burnt rubber smell??

[rolnovru]

While driving home yesterday in my 1999 34' rexhall class a motorhome, I noticed on a few occasions a burnt rubber smell. I looked over the tires and engine and do not see anything standing out. Any ideas?? I was not stopping or on the brakes at all. I was actually had the cruise control on at 60. I looked at the belt and it looked fine nor did I here it squeal at all. The smell would come on and then slowly dissipate out. It happened a couple of times. I looked around to see if there were any tractor trailers around, as they seem to always smell of burnt rubber. It was just me on the road. Thanks

[bigred1cav]

Battery cables on coach batteries sometimes work loose, they can and will burn.

[Raist11]

First thing, when you smell it.. safely pull off the road and try to determine where the smell is coming from. We can all throw out a lot of opinions on what it is, but nobody really knows. The chances that you're smelling your tires or calipers while driving down the road, is pretty slim. Not impossible but slim.

Safely get off the road and use your nose to find the area that it's coming from. Then you can start figuring out possible causes.

[Geocritter]

GTN_and_Catz wrote:
Sounds very similar to what happened to our Rexhall.
"Smell something?" I said ... Got out, looked around, everything looked good. Got going again and, after a few more miles, it happened again. Did this a few more times and then (finally) it became obvious. An inner rear tire had lost pressure and eventually it spun on the rim enough that it rubbed against the Ride-Rite air bag helper springs and wore them down - hence the burning rubber smell.

Lesson learned of course was that a TPMS (now installed) would have prevented the damage.

I completely agree regarding the TPMS only in my case it alerted me to overheated brakes while driving in the mountains and another time to sticking brake calipers in the flatlands. Thankfully, my tire pressures have been fine! (knock on wood)

Steve

[GTN_and_Catz]

Sounds very similar to what happened to our Rexhall.
"Smell something?" I said ... Got out, looked around, everything looked good. Got going again and, after a few more miles, it happened again. Did this a few more times and then (finally) it became obvious. An inner rear tire had lost pressure and eventually it spun on the rim enough that it rubbed against the Ride-Rite air bag helper springs and wore them down - hence the burning rubber smell.

Lesson learned of course was that a TPMS (now installed) would have prevented the damage.

[Gadgetman]

Is your motorhome a Ford F53?

Mine starts smelling like that every 3 years or so,because this era of Fords front and rear brake calipers need to have the slides on the calipers lubricated with high temp grease every year I think.

The smell on mine comes from the brake caliper piston boots starting to melt from the heat from caliper not sliding freely. (because I won't pull the wheels off once a year myself)

It's not easy jacking up the motorhome and removing wheels and my braided stainless brake lines.

I find it easier to replace the brake calipers very 3 years or so. I don't recommend others do it this way though. 😉

[rgatijnet1]

It could also be something as simple as a piece of road debris being picked up and wedged in a place near a hot exhaust pipe. Things like this do not always need to be a big problem but they still require a thorough inspection to find out what is causing the smell.

[10forty2]

The two times we smelled hot rubber inside the coach....both ended in blown tires. The last time, being gun shy from the first time, we smelled hot rubber and pulled off the road. I checked all tires/rims and nothing felt extraordinarily hot, or even warm. About 10 more miles up the road, the tread on a brand new tire separated and completely came off the tire......not a good thing...... Get a tire professional to check all your tires closely for indications of failure, and replace it/them if they find anything.

[jeepfreak]

Had the same issue on my 95 f53 chassis. Was the a/c compressor clutch. Even though a/c was not on. Finally seized up and burned the belt till it shredded. Should check that as it will leave you on the side of the highway. Just be carefull if you touch or try and turn the pulley with your hand as it gets extremely hot. I had burns on all 5 fingers of my left hand!

[bluebarry1964b]

midnightsadie wrote:
could be a brake caliper dragging a bit, next time you smell it stop touch each rim see if ones really hot.

X2

[bigred1cav]

Take a look at your house batteries.

[charlie_good_ti]

First advise all to discuss an have a plan for evacuating rv if you smell electrical or other burning smell.Seconds count as we witnessed on ours couple weeks agp!
As for smell you experience do your best to find it.We have purchased another rv same age as yours an i will pull all fuses on this one individually an check for corosion an will look other potential places for rubbing or corossion at connections.I have a suspession our fire started in a 12volt fuse box.Ours did have the distinc smell of electrical wire.

[garry1p]

I suspect the brake lines.
The brake line will swell on the inside and the fluid can not flow back to the master cylinder causing the brakes to drag. Once cool they are OK until they heat back up from using the brake.

When the brakes drag they smell as they heat up if not repaired will get worse to the point of slowing down more rapid than normal when you take your foot off the gas.

Lines are not expensive but the damage this can cause will be an expensive repair if not caught early.

[tropical36]

newman fulltimer wrote:
does that unit use the driveshaft as the parking brake it could be that if so

Now, that one would be easy to figure out, as you would now, not have a parking brake that holds the coach any longer.
Question is...
Is it a Chevy chassis and does it in fact, have auto park with just being 34ft. and most weigh over 15K lbs to be so equipped.

[newman_fulltime]

does that unit use the driveshaft as the parking brake it could be that if so