fluid is gone. And the emergency brake doesn’t work either. LOL

[midnightsadie]

if you don,t stay at CG, find a wal mart and swear you broke down, had mine changed in a P.A fair grounds one time caliper locked up. p.s. got a jack and 4x4,s that can handle it.

[westernrvparkow]

Calling and asking is the best advice. We would say "no. Too much risk of an accident and not everyone is neat and careful about cleanup. Also most people would actively avoid stayiing in an auto repair yard and that is what the park would appear to be to your neighbors. However not all parks think alike, so call around.

[agesilaus]

First--> do not forget your emergency brake. It works and it's there just for this reason.

Now why I know that, I was towing a 34ft fiver just south of Calgary and had a brake piston fail. The emergency brake worked well and I did an emergency brake job in the camp ground. No one said a thing about it. Finding a auto parts store in Calgary was oddly difficult being conditioned to the large number of that type of shop in any American city. They also charged two to three times as much.

[HadEnough]

midnightsadie wrote:
well stop at the CG and ask. if you got the tools ,it ain,t rocket science. pads ,calipers ,rotors . and be done with it.might even hire a helper.

Well, that’s just it. Stop at what campground? There are dozens of them. I guess start calling around and asking? Has anyone ever done something like this before? I thought this was very much frowned upon.

I don’t stay at campgrounds very often. I’ve only stayed maybe four or five times. So I’m not all that familiar with how the rules and regulations are.

[midnightsadie]

well stop at the CG and ask. if you got the tools ,it ain,t rocket science. pads ,calipers ,rotors . and be done with it.might even hire a helper.