North Point Braking Issue

[Dober2004]

Is this braking issue a problem everyone with a North Point 377 RLBH is experiencing? Or just a few unlucky ones (as with most of the RV problems that we all experience)? We are waiting for ours to come in.

[klassic]

I am an unlucky one.
I'm unsure what to do.
I went as far as to buy a new truck hoping it would get better.

[Magnolia Tom]

Mine seemed fine when I had my 06 F350. Now with my 14 F350, the brakes seem very weak. I used to set my gain at 7, now it's on 10. I'm going to try adjusting the brakes first. I may end up getting disc brakes if the piggy bank ever gets full again. [emoji3]


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[Bookemdanno]

Mine were pretty bad too in the beginning. But in the year that I've had mine, I've had to back the controller down from 10 to 6.5. So at least for me, it's gotten much better. Honestly, I think my brakes got better after a hard stop on I-20 going to FL last summer. I came over a ridge/bridge and traffic was stopped and there was an on ramp with folks trying to get on. I had to slam on brakes and move my way to the shoulder. I ended up heating up the front brake sensor on the TV and wasn't able to utilize cruise control until it cooled down about 30 mins later. But after that incident, I swear my brakes on the 5er started improving.

[BuddyRay]

Originally Posted by Dober2004

Is this braking issue a problem everyone with a North Point 377 RLBH is experiencing? Or just a few unlucky ones (as with most of the RV problems that we all experience)? We are waiting for ours to come in.

Dober,

All too often we humans look for "THE problem". The fact is, RV Braking systems are complex and include components on the TV and the RV. So when someone has braking problems it could be bad controller, bad wiring, bad magnets and more. And various members of the forum have had all those problems on new and used vehicles.

But the problem of self Adjusting electric brakes taking a while to get properly adjusted seems to be a very common problem with new units and it isn't specific to any brand or model (like Your North Point).

I believe that these self adjusting brakes CAN be manually adjusted. I also believe that neither the factory or the dealers DO adjust them - because they are "self adjusting" after all. The problem is, the automatic adjustment happens in incredibly small increments each time you stop. So when they assembled the brakes at the factory - if they are WAY out of adjustment, the pads may not even touch the drums when you first get the rig.

I'd try to get your dealer to manually adjust the brakes as a part of the PDI and then know that as they wear, the auto adjustment will keep them properly adjusted.

I had a long talk with the service manager at my dealership after I figured out what was going on with my rig. He admitted that he had never thought about it - that they don't routinely adjust brakes on new rigs anymore - and just wondered why new rigs had such poor brakes now days :faceplant.

[klassic]

BuddyRay, where is this info that they are self adjusting?
I've never heard this.

[Mopar_Earl]

Yes, self adjusting brakes can be manually adjusted. Self adjusting brakes will never self adjust if they aren't first manually adjusted. They won't function if the adjustment is way out. Trailers mostly use forward adjusting brakes if they have self adjusting brakes. It's a pretty common standard now.


Earl

[Rock]

Boy we're mine toasted. I have aftermarket controller and using manual lever with a meter it will put out voltage to the max and than drop way down. I can pull FW with Manuel lever on full. When driving the brakes seem to work fine. The prodigy controller senses the inertia and applies the correct voltage to stop when moving but sitting still it only momentarily sends max volts and drops down. When these brakes go I will replace with disc brakes. Get a heat gun and shoot your drums for temp and you can see if some are not working as good as the others.

Klassic
This seems to be the biggest issue out there. I know you beat it to death on trying to figure yours out. All you can do is go to e trailer and use the guide for troubleshooting and check the voltages. At least you now know it is not your truck. I know u have done this but something in the wiring has to bad.
Rock

[edatlanta]

Are all of your trailer brakes actually working? Do you feel a yaw to the right or left when you brake such as the trailer feels like it is trying to turn you?

My brand new Designer had one brake that had no internal parts other than the shoes and the magnet. There was no mechanism to apply the brakes or adjust them. It was obviously not installed at the Dexter Factory. Warranty covered it and from a mobile tech since I played hard ball with Jayco/Dexter being 250 miles from my selling dealer and this rig not being safe to tow with 25% loss of braking capacity and 2/3 of what I did have was on one side. I definitely felt the trailer trying to turn me to the left with each brake application. I should have figured out sooner what was causing it, but.....

If your gut tells you something isn't right don't take Tums and ignore it.

[Rock]

edatlanta
What u just described is like how can you do that. Must of been a Monday hangover or someone who could care less. It took RVOne fighting with Jayco and Lippert to months to figure who would pay for all my replacement brakes, bearings, drums and one wheel and tire.

Like Klassic said if yours was towed I guarantee your brakes were broke in or wore out from over heating
Rock

[Magnolia Tom]

I finally got to take my rig on the road (gone camping [emoji3]).

After the adjustment my brakes work better, but still not that good. Before, with my '06 F350, I could "feel" the trailer stopping the truck. Now I feel the truck stopping the trailer. When I hold the slide lever for the brake controller, it holds the truck at idle, which it didn't do before the adjustment. So I'm going to pull the drums and do an inspection of all the components and all the wiring. If I can get this thing to stop like it used to, I'm going to disc brakes.


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[klassic]

So you went from an '06 to a '16 truck with the same trailer?

[Magnolia Tom]

I have same trailer yes, went from 06 to 14


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[Bookemdanno]

Your gonna need to make a detailed video of that mod!

[Magnolia Tom]

If (when) I do the disc brakes, I'll definitely do a detailed write up! [emoji3]


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[klassic]

Sorry, I meant 14.
So this is a truck TBC for you then, no?
You know how long I've been fighting my brake issue. That I even drop a load on a 2017 just to prove it wasn't my truck.
But you've seemed to prove it IS your truck.

[jasum]

I do NOT believe it is anyone's
truck.
For some reason Jayco has a major brake problem.
I had a Mobile Suites before my Pinnacle and it would stop. It had drum brakes, not disc.
I have a 28' enclosed trailer and it has drum brakes and it will STOP.
My truck is an 06 F350 super duty.
I NEVER had a brake problem ever until we bought this Jayco.
It's ridiculous that you have to set the brake controller all the way up to 10 and it will NOT stop like it should.
Then throw in that the Jayco dealers don't have a clue what they are doing. The dealer where I bought mine told me they CAN NOT adjust brakes.....WTF


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[jasum]

I agree with you Tom. There is something wrong with these brakes and installing disc brakes is the only real solution.
As soon as I can afford to, that is what I am going to do......


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[Magnolia Tom]

Originally Posted by klassic

Sorry, I meant 14.
So this is a truck TBC for you then, no?
You know how long I've been fighting my brake issue. That I even drop a load on a 2017 just to prove it wasn't my truck.
But you've seemed to prove it IS your truck.

I'm not 100% sure it is the truck. I've towed other trailers and the brakes on those trailers seem to work fine. I have an old P3 that I'm going to test on the truck to see if it's the trucks controller or not.


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[jasum]

Tom I think you are going to find out its the trailer.........

The way they wired my four ways on my trailer, they ONLY work if the truck is running.

Every trailer I have ever hooked up to has had proper brakes EXCEPT my Pinnacle.