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.

[1320Fastback]

Check in rental garages if you still want to do it yourself. That or the parking lot of a vacant business building.

[Veebyes]

I have been able to do minor non messy repair work in various CG. Explain the situation. Ask nicely. Best chances of getting a yes are if you are staying more than a few days & do the work weekdays when the CG is quiet. Had a family member of one CG actually jump in & help in a big way once.

[Edd505]

soren wrote:
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.

I see this almost every day, son was a manager at an auto zone, they loan tools also.

[HadEnough]

Bird Freak wrote:

HadEnough wrote:
Honestly, I think a lot of you are inexperienced and don’t know what you’re talking about. You have never owned a vehicle with an exhaust brake, manual transmission and a diesel engine. I don’t think you understand how to even drive one. These brakes have lasted many tens of thousands of miles because you don’t really use them when you have an exhaust brake.

I can drive all day. 400 miles. And never use my brakes except for when I am in town. I don’t use them even a little bit on the highway.I just drove from Ottawa to Toronto to upstate New York around the lake, no problem. Hundreds of miles. I never touch the brake pedal. I barely touch the brake pedal on secondary roads. The only time I really need it is coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or light.



So wake up. Stop posting stupid stuff.

From a old trucker here you are an idiot if you think that granny gear and exhaust brake will do anything for you in a panic stop.
You are a danger to all around you and think its ok.

Well, worked fine today.

I was easily able to do as good as the ABS system (rear wheels only, of course) and put rubber down on the ground with the wheels still rolling a couple times in just the situation you're describing. Did that twice today when people cut me off or traffic came to a screeching halt from 75mph.

It'll be a lot nicer to have fully working brakes tomorrow though. Not gonna lie. Looking forward to it.

[HadEnough]

Got an auto parts store to allow me to do the fix tomorrow in the lot.

Bought new front calipers, pads, rotors, torque wrench, brake fluid and floor jack.

Ready to tear into it as early as possible tomorrow.

Plan to replace all, bleed front and rear brake lines, torque up the wheels and go. (Then retorque after 50 Miles)

Thanks for all the input regarding the campground and the offers for a spot to do it in. The positive posts were much appreciated. Kind of laughing at the haters instead of getting annoyed.

When you are semi-stranded, the auto parts stores are pretty nice about doing things like this in their lot. Especially when you spend about $800 (before core returns) in the store.

Happy To be doing these myself too. Faster, more attention to detail, can have confidence in the work. Since this truck has never seen the snow, hoping the rotors will pop right off.

In NJ now. Nobody's dead. No scratches on anything, haters. Lol
But I did back into someone's RV today in NJ. Custom vanity plate said, "jfkmk". I left a note to say sorry. That should do it, right? 😉

[jfkmk]

Did y’all miss his third post where he said the brake fluid is all gone??? He needs more than a 30minute pad replacement.

[Dutch_12078]

To answer your original question, I replaced the rear brake pads and rotors on our toad in a Florida state park campground. It's an easy car for brake jobs though, and it only took about 30 minutes per side. I did not ask permission, and no one complained.

[dodge_guy]

They can order those pads and rotors for you! You can even go online and order them to the store you want to pick them up at.

[spud1957]

HadEnough wrote:
Take it easy there guys. I have an exhaust brake. And a granny gear. I can get down to 10 or 5 mph. It’s coming to a complete stop that is proving to be very difficult. It works, just not well.

Sorry, that don't cut it. Exhaust brake or your granny gear won't do much if a person/child crosses in front of you.

Get them fixed!!!

[Bird_Freak]

HadEnough wrote:
Honestly, I think a lot of you are inexperienced and don’t know what you’re talking about. You have never owned a vehicle with an exhaust brake, manual transmission and a diesel engine. I don’t think you understand how to even drive one. These brakes have lasted many tens of thousands of miles because you don’t really use them when you have an exhaust brake.

I can drive all day. 400 miles. And never use my brakes except for when I am in town. I don’t use them even a little bit on the highway.I just drove from Ottawa to Toronto to upstate New York around the lake, no problem. Hundreds of miles. I never touch the brake pedal. I barely touch the brake pedal on secondary roads. The only time I really need it is coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or light.



So wake up. Stop posting stupid stuff.

From a old trucker here you are an idiot if you think that granny gear and exhaust brake will do anything for you in a panic stop.
You are a danger to all around you and think its ok.

[HadEnough]

Well, I have found an OK solution. Not the ideal solution I was hoping for, but it will do I guess. I found an advanced autoparts store that will let me do the repair in the parking lot.

I was really hoping to get some high-quality rotors, calipers and pads. You know, the kind with drilled holes in them, ceramic pads, made for stopping heavy trucks like this. These don’t come from places like advanced auto or AutoZone or Napa. So I’m going to be stuck with kind of basic versions of these. Better than driving around with no front brakes though.

I’ve been meaning to pick up a new torque wrench so this might be the opportunity to get one.

Currently trying to decide if I should just drive the rest of my trip and work on this after all of the work I have coming up this weekend and next week. I’m already more than 9/10 done the trip. If I drive the rest of the way, I could order the really good parts instead of getting the mediocre stuff. Then I could put them on in the campground as people are saying above. I could use that liberty Landing campground. Or whatever it’s called. In Jersey City.

On the other hand, I’m beating the hell out of my truck right now using just the exhaust break and whatever is left of the back brakes to slow it down. I’ve had to redline it several times to stop quickly. That can’t be great for it. Or the clutch.

I’m only about an hour away from the final destination now. After coming from Ottawa to Toronto all the way through New York and Pennsylvania. I’m in New Jersey now.

Definitely any comments on all of this new information are welcome. Negative people, please step in as well. It’s a tough decision to make. Do I use inferior parts and get it done one hour away from the end of a miany many hour Drive? Or do I just go that extra tiny bit to my NJ base and order real parts?

[CA_Traveler]

bucky wrote:
If campgrounds recommend mobile RV repair why wouldn't they let you fix your truck?

Very likely they have worked with the RV repair and each knows what to expect and it can be beneficial to both. Who knows what a RV owner will do?

Brake repairs like oil changes involve fluids that tend to run downhill for example.

[dodge_guy]

Find a shop that will let you remove the truck camper off to the side in their lot. Leave the truck and rent a car and stay in a hotel for a day or 2. Stop putting it off and get the vehicle fixed and safe! It’s only going to cost you more money if you keep waiting! And it may potentially cost a life! None of which are worth waiting on!

[Two_Jayhawks]

Hi Hadenough. I'm a little late to this thread but thought I would share my very positive experience with a very nice RV park that allowed me to have a brake job done on my motorhome right at my site. Long story short, I just got my new to me 2002 Safari. Dropped it off at KC Peterbilt for a PM & inspection. Everything was perfect. We arrived @ River Plantationin TN & noticed a burning smell from passenger steer wheel. Found a big truck mobile service & asked CG if I could have it looked at & they said sure. Tech said I needed brakes (about $2K). It was certainly a setback. I asked the CG again if the work could be done at my sight & surprisingly they again said sure. All went very well, vacation saved, didn't miss a beat. Returned home from the trip to a critical recall notice for brakes in my mailbox. Monaco even reimbursed the brake job.