Major brake problem

[klassic]

Jayco authorized my dealer on the first request.
Maybe you set the standard.

[Soltice]

I bought a 25.00 Thermal Heat gun to "shoot my tires and brakes/bearings " to see any deviations in temperatures
Works great

[Rock]

klassic & Soltice,

I have read on several sites that over greasing was an issue on new RV's. Mine was not an over grease issue but it seems the Delievery vehicle smoked the brakes an had to know it. You cannot melt the cast around a lug nut without billowing smoke. Everyone should get a heat gun. I check tow vehicle tires and disk and all tires and drum temps every stop. What is always interesting is on my TT I had the right side tires were always 10-15 hotter than left side. It was always the same so I assumed more weight on that side. It is the only way to see how your brakes r an I bet the guys with leaking seals have way cooler drums after stopping. I also check my trainee pan and cooler lines in and out. I have digital guages for turbo, EGT and trainee. The trainee sensor is in the pan and temps run 20-30 higher on guage than with my heat gun. Dodge ran computer scan and confirmed my readout is 20 off. So I now have piece of mind when the guage says 220 I know I am no hotter than 190-200 on hot days heavy tow with ac on
Rock

[klassic]

I don't need to worry Rock...I run my Ford brake controller at 10 and the trailer barely slows down. Lol.
I won't get any heat.
Know one knows what the problem is. Or at least will admit to it.
My old rig almost pushed me into the back of a locked up semi on I90 2 years ago.

[ALJO]

When the hub is pumped full with grease some old grease has to be removed. Grease when heated will expand and will push out the seal. Also never have the bearings to tight as this also will heat up the bearing and grease can't create the film between the cone rollers and cubs. I'm still old fashioned and check tires and bearings by hand.

Forty years ago a Mack service mechanic had the left front bearings to tight. In the middle of the night while driving down the road the oil in them started a fire, lucky it was snowing and put it out with snow. The flames where 2 ft. up.

[Rock]

klassic
There is a ton of write ups on sites about factory controller problems. Dodge an ford. Have u considered an aftermarket one.
Rock

[klassic]

I've read them all.
I'm thinking about an aftermarket controller, but not really the look of what I paid for. Considering I have had 2 other SuperDutys with perfect controllers, I paid for it again and I expect it to work.
I'm still working on Ford. No on will talk to me.
I'm also considering disk brakes.

[Rock]

klassic
Disc r good I swapped out drum brakes on my triaxle boat trailer for disc brakes an big improvement. But also they were surge brakes. It is a big expense to swap a trailer to disc brakes. My TT stopped fine with the drums. Will see how these new ones work. Even with my bad brakes I had stopping power and I bet the controller u use has a lot to do with it. On my TT I had them set with high power for highway use and as long as I was easy slowing the truck at slow speeds worked well. A few time going slow and having to stop quickly the TT would stop the truck. U would think the factory controller would be the best. I guess that is why some add on ones are not highly rated and others r. Unless Ford fixes the controller disc will be the same since the truck controller will be sending the signal to the electric/hydraulic control unit.
Rock

[klassic]

The disk brake thing would be an expensive experiment, that's for sure.
Squeezing the controller manual slider just slows the truck. Never has it locked the wheels. Not even in gravel.
I can squeeze the slider when stopped and it's fairly easy to drive away. Even on gravel.
That's with the visual gain meter showing full...when I am coming to a light, slightly aggressive stop the meter is never over half. Can't even feel the brakes.
I have to stomp on the brake pedal to get the meter 90%/100% and the braking is like described above..slightly slows the trailer.
So going down hills using the brakes, it's all my truck doing the slowing.

The tow haul really helps the braking to make normal stops livable. But panic stops are not good. So far I've had two close calls and those were with my old rig. The NorthPoint is about 800lbs heavier.

[Rock]

klassic
I have checked my add on controller and with meter at plug when I push the Manuel slider the voltage goes way up and than settles down to like 4 volts which is stopped setting with foot on brake. Stomp on ur brake pedal and see what a meter at the plug does than do the same with slider. Sitting still with slider moved to max it should spike up to full volts. I checked mine after my brake problem just to ensure that no voltage is at plug when foot off brake ( stray voltage) and got zero. I will also check my new brakes when I get mine back at the plug at the brake. I want to make sure the RV is not getting any stray voltage to the brakes when hooked up and foot off my TV brake. I know the truck is good but I want to ensure nothing from the Rv wiring is mis wired.
Rock

[klassic]

I have done the voltmeter check while parked and moving without the trailer connected
I get full (above 13v) when I squeeze it parked, then it drops to 6v
While moving I get full when I squeeze it and it doesn't drop off. When I stomp the pedal it goes to full. Brake pressure in between, the voltage varies proportionally.

