Brake Problem

[Deputy_Chief_P_]

We had a problem yesterday. We were traveling to the Sierras from the Valley, towing for the first time (Jeep Patriot 3100 lbs). At approximately 3 miles from our destination. our brakes turn to mush, requiring pumping them to get them to work. I know there was a recall on brakes (2003 Pace Arrow) we told our mechanic about it a couple of years ago and he said that it would require taking everything apart to check them. He said that if we were not having any warning signs that we should be okay. We currently have a little over 13,000 miles on our rig.

We are going this morning to speak to a RV Service place here in Minden, NV to find out what they reccomend we do, (3 miles away from where we are staying, in Gardernerville, NV called Bob's Preformance Center). I suspect we will replace our brakes. We just had new tires put on a few days ago. The Truck Tire Center did not mention anything about our brakes looking bad, but maybe they weren't looking and we did not ask either. Any suggestions of what we might ask or request of the Service Center? Will the manufacturer cover the cost for the recall? Do all service centers preform recall work? Do you think that we can recover cost for the repair or replacement? If not, we are not willing to drive in the mountains with these brakes and will have them repaired at whatever the cost, just hope it can be as less expensive as possible. Your advice and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Swamp_Rat]

Since Workhorse would not pay for tow, my insurance roadside took care of the tow to auth WH dealer. I had all 4 ABS sensors replaced at my expense thanks to the caliphers

[willie220]

Just got my 2004 Bounder back today after shelling out about $1,400. to have new calipers, pads and rotors that were "fixed" by a Work Horse authorized shop 2 years and 12,176 miles ago on my front wheels. Somewhere along the line the recall repaired calipers were dragging so badly they ate through the pads and part way into the rotors. I had my latest brake work done by the shop that does all of the maintenance on my rig. I'd trust them with my life and having good brakes is important to keeping that life. I am sending a letter to Work Horse along with a copy of the invoice from my shop. Wonder if I'll get any reimbursement???? At least I can feel safer knowing I have brakes. Guess I could sum it up by saying I'm not so sure that the recall fix worked in my case. Good luck, but get those brakes repaired by someone you have confidence in. 🙂

[bsinmich]

I never even thought of the crooked dealers. I just go to Holland Motor Homes and trust them to do what is necessary. There was no up charge on my recall. We are very fortunate to have such a dealer. I called the from a CG one time and had them order a jack for my MH. They did that in the 1 day period I was home and the price was less than expected.

[rgatijnet1]

Lobstah wrote:
There's a lot of potential problems with the recall work and pricing...check around on this site and you'll see many posts outlining this.
In many cases, dealers (yeah, Workhorse certified dealers) told folks that while Workhorse covers the cost of the calipers, they'll likely also need new rotors and pads, which will be an extra $2400. That's usually complete hooey.
To change the calipers, they have to take the brake system apart, which is covered by Workhorse. Fresh pads were about $200 for a complete set. They already have to take the old pads out to do the work, so there should be NO additional labor charge, even if the pads need replacing. Same for the rotors...once the wheels are off, and the calipers are removed, that's about 90% of the work to get the rotors off, and rotors are cheap, IF they even need to be replaced at all.
First place I called when I had mine done told me that there would likely be up to $2,000 not covered by Workhorse. I kept dialing 😉
Ended up having recall done, got fresh pads on the front which Workhorse also agreed to pay for. Some of these shops are just trying to completely rip off unsuspecting and/or uneducated consumers. As soon as I questioned the woman who told me it would likely be an extra $2,000, she started stuttering and sputtering...said I'd have to talk to the service manager, who wasn't in, but I needed to book immediately because they were very booked up, dangerous for my family, etc etc. Basically a shyster...and she had a well-developed speech.

Definitely have it done by Workhorse, and there are tons of Workhorse shops out there. Don't forget, workhorse chassis were used for a very wide range of applications, and was a very popular truck chassis, so don't limit your search to RV dealers.

As mentioned before, go to the Workhorse site, register, and you can search for shops in your area.

And as stated above, when you register, the site will tell you if the work has already been done, and all you need is a bleed...and NOT of the "wallet" type 😉

Jim

That is all good advice. My recall cost me zero since I did not need any additional parts, etc.
If I remember right(it has been three years since I had mine done) Workhorse published a MAXIMUM cost IF, and this is the big IF, you needed new pads and rotors. I believe the MAXIMUM cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500 and it included all new rotors, pads, brake fluid, wheel seals, front hub oil, and gaskets. As mentioned, ask questions and do not settle for a line of BS. Maybe flash your badge......:B

[Lobstah]

There's a lot of potential problems with the recall work and pricing...check around on this site and you'll see many posts outlining this.
In many cases, dealers (yeah, Workhorse certified dealers) told folks that while Workhorse covers the cost of the calipers, they'll likely also need new rotors and pads, which will be an extra $2400. That's usually complete hooey.
To change the calipers, they have to take the brake system apart, which is covered by Workhorse. Fresh pads were about $200 for a complete set. They already have to take the old pads out to do the work, so there should be NO additional labor charge, even if the pads need replacing. Same for the rotors...once the wheels are off, and the calipers are removed, that's about 90% of the work to get the rotors off, and rotors are cheap, IF they even need to be replaced at all.
First place I called when I had mine done told me that there would likely be up to $2,000 not covered by Workhorse. I kept dialing 😉
Ended up having recall done, got fresh pads on the front which Workhorse also agreed to pay for. Some of these shops are just trying to completely rip off unsuspecting and/or uneducated consumers. As soon as I questioned the woman who told me it would likely be an extra $2,000, she started stuttering and sputtering...said I'd have to talk to the service manager, who wasn't in, but I needed to book immediately because they were very booked up, dangerous for my family, etc etc. Basically a shyster...and she had a well-developed speech.

Definitely have it done by Workhorse, and there are tons of Workhorse shops out there. Don't forget, workhorse chassis were used for a very wide range of applications, and was a very popular truck chassis, so don't limit your search to RV dealers.

As mentioned before, go to the Workhorse site, register, and you can search for shops in your area.

And as stated above, when you register, the site will tell you if the work has already been done, and all you need is a bleed...and NOT of the "wallet" type 😉

Jim

[bsinmich]

The caliper was identical but the phenolic piston was slightly different. The original would absorb some moisture and then bind in the piston when it was supposed to retract. The new pistons had greater clearance from the factory so that should not happen. One way to tell if t he recall was done is to look at the calipers. Mine were done in 2009 and still look like freshly painted silver color. The old ones were corrosion colored.

[topflite51]

bsinmich wrote:
If I recall correctly the cost of the calipers was around $2400 for parts. Add labor and it could be well worth a drive.

Not only the cost but, WHO besides an Authorized Workhorse Dealer would have the NEW calipers made by Bosch. There are rebuilt calipers on the market listed for the application, but are they correct? Bosch supposedly used the same casting number when they produced their second generation caliper. One has to wonder which one the rebuilder chose to use. Just thinking.

[bsinmich]

If I recall correctly the cost of the calipers was around $2400 for parts. Add labor and it could be well worth a drive.

[Deputy_Chief_P_]

rgatijnet1 wrote:

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
Thank you for all the suggestions. I love RV.NET posters, your help is always appreciated. We spoke to a Mechanic (@ Bob's Preformance Center in Minden, NV) this morning and will take it in for inspection and he will do the repairs or the work necessary to make sure we have properly functioning brakes.

Recall means done for free, but you need to take it to someone who is a Workhorse repair facility to have it done for free. Other wise they don't even know what the recall is about!!! It sounds like a good place, but will they do the Workhorse recall work with Workhorse covering the expense?
http://www.workhorse.com/Default.aspx?tabid=560&List=0&txtSearch=glove+box&CategoryID=13&Level=a&Sor...

No they are going to charge me. I just am not comfortable driving any lengthy distance. I am sure they are going to gouge me. I just want piece of mind at this point.

The cost is not the consideration. ONLY a Workhorse certified shop can do the NHTSA recall. Any repairs made by another shop, can not and will not meet the requirements of having the recall work done according to WH exact specs. If you have an incident where your brakes fail, what would a law enforcement officer do if they knew the vehicle owner ignored the FACTORY recall? Your VIN is permanent record of what recall work has been done on your vehicle. Anyone can run that VIN and easily tell if the NHTSA recall was done by WH, since WH is the only one that can put it in their records. I know you think you are doing the safe thing but if I were you, I would just have the fluid changed at some other shop, and then drive carefully to a Workhorse approved service center. I should add that WH certified a LOT of shops to do the recall work. I had mine done at an RV dealer near me. All you have to do is call and they will tell you if they are authorized to perform the recall.

Thanks, I wil find out if they are WH certified.

[rgatijnet1]

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
Thank you for all the suggestions. I love RV.NET posters, your help is always appreciated. We spoke to a Mechanic (@ Bob's Preformance Center in Minden, NV) this morning and will take it in for inspection and he will do the repairs or the work necessary to make sure we have properly functioning brakes.

Recall means done for free, but you need to take it to someone who is a Workhorse repair facility to have it done for free. Other wise they don't even know what the recall is about!!! It sounds like a good place, but will they do the Workhorse recall work with Workhorse covering the expense?
http://www.workhorse.com/Default.aspx?tabid=560&List=0&txtSearch=glove+box&CategoryID=13&Level=a&Sor...

No they are going to charge me. I just am not comfortable driving any lengthy distance. I am sure they are going to gouge me. I just want piece of mind at this point.

The cost is not the consideration. ONLY a Workhorse certified shop can do the NHTSA recall. Any repairs made by another shop, can not and will not meet the requirements of having the recall work done according to WH exact specs. If you have an incident where your brakes fail, what would a law enforcement officer do if they knew the vehicle owner ignored the FACTORY recall? Your VIN is permanent record of what recall work has been done on your vehicle. Anyone can run that VIN and easily tell if the NHTSA recall was done by WH, since WH is the only one that can put it in their records. I know you think you are doing the safe thing but if I were you, I would just have the fluid changed at some other shop, and then drive carefully to a Workhorse approved service center. I should add that WH certified a LOT of shops to do the recall work. I had mine done at an RV dealer near me. All you have to do is call and they will tell you if they are authorized to perform the recall.

[Deputy_Chief_P_]

wny_pat wrote:

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
Thank you for all the suggestions. I love RV.NET posters, your help is always appreciated. We spoke to a Mechanic (@ Bob's Preformance Center in Minden, NV) this morning and will take it in for inspection and he will do the repairs or the work necessary to make sure we have properly functioning brakes.

Recall means done for free, but you need to take it to someone who is a Workhorse repair facility to have it done for free. Other wise they don't even know what the recall is about!!! It sounds like a good place, but will they do the Workhorse recall work with Workhorse covering the expense?
http://www.workhorse.com/Default.aspx?tabid=560&List=0&txtSearch=glove+box&CategoryID=13&Level=a&Sor...

No they are going to charge me. I just am not comfortable driving any lengthy distance. I am sure they are going to gouge me. I just want piece of mind at this point.

[wny_pat1]

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
Thank you for all the suggestions. I love RV.NET posters, your help is always appreciated. We spoke to a Mechanic (@ Bob's Preformance Center in Minden, NV) this morning and will take it in for inspection and he will do the repairs or the work necessary to make sure we have properly functioning brakes.

Recall means done for free, but you need to take it to someone who is a Workhorse repair facility to have it done for free. Other wise they don't even know what the recall is about!!! It sounds like a good place, but will they do the Workhorse recall work with Workhorse covering the expense?
http://www.workhorse.com/Default.aspx?tabid=560&List=0&txtSearch=glove+box&CategoryID=13&Level=a&Sor...

[Deputy_Chief_P_]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I love RV.NET posters, your help is always appreciated. We spoke to a Mechanic (@ Bob's Preformance Center in Minden, NV) this morning and will take it in for inspection and he will do the repairs or the work necessary to make sure we have properly functioning brakes.

[wny_pat1]

Deputy Chief P.O. wrote:
I know there was a recall on brakes (2003 Pace Arrow) we told our mechanic about it a couple of years ago and he said that it would require taking everything apart to check them. He said that if we were not having any warning signs that we should be okay.

And trust putting your families life and your life in his hands??? He doesn't deserve to use the title mechanic! Hope you report him to whatever agency licenses his shop. He could have killed you!