Hi Goldfinger, on our shakedown trip we stayed in a CP only 5kms from home. I had towed the van first from the dealership and then to the park with empty water tanks, when we left the park I decided to fill the water tanks to see what difference it would make. After only a few hundred meters I said to my wife that I could really feel the difference in the weight of the water as the car was working harder to pull it. I drove the 5kms home only to find that I had left the handbrake on, since then I have taken the van away a couple of times and like you I noticed no difference in the feel of the electric braking. I got the van serviced only this week and asked them to check out the brakes due to what I had done luckily no damage had resulted maybe if I had travelled as far as you did it could have been a different story. Hope it works out the same for you and you haven't damaged anything other than your reputation.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Saturday 25th of February 2017 08:34:26 AM
I very rearely use the van handbrake when on the road commuting ,but if I do I will place a jumper or tshirt over the steering wheel to remind me when we return to the car,caught out once but never again...
I won't admit to such a thing however if the wheels were not really dragging they were probably only just touching the brake shoes. Try the brakes now, if they still hold the van without pulling the handbrake lever full on you may be that you will need to adjust the shoes up a bit so they bite without having to go right to the stop.
Its not a big job to remove the brake drum and check the shoes for wear. (search the web, bound to be a video on checking brakeshoes / wheel bearings, very few tools needed. Always take a photo of the brake shoe adjusters and magnet position if its a first time to aid in re-assembly)
Cheers,
Brian
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Brian & Nada retired and > "Ready to live the Dream" Live in the Shire!
76 series V8 Landcrab with Jayco Starcraft Outback Poptop
I left the handbrake on for 75KMs on a trip a few years ago. The result:
1. All caravan brakes burnt out
2. Bearings cooked the grease out and near failed
3. Wiring for the electric brakes burnt out
It was not a pretty sight when I saw smoke coming off the wheels, luckily I pulled over released the handbrake and let everything cool down. We had 120KMs to home which was driven slow and steady allowing time out for the bearings to cool. Longest 120KMs I have ever driven.
CIL insurance came to the party and the beast was fixed. The repairer told me any more heat the bearings would have failed and I would have had a bigger problem. Thank goodness for insurance.
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
The handbrake wont affect your electric brakes as they use 2 different mechanisims. Handbrake uses the shoe against the drum to brake while the electric utilises a magnet to the face of the hub. I'd be checking if they had 'cooked' the wheel bearings or melted the grease. eg were the wheels smoking when you stopped or did you you feel the hubs to see how hot they had got?
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Glen
A diesel Nissan Pathfinder towing a Coromal Element 542.
The handbrake wont affect your electric brakes as they use 2 different mechanisims. Handbrake uses the shoe against the drum to brake while the electric utilises a magnet to the face of the hub. I'd be checking if they had 'cooked' the wheel bearings or melted the grease. eg were the wheels smoking when you stopped or did you you feel the hubs to see how hot they had got?
Gday Glen.
Hubs were very hot, couldn't get near them. The electrical wiring burnt out making the electric brakes less than useless >75 degrees the temp the insulation melts. All fixed now. No more mistakes like that again
Cheers
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
Yea. stayed at Billo, O,Night. drove to Cania next day.
pulled in with smoke coming from brakes.
Fairly windy so smoke dissipated And this dumb cluck didn't see it.
Long story short.
Paint bubbled on drums. Single axle so light van behind chipped Patrol
Didn't notice any extra drag with the wind component.
Bastard file on shoes to get burnt material off and re radius them.
repacked bearings, readjust brakes.
two trips to Darwin later. Brakes (and bearings still fine)
I always use good quality Heat resistant grease on hubs from
Plumber blocks on coal elevators.(From working days
1 x 20 ltr drum, near empty now.)
lasts in 45 deg's air temps forever.It's like shiny. sticky glue.
Thick as.
I ALWAYS either put van in for full ext service.
or do lights Brakes . bearings myself, Before any decent trip.
Common sense. and can save a few biccies too.
The handbrake wont affect your electric brakes as they use 2 different mechanisims. Handbrake uses the shoe against the drum to brake while the electric utilises a magnet to the face of the hub. I'd be checking if they had 'cooked' the wheel bearings or melted the grease. eg were the wheels smoking when you stopped or did you you feel the hubs to see how hot they had got?
Mate the magnet doesn't do the braking - it 'pushes' the same shoes as the handbrake uses onto the drum.
A lot depends upon how hot things got. If your park brake wasn't pulled on very tight, you might have got away with it, but that is fairly unlikely. At best, you will only have chewed up some of the life from your brake linings. At worst, you'll have got things so hot the grease got cooked out of the bearings and they'll have to be replaced, and the wiring to your brake actuators will also be cooked (not to mention the brake shoes themselves). However, since you apparently still had brakes on your return trip and you don't mention seeing any smoke coming from the wheels, then you may have just lost some brake lining life.
At the very least, you should have the brakes and bearings inspected. Any mechanic should be able to do this- go to someone you trust who won't just replace the bearings and shoes whether they need it or not.
We use a written "pre take-off" checklist to ensure we haven't done anything like leaving vents open, windows ajar, fridge still on 240V, door unlocked, TV antenna still up etc., etc., and the caravan park brake is one of the last items. There are too many things to remember to trust to my (faulty) memory. Cheers
C00P
-- Edited by C00P on Monday 27th of February 2017 03:56:48 PM
I have while backing the van up the driveway after hitching up. It pulled forward ok but the darn thing locked solid in reverse and yes you guessed it was a manual and the clutch did make a smell. Haven't done a Phil though... hahahah sounds awesome....
Phil - Ive done it a couple of times when I haven't done my usual pre-drive off check - walk around the van twice looking from the roof down...
Once was a short mileage and the other probably 100km or so - must have weak biceps, but when I hand tested my wheel rims - not particularly hot and subsequently had it serviced by the van manufacture and they checked the braking system and just adjusted the electric brakes which they said was normal adjustment and no more wear and tear then is expected for the mileage we had done.
Says something about handbrakes or my biceps lol
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Saw a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road today just where you slow down to 60 going into town and the wheels on both sides of their loaded trailer were billowing smoke. I guess that messed up their day just a tad.
Cheers John.
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"My mind is made up. Please don't confuse me with facts."