Controller is putting out as much voltage as the alternator is putting out. 13.6 volts should certainly make those magnets grab, right?
Well it doesn't.

I'm waiting for the weather to get better to measure the voltage while I am actually pulling the trailer. I need to see if the voltage gets wonky when there is an inductive load (magnet coils) applied to the controller.
If it remains at 13.6, then I give up. It can't send out any more voltage to the trailer.
Anyone with any theories, let me hear. Or if I am not thinking right, let me know.

Sorry to hijack your thread Rock.

[Rock]

klassic
I would check the voltage at each brake plug. If the drum and magnet r good it should stop. I would take a battery and plug it into the trailer plug brake pin connector and see if u can move the FW than check each brake plug connector for battery voltage. The ground from Rv back to truck could be bad
Rock

[bigfoot]

You guys have probably already checked this but what size wire do you have connecting all the brakes? On mine, the wiring to the first brake (left front) was direct from the connector and looked to be about number 12. However, from there to the other brakes it was pretty small. I rewired it all with #12 and it made quite a difference in stopping power with no other changes. A little resistance in the wiring or connections can have a big impact. Just a thought...

[klassic]

Originally Posted by bigfoot

You guys have probably already checked this but what size wire do you have connecting all the brakes? On mine, the wiring to the first brake (left front) was direct from the connector and looked to be about number 12. However, from there to the other brakes it was pretty small. I rewired it all with #12 and it made quite a difference in stopping power with no other changes. A little resistance in the wiring or connections can have a big impact. Just a thought...

I've thought about that too.. But being no one else is complaing about their brand new NorthPoint/Pinnacle, there should be no difference in mine.

The big indicator for me was as soon as I got this truck I had poor braking on my previous rig. The SOB was perfect with my previous 2009 f350
This was one of the reasons I traded in my previous trailer and bought the NorthPoint. I was sick of fighting the brake issue.
New trailer...same issue.

There is WAY more to this story but it is long and confusing. The funny part about it is it involves Dalengail It's quite ironic that I joined this forum and picked him out from a screen name and my brake issue started 5 years ago when I met him... Again, long story.

Thanks for helping. All thoughts are welcome

[Rock]

klassic
After what u just said hook a battery directly to the trailer plug and see if u can move FW. If all is good get an aftermarket controller and disconnect factory one .
Rock

[Rock]

Without good brakes I would not go anywhere. I have added a dash cam after an almost rear end I had last year towing to my camp. U can only do so much when some Moroon passes u pulls right in front than slams on brakes to turn. After that almost accident I got the camera. If it ever happens again I will have proof of why I ass ended someone while towing.
Rock

[klassic]

I've done that by pulling the disconnect plug. I can still move the trailer, but MUCH more resistance. The wheels don't skid, but my truck could pull a house over.

The dealer spent almost a day playing with this issue, upon approval from Jayco. And then a little more
They say it's the truck. Ford says it's the trailer.
I say I don't have enough money to pay anyone to figure this out.
I tried to get Ford to do something when the truck was 6 months old (part of the long story).. Now it's out of warranty, and I'm not paying for them to look at it when they have no clue how a brake controller is suppose to work, let alone know how to test it.

I'm reluctant to put in a controller because I don't want to pay for it, I don't think I should have to, and if I use an adapter to the Ford harness I won't be sure that the Ford wiring is isn't the problem, if it doesn't work. So I will have wasted money on a new controller.
And again, I don't think I should have to pay for it.

[SmokerBill]

Klassic, I haven't read this whole thread, but have you or anyone checked all the wiring and wire connections from the front end of the trailer to each brake? On my TT, the wire is routed through the middle of the axles from one side to the other. There have been reports of the wire inside the axle chafing and shorting out. That would definitely cause problems, as would bad electrical connections anywhere in the circuit.

[klassic]

Thank Bill.
I'm assuming when my dealer was checking the brakes that part of it would have been checking the magnet ohms as a whole from the 7 way.
This was done a week after I took off the lot. I knew the issue was still there as I dove it off the lot.
I would find it too coincidental that both my trailers have the same chaffing problem...this one brand new and my SOB having brand new axels installed at the factory and a having a trailer shop work on it after for 10 hours trying to find the problem. And changing the newly installed Lippert brakes with Dexters.
Then not charging me a dime for all that work because he couldn't find the problem.
Way too coincidental.
Points back at the Ford. Again why I said I'm not crazy about installing a new controller because maybe the Ford wiring is the problem.
I could solve this if I new somebody with a known working heavy 5ver that I could pull. And they pull mine.
The dealer is no help with that plan.
5 years I've been waiting for such a moment, I'm not asking someone I don't know in a campground to do it.

[Subaru297]

Klassic you should start a thread on this to get some more ideas. I am in a similar situation with our trailer. Very poor braking.

You have given me a few things to test though so thanks.

Cheers