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.

[ppine]

Buy the parts and find a safe and level place to get busy.
Or if you are busy working and making money, drop off your TC at a campground and take your rig into a town and have someone else do it in one day.
You need brakes. Don't make a big deal out of it. Get them replaced.

[mgirardo]

Being an avid off-roader, my friends and I have done all types of vehicle repairs in campgrounds. From quick brake jobs to flushing radiators to replacing torsion bars and other suspension parts to replacing starters and alternators. We've never asked for permission (never even thought to) and never got hassled about it. We worked on a buddy's truck at a NJ State park for almost 12 hours one day doing several different things to it. A Ranger even stopped by to see how we were making out.

Me personally, I've swapped alternators, replaced a broken torsion bar and swapped off-road tires for on-road tires (several times) on my vehicle. Just the other day I replaced the window regulator and motor in our daughter's car at our seasonal campground and replaced the fuel filter in her car a week or so later.

I realize it's their campground, their rules, but I couldn't imagine a campground owner denying someone making necessary repairs to their vehicle, especially something as important as brakes.

-Michael

[valhalla360]

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.

No where close to real brakes in an emergency stop...or are you going to claim to be so careful, you will never need to stop in an emergency.

Just buck up and get them fixed...it's no more difficult as a full timer...been there done that.

Only way to tell if a campground will let you is to ask. Many will say no. They may allow a mobile service as they can only allow licensed and insured services in, so less likely it gets torn apart and 3weeks later it's still up on blocks...but most discourage anything but emergency work on trucks.

[Chris_Bryant]

You can also check out fairgrounds.

[Campfire_Time]

Find a scrap yard that has room in their outer lot. They will let you work on it.

[bucky]

If campgrounds recommend mobile RV repair why wouldn't they let you fix your truck? A state or local park could care less. So your truck has what, 20 gallons of water on board? You can probably get the camper off pretty quick with your amount of practice so what's the big deal? Go online for the local Craigslist. I guarantee that there is a tech on there that will come to you and let you watch and/or help.
You are in the crowded NE with millions of people around you that don't know how to drive and you're riding around with no brakes? Not cool sir.

[JoeH]

Once I broke a few teeth off a timing chain gear. I explained the situation to the owner and he said it was OK to do the work there. I couldn't go anywhere anyway!
I had to order the gears and chain so it was a day or so waiting for parts, which gave me time to get everything taken apart. Got the parts, put it together and was back on the road. Some people understand and will help... but sometimes, if it's a corporate CG, you may be out of luck.

[leggy]

I'm in Northeast pa and have a very large garage, air tools and happy to let you swing in and do your repair. Just south of Binghamton NY.

[ACZL]

OP,

Drop me a PM if your near Syracuse. Might be able to help you.

ac

[twodownzero]

I would do it in the parking lot of the auto parts store. It takes less than an hour even with hand tools and a crappy jack and jackstand.

[mdcamping]

HadEnough wrote:
Mostly I had started this thread just to ask the question of if you can do a brake job in a campground because I was not familiar with how that might go.

Most campgrounds, especially here on the east coast will have Rv storage in back of the campgrounds or somewhere the RV's are stored and not seen at the campground. You could ask to do the work there and when your done with your repair then move to your paid campsite.

Also some campgrounds have large maintenance buildings that are also out of sight, could ask to do the work in that area and when done, move to your paid site.

Good luck
Mike

[winnietrey]

delete

[agesilaus]

Well on the F350 there are only 5 bolts for both the pads and calipers. 4 can be removed/installed with an impact wrench the, but for the brake line I use a ratchet. But if you aren't mechanically inclined you probably don't have the right tools and then it can turn into a real, long drawn out, PITA.

[Crowe]

Yes after you've acquired painfully obtained experience. On my F-350 you can pull out the cage holding the pads, replace the pads, and reinstall the cage with the pads preinstalled. That was always the big PITA for me especially those clips, until I discovered this via Youtube. Assuming you have an impact wrench and the correct sockets and parts. All this pretty quick after you have the truck jacked up with the wheel off.

Cool. I am mechanically challenged. My dad pretended he was not. He was OK but very slow.

wow! can,t beat that a guy will help,and use his tools. get his number fast.thank you stranger,I new there was one nice guy out there.

If you were going to be in my area I would have made the same offer. We have a sort of HOA that was established when the development was built. States we can't STORE an RV here but doesn't say you couldn't fix one!

[doxiemom11]

We tend to stay at smaller campground (private) which will be found outside of cities. They usually are less expensive, probably dirt pads, maybe stone, and they seem to be much more accepting of someone washing their rig, doing some repair work etc. If you read their rules on their website and it doesn't specifically state no repairs allowed, try that campground. As another full-timer said to us "don't ask, just do it". What area are you in - maybe I can suggest a place.