Off to a blazing start in Alabama - R-pod Owners Forum

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techntrek

Admin Group - pHp

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059

Topic: Off to a blazing start in Alabama
Posted: 02 Aug 2016 at 6:26pm

A late welcome from me. Hope to hear an update.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

MolliesPack View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 25 Jul 2016
Location: Hoover, Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4

Posted: 26 Jul 2016 at 5:00am

Thanks for the warm welcomes and your kind advice!

I tend to cause even more damage when I try to fix things myself, so I'll probably bite the bullet and take it back to Camping World. The smoke was coming from the wheels, but the flames, I believe, were in the wiring to the brakes. Seems like we were warned during orientation that disconnecting the kill switch for more than a few seconds with the power on would cause damage.

Here's to better experiences in the future!

David & Susan Eagan
Hoover, Alabama

2017 RP-178

grand beaver View Drop Down

Groupie

Joined: 07 Feb 2016
Location: Western Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 52

Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 10:46pm

Go straight back to the dealer (slowly) and say WTF?.....You should be covered under warranty and even if you aren't any dealer worth his salt will help you diagnose what just happened with the brakes. You sir have had a enough bad luck on your first two trips as most have had in a lifetime! I wish you many happy travels from here on out

Leo B

podders Helping podders - pHp

Joined: 13 Jan 2012
Location: Lyndonville, VT
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4508

Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 9:28pm

Welcome to the group! Congrats on your 178!

Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171

Guests

Guest Group

Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 6:34pm

Welcome to the forum!

Thank goodness things were not worse. Hopefully this will be the end of your bad luck.

Something like this is very difficult to diagnose sight unseen and a few hundred miles away. Are you comfortable with wrenches or prefer to have someone else do the work?

If it were me, I would want to inspect EVERYTHING. I would suspect that the brake assemblies are shot and there is a chance that the drums may have warped. If you have a NAPA store nearby, they can usually turn drums, rotors, etc. - if they can be saved. If not, they can probably order new ones. The brake assemblies can be purchased "pre-assembled" - backing plate, new shoes, magnet, etc. All you have to do is unbolt the old, bolt on the new and connect the wires. You might as well inspect the bearings for signs of excessive heat. Replace or repack and new seals. Check the wiring near the hubs and replace if damaged. I would also want to have the tires (and rims) checked for any potential damage from the heat.

I would FOR SURE want to find out why the emergency/break away switch activated and correct that. (Not enough slack in the tether???)

Hopefully, others will post their thoughts.

MolliesPack View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 25 Jul 2016
Location: Hoover, Alabama
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4

Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 4:23pm

Hello all, my wife and I bought a 2017 178 about a month ago and we just completed our second camping trip yesterday. During the first trip, my wife ate something that disagreed with her and was sick the entire time, so we know the plumbing works, and yesterday we tested the fire extinguisher.

Let me preface this by saying that I've had some problems with my truck's cooling system, so when my troubles started, I attributed the symptoms to the truck, not the trailer.

Somehow during the first few miles after we left to return home, the kill switch worked its way loose from its socket, and of course the truck balked at pulling a trailer with locked brakes. I thought it was the truck, so I just kept plugging along (you call it stupid; I call it ignorance). After about a tenth of a mile, my wife calmly said, "There's a lot of smoke coming out behind us." I looked in the mirror, confirmed her diagnosis, and thought, "Oh, crap, the engine's blown!".

Just then a car pulled along side us and a man yelled, "Your trailer's on fire!" I pulled over, jumped out, disconnected the power, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and dowsed the flames coming from around the wheels.

We somehow made it 80 miles home, but when I would apply the truck brakes, the trailer's brakes would seem to lock, and the slower I was going when I applied them, the worse it was. I thought of disconnecting the power, but I didn't want to pull an RV with no brake lights or turn signals.

My question is - and I was getting to a question - how much damage do you think I've done to the trailer? Are the brakes just toast, or will it go deeper than that?

Nice to have met all of you. And happy camping.

David & Susan Eagan
Hoover, Alabama

2017 RP-178

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techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Topic: Off to a blazing start in Alabama Posted: 02 Aug 2016 at 6:26pm
	A late welcome from me. Hope to hear an update.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

MolliesPack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jul 2016 Location: Hoover, Alabama Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 26 Jul 2016 at 5:00am
	Thanks for the warm welcomes and your kind advice! I tend to cause even more damage when I try to fix things myself, so I'll probably bite the bullet and take it back to Camping World. The smoke was coming from the wheels, but the flames, I believe, were in the wiring to the brakes. Seems like we were warned during orientation that disconnecting the kill switch for more than a few seconds with the power on would cause damage. Here's to better experiences in the future!
	David & Susan Eagan Hoover, Alabama 2017 RP-178

grand beaver Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 07 Feb 2016 Location: Western Oregon Online Status: Offline Posts: 52	Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 10:46pm
	Go straight back to the dealer (slowly) and say WTF?.....You should be covered under warranty and even if you aren't any dealer worth his salt will help you diagnose what just happened with the brakes. You sir have had a enough bad luck on your first two trips as most have had in a lifetime! I wish you many happy travels from here on out

Leo B Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508	Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 9:28pm
	Welcome to the group! Congrats on your 178!
	Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 6:34pm
	Welcome to the forum! Thank goodness things were not worse. Hopefully this will be the end of your bad luck. Something like this is very difficult to diagnose sight unseen and a few hundred miles away. Are you comfortable with wrenches or prefer to have someone else do the work? If it were me, I would want to inspect EVERYTHING. I would suspect that the brake assemblies are shot and there is a chance that the drums may have warped. If you have a NAPA store nearby, they can usually turn drums, rotors, etc. - if they can be saved. If not, they can probably order new ones. The brake assemblies can be purchased "pre-assembled" - backing plate, new shoes, magnet, etc. All you have to do is unbolt the old, bolt on the new and connect the wires. You might as well inspect the bearings for signs of excessive heat. Replace or repack and new seals. Check the wiring near the hubs and replace if damaged. I would also want to have the tires (and rims) checked for any potential damage from the heat. I would FOR SURE want to find out why the emergency/break away switch activated and correct that. (Not enough slack in the tether???) Hopefully, others will post their thoughts.

MolliesPack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jul 2016 Location: Hoover, Alabama Online Status: Offline Posts: 4	Posted: 25 Jul 2016 at 4:23pm
	Hello all, my wife and I bought a 2017 178 about a month ago and we just completed our second camping trip yesterday. During the first trip, my wife ate something that disagreed with her and was sick the entire time, so we know the plumbing works, and yesterday we tested the fire extinguisher. Let me preface this by saying that I've had some problems with my truck's cooling system, so when my troubles started, I attributed the symptoms to the truck, not the trailer. Somehow during the first few miles after we left to return home, the kill switch worked its way loose from its socket, and of course the truck balked at pulling a trailer with locked brakes. I thought it was the truck, so I just kept plugging along (you call it stupid; I call it ignorance). After about a tenth of a mile, my wife calmly said, "There's a lot of smoke coming out behind us." I looked in the mirror, confirmed her diagnosis, and thought, "Oh, crap, the engine's blown!". Just then a car pulled along side us and a man yelled, "Your trailer's on fire!" I pulled over, jumped out, disconnected the power, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and dowsed the flames coming from around the wheels. We somehow made it 80 miles home, but when I would apply the truck brakes, the trailer's brakes would seem to lock, and the slower I was going when I applied them, the worse it was. I thought of disconnecting the power, but I didn't want to pull an RV with no brake lights or turn signals. My question is - and I was getting to a question - how much damage do you think I've done to the trailer? Are the brakes just toast, or will it go deeper than that? Nice to have met all of you. And happy camping.
	David & Susan Eagan Hoover, Alabama 2017 RP-178