Hi all,

We recently picked up a 2016 R-pod 177 from a dealer.  The trailer is in pretty good shape, but several things needed attention - it is pretty obvious they are not assembled like aircraft...LOL.

One thing stood out though, after towing the trailer for about 15 miles to get home, one wheel stunk of burned brake lining. I later pulled the drums to check everything out and pack the wheel bearings to find that the left side brake was adjusted way too tightly - I couldn't pull the drum until I had backed the adjuster off quite a bit.  It had gotten so hot it completely liquified the wheel bearing grease, which got past the seal and made a mess. So..I cleaned everything up, adjusted the brakes, and went for a ride, but no brakes! As it turns out, both sides had wire failures at the connector to the line that comes directly from the brake coil.  It seems that the factory assembly allows some of the weight of the wiring harness (not much, but significant, IMO) to be borne by the brake coil wire which eventually stress hardens and fails.  If they had supported the harness on the top of the axle/spindle area that would not have occurred.  I suspect someone didn't know the brakes had failed and unknowingly tried to compensate with over-tightening the adjuster.  I don't know if all the r-pod models are assembled this way,  so I bring this up as some may want to check that wiring and possibly re-locate and ziptie the harness so it will be supported upon the upper side of the axle-spindle area - to help avoid that kind of failure in the future.  

The dealer didn't check anything out regarding the brakes, the propane plumbing, and didn't even drain the black and gray tanks.  Sheesh

I'm amazed at the popularity of this trailer (which I previously had never heard of), and the amount of participation this forum has.  I look forward to learning from you folks.

Tom

Including the brake wiring.

The previous owner may not have tightened the brakes too much. They are self-adjusting. I had the same thing happen with one side of our 179 where the (door side) wheel's brakes got very tight but the slide side's brakes did not. Likewise, I had a seal failure also on that side. The brakes were replaced and new bearings and seals installed at the same time as I had the axle replaced. 

I fully agree that the dealer was negligent by not checking the brakes before he sold the RPod to you.

I had considered the possibility that the auto-adjust brake was the culprit also.  Your experience tells me that is a more likely cause.  The next time I work on the wheels, I will disable the auto-adjust feature, as the potential damage from that feature is much more a concern than the occasional minor manual adjustment hassle.

Tom

A good way to check electric trailer brakes is with a variable voltage power supply, but many dealers don't even seem to be aware of this.

Plus, if the seals leak, then the brake shoes can get contaminated, making one side 'grabby' or worse.

I like the irony with the Dexter 'Nev-R-Adjust' brakes...which, when translated, means, 'hard to keep them balanced'...(never adjusted)....

If one is much cooler than the other then something is wrong. I found the curb side brake to be much cooler. That side has longer wire lengths and more connectors so it takes less current. Once I rewired they were a lot closer to the same temperature. 

I will also grab the hubs, kick the tires, place my palm on the tread, and feel and smell for anything hot. I do this after nearly every highway run, when getting gas, taking a pee-break, whatever.

Of course, I've got a few million miles driving trucks. Comes with the territory. 

LOL...yep, that's how I knew the brakes weren't working!  After a long downhill, I just felt how hot the drums were...and they weren't.   I'm in the process right now of disabling the self-adjusters; using a dremel to change the angle of the adjusting-star actuating plate edge so it can no longer engage. 

Tom

BTW, you don't need a separate variable voltage power supply. An electronic brake controller already is a pulse width modulated power supply. It's voltage setting is the reading when you slide the manual lever to full. 

No burned fingers here either....I'm good at this..and yeah, I also know how the brake controllers work.

And I own two IR guns me-own-self...

But...a variable voltage power supply is easier and works with no vehicle (or assistant) needed. You can dial up the exact voltage (usually 2-4 volts) that slightly engages the brake magnets, with just a small amount of rotational drag when both wheels are jacked up off the ground. Adjust the starwheels for a balance between both sides. 

A simple lab supply with 0-15v and about 3 amps is sufficient for testing, as well as checking or servicing the lights on the trailer when its not hooked up to a vehicle.

I do the F to C or C to F conversion in my head while I'm walking around to the other side and using the opposite hand. The smell of burning flesh means that there was a mountain behind me.

Hey, you asked! 

Duct tape is fine, but my lab supply is calibrated to 1/100th of a volt. I be in the know, don't cha know.

... but seriously, you would be amazed at how accurate you can get with things like this with a bit (or a lot) of experience. That said, using a tool (like an IR thermometer or torque wrench) is still a good idea for the rest of us who are not "calibrated" appropriately. 

And a really low tire will make a dull thud.

Boy did we wander off-topic....probably my fault...again...

Not that far off topic really yet, but we we're still working it....

It was when it left the factory....what happened?

Unless you live in one of the recently burned areas where too much rain can be a really bad thing...

Much better to use the term "average" or "mean". Sierra snow pack is highly variable. The figure usually used is surface water equivalent on April 1, which is about when the snow pack is usually at its max. The standard deviation of this number historically is something around 50% of the mean or higher, so you have about a 1/3 chance of having 150% of "normal"  or 50% of "normal", and about a 5% chance of having either 2x of average or zero snow pack on that date. Check out this set of charts.

Originally posted by GlueGuy Originally posted by lostagain California has nothing that is average.  Everything is exceptional; exceptionally wet, exceptionally dry, exceptional fires, exceptional floods, exceptional traffic, ....  I could go on for another paragraph, but it'll get off topic.   That ship has sailed.   At least our tornados are below average.

But you make up for it with earthquakes...