Off to a blazing start in Alabama

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   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.

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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	Topic: Off to a blazing start in Alabama 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

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.

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: 4518	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

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

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

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: 9062	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: 15 Aug 2016 at 11:32am
	Hello all. I'm still dealing with the effects of the electric brakes activating while towing (the plug came out for no apparent reason). Forest River and the dealer say they can't/won't help or accept any responsibiltiy and the dealer is proceeding with $1,200 repairs. My question to the group is: how is the e-brake (nomenclature?) supposed to be routed and where does it connect? The dealer delivered it to me with the e-brake cable intertwined in one of the safety chains and connected to nothing, so that's the way I was pulling the trailer. Is this correct? Where would I find an authoritative answer to how the cable should be routed? Any suppositions on how it came out and how to prevent a recurrence? Thanks much, David
	David & Susan Eagan Hoover, Alabama 2017 RP-178

codycountry Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Jan 2014 Location: Wyo Online Status: Offline Posts: 168	Posted: 15 Aug 2016 at 5:32pm
	Sorry to hear of your problems, but I am a bit confused---Are you talking about the little wire cable that activates the emergency brake lock-up switch? It is a thin cable with a loop in one end. The loop should go over the hitch ball before the trailer is lowered down and in the event of the trailer coming off the ball as the trailer goes back it tugs on the cable and thereby locks up the brakes. It's an important safety feature for yourself, and for others. Having the plastic trailer connector plug come out should not cause your brakes to lock up unless it tugs on the emergency cable somehow. Odd situation either way. Your dealer *should have* walked you thru all of that on what goes where and how to hook it up. Bad on 'em if they didn't. Hope you've used up all your camper trailer bad luck and it's happy towing from here on.

ToolmanJohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2014 Location: Connecticut Online Status: Offline Posts: 451	Posted: 15 Aug 2016 at 6:55pm
	That break away switch torpedo (plastic dongle) is HARD to pull free of the switch body. If the wire cable attaching it to the trailer hitch was too short, or , if you did not know about it's function and wrapped the excess wire around part of the hitch, it could have pulled out during turn. That would have turned the electric brakes on 12.6 Volts, full power. Of course, you have seen the results, severe overheating (fire!!! wowza....) The breakaway cable is design to pull out IF the trailer actually "breaks away" from the tow vehicle. it slows down the trailer in the event of a wreck and the trailer breaks loose. If the selling dealer didn't explain how to connect the break away safety cable , shame on them.
	2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler 2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI

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: 9062	Posted: 15 Aug 2016 at 9:28pm
	Yes, the break-away cable that pulls that pin out should be the longest connection to the TV. I wouldn't intertwine it into the safety chains. I've never heard of looping the end over the ball but it would work. I would worry about it getting jammed up into the assembly, though. I attach mine with a spring clip to the hitch where the chains attach.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual